The Ordeal

By Robert A.V. Jacobs

A Massive explosion that destroyed the underground station, when Larry Dexman was walking past...
A strange drone that flew overhead and dropped a bomb, when Larry was taking Sally to the Vets...
A missile fired from an adjacent building into his bedroom almost completely destroying the building...
Two armed assailants driven out of Gregory’s café, by Larry and an MI6 sniper...
An encounter with a machine gunner in a London street...
Two of his friends both murdered in their beds for no apparent reason...
Despite having no idea why, Larry has to finally face the fact that someone is really, really, determined to see him dead.
But when, the who and the why are finally revealed, despite not believing that it could be possible, he must be ready, or face the consequences.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Robert A.V. Jacobs
• Release date: Oct 19, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463661505

Book preview

Children’s fiction, ten years upwards:

Daisy Weal

Daisy Weal and the Monster

Daisy Weal and Sir Charles

Daisy Weal and the Last Crenian

The Lost Starship

The Star Queen

Dauntless

The Adventures of Daisy Weal (Omnibus edition, containing four of the books in the series)

Grandpa’s shed

Cindy Lost and the Black Witch

Short Stories in the Daisy Weal series

(Available as ebooks):

Daisy Weal and the Grelflin

Daisy Weal and the Weenies

Daisy Weal and the Millions

Daisy Weal and the Outside Place

Daisy Weal and the Secret

Daisy Weal and the Disaster

Daisy Weal and the Ghost

Daisy Weal and the Figment

Young Adult and Adult Fiction:

Speaker (A collection of 32 short stories)

The Yellow Dragon

The Diamond Sword of Tor

Cardoney (Omnibus edition containing both The Yellow Dragon and The Diamond Sword of Tor)

Adult Science Fiction:

As a Consequence

Taldi’na

Adult Detective/Murder Mysteries:

Dexxman

The Disappearance of Natalie Firth

Time to Die

A Promise to Doreen

Almost Enough

The Eighteenth Panda

The Seventh Tower

Non-fiction:

Sudoku, Food for the Mind

Table of Contents

Also By

Previous Books in the Series

Author’s Note

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Three

Chapter Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty Five

Chapter Twenty Six

Chapter Twenty Seven

Chapter Twenty Eight

Chapter Twenty Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty One

Chapter Thirty Two

Chapter Thirty Three

Chapter Thirty Four

Chapter Thirty Five

Chapter Thirty Six

Chapter Thirty Seven

Chapter Thirty Eight

Chapter Thirty Nine

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty One

Chapter Forty Two

Chapter Forty Three

Chapter Forty Four

Chapter Forty Five

Chapter Forty Six

Chapter Forty Seven

Chapter Forty Eight

Chapter Forty Nine

Chapter Fifty

Chapter Fifty One

Chapter Fifty Two

Chapter Fifty Three

Author’s Endnote

Why not write a review

Character List

About the Author

Previous Books in this Series

Dexxman

Robert A.V. Jacobs

Book One in the Dexxman Series.

When the body of the British Home Secretary’s son is found in an alleyway where he had been battered to death, Larry Dexxman, a seventy-five year old private detective is thrown into the middle of a political minefield that could easily cost him his life.

His only protection is Sally, a tiny Shih-tsu/Yorkshire terrier cross, Penny his twenty-four-year-old assistant and his own combat experience gained in the armed forces fifty years ago.

Narrowly surviving several attempts on his life, Larry must try to protect those around him while, at the same time, keeping his promise to the murdered boy’s girlfriend that he would find out who was responsible and see that they are brought to justice.

When the Director General of MI6 is murdered, his daughter Hayley fears for her own safety, and turns to Larry and Penny as the only people that she can trust.

Worried that the situation might be terrorist related, the Home Secretary orders his own daughter, Denise, placed under protection as a precaution, but Larry soon realises that it is not enough, and if he can’t remove her from danger she could easily be next.

As Larry probes deeper into the conspiracy, he is placed under police protection himself. But he still must find a way to keep Denise safe, even if he has to kidnap her, without at the same time, alerting Counter Terrorism Command or his own bodyguard to his plans

The Disappearance of Natalie Firth

Robert A.V. Jacobs

Book two in the Dexxman Series.

When all the bodies have been filed away, and the killer of the Home Secretary’s son apprehended, Larry must cope with being inundated with the request for work, having become a household name and a knight of the realm. But then unaccountably he starts having dreams...

Harry, the eight year old son of Malcolm and Natalie Firth, engages Larry Dexxman to find his mother, but he has no idea of the can of worms that he is about to open. Larry is perplexed as he realises that though his dreams, he knew that Harry would be coming.

His wife Penny, Neil and Denise his two new assistants, and Sally, a tiny shih-tsu/Yorkshire terrier cross, embark on a mission to find her. With the help of MI6 they delve into the murky depths of Malcolm’s life and are horrified to learn that he has links with Vincente Vasquez, a known villain, suspected of drug smuggling and murder.

When Special Branch shows an interest in the case, Larry finds that he has unwittingly become embroiled in an ongoing espionage investigation, which seems to be inexorably linked to Natalie’s disappearance.

Whether Natalie is alive or dead is a moot point, when keeping Harry, his friends, and himself alive becomes the order of the day.

Time to Die

Robert A.V. Jacobs

Book Three in the Dexxman Series.

It all started when Larry Dexxman received a letter more than twenty years late. It cast doubt upon the official verdict of accidental death on two employees of a legal company, one of which was Larry’s former wife. Several attempts on Larry’s life, when there is no discernible reason for them, drag him ever further into a web of lies and deceit.

It seems to involve espionage, and is believed to be centred on the law firm of Parkes and Parkes, until links back to a former adversary are found. All of the main suspects are already dead, so his attention is inexorably drawn back to the law firm.

The action moves into one of the many deserted tunnels in London, where a shocking scenario unfolds, leaving Larry and his friends embittered, stunned and confused.

Finally things come to a head, when Larry and his friends are trapped by two people consumed with the desire to see them dead in the slowest and most painful way possible. Now, the only question that he has left to answer is whether or not now will actually be his ‘time to die’ after all.

A Promise to Doreen

Robert A.V. Jacobs

Book Four in the Dexxman Series

Recovering from a heart attack, Larry is being overprotected by his colleagues, which in itself is providing more stress than he needs, so he decides to take some time out with a visit to Gregory’s café.

A conversation overheard in the café attracts Larry’s attention, and becomes more intriguing when a day later he witnesses the murder of the principle speaker. On the spur of the moment as he kneels beside the dying girl he makes a promise. He promises to find the murderer, whatever it costs. It is a promise that he will find has a much higher price than he would willingly pay.

An imposter in MI6, murder, embezzlement, and terrorism, are just four of the hazards that he has to face, as he struggles with the bizarre, in the form of an almost identical twin to himself.

Several attempts on Larry’s life, when his ‘twin’ is in the vicinity raises the question of whether those attempts are really meant for him, or are they actually meant for the ‘twin’?

When Margaret, Larry’s adopted daughter, fails to return from assignment, Larry fears the worst, and thus begins a race against time to ensure that those fears are not realised.

Almost Enough

Robert A.V. Jacobs

Book Five in the Dexxman Series.

A phone call in the middle of the night alerted Larry Dexxman to the death of his wife Penny’s friend Stella. It seemed to be a simple mugging, but what should have been a straight forward investigation turns major when the bodies start to pile up.

Initial enquiries reveal that Stella’s past, and her present, were shrouded in mystery, and when the frequent trips that she took before her death lead to the Department of Work and Pensions whose office in London is unaccountably destroyed in an explosion, the puzzle deepens.

The investigation moves to Stella’s last employer, Bytesize Systems Ltd, who were contracted to develop an AI solution for the DWP, but before any progress can be made, the owner is brutally murdered in a hit and run.

Larry, despairing that he will ever get a handle on the puzzle is not as surprised as he should have been when the whole thing is brought to a head by his home being invaded by armed intruders.

The Eighteenth Panda

Robert A.V. Jacobs

Book Six in the Dexxman Series.

With virtually nothing happening except divorce cases, Larry is getting bored. So much so that when he is approached by a five year old to find her stolen Panda, he jumps at the chance.

But when the one escalates into seventeen, and then a murder in front of him, followed by an attempt on his own life, and the death of his friend, he realises that there is more to this affair than was at first realised.

It seems that an eighteenth Panda may be the key to the puzzle, so all of his efforts are channelled into an intensive search for it.

When the truth is revealed, and the extent of the criminal activity becomes known, Larry risks all to protect those around him, and bring the perpetrators to Justice.

The Seventh Tower

Robert A.V. Jacobs

Book Seven in the Dexxman Series

Despite his reluctance to be a pushover for every waif and stray, Larry agrees to find the sister of a fifteen year old boy who turns up at his office. Having run away from parents that he claims are abusive, he and his sister had been living rough until she disappeared.

Larry visits the boy’s parents, in Cromwell’s Seat, a village some ten miles outside of London, only to hear that MI6 are investigating suspected espionage centred on the local police station.

Dragged reluctantly into that investigation, while trying to solve the disappearance, he is suddenly arrested when the boy’s mother is found hanged from the seventh tower of a series of fifteen carrying new power lines.

The situation is becoming difficult until Clare Haines, a constable working for his friend Superintendent Blake Reece, comes to his aid, and he is released.

The murder of a constable in an unusual manner, a face seen, and vaguely remembered, an MI6 agent who is not quite as he appears to be, a reluctant traitor, the almost fatal shooting of Penny and the death of someone who had come to be his friend, finally brings everything to a head at the foot of the tower.

Author’s Note

This is my eighth and final excursion into the world of Larry Dexxman, and I make no apology for the fact that I have made references to the other seven books throughout this one.

In other books, I have referenced the appropriate book title whenever this has occurred, but my approach this time is different. I have instead, written a short, and I mean short, passage explaining what or whom I am talking about.

My reasons for making this the final book in the series, mainly revolves around my age (81 in July 2019), and I would hate to start another and expire before it is finished. There is also the fact that just occasionally I forget how to spell a word, and then have to trawl through various options until I get something that is close enough to be recognised by the spell checker.

The third reason is that I have several unfinished novels in other Genres, and I would rather like to get them finished before I do depart this mortal coil.

Chapter One

Six months had passed by since I had retired and passed Dexxman Investigations into the hands of my adopted daughter at the end of my last major case. I was out walking with Sally and thoroughly enjoying my day, the sun was shining, a slight breeze was blowing, and people nodded amiably as they passed. What more could a retired PI want, unless of course it was to roll back the years and to be young again?

Sally was getting to be an old lady now, having reached seventeen several months ago. She had lost most of her hearing, and her sight was failing, but she still had her nose, was still active, and looked forward eagerly to our morning walks together.

Maybe there wouldn’t be many more times that we could enjoy them, so we needed to make the most of it while both of us still could. I have to admit, that stepping away from the job had been difficult at first, but with Jenny’s help, I had learnt that there were other ways for life to continue to have meaning.

I was still around if the girls should need any advice, but as they became more experienced at running things by themselves, their requests for help had started to peter out. Most of the cases that I had pursued in the last few years had been downright dangerous, though manageable because of my MI6 connections. With my retirement, the backup that the security services provided had effectively retired as well, so when I had stepped away, I had encouraged Margaret to concentrate on divorces, and finding lost people. My thinking had been that this would make the job a lot safer for them, and so far this had thankfully proved to be the case.

Let me introduce myself. My name is Larry Dexxman. Well more accurately, it is Sir Lawrence Dexxman, and I used to be a private detective. I had made the decision to retire about six months ago, due mainly to my disquiet at the number of bodies that I had managed to accumulate, or had accumulated around me, over only about three years or so. Sally is my little dog, is a Yorkshire/Shih Tzu cross, and as I mentioned earlier getting to be an old