The Adventures of Xavier & Vic, Sleuths Extraordinaire Series

When the pot has too many cooks a feast can be ruined, and that's exactly what happens with Xavier and Vic's new cases. Each proves more complicated than initially thought with criminals dropping out of the sky, wreaking havoc upon Xavier, Vic, and their excellent employees. By the end, Vic threatens to open a school that teaches criminals how to stay out of each other's way. Worse yet, a treasured member of the staff is shot in the heart while attempting to save Vic and the Queen's cousin.

Chaos abounds in Late Victorian England. Xavier goes off on a mission without Vic because her protector, Tubs, is not well enough to keep Vic from harm right now. In fact, Tubs is dying and the doctor doesn't expect him to live for more than a week. Upon discovering Tubs' dire situation, Vic sets about rescuing him instead. Good thing too. To all appearances, the two strongest crime lords of London have declared war on each other. Only the two attempts on Vic's life tells her this is all a clever plot by a third party—worse yet, a female villainess. To stop the crime lords from destroying one another, leaving their territories open to the Russian spy, she must bring Seth and Samson together, share what is really going on, and get them to agree to work against this third party. Not an easy task since Seth Sojourn thinks Vic is nothing but a foolish sop. Unfortunately, Xavier has gone missing, so it's up to her to convince the angry crime lord that her plan is best. Otherwise, this villainess will kill everyone who gets in her way and bring England to its knees.

Determining whom to trust is getting very hard, indeed. This may be the most trying cases imaginable. Director Stone has gone missing and it appears Ministers of Parliament are involved. Xavier is arrested and placed in a jail meant to kill him, while Vic, disguised as a woman, attempts to locate the Minister of External Affairs and ask for his help. Everyone is called in to assist: Jacko, his wife Alice, their son Pete, Samson the Crime Lord, David and Claire, Tubs and his wife Sara, the boys: Cannon and Ham, plus the bloodhound Arroo. The Wasp who escaped punishment for her attempts to murder her bigamist husband's first wife last year is back. Vic discovers love letters between Ben, their terrible secretary, and the Wasp. Worse yet, he shared Xavier's financial advice with the Wasp, making her and her husband very wealthy. With Stone missing, and Barns and Meyers stretched to their limits, Vic decides it's time to train more of the Scotland Yard officers in intuitive and deductive reasoning. While only half the class makes it through her two-day course, everyone is pleased with her results. Finally, be warned: Vic's sister, Claire, is becoming more difficult than ever. Gregory thinks she is going mad.

Family contacts that Xavier Thorn had long ago hidden from his life, suddenly return. His beloved great-grandmother, which his father had declared dead when Xavier was six, turns out to be alive and annoyed that his father is stealing money from her bank account and the bank won't stop him. As matters escalate from theft to murder to a most despicable crime, Xavier learns more about his father who has hated him all his life and discovers some good news. However, first, he must secure his great-grandmother and his mother, since the connection between the two ladies and Xavier has become known to several Crime Lords. As the man responsible for keeping all Crime Lords in line, the two ladies are now in danger of becoming hostages. It's a hard month for Vic. Due to saying too much while teaching the Scotland Yard officers on how to stop forgeries, Vic believes she has lost Xavier's love. Also, her crazy sister Claire burns down the house Claire lives in simply because it could not be put into her name. Then Vic's sister arrives at Xavier and Vic's house with the intention of killing them all. Family can be so difficult!

England has become besieged with foreign entities claiming to be English citizens. Three of them have managed to become members of Parliament. Worse yet, the new Prime Minister plans to remove Xavier from his position as head of Foreign Affairs and slot in a man the new Prime Minister likes a great deal. Unfortunately, the man is a Russian Spy. Worse yet: Vic's sister, Claire, has been declared healthy, despite being insane, and after marrying her doctor, who declared her sane, a week later she returns to London with the intent to kill everyone she hates, which is anyone associated with Vic. When Claire's husband gets fired, he joins her in London and proves to be the reason she has a killing compulsion. He wasn't making her better all this time. He was making her deadly.