Late Victorian Era was both amazing and appalling.
As factories expanded in the cities, the poor headed to the cities, hoping for a job.
Soon the middle-class grew and began to expand.
As more people moved to the cities, the need for homes exceeded the homes available. Some unethical builders began building homes for the new middle-class without proper plumbing, allowing deadly gases to asphyxiate people in their sleep. In addition, there were toxins in the walls and floors that could kill them.
And for the poor, conditions became intolerable.
An entire family would often live, sleep, and eat in a single cramped room, with a tin tub for washing but no toilet or running water. They would have to use the pump outside for drinking water (which was frequently contaminated) and use the two-seater public outhouse somewhere in a two-block range to rid themselves of the runs.
There were also open sewers they could piss in—certainly couldn’t make it smell worse.
Cholera, Dysentery, and Toxins were killing people by the hundreds, but those in the country kept arriving, all the same. The cities were literally dying over its sewage issues.
Late Victorian Era was both amazing and appalling.
As factories expanded in the cities, the poor headed to the cities, hoping for a job.
Soon the middle-class grew and began to expand.
As more people moved to the cities, the need for homes exceeded the homes available. Some unethical builders began building homes for the new middle-class without proper plumbing, allowing deadly gases to asphyxiate people in their sleep. In addition, there were toxins in the walls and floors that could kill them.
And for the poor, conditions became intolerable.
An entire family would often live, sleep, and eat in a single cramped room, with a tin tub for washing but no toilet or running water. They would have to use the pump outside for drinking water (which was frequently contaminated) and use the two-seater public outhouse somewhere in a two-block range to rid themselves of the runs.
There were also open sewers they could piss in—certainly couldn’t make it smell worse.
Cholera, Dysentery, and Toxins were killing people by the hundreds, but those in the country kept arriving, all the same. The cities were literally dying over its sewage issues.
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 male secretary, and the Wasp. Worse yet, he shared Xavier’s financial advice with the Wasp, making her and her husband very wealthy.
Vic discovers love letters between Ben, their terrible male 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.
EXCERPT
“Bloody Hell!” Davy yelled.
Gregory headed to the carriage house with a severe reprimand on his tongue. While Davy had become far more prone to bursts of anger since they had hired a driver-in-training, bellowing curses at this early hour of the morning was unacceptable.
He lost his scold upon the sight of Davy, on his knees coughing.
When he approached Davy, the man waved him away.
“Stay back…poisonous gas…” Davy choked out before collapsing.
The air in the carriage house did smell bad and the horses kicked at their stall doors as if wishing to escape as well.
Gregory hurried back to the kitchen where he found most of his staff. He sought out Fagan and Casey. “Retrieve Davy and take the horses out back. Do this while holding your breath! Now!”
Gregory knew that with a normal staff such instructions would have a myriad of follow up questions. But his staff was battle ready at all times. Thus, the inexplicable order to do these actions while holding their breath would be followed.
He hurried to his room and called Dr. Connors. “We have an emergency. There is a foul odor in Davy’s carriage and the air in the carriage has brought Davy to his knees. The horses are affected as well. I’ve sent the boys in with orders to extract Davy and the horses. Can you come?”
“Yes, of course,” Dr. Connors assured him. “I’m not yet dressed, but I will be there in short order.”
Gregory thanked him and returned to the carriage house. Both Davy and the horses were gone.
He hurried out the back door and found his three drivers sitting on the grass and the horses tethered to trees.
“Is everyone alright?”
Davy nodded and coughed. He then reached over and patted the back of Fagan. “He saved my life while Casey saved my Marybell.” He met the two young men’s eyes. “I know I’ve not been friendly with either of you, but that ends now. From now on, I’ll be your friend if you wish, and I’ll teach you whatever you don’t already know. However, that may not be much, because from what I’ve seen, you are both superb drivers.”
Both young men grinned. Fagan held out his hand. “Friends, then!”
By the time Davy shook it, Casey had approached and held out his hand. “Friends for life.”
“Without you guys, I’m pretty sure I would have died today.”
Book 8
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(Insert About author-newspaper)
Liza O’Connor was raised badly by feral cats, left the South/Midwest and wandered off to find nicer people on the east coast. There she worked for the meanest man on Wall Street, while her psychotic husband tried to kill her three times. (So much for finding nicer people.) Then one day she declared enough, got a better job, divorced her husband, and fell in love with her new life where people behaved nicely. But all those bad behaviors has given her lots of fodder for her humorous books. Please buy these books, because otherwise, she’ll become grumpy and write troubled novels instead. They will likely traumatize you.
You have been warned.
Book 8
Free with Amazon Kindle Unlimited
Need to catch up?
Book 1
Book 2
Book 2.5
Book 3
Book 4
Book 5
Book 6
Book 7
All Xavier & Vic books are Free with Amazon Unlimited
Liza O’Connor was raised badly by feral cats, left the South/Midwest and wandered off to find nicer people on the east coast. There she worked for the meanest man on Wall Street, while her psychotic husband tried to kill her three times. (So much for finding nicer people.) Then one day she declared enough, got a better job, divorced her husband, and fell in love with her new life where people behaved nicely. But all those bad behaviors has given her lots of fodder for her humorous books. Please buy these books, because otherwise, she’ll become grumpy and write troubled novels instead. They will likely traumatize you.
You have been warned.
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