A further account, set in the Middle Ages in England and parts of Europe, of some of the characters that may have already been met in "Vincent the Beeman" and other books in the series. Beatrice is just turning twenty-five, which is regarded as the time of majority for women in her noble family. After celebrating with banquets and grand balls, and receiving magnificent presents, she sets off with her dearest friend, Vincent, to visit the castle of Schloss Kirschbaum in Hesse, the home of the twins Euphemia and Ruprecht. A number of adventures transpire, both in Hesse, at that time an...

How the young Vincent Crabbe meets and befriends Lady Beatrice de Gonville Musgrave in the Middle Ages in England, and how they discover their magical powers and embark on a series of adventures. They defeat a plot to overthrow King Adelbert, with the aid of the young Hessian twins, Euphemia and Ruprecht. They visit the twins in their castle, Schloss Kirschbaum, in Hesse, and rescue Clotilda Gunther from robbers who are after her valuable silverware. They present the twins' aunt with a spinet, since her hearing is no longer good enough for her to enjoy playing the clavichord. Vincent becomes...

Kit, now aged sixteen, is being trained as a venturer by Captain Stephen, and is in the employ of Lady Leticia and Lord Morgan. Setting out for Lisbon on his first real voyage, in Stephen's three-master, he and his crewmates first have to deal with and repel a Barbary Corsair. Later, in Asturias, they defeat an evil wizard who has kidnapped some of the younger members of the crew. And finally, they manage to end the criminal career of a failed venturer who has turned to piracy; as reward, Stephen and Kit are invited to join the powerful society of Merchant Venturers of Bristol.

In mediaeval England a community is threatened by an unseen force with magic powers. The King and his knights find they are powerless, but Vincent, the Beeman, and his young proteges join Stephen the Venturer on a voyage to places where the descendants of the old Norsemen seem to be at the centre of the mystery.

The partners of the firm of 'Crabbe and Crabbe: Private Investigators' have unusual qualifications for detectives. Both in their twenties, Melpomene is a social anthropologist, and Alexander is a solicitor, a combination that brings fresh approaches to a sometimes jaded profession, while benefitting from effective collaboration with police forces in various parts of England, and occasionally even France. This, their latest case, starts out with an apparently minor incident of industrial sabotage, but inexorably extends to intimidation, assault, kidnapping and several types of murder, all...

The partners of the firm of 'Crabbe and Crabbe: Private Investigators' have unusual qualifications for detectives. Both in their twenties, Melpomene is a social anthropologist, and Alexander is a solicitor, a combination that brings fresh approaches to a sometimes jaded profession, while benefitting from effective collaboration with police colleagues in various parts of England, and, occasionally, even France and, recently, Denmark. This, their latest case, starts out with an apparently minor incident of art fraud, but then takes in illegal auction rings, smuggling, intimidation, assault,...

The partners of 'Crabbe and Crabbe: Private Investigators' have unusual qualifications for detectives. Both in their twenties, Melpomene is a social anthropologist, and Alexander is a solicitor, a combination that brings fresh approaches to a sometimes jaded profession, benefitting from collaboration with police colleagues in London. This, their latest case, begins innocuously enough when a young friend is concerned that Janice, her fourteen-year old school friend, is the target of idle gossip accusing her diplomat father of misconduct, and she asks Melpomene and Alex to help. In...

A further exploit of the Crabbe and Crabbe detective agency, set in 1920s England. The partners of the firm have unusual qualifications for detectives. Both in their twenties, Melpomene is a social anthropologist, and Alexander is a solicitor, a combination that brings fresh approaches to a sometimes jaded profession, benefitting from collaboration with police colleagues in London. This, their latest case, begins with an approach from a doctor, concerned about unexplained happenings at his hospital. The Crabbes begin following up some of his enquiries and find evidence of serious difficulties...

Melpomene and Alex Crabbe investigate what appear to be dubious practices at a new university. They soon discover that the key officials of Harpenden University are involved in criminal behaviour, ranging from demanding inducements from prospective students, to embezzlement and even murder. With the aid of a group of graduate students and honest staff, they bring the perpetrators to book.

The scene is London, England, in the mid-nineteen twenties. Private detectives Melpomene and Alex are asked to investigate problems at a London stock-broking firm. Soon it becomes clear that certain officers of a prominent embassy are also involved in extensive illegal money transfers with European countries financing the arms and drug-running trades. Before long there have been killings and Crabbe and Crabbe are warned off by anonymous letters and telephone calls - of course they are not daunted and the guilty are brought to account, with the cooperation of the authorities.