It was on a bitterly foggy and misty morning that I met my friend, Theophilus Grim, at a desolate, crooked cobblestone street called Backbone Lane, which was located in the Whitechapel district of London. The worst kinds of common lodging houses and rookeries crowded the dirty, narrow street, accommodating a good number of London's most unfortunate and despondent souls ... The adventure continues as Professor Grim unveils more incredible inventions, and the mysterious, tarpaulin-covered project in Grim's hangar room is finally revealed. The brewing conflict with Grim's greatest nemesis, Count Papineau, boils over in a shocking ending in this, "The Second Collection" of adventuresome novelettes in "The Trying Tales of Chumbles & Grim" series. Great for ages nine through adult. "The Second Collection" includes the following novelettes from "The Trying Tales of Chumbles & Grim" series: "- Theophilus Grim and the Infernal Chill of August" "- Theophilus Grim Flirts With Udder Madness" "- Theophilus Grim and L'affaire de Coeur" "- Theophilus Grim and the Carriage of Justice" "- Theophilus Grim Dives Two Fathoms Under the Thames" "- Theophilus Grim and the Font of Reckoning" The Trying Tales of Chumbles & Grim "The Trying Tales of Chumbles & Grim" is a fast-paced series of entertaining novelettes packed with Victorian era mayhem and clever contraptions, with a dose of steampunk and mad science thrown in. Sometimes mysterious, sometimes a bit scary, these short stories for kids are always sure to delight. Great fun for kids aged 9-12, as well as adults who still love stories filled with action and adventure. Professor Theophilus Grim is a clever scientist and inventor who dreams of making the world a better place through his many inventions and various concoctions. The trouble is, every invention he makes has a way of blowing up, or catching him on fire. F. Walter Chumbles, Grim's best friend, is a disgraced former surgeon with a bone saw, a surgeon's bag, and a penchant for Scotch whiskey and declaring Grim dead. Together, the two engage in a series of delightful adventures sure to make your day a bit more fun.