Tales from the Moonstone Inn

Written in the early decades of the 20th century by a down-on-his-luck Englishman living in Australia, this engaging collection of stories and other works is now available in a freshly expanded edition. The two novellas presented in this volume – The Moonstone Inn and The Man Who Tossed A Sixpence – are mystery adventures with Australian and South Pacific settings. Dark schemes, evil deeds, hidden hoards and guarded secrets abound, mixed with dashes of romance, humour and local colour, not forgetting of course, Francis W. Strapp’s stiff-upper-lipped heroes and virtuous heroines. The collection includes five short stories, The Copenhagen Sails Tonight, The God of Luck, The Grand Duke Alexander, How Diamond Gem Won the Blundel Stakes and To Save France, which documents a Parisian woman’s bravery in the First World War. Also presented are Strapp’s other surviving writings, including poems, letters to the press, and draft versions of two novella chapters. Many items in this section are exclusive to this edition. The collection also boasts photographic illustrations, a foreword by the author’s great-niece Mary Steel, biographical information by Rita Hayes, and afterword essays by the editor, Alan Hayes, focusing on the author’s life and the real-world settings for his stories.