Moonfleet (1898) is an adventure novel by J. Meade Falkner. Largely
forgotten by today's readers, Falkner was more widely known in his
lifetime for his nonfiction works on history and topography as well as
his role as chairman of a major arms manufacturer. Far from the amateur
musings of a bored millionaire, Falkner's writing shows a mastery of
genre fiction while benefitting from his extensive geographical
knowledge. Moonfleet has been adapted several times for radio,
television, and film, most notably for Fritz Lang's 1955 feature of the
same name. "When I was a child I thought that this place was called
Moonfleet, because on a still night, whether in summer, or in winter
frosts, the moon shone very brightly on the lagoon; but learned
afterwards that 'twas but short for 'Mohune-fleet', from the Mohunes, a
great family who were once lords of all these parts." Growing up in
Moonfleet, young John Trenchard couldn't help but hear the legends of
the powerful Mohune family, whose ancestor Colonel Blackbeard is said to
have stolen a diamond from King Charles I. An orphan, he is raised by
his aunt, Miss Arnold, who tries to protect him from the violence and
crime perpetuated by local smugglers. At church one Sunday, John hears
noises from the crypt below and endeavors to return. The next day, he
encounters two of his friends beside the church wall, and suspects they
are searching for the ghost of Blackbeard. As he steps into a sinkhole
in the graveyard, he finds himself in a tunnel leading to the crypt,
where the telltale signs of smuggling reveal a shocking secret. With a
beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this
edition of J. Meade Falkner's Moonfleet is a classic of English
adventure fiction reimagined for modern readers.
