Orphaned John Trenchard lives in the little coastal town of Moonfleet, entranced by the local legend of Blackbeard, whose ghost is said to rise each winter night in search for his lost diamond. While hunting for the treasure one night, John collides with a band of smugglers who take him under their wing. When John and Elzevir Block, chief smuggler and gruff innkeeper, are implicated in the murder of a local magistrate, the two flee and begin a thrilling cross-country journey to find Blackbeard’s famous diamond, following a rumour that takes them to the ancient Carisbrooke castle where they must decipher a hidden code in Blackbeard’s locket.

An exciting, fast-paced adventure story that has for generations entertained readers of all ages, John Meade Falkner’s Moonfleet also probes the value of wealth versus that of true friendship.