Books with author John Meade Falkner

The Lost Stradivarius (1895), by John Falkner, is a short novel of ghosts and the evil that can be invested in an object, in this case an extremely fine Stradivarius violin. After finding the violin of the title in a hidden compartment in his college rooms, the protagonist, a wealthy young heir, becomes increasingly secretive as well as obsessed by a particular piece of music, which seems to have the power to call up the ghost of its previous owner. Roaming from England to Italy, the story involves family love, lordly depravity, and the tragedy of obsession, all conveyed in a "high" serious tone not uncommon in late Victorian literature. Preceding M.R. James's ghost stories by several years, it has been called the novel James might have written, had he written novels.

This eBook has been formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. The village of Moonfleet has a legend about the notorious Colonel John "Blackbeard" Mohune who is buried in the family crypt under the church. Blackbeard is reputed to have stolen a diamond from King Charles I and hiding it before his death. But his ghost has no rest and it wanders at night looking for the treasure and causing the mysterious lights in the churchyard. Now it is up to John and Elzevir to hunt the treasure amidst all odds and cunning. But will they survive the ordeal? Or will this hunt turn out to be the biggest mistake of their lives?

The Lost Stradivarius (1895), by J. Meade Falkner, is a short novel of ghosts and the evil that can be invested in an object, in this case an extremely fine Stradivarius violin. After finding the violin of the title in a hidden compartment in his college rooms, the protagonist, a wealthy young heir, becomes increasingly secretive as well as obsessed by a particular piece of music, which seems to have the power to call up the ghost of its previous owner. Roaming from England to Italy, the story involves family love, lordly depravity, and the tragedy of obsession, all conveyed in a "high" serious tone not uncommon in late Victorian literature. Preceding M.R. James's ghost stories by several years, it has been called the novel James might have written, had he written novels.

This rollicking tale of smugglers, hidden treasure, and a wandering ghost casts the same kind of gripping spell as Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and other adventure classics. Set in an English village during the 1750s, it tells of an orphan boy who discovers a dangerous secret down in a church crypt, which results in a series of perilous encounters on land and sea. In the mid-eighteenth century, an epidemic of smuggling sweeps across England's south coast. The law, enforced by Magistrate Maskew of Moonfleet Manor, is unforgiving. So when young John Trenchard accidentally uncovers illegal activity and gets involved with a smuggling ring, he's drawn into a life-or-death struggle with the magistrate. Their conflict leads John into an even deeper mystery that climaxes with the search for a pirate's loot and resolves with the help of loyal friendship and the warmth of romance.

The novel is set in a fishing village in Dorset during the mid 18th century. The story concerns a 15 year old orphan boy, John Trenchard, who becomes friends with an older man who turns out to be the leader of a gang of smugglers. A much-loved classic story about a boy’s adventures among smugglers and thieves as he endeavours to discover the whereabouts of the treasure hidden by the legendary pirate Blackbeard.

Moonfleet is an adventure story which begins in a small English town of the same name. John is an orphan and has grown up in his aunt's house. He accidentally stumbles into a smuggling heist, to which he eventually becomes a willing party. The ensuing adventure takes him far from home and it is not until years later that his ship wrecks right near Moonfleet, and he finds himself back where he started.