Home among the Melbourne slums and sideshows, Mona Hayes is anything but traditional.
Tara Oldfield’s Diamonds, Furs & Murder: The Many Crimes of Mona Hayes is a historical fiction inspired by the life and crimes of little-known 1930s thief Mona Hayes.
Described by police as a well-educated, exceptionally clever crook – if she sees something she wants, she takes it. Most women don’t do that.
If the mark is deserving, even better. Diamonds, watches and furs are Mona’s weakness. Not to be deterred by jail time, she hones her craft, performing cons on shopkeepers and charming the police.
But when Mona falls in love with the mysterious Albert Sharpe, who will save her? Who will save him? And can Mona finally pull herself out of the life of crime to which she’s grown accustomed?
In researching Victorian public records, author Tara Oldfield was so taken by Mona’s story that she embarked on a journey to share an imaginative portrait of a woman few people know, creatively filling in the gaps of Mona Hayes exploits in crime.
Tara Oldfield is a PR and communications professional from Melbourne. In her current role at the State Archives, she delves into fascinating files of Victoria’s past, writes regular history articles and presents episodes of the award-winning Look History in the Eye podcast.
Tara has written for publications such as Traces Magazine and Ancesto. In 2024 she won a Mander Jones Award for her short historical fiction Bitter salts. Through Tara’s work with archives, she happened upon the files of a fascinating 1930s criminal, inspiring her first novel – Diamonds, Furs & Murder: The Many Crimes of Mona Hayes.
Diamonds, Furs & Murder: The Many Crimes of Mona Hayes is published by Ginninderra Press and is available from all great book sellers including QBD Books.
Image: Diamonds, Furs & Murder: The Many Crimes of Mona Hayes – courtesy of Ginninderra Press