Moon of madness

by Sax Rohmer

"Moon of madness" by Sax Rohmer is a novel written in the early 20th century. It blends romantic adventure with espionage, following narrator George Decies as he’s drawn into Major Edmond O’Shea’s covert mission to stop Communist agents from smuggling documents that could imperil a royal figure. Set chiefly in sun-drenched Madeira, it centers on wilful debutante Nanette, her earnest suitor Jack Kelton, the enigmatic O’Shea, and the predatory Gabriel da Cunha. Expect flirtation, danger, and a cat‑and‑mouse pursuit that turns a holiday idyll into high-stakes intrigue. The opening of the novel introduces the party at Reid’s Hotel in Funchal, where Nanette’s reckless charm and Jack’s devotion collide with the arrival of O’Shea and the sinister da Cunha. After Nanette’s near-scandalous escapades and a tense night at the casino, O’Shea reveals his mission: recover a black dispatch-box tied to a royal scandal, now in da Cunha’s orbit. When Nanette secretly meets da Cunha at his hill bungalow, Jack and Decies—led by O’Shea—race up a goat track; Jack is felled in a brutal fight, O’Shea drops da Cunha and seizes the box. O’Shea then departs, breaking Nanette’s heart with a calculated “goodbye,” but returns covertly when it’s learned the letters were photographed; with Macalister acting for da Cunha, Nanette boldly outswims pursuit at a moonlit harbour to snatch the portfolio from a motor cruiser and deliver it to O’Shea, setting the stage for further danger as the Reds try again.