Home within the Melbourne slums and sideshows, Mona Hayes is anything but traditional. 'Diamonds, Furs, and Murder' is a historical fiction novel inspired by the life and crimes of little-known 1930s thief Mona Hayes. Described by police as a well-educated, exceptionally clever crook-Mona isn't like most women of her time. If she sees something she wants, she takes it. If the mark is deserving, even better. Diamonds, watches and furs are Mona's weakness. Undeterred by jail time, she hones her craft, performing cons on shopkeepers all while charming the police. But when Mona falls in love with the mysterious Albert Sharpe, who will save her? Who will save him? And can she 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 this criminal's exploits.