When Will Grafton is transported from England to Van Diemen’s Land for forgery at the age of 24, he expects to spend seven years toiling on a chain gang or locked up in a dark cell. But on arrival in Hobart Town in 1835, he is offered a deal by the district magistrate. He can be a convict constable in exchange for an early Ticket of Leave. As an officer of the law, Will’s days consist of escorting convicts to and from work sites, breaking up brawls, and arresting drunks. But when a convict maid is wrongly accused of stealing from her employer, Will is determined to track down the real thief. The young convict constable discovers an aptitude for detecting, and his superiors soon assign him other cases involving theft, blackmail, armed robbery and even murder. Sentenced Beyond the Seas is a collection of linked short stories featuring Will Grafton, his fellow convict constables, and Norah Cottman, the woman who steals his heart
