Wilkie Collins’s "The Moonstone" is a masterpiece of detective fiction, often called the first and greatest of its kind in the English language. The plot revolves around the titular diamond, a large and valuable yellow gem stolen from an Indian shrine and later bequeathed to a young Englishwoman, Rachel Verinder, on her eighteenth birthday. The stone’s history is cursed, and it is guarded by three Brahmin priests who have sworn to recover it. During the night of Rachel’s birthday party, the Moonstone is stolen from her bedroom. The ensuing investigation is chaotic and flawed, initially focusing on a group of Indian jugglers seen near the house and then on Rachel’s own maidservant, Rosanna Spearman. The story is uniquely told through a series of narratives from different characters, each providing their own perspective on the events, including the family steward, Gabriel Betteredge, the cynical detective Sergeant Cuff, a religious zealot, and a young lawyer. The solution to the mystery is complex, involving a sleepwalking episode, a stained nightgown, and a tragic unrequited love. Wilkie Collins builds an intricate puzzle filled with red herrings and shocking revelations, exploring themes of British colonialism, guilt, and the fallibility of perception, all while creating a cast of unforgettable characters in a suspenseful and perfectly constructed plot.

Table of Contents:

• The Moonstone. Part 1

• The Moonstone. Part 2

• The Moonstone. Part 3

• The Moonstone. Part 4

• The Moonstone. Part 5

• The Moonstone. Part 6

• The Moonstone. Part 7

• The Moonstone. Part 8

• The Moonstone. Part 9

• The Moonstone. Part 10