The Moonstone

'The first, the longest and the best of modern, English detective novels.' - T. S. Eliot A priceless gem, a diamond from India imbued with religious significance, is stolen on the very night it is given as an eighteenth birthday present to a captivating heiress; and so the mystery begins. The rules for the golden age of crime novels are formed in the pages of The Moonstone – an English country house, a complex cast of characters, the bungling local constabulary, a celebrated sleuth and the reconstruction of the crime. Collins' intricate, ingenious plot combines suspense, drama and romance with an astute commentary on society in a richly humorous novel told through a series of narratives related by a variety of voices.