Other editions of book The Moonstone

Rachel Verinder, a young English woman, inherits a large Indian diamond on her eighteenth birthday. It is a legacy from her uncle, a corrupt British army officer who served in India. The diamond is of great religious significance and extremely valuable, and three Hindu priests have dedicated their lives to recovering it. The story incorporates elements of the legendary origins of the Hope Diamond (or perhaps the Orloff Diamond or the Koh-i-Noor diamond). Rachel's eighteenth birthday is celebrated with a large party at which the guests include her cousin Franklin Blake. She wears the Moonstone on her dress that evening for all to see, including some Indian jugglers who have called at the house. Later that night the diamond is stolen from Rachel's bedroom, and a period of turmoil, unhappiness, misunderstandings and ill luck ensues. Told by a series of narratives from some of the main characters, the complex plot traces the subsequent efforts to explain the theft, identify the thief, trace the stone and recover it.

Considered the first ever English detective novel, The Moonstone is a brilliant investigation of the disappearance of a precious diamond of the same name. Told from the multiple viewpoints of various fascinating characters, it's a gripping tale of intrigue that is an absolute page turner. His earlier novel, Woman in White, and The Moonstone are thought to be Collins' best works. Just as accessible and enjoyable for today's modern readers as it would have been when first published almost 150 years ago, the novel is one of the great works of English literature and continues to be widely read throughout the world.This meticulous edition from Heritage Illustrated Publishing is a faithful reproduction of the original text.

A beautiful diamond - with a terrible curseWhen Rachel Verinder is given the Moonstone - a large Indian diamond - on her eighteenth birthday, she is delighted to show it off at her celebrations. But that very night, the jewel is stolen from her bedroom. As suspicion falls on each member of the party, the curse of the diamond strikes - and ill-luck threatens to destroy them all.Will the noted detective Sergeant Cuff be able to solve the mystery? Or will the strange case of hypnotism, opium and Indian jugglers defeat even his brilliant mind?

Called "the first and greatest of English detective novels" by T. S. Eliot, Wilkie Collins's The Moonstone is a masterpiece of suspense. A fabulous yellow diamond becomes the dangerous inheritance of Rachel Verinder. Outside her Yorkshire country house watch the Hindu priests who have waited for many years to reclaim their ancient talisman, looted from the holy city of Somnauth. When the Moonstone disappears, the case looks simple, but in mid-Victorian England no one is what they seem, and nothing can be taken for granted. Witnesses, suspects, and detectives each narrate the story in turn. The bemused butler, the love-stricken housemaid, the enigmatic detective Sergeant Cuff, the drug-addicted scientist-each speculate on the mystery as Collins weaves their narratives together.