The Moonstone

<p><strong>The Moonstone</strong> by <strong>Wilkie Collins</strong> is a classic detective novel often considered the first full-length English detective story.</p><p>The plot centers around a precious Indian diamond called the <em>Moonstone</em> which is stolen from a Hindu temple and later given to Rachel Verinder as a gift on her eighteenth birthday. That same night the diamond mysteriously disappears from her room. Suspicion falls on several people in the household including the servants and Rachel herself.</p><p>As the story unfolds through multiple narrators Sergeant Cuff a skilled detective investigates the theft. The truth gradually emerges - the diamond was taken by Rachel's cousin Franklin Blake under the influence of a drug without his own knowledge. The jewel is ultimately traced to London and recovered after being hidden by a corrupt moneylender.</p><p>The novel explores themes of greed guilt love and the clash between British colonialism and Indian spirituality all woven into a suspenseful and intricately plotted mystery.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p>