The Moonstone

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins is a classic detective novel often considered the first full-length English detective story.

The plot centers around a precious Indian diamond called the Moonstone, 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.

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.

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.