Synopses & Reviews
A fabulous yellow diamond becomes the dangerous inheritance of beautiful young heiress Rachel Verinder. Outside her Yorkshire country house watch the Hindu priests who have waited for centuries to reclaim their ancient talisman, looted from the holy city of Somnauth. When the Moonstone disappears from Rachel's bedroom the case looks simple, but in the world of Wilkie Collins, no one is what they seem, and nothing can be taken for granted.
Witnesses, suspects, and detectives take up the story in turn. The bemused butler, the love-stricken housemaid, the enigmatic detective Sergeant Cuff, the drug-addicted scientists, each speculate on the mystery as Collins weaves their narratives into a cat's-cradle of suspense with a surprise ending which can still take the breath away. This new edition features a wide-ranging introduction by John Sutherland which discusses the themes of imperialism, sensationalism, and mesmerism in the novel and within Victorian society,
Review
"The first and greatest of English detective novels." T. S. Eliot
Synopsis
Called "the first and greatest of English detective novels" by T.S.Eliot, 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. The Moonstone transcends the genre of detective novel or murder mystery, though, and this new edition features a fascinating introduction by John Sutherland which discusses the themes of imperialism, sensationalism and mesmerism.
Synopsis
Wilkie Collins is considered to be the father of the mystery novel. The Moonstone is one of the finest detective novels ever written, and Sergeant Cuff the first great detective in fiction.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. [lx]-xli).
About the Author
John Sutherland is Lord Northcliffe Professor of Modern English Literature at University College, London.