The Moonstone

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins is widely recognized as the very first detective novel in the English language, a masterpiece that laid the foundation for an entire genre.

This riveting tale begins with a priceless yellow diamond, the Moonstone, stolen from an Indian shrine by a British officer. He bequeaths the cursed gem to his niece, Rachel Verinder, on her eighteenth birthday. But that very night, the diamond vanishes from her room.

What follows is a labyrinthine mystery of false leads, suspicious servants, and a shadowy band of Indian jugglers seemingly bent on recovering the relic. To solve the case, the family turns to the brilliant but eccentric Sergeant Cuff, a master of deduction who would set the template for detectives to come.

Told through a series of captivating first-person narratives—from the loyal family steward to a love-struck housemaid and a pious, nosy cousin—the novel builds a rich and immersive picture of Victorian life. More than a mere puzzle, The Moonstone is also a sharp social commentary, remembered for its sympathetic portrayal of servants and its surprisingly respectful depiction of other cultures.

T. S. Eliot called it "the first, the longest, and the best of modern English detective novels." Experience the book that started it all.

This audiobook is based on the 1868 public domain text.