Description

On her eighteenth birthday, beautiful Rachel Verinder receives a present like no other—an enormous, glittering, diamond. Little does she know that this legendary stone will bring with it a world of mystery and danger. Snatched from a sacred statue in India, the diamond is the subject of an intense worldwide search by priests whose ultimate duty is to find and restore the stone to its rightful place. The stone seems to hold strange powers beyond mere beauty, perhaps even a curse that travels with it. The sparkling Moonstone belongs to Rachel for one night only before it is stolen in the night, but a storm of grief, misfortune, and even madness follow in its wake. Who has taken the precious gem? Can the stone be found and returned to its rightful owners in time to stop the mysterious forces that threaten to tear apart Rachel's life and happiness? Wilkie Collins's classic tale of mystery and intrigue has long delighted readers seeking the truth about the legendary Moonstone.

About the Author

Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) was the author of hundreds of literary works, one of the lucky writers who enjoyed immense popularity in his lifetime. Born to a creative family, young Collins drifted a bit in his choice of career, working as a clerk and contemplating becoming an artist. He settled on writing eventually, publishing his first novel in 1850. Collins was inspired to continue writing when he met Charles Dickens the following year. The two men would be professional colleagues and close friends for many years to come, both titans of the literary world throughout the Victorian age. Collins led a rather solitary life, battling what some suspected to be the drug addiction that fueled the remarkable imagery that permeates some of his most famous gothic tales. Beloved as a master of suspenseful and hauntingly atmospheric novels—among them The Woman in White and The Moonstone—Collins offers just as many thrills and chills as ever to modern readers.

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Opening Lines (Experimental)

I address these lines--written in India--to my relatives in England.
My object is to explain the motive which has induced me to refuse the right hand of friendship to my cousin, John Herncastle. The reserve which I have hitherto maintained in this matter has been misinterpreted by members of my ...