"We often hear, almost invariably, however, from superficial observers, that guilt can look like innocence. I believe it to be infinitely the truer axiom of the two that innocence can look like guilt."

On the night of her eighteenth birthday party, Rachel Verinder shows off the enormous diamond she inherited from her uncle Colonel Herncastle. Stolen from a shrine in India during the Siege of Seringapatam, the Moonstone is protected by three guardians who will stop at nothing to reclaim the stone. When the jewel goes missing from Rachel's room later that night, suspicion falls on the guests and staff alike—with tragic consequences.

One of the earliest examples of modern English detective fiction, Wilkie Collins' riveting tale of murder, robbery, and romance inspired authors like Dorothy L. Sayers and G.K. Chesterton. First published in 1868, The Moonstone was adapted for the stage by the author himself in 1877.

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