The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, 1868

Scholars usually believe The Moonstone to be the first detective novel written in English. It's an epistolary work, which means it's written in the form of letters, which was a popular writing technique in mid-nineteenth-century literature. The novel was first serialized in Charles Dickens' All The Year Round magazine. The genre was dubbed "a sensation novel" at the time the book was released. These works are now known as mystery or suspense novels.

The moonstone in the novel is a big diamond, and the plot revolves around a woman who inherits the diamond, only to have it taken from her. As a result, the mystery revolves around who took the gem and why. Before The Moonstone, Wilkie Collins wrote a few works, including The Woman in White, another early effort at a "sensation" novel. The Moonstone is a great place to start if you want to read the finest mysteries from the beginning of time. If you like The Moonstone, you should also read The Woman in White.

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