What a rip roaring page turner! I was absolutely enthralled by Wilkie Collins masterpiece of detective fiction - The Moonstone, published in 1868.Yes that's right, 1868!!! Bloody hell, talk about a novel lasting the distance.
The Moonstone has been called the "first detective novel" and was deemed, in Collins' time, a "sensation novel". It's the classic who dunnit, that created the who dunnit genre: a diamond with a tainted history goes missing in a house full of guest. Everyone one of them a suspect.
Not going to give anymore away but once you start reading it'll keep you guessing right to the end.
And oh yeah it is funny too.
Wilkie Collins kept popping up in a number of books I was reading, from The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher (Kate Summerscale), Drood: A Novel (Dan Simmon) so I thought it was time I read his book.
Collins was best buds with Charles Dickens. Funny thing is I have tried to read Dickens but just could get into him.
Whereas Collins is now my favourite.
