Moonstone

Published in 1868, 'The Moonstone' by Wilkie Collins follows Rachel Verinder, who inherits a valuable Indian diamond on her eighteenth birthday. This novel is considered a foundational work in the mystery genre, featuring key elements such as multiple suspects, red herrings, and amateur sleuths. T. S. Eliot praised it as 'the first, the longest, and the best of modern English detective novels,' highlighting its lasting influence on subsequent detective fiction.