A review by samble
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

(3.35) not really a detective novel. interesting narrative framing device but it felt like the author wanted to write a drama more than a mystery. sexism and racism aside, the first narrative would have worked really well as a standalone story i feel:

if the actual solution to the mystery was that ms verinder did it to sell off her debts i feel it may have been an interesting subversion of expectations, and if the death of rachel were due to the scorn of mr blake it would have made for interesting social commentary for the time. however, no narrative seemed to top betteridge’s in terms of character or charm, and i managed to guess the thief by ~20% of the way through. the opium twist felt like something out of a sherlock knock off.