Rachel Verinder, a young English woman, inherits a large Indian diamond on her eighteenth birthday. The diamond is of great religious significance and extremely valuable, and three Hindu priests have dedicated their lives to recovering it. At her eighteenth birthday party, she wears the Moonstone, and later that night the diamond is stolen from Rachel's bedroom. A period of turmoil, unhappiness, misunderstandings, and ill luck ensues.

The Moonstone is an early example of the modern detective novel and established many of the ground rules of the modern genre. The Moonstone of the title is a diamond (not to be confused with the semi-precious moonstone gem). It gained its name from its association with the Hindu god of the Moon, Chandra. It is protected by three hereditary guardians on the orders of Vishnu, and waxes and wanes in brilliance along with the light of the Moon.

This case laminate collector's edition includes a Victorian-inspired dust jacket.