The Moonstone

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the development of a recurring detective character and short story format The Unsolvable or Morally Ambiguous Case the detective archetype, intricate plot construction the novel-length detective narrative, use of red herrings

It established many conventions of the detective novel, including multiple narrators, red herrings, and a professional police detective.

What it is

Often cited as the first full-length detective novel in English, it follows the investigation into the theft of a valuable Indian diamond from an English country house.

↑Inherited from(1)

The Murders in the Rue Morgue· 1841↑ open

Collins's Sergeant Cuff is an early professional detective, building on Dupin's analytical methods and the concept of a complex, clue-driven mystery.

↓Passed on to(1)

A Study in Scarlet· 1887↓ open

"The Moonstone" established many conventions of the full-length detective novel, including a complex plot with misdirections, which Doyle later adopted and refined.