I am not usually a big fan of detective novels. I find that the Sherlock Holmes stories, while entertaining, do not give the reader enough of a hint as to what is going on. The Moonstone on the other hand, on which the Sherlock Holmes stories are based, is entertaining to the end, and the reader is let in on what is happening most of the time. When this is not the case, the mystery just gets better. Towards the middle the book does get slow, but that is made up for by the excelent beginning and finish. The language also tends to get a bit tedious, but the captivating storyline makes up for it all. It is a smart, and at times very funny detective novel that I am very happy to have read