The Moonstone the best of modern English detective novels in a genre invented by Collins and not by Poe," and Dorothy L. Sayers praised it as "probably the very finest detective story ever written." In "The Victorian Age in Literature," G. K. Chesterton calls it "probably the best detective tale in the world." It was published in 1868, later than Poe's short story mysteries "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" (1841) (which introduced the famous locked-room paradigm), "The Mystery of Marie Rogêt" (1842), and "The Purloined Letter" (1845). The plot also shows some parallels with "The Hermitage" (1839), an earlier murder mystery
The Boat Race 1842 22 lengths in the previous year's race. They led overall with four wins to Oxford's one. Cambridge University Boat Club received the challenge to race from the Oxford University Boat Club secretary Fletcher Menzies in late 1841, in which it was proposed that a race between the universities should take place in late June or early July 1842. Cambridge rejected the suggestion, maintaining that an Easter race would be preferable. A challenge from their captain, John Ridley, was then sent to Leander Club, whose reply bemoaned the fact that they had insufficient numbers to provide an eight, suggesting a four