The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Hercule Poirot #4

by Agatha Christie

Voted by the British Crime Writers’ Association as the "Best Crime Novel of all Time"

Hercule Poirot comes out of retirement in one of Agatha Christie’s ten favorite novels, The Murder of Rojer Ackroyd.

Roger Ackroyd knew too much. He knew that the woman he loved had poisoned her brutal first husband. He suspected also that someone had been blackmailing her. Then, tragically, came the news that she had taken her own life with an apparent drug overdose.

However the evening post brought Roger one last fatal scrap of information, but before he could finish reading the letter, he was stabbed to death. Luckily one of Roger’s friends and the newest resident to retire to this normally quiet village takes over—none other than Monsieur Hercule Poirot.

Genres: Mystery, Agatha Christie, Fiction, Classics, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 7, 1926

About the author

Agatha Christie also wrote romance novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, and was occasionally published under the name Agatha Christie Mallowan.

Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End of London since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.

This best-selling author of all time wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in romance. Her books sold more than a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, people translated her works into 103 languages at least, the most for an individual author. Of the most enduring figures in crime literature, she created Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She atuhored The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theater.

Associated Names:
Agata Christie
Agata Kristi
Агата Кристи (Russian)
Агата Крісті (Ukrainian)
Αγκάθα Κρίστι (Greek)
アガサ クリスティ (Japanese)
阿嘉莎·克莉絲蒂 (Chinese)

Reviews

[Madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this book with a bit of an attitude. Roger Ackroyd is the only Agatha Christie book featured on the list of 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die, and I was skeptical about the List's claim that this was the only Christie book worth reading. But, as much as it pains me to say this, I think the List is right on this one. At least a little - I'm definitely not suggesting that you should read this book and then never pick up a Christie novel ever again, but if you find yourself in a situation where you're going to spend a month on a desert island and can only bring one book, and the only books you've been offered are from the Agatha Christie canon, you should pick this one.

The ending (which I will not discuss in explicit detail for fear of spoilers) is what makes this a 5-star book. Let me assure you: you will not guess who the murderer is. Never ever ever. When the murderer is revealed, you will not believe. When the murderer goes on to explain his/her actions, you will continue to not believe it. Only by rereading certain important passages will you start to realize that the answer was in front of you all the time, and you couldn't see it. It's a testament to Christie's skill as a writer that this is accomplished.

And, having now read a Miss Marple mystery, I'm going to choose a side: I'm officially Team Hercule. He is silly and self-centered and ridiculous and funny and all I want to do is pinch his cheeks and then go sit in a cafe with him and eat croissants. My favorite part of the book is when Poirot makes his grand entrance. The narrator, Dr. Sheppard, is in his garden when someone throws a vegetable marrow over the wall. A second later, the doctor's new neighbor pokes his "egg-shaped head, partially covered with suspiciously black hair, two immense mustaches, and a pair of watchful eyes" over the garden wall and attempts to explain himself:

"I demand of you a thousand pardons, monsieur. I am without defense. For some months now I cultivate the marrows. This morning suddenly I enrage myself with the marrows. I send them to promenade themselves - alas! not only mentally but physically. I seize the biggest. I hurl him over the wall. Monsieur, I am ashamed. I prostrate myself."

[Yun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even among Agatha Christie's amazing murder mysteries, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd stands out as one of the most extraordinary.

I first read this more than 20 years ago in high school, and was so stunned by the ending that I remembered it through all these years. Recently, I wanted to reread it and see if I still love it just as much, even though I already know the ending going in. And sure enough, it's just as brilliant as I remembered.

This story has all the characteristics that make an Agatha Christie whodunnit remarkable—a confounding murder, a small but seemingly unlikely list of suspects, an abundance of clues and red herrings everywhere, and an ending that will leave you amazed. It was really fun to revisit this story that has stood out in my memory for so long.

In many ways, Agatha Christie was a pioneer in her genre, and this story is one example where you can see her influence in the books that have come since then. For me, she remains the undisputed queen of mystery. I only wish I can scrub my memory so I can enjoy this story over and over again.

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See also, my thoughts on:
And Then There Were None
Murder on the Orient Express
Death on the Nile
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✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧

[Adina ( not enough time ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Murder or Roger Ackroyd is one of the most well-known mysteries written by Agatha Christie and the only one to be featured in the 1001 Books To Read Before You Die list. After having read it I understand why it is so well praised.

As with all her mysteries, it leaves you guessing until the end who the killers is and in this particular case, the way the murderer was unraveled was particularly interesting. Sadly for me, I already knew who the killer was as I accidently found out from an audio course on Crime and mystery novels. Because of that, a large part of the book’s appeal was lost for me. However, I can still appreciate the unique way this novel was thought out. I don’t want to say anymore so I do not spoil anything for the ones that still haven’t read it.

If you enjoy Agatha Christie’s novels this one is a must.

[Brina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read mysteries in between denser reads and Dame Christie never disappoints me. As in all of her cases involving Inspector Hercule Poirot, Christie unearths layer upon layer of the case, leaving her readers guessing until the very end. Just when you think whodunit, she throws in a twist by revealing a key clue that only Poirot could have thought of. Occasionally, I guess the criminal, but other times I am left stumped. This time, in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Christie leaves me hanging until her final paragraphs, creating a thrilling case.

In this particular case Dr James Sheppard meets his old friend Roger Ackroyd for supper and minutes later Ackroyd is found murdered. To solve this particular crime involving blackmail, drugs, and forced marriages, Ackroyd's niece Flora turns to Hercule Poirot to get to the bottom of the murder. As in the other of his cases that I have read, Poirot just happens to be in the area because he is either retired or on a holiday. Here, he claims to be doing Miss Ackroyd a favor and states that this is his last case, which, of course, it is not. Just as in the other Poirot tales I have read, he uses his little gray cells, stumps the local police, irks the local populace who are happy to be rid of the little Belgian man, yet solves each case in ways that most detectives are not capable of achieving.

I am attempting to read primarily women authors during March, Women's History Month. This month would not be complete without an Agatha Christie mystery because she remains the standard that many modern mystery writers strive to attain. Roger Ackroyd was definitely a captivating Christie case but not quite at the level for me as Orient Express was. I am enthralled by Poirot's manner of solving cases, but I must space them out so that his mannerisms and humor do not stale for me. Yet, Christie is still Christie, and this case rates a sparkling 4 stars.

[Nikola · Rating 5 out of 5]

To będzie moja ulubiona Christie. Przebiła nawet „Dom zbrodni”!
Wiedziałam kto był zabójcą, bo zaspoilerowala mi to inna książka tj. „Niewinny” Grahama Moora, a i tak byłam pod ogromnym wrażeniem.
ŚWIETNA

[Mohammed Arabey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arabic/English Review

في 15 سبتمبر/عيد ميلاد ملكة الجريمة، ذات أعلي مبيعات لمؤلفة في التاريخ، والتي جعلت أجيال "حرفيا; تذكر ما ذكرته بريفيو سابق عن أنها مؤلفة والدتي المفضلة" تخمن دائما من الفاعل

في 16 سبتمبر/جودريدز يرشح لي تلك الرواية كأكبر مفاجأة بنهايتها

في 17 سبتمبر/تم العثور علي السيد روجر أكرويد مقتولا

وفي 18 سبتمبر دخل المحقق بوارو، وأنضممت معه لمرافقة دكتور شيبارد وأخته الرائعة كارولين ببلدة كينجز أبوت الصغيرة
في قصة حزينة..قاسية وقبيحة مشوقة وجميلة!؟

“The truth, however ugly in itself, is always curious and beautiful to seekers after it.”
"الحقيقة مهما كانت قبيحة، فإنه البحث وراءها جميل دائما ومثير للفضول"

لا يسعني سوي القول أن حتي منتصف الرواية نجح هيركيول بوارو في تشغيل الخلايا الرمادية بمخي
وتحليله الدقيق لمسرح الجريمة لا يقل عن تحليلة النفسي للشخصيات بشكل رهيب

أمامنا عشر شخصيات مشتبه فيهم.. وقد أصررت عن أن أجعلهم عشر شخصيات رغما عني بسبب تشغيل تلك الخلايا

أرملة أخيه ، ابنتها ، ابن زوجته الراحلة ، سكرتيره ، صديقه الصياد ، صديقه الدكتور ، الخادم ، مديرة المنزل ، خادمة الأستقبال ، الزائر الغريب

عشر تفاصيل صغيرة محيرة

رسالة الأبتزاز من سيدة منتحرة ، الخنجر من درج الانتيكات ، الشباك المغلق ، الكرسي ، ريشة الأوزة ، منديل ابيض ، نعل الحذاء ، مكالمة تليفونية ، خاتم زواج من ر ، فلوس مسروقة

عرفت القاتل بعد منتصف الرواية بقليل.. وتأكدت في الربع الأخير من الرواية بخطبة هيركيول بوارو القاسية عن الضعف البشري
ولكن كيف كيف كيف...كيف كيف كيف..عشرة كيف

فحتي إن خمنت القاتل لن تعرف أبدا كيف كل تلك التفاصيل تجمعت
مهما دربت خلايا مخك الرمادية ... إن هيركيول بوارو لرجل مخضرم بحق
مهما خمنت فلن تصل بالحل النهائي المقنع الذي جاء بأخر عشر صفحات
لتجد كل لغز وسر تم كشفه وحله..كل شئ تم ربطه
مهما حليت بعض العُقد فلن تصل لدرجة ملكة الجريمة في ربط كل التفاصيل الصغيرة

“Women observe subconsciously a thousand little details, without knowing that they are doing so. Their subconscious mind adds these little things together—and they call the result intuition.”
"النساء تلاحظ لاشعوريا ألاف التفاصيل الدقيقة، دون علمهن بفعلتهن تلك. عقلهن الباطن يُجمّع تلك الأشياء الصغيرة معا- وتكون النتيجة هي الحدس 'الحاسة السادسة'"

ولمقولة بوارو السابقة، شعرت بأعجاب شديد بأخت الراوي ، دكتور شيبارد، الفضولية عاشقة النميمة ، الذكية اللمّاحة ذات الحدس والحاسة السادسة ; كارولين
وأعتقد أنها لتكون مساعد ممتاز للمحقق بوارو إن ما استمر في بقاءه بكينجز أبوت

تلك القرية الصغيرة العاشقة للنميمة والتي مرت بخمس أيام عاصفة والتي بدأت بوفاة شابها الكثير من النميمة للسيدة فيرارز في 16 سبتمبر

ولكن يكفي النميمة إلي هنا..فأي نميمة أخري ستؤدي لحرق الأحداث .. وأعتقد ان متعة روايات أجاثا تكمن في تشغيل الخلايا الرمادية الصغيرة بمخك.. أليس كذلك؟

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** أسلوب الرواية **

هي أول رواية أقرأها لتحقيقات بوارو ، ولكني فوجئت بأن الراوي هو الطبيب الطيب "شيبارد" والذي راق لي أسلوبه الرائع في الوصف والدقة والتحفظ بل والتشويق
حواراته مع أخته المثيرة -أقصد شخصيتها فحسب بالطبع- كارولين كانت ممتازة ، ذكرتني كثيرا ببتونيا دارسلي الفضولية في سلسلة هاري بوتر

كسر الحائط الرابع
وأكثر ماراق لي بحق هو أن الدكتور شيبارد يحكي لنا أنه هو من يكتب الرواية فعلا..وبالفصل الحادي والعشرون يعطي للمحقق بوارو الفصول العشرون السابقة التي كتبها

كانوا ثلاثي ممتاز وعجيب ، دكتور شيبارد وكارولين وبوارو..وحوارات بوارو حول أفتقاده صديقه وشريكه بالتحريات السابق جعلني أشعر حقا بحزن شديد بالنهاية لأن الحياة ستمضي وسيذهب بوارو لمكان أخر
لن يمكن أن يستكمل حياته بكينجز ابوت

وأعتقد أن هذا يكفي كي لا أحرق لك متعة البحث عن الحقيقة التي مهما كانت قبيحة، فإنه البحث وراءها جميل دائما ومثير للفضول

صدقني لن تملك أن تربط كل تلك التفاصيل الصغيرة.. وستفاجأ بكل قصة من قصص الشخصيات المشتبه بها العشرة
لن أقل لك لن تخمن من القاتل فبتشغيل خلاياك الرمادية الصغيرة بمخك ستصل له كما وصلت ، ربما بمنتصف الرواية او بعدها بقليل
ولكن كيف عرف بوارو من الجاني من العشر مشتبهين
وكيف قام بذلك التحليل النفسي القاسي الرهيب
وكيف عرف بوارو براءة التسعة الباقين
هذه هي العبقرية بحق

كما قلت بريفيو سابق -اول قراءة لي لأجاثا-مقولة "لابد أن الخادم هو من فعلها كقصص أجاثا كريستي" جعلتني متشككا أن الحل دائما نمطيا.. حسنا، حتي إن كان -إن كان- الخادم هو من فعلها.. فكيف ولماذا هو أمرا لن يخطر لك علي بال

محمد العربي
في كينجز أبوت من 17 سبتمبر 2016
إلي 20 سبتمبر 2016


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A Brief English Review

Sep. 15, The Queen of Crime, and Mystery... Agatha Christie's Birthday.

Sep. 16, Goodreads recommending this to us as 'one of' the best Twist/Reveal in her novels.
So, I went to the nearest book store to celebrate the the best-selling novelist of all time who 'literally, she was my mom's favorite author' kept generations of readers guessing..

Sep. 17 Mr. Roger Ackroyd found murdered at his office.

Sep. 18 Me, Mr. Hercule Poirot start a hell of time in King's abbott with Dr. Sheppard and his ingenious sister, Caroline, trying with all our brain's little grey cells finding out Who Murdered Mr. Roger Ackroyd.

10 Suspects.. I forced to include all, even the narrator Dr. Shepparad, as Mr. Ackroyd's friend..
10 little things, clues unplaced and appears unrelated at all that found by Poirot from a goose quill to a unplaced chair..
and even I suspected the killer strongly after half of the novel.. You'll never know why..
Why, 10 Big Questions of Why, told one by one till the last 10 pages to know why every thing.. to connect everything brilliantly and perfectly..

“Women observe subconsciously a thousand little details, without knowing that they are doing so. Their subconscious mind adds these little things together—and they call the result intuition.”

Women are really great in this.. that's why The Crime has a Queen , her name is Agatha Christie..
I loved the minor -yet important- character ,Caroline so much.

I loved also the way of Breaking the fourth wall by the brilliant, smart, vigilant, discreet yet detailed and thrilling narrating (writing) of Dr. Shepparad and how in Chapter 21 he gave the written previous 20 chapters we already read.
And I loved this brief partnership between them..

And may be that's why I felt it's really A Very Sad Story cause I wished they keep partners, but alas, Poirot must go on and leave 'King's abbott' eventually.

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Well, even I suspected the killer by the half of it, even if we say "It must be the butler, like in Agatha Christie novels", well... even if it was the butler... trust me you'll never see how and why and place the little pieces together.. unless you really can use Brain's little grey cells as perfectly as Agatha Christie Mr. Poitot.

Mohammed Arabey
from 17 Sep. 2016
to 20 sep. 2016

[Bionic Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd first published in 1926, is a very audacious novel. Why? Ah, but that would be telling!

Is it for its complexity of plot? No, although that is a regular feature we are coming to expect of Agatha Christie, and this novel has a goodly share of red herrings. Is it for its blood and gore? Decidedly not! Is it perhaps, that it broke new ground in some way? Yes. You’ve got it!

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is perhaps the most controversial of Agatha Christie’s novels, and some consider it to to be her masterpiece. In 2013, fully 87 years after it was first published, the “British Crime Writers’ Association” voted it as the best crime novel ever. Although it seems to be a conventional orderly and analytical puzzle for the reader, the clever device she employs had such a big impact on the genre, that it has been considered one of the most influential crime novels ever written, with many ensuing imitations.

Moreover, it stars Hercule Poirot, who was destined to become the most popular detective in crime fiction since Sherlock Holmes. And it was the first of Agatha Christie’s novels to be dramatised, as “Alibi”, and to have a successful run in the West End of London, years before “The Mousetrap”.

“The truth, however ugly in itself, is always curious and beautiful to seekers after it.”

The plot has a typical Agatha Christie setting, taking place in a small English village, King’s Abbot, with a community largely made up of its inhabitants. It is the third novel to feature Hercule Poirot, the Belgian investigator we all love, but this time he is not assisted by his friend Captain Hastings, because Captain Hastings is now married, and has settled in the Argentine. Instead we have a treat of a narrator, the local doctor, James Sheppard, who delivers the tale with a dry sense of humour.

When Captain Hastings is involved, much of his humour is deadpan, coming about from his self-assurance, and tolerance of what he sees as Poirot’s flighty methods, whereas the reader can see all along that it is Poirot who is the genius. In fact Captain Hastings can seem a little dense at times. Here, refreshingly, we see that Dr. Sheppard is intelligent and droll, and quite conscious of the humour of his tale:

“He talked a lot about the little grey cells of the brain, and of their functions. His own, he says, are of the first quality.’
‘He would say so,’ I remarked bitterly. ‘Modesty is certainly not his middle name.”

The fact that Dr. Sheppard is regularly irritated, and almost driven to distraction, by his tenacious nosy gossip of a sister, Caroline Sheppard, with her constant random theorising, is most entertaining. And as Hercule Poirot observes, with typical “modesty”:

“Les femmes,” generalized Poirot. “They are marvellous! They invent haphazard—and by miracle they are right. Not that it is that, really. Women observe subconsciously a thousand little details, without knowing that they are doing so. Their subconscious mind adds these little things together—and they call the result intuition. Me, I am very skilled in psychology. I know these things.”

The two, bachelor and spinster, are chalk and cheese. They share a house, tolerating each other. Dr Sheppard is so confident that his is the objective “normal” view, and Caroline equally confident, with her “sharp beady eye”, is the one who stays informed about all the activities in the village:

“The motto of the mongoose family, so Mr Kipling tells us, is: ‘Go and find out.’ If Caroline ever adopts a crest, I should certainly suggest a mongoose rampant. One might omit the first part of the motto. Caroline can do any amount of finding out by sitting placidly at home.”

And the activities seem to be all the conventional ones of a small village in timeless Agatha Christie-land, until a murder occurs. The title tells the reader who it is to be, so the beginning of the novel seems a little surprising. Roger Ackroyd is alive and well (so far!) and hosting an evening dinner at his home, Fernly Park. He is a widower:

“The history of the marriage was short and painful. To put it bluntly, Mrs Ackroyd was a dipsomaniac. She succeeded in drinking herself into her grave four years after her marriage.”

Yet he is currently once more engaged to be married. His guests include his sister-in-law Mrs. Cecil Ackroyd and her daughter Flora; a big-game hunter Major Hector Blunt; and Roger Ackroyd’s own personal secretary Geoffrey Raymond. Dr. James Sheppard, who narrates the story, had also been invited earlier that day. The dinner is marred by the fact that Roger Ackroyd’s fiancée, the wealthy widow Mrs. Ferrars, has unexpectedly committed suicide.

After the meal, Roger Ackroyd is keen to confide in Dr Sheppard, and takes him into his study. He tells hims that that his fiancée had told him that she was being blackmailed, over her murder of her husband. It had been rumoured that she had poisoned her husband Ashley Ferrars, who had been a mean drunkard. But Roger Ackroyd then asks Dr. Sheppard to leave, without reading a letter from Mrs. Ferrars which has arrived in the post, saying that he wishes to be alone to read it. It is clear that this is likely to containing what is effectively her suicide note, and naming the blackmailer.

When he arrives at his own home, Dr. Sheppard receives a call from John Parker, Ackroyd’s butler, claiming that Roger Ackroyd is dead. Dr. Sheppard rushes back to Fernly Park, yet unaccountably, when he arrives Parker denies having such a call. Both men check the study, along with Major Blunt … and here we have the commencement of an intriguing closed room murder mystery. Roger Ackroyd is indeed discovered to be dead in his study, stabbed to death with a weapon from his own collection:

“Ackroyd was sitting as I had left him in the armchair before the fire. His head had fallen sideways, and clearly visible, just below the collar of his coat, was a shining piece of twisted metalwork. Parker and I advanced till we stood over the recumbent figure. I heard the butler draw in his breath with a sharp hiss. “Stabbed from be’ind,” he murmured. “‘Orrible!”

Of course this the cue for our favourite private detective to enter the scene. Hercule Poirot has fortuitously retired to the village of King’s Abbot. Nobody knows his earlier status and reputation, except his friend, Roger Ackroyd, who had agreed to keep his identity anonymous. To all appearances, Hercule Poirot is an eccentric, pursuing his chosen retirement project of perfecting vegetable marrows. Dr. Sheppard is dismissive of him, and Caroline, the doctor’s sister, is inquisitive, so Dr. Sheppard teases her by suggesting:

“There’s no doubt at all what the man’s profession has been. He’s a retired hairdresser. Look at that moustache of his.”

Except … is this poking fun, or does the doctor himself believe this? He is perhaps a little too aware of his own cleverness. Consider this exchange:

“My sister continued: ‘What did she die of? Heart failure?’
‘Didn’t the milkman tell you that?’ I inquired sarcastically.
Sarcasm is wasted on Caroline. She takes it seriously and answers accordingly.
‘He didn’t know,’ she explained.”

Agatha Christie’s skilful writing leaves us wondering. Dr Sheppard can certainly seem a pompous fellow on occasion. Our own first encounter with Poirot in the book is an hilarious scene, involving the afore-mentioned vegetable:

“I was busily exterminating dandelion roots when a shout of warning sounded from close by and a heavy body whizzed by my ears, and fell at my feet with a repellant squelch. It was a vegetable marrow!”

Frustrated by the slowness of his new hobby, Poirot had tossed a marrow over the garden wall, where it narrowly missed hitting Dr. Sheppard:

“I demand of you a thousand pardons monsieur. I am without defence. For some months now I cultivate the marrows. This morning I enrage myself with these marrows. I send them to promenade themselves - alas! not only mentally but physically. I seize the biggest. I hurl him over the wall … Monsieur, I am ashamed. I prostrate myself.”

At this point, I recognised that Agatha Christie had almost certainly recently been reading the works of Charles Dickens. Unless there is an old tradition unknown to me, of using vegetable marrows as projectile missiles in suburban English gardens, the episode is lifted almost entirely from one of his novels (whether intentionally or not!). In “Nicholas Nickelby” a neighbour is enamoured with Nicholas’s widowed mother, and shows his feelings in an unusual courtship routine:

“But when he began to throw his cucumbers over our wall — ’
    ‘To throw his cucumbers over our wall!’ repeated Nicholas, in great astonishment.
    ‘Yes, Nicholas, my dear,’ replied Mrs Nickleby in a very serious tone; ‘his cucumbers over our wall. And vegetable marrows likewise.’
    ‘Confound his impudence!’ said Nicholas, firing immediately. ‘What does he mean by that?’
    ‘I don’t think he means it impertinently at all,’ replied Mrs Nickleby.
    ‘What!’ said Nicholas, ‘cucumbers and vegetable marrows flying at the heads of the family as they walk in their own garden, and not meant impertinently! Why, mother — ’…
… there are the presents which come pouring over the wall every day, and very fine they certainly are, very fine; we had one of the cucumbers at dinner yesterday, and think of pickling the rest for next winter. And last evening,’ added Mrs Nickleby, with increased confusion, ‘he called gently over the wall, as I was walking in the garden, and proposed marriage, and an elopement.
… upon my word, I think there’s another large vegetable marrow sticking, at this moment, on the broken glass bottles at the top of the wall!’”

And this is not an isolated instance of Charles Dickens’s overt influence on Agatha Christie in this novel. Consider this statement by Dr Sheppard:

“I am sorry to say I detest Mrs Ackroyd. She is all chains and teeth and bones. A most unpleasant woman. She has small pale flinty eyes, and however gushing her words may be, those eyes of hers always remain coldly speculative.
I went across to her, leaving Flora by the window. She gave me a handful of assorted knuckles and rings to squeeze.”

Instantly with this thumbnail sketch, in my mind’s eye I saw the abominable Jane Murdstone, sister to David’s cold-blooded and heartlessly “firm” new father in “David Copperfield”. She of the “numerous little steel fetters and rivets, with which Miss Murdstone embellished herself when she was dressed…”

When first introduced:

“She brought with her two uncompromising hard black boxes, with her initials on the lids in hard brass nails. When she paid the coachman she took her money out of a hard steel purse, and she kept the purse in a very jail of a bag which hung upon her arm by a heavy chain, and shut up like a bite. I had never, at that time, seen such a metallic lady altogether as Miss Murdstone was.”

It seems a clear influence to me! And the humour in these early Poirot novels is refreshing, as some of the popular later ones have a far less lively tone. Clever convoluted plots they may certainly have, but increasingly the writing tends to be pedestrian, even leaden in places. This one is a treat by comparison.

However, the involvement of Poirot is not automatic, and once more we are delighted to find that his involvement in the case is not welcomed by the police. There are three: the investigating officer, Inspector Davis; an inspector from the nearby larger town of Cranchester, Inspector Raglan; and the Chief constable for the local area around King’s Abbot, Colonel Melrose. It is par for the course, in cosy crime novels, that professionals tend to view the private consulting detectives as bumbling amateurs, and naturally the reader can barely wait until they are made to eat their words. Then, bursting out resentfully, will come something like:

“You seem to know a hell of a lot about everything, you little foreign cock duck.”

to amuse us all.

There are plenty of suspects in this one, each one an enjoyably distinct type:

“in King’s Abbot we permit people to indulge their little idiosyncrasies freely.”

As well as those described already, the “Flora” mentioned in the quotation is Flora Ackroyd, Roger Ackroyd’s niece. She had announced her engagement to Captain Ralph Paton, Roger Ackroyd’s stepson from his late wife’s previous marriage, during the dinner at the beginning of the novel. Flora herself is the daughter of Mrs. Cecil Ackroyd, the widow of Roger’s brother, Cecil. Both mother and daughter are financially dependent on Roger Ackroyd, and have been living at Fernly Park for the past two years. When Ralph was nowhere to be found after the murder, Flora pleaded with Hercule Poirot to help the investigation, and prove him innocent. There is Mr. Hammond, Roger Ackroyd’s lawyer. Plus there are also two other servants, Elizabeth Russell, Roger Ackroyd’s attractive housekeeper, and Ursula Bourne, his parlourmaid, who seems a little haughty. And finally there is one more relation, who is to enter the action later.

However, although I have described the situation and relationships as they are conveyed to us at the start of the novel, we can be sure that nothing, absolutely nothing, is as it seems:

“always bear in mind that the person who speaks may be lying”.

Agatha Christie is widely acknowledged as the “Queen of Crime”, with eighty crime novels and short story collections, nineteen plays, and six novels written as Mary Westmacott to her credit. In my opinion, some are far better than others. If you haven’t read this one, then I recommend you give it a try:

“Now there has been a rearrangement of the kaleidoscope.”

And when you have finished reading this novel, please don’t be too surprised if the “rearrangement” makes you want to reassess everything; to start at the beginning, and read it all over again. I suspect that only at that point, may you agree with Hercule Poirot’s assertion:

“Everything is simple, if you arrange the facts methodically.”

Did she cheat? Only you, the reader, can decide that.

****

Here are some of the accolades:

“The most brilliant of deceptions.” – Julian Symons
“Very few [detective stories] provide greater analytical stimulation.” – The New York Times
“No one is more adroit than Miss Christie in the manipulation of false clues and irrelevances and red herrings; and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd makes breathless reading from first to the unexpected last” – The Observer
“The truly startling denouement … will restore a thrill to the most jaded reader of detective stories” – New York Herald Tribune

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

It starts with the suicide of Ackroyd's girlfriend.



When the widowed Mrs. Ferrars admits that she not only killed her awful husband but is being blackmailed by someone in the village to keep it a secret, Roger Ackroyd is understandably upset and backs away quickly.
When she kills herself and mails a letter naming her blackmailer, though, he feels it is his duty to avenge her.
However, before he can do so, he's stabbed to death in his study.



Poirot, who has retired to this sleepy town to garden and enjoy the simple life, comes out of retirement to solve the case.
Oddly enough, he's not as happy with his vegetable marrows and their growth as he thought he would be when he was planning his retirement, so this case provides a welcome break from taking it easy.
With the town doctor, James Sheppard, acting in the role of Hastings, Poirot goes over the evidence with a fine-tooth comb, finds out what everyone is hiding, and comes up with the solution.
I know I say this quite a bit, but...
This mystery goes down as one of Agatha Christie's best.



I've also heard that Dr. Sheppard's gossipy sister, Caroline, who knows the skinny on everyone in town, was an early incarnation of her famous Miss Marple.
Which, hey. That's mighty damn cool!



I don't want to give anything away in case someone hasn't read this one yet, so I'll just say this: TRUST NO ONE.
Recommended.

For anyone who loves the book, you should check out BBC Audio Crime's radio play of this book.

[Jaline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the cleverest mysteries I have ever read. The plot is dazzling and its execution is flawless. I was drawn into the mystery so easily and, despite following all of Hercule Poirot’s “little ideas” (as he calls them), despite all the subtle clues to decipher, this story – and its ending – were a complete surprise.

No spoilers ahead (although there are a couple of very obscure clues): In this novel, Hercule Poirot has retired to a small village, and when a murder is committed coupled with the possible blackmail of another person close to the murder victim, one of the family requests Hercule Poirot’s help in discovering the truth behind the mystery. Hastings (Poirot’s chronicler and helper in past mysteries) is in Argentina, so Poirot asks the local doctor if he would be willing to assist him. Dr. Shepherd is thrilled to be asked as the life of a country doctor is tedious at times and he sees it as an opportunity.

There are several household members, all of whom are suspects; there are also a few of the household staff in the suspect category.

Despite the large cast of characters and the various clues attached to certain people, I found it very easy to keep track of everyone, including the clues, motives, and where everyone was at the crucial times. Dr. Shepherd is very good at keeping notes and then transcribing them for our benefit afterward.

What am I saying? Of course it was Agatha Christie behind it all – and what a brilliant little masterpiece she created with this novel. I am only 4 books along in her Hercule Poirot series and I can see very clearly why she is in the upper echelons of the best mystery writers of all time.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Francesc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una novela que me quitó el aliento al final y que no me dejó dormir.
El suspense que genera Agatha Christie es brutal. La manera como Poirot maneja la trama es impresionante. ¡Qué calma! Te das cuenta de que lo ha sabido todo desde siempre.
No le puse la quinta estrella porqué pienso personalmente que Christie hace trampa con el lector y no pienso decir nada más.
No dejéis el final para muy tarde porqué no podréis parar de leer.

A novel that took my breath away at the end and didn't let me sleep.
The suspense generated by Agatha Christie is brutal. The way poirot handles the plot is impressive. How calm! You realize that he has always known everything.
I didn't give it the fifth star because I personally think Christie cheats on the reader and I don't want to say anything else.
Do not leave the end until too late because you will not be able to stop reading.

[Kylie D · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been many years since this book was released, but it's still a cut above what's being published today. Iconic detective Hercule Poirot has retired to the country, but is drawn in to solve a murder. With an ingenious plot, wonderful characters, and an ending that you will never guess, we are again reminded why Agatha Christie is the master at plotting intricate mysteries that all others can only aspire to.

[Orsodimondo · Rating 2 out of 5]

AIUTO, POIROT!


Hercule Poirot interpretato da David Suchet nell’interminabile serie inglese andata in onda dal 1989 al 2013.

Qualsiasi descrizione del luogo dove si svolge questa storia porta alla medesima conclusione: tipico immutabile paesello della campagna inglese dove le risorse e i passatempi intellettuali si possono sintetizzare in una sola parola: il pettegolezzo.
E questo anche per esplicita asserzione dell’io narrante, che è la voce di una delle personalità di maggior spicco di King’s Abbot: il dottor Sheppard, medico del paese.


Il più recente Poirot, e anche uno dei più improbabili.

Noioso come solo una soap opera sa esserlo. Sbadigli smodati e senza ritegno.
E infatti, mi viene da dire che Agatha Christie sta a un giallo poliziesco come una soap sta a una serie HBO.
A parte l’arguzia della trama, che a me ricorda i rebus - gioco enigmistico che però mi ha sempre suscitato poco entusiasmo – e infatti, cos’altro è la Christie se non la Settimana Enigmistica del giallo poliziesco? – cosa resta? Zero psicologia, zero approfondimento sociologico, zero atmosfera – la famosa ambientazione, che per la lady del giallo bagnomaria è uno dei tre elementi portanti – insieme ai personaggi e alle idee - si riduce a una macchietta, nessuna possibilità di assaporarla.
Poirot o Miss Marple il brodino è lo stesso.


Hercule Poirot interpretato dal grandioso Peter Ustinov.

Non meraviglia l‘entusiasmo di Leonardo Sciascia, autore sia della breve intro che dell’altrettanto breve postfazione: Sciascia amava il giallo. E viaggiava spesso in treno: in quei treni siculi regionali, che come gli italici nazionali dell’epoca, avevano tempi di percorrenza tra l’infinito e l’eterno. Cosa c’è di più conciliante il sonno che un gialletto all’acqua di rose che dimostra tutto il suo tempo, quasi un secolo d’esistenza?


Il mio Poirot preferito: James Coco interpreta Milo Perrier, parodia del celebre detective belga, in uno dei film più divertenti della storia, “Murder By Death – Invito a cena con delitto” diretto da Robert Moore nel 1976.

[Sean Barrs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Agatha Christie offers her readers an invite, an invite to come and solve her tantalising murder mystery.

It was a real tricky one, though I did have my suspicions very early on. There was a certain emphasis on a tiny bit of information that we didn’t really need to know that gave the game away. It added little to the story and, for me, only had the purpose of giving her killer an excuse not to be the killer. So it was obviously that person. Most readers seem to have been utterly dumbfounded at the reveal but I spotted it a mile of, perhaps only because I have seen the same device used in a book by another author. I’m not going to mention the name of the book because it will give it all away.

Nevertheless, when it was finally confirmed it still brought me a great deal of delight. The actual murder event was ever so discreet, tucked in between two paragraphs in plain sight that will always be missed on an initial read. It was the editor afterward that drew my attention to the piece of text, and despite my suspicions I still missed it when I read it the first time. When I went back to read it though I noticed exactly how subtle Christie has been; it is exceedingly clever writing that’s for sure.

The real success of Christie’s writing is her narrative drive. It is impossible to read this in a slow leisurely manner. I found myself storming through pages and chapters at an alarming rate. I actually read the entire novel in one evening and pretty much in one sitting. Christie gives you just enough information to keep you second guessing yourself but not enough to finally confirm your suspicions, at least, until that memorable reveal: the grand unmasking of her killer. Poirot knew all along; he was just keeping the killer as close as possible for as long as possible, baiting him the entire time.

In the mode of modernism, Christie’s prose is deceptively simple. It pushes ever forward, picking up speed, as it heads towards the climax: a single line of dialogue that has, no doubt, dropped the jaw of many a reader. She also explores the psychological state of her characters and demonstrates awareness of Freud’s theories of psychoanalysis. It allowed her to get way with so much here and Poirot uses it too when he considers the possible murder motives his line of suspects could have.

Overall, a brilliant book. This will not be the last Agatha Christie novel I read.

[Arah-Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow just Wow! Agatha Christie had me from the first page, hook line & sinker and she never lost my attention until the very end. No wonder this is considered to be one of her very best.

I do not want to say too much about this book, I mean the title pretty much tells you what it is about and to go too much further into any details runs the risk of spoilers. If there are others out there, like me, who are late in the game of reading this I do not want to spoil that experience for them in any way.

This is only the second Agatha Christie book I have read and my first Hercule Poirot. Know this, you will not be bored. I spent my time while reading trying to figure out who did the dastardly deed. Not! It wasn’t until right near the end that I thought “It can’t be”. I love when that happens.

I want to go back and read it again, just to see how many clues I missed along the way.

If you have not as yet taken the Agatha Christie plunge, look no further. This is the one.

Highly Recommended!!!

[Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one brought a lot of nostalgia...
Although I'm not a fan of murder mysteries, as a child I liked watching TV series based on English detective stories - most, of course, were adaptations of Agatha Christie works. From the first page I dived into a "murder in a small English town" atmosphere with a slowly-paced investigation based on unravelling dirty little secrets of snobbish and pretentious Englishmen.
This novel also demonstrates why Christie is "a mother/pioneer of genre". The characters, premises and classical revelation of a murderer seems to be used in practically every suchlike story. But even here author managed to surprise a reader in a way that is hard to describe if you want to avoid spoilers.

[Flo Camus · Rating 5 out of 5]

[5.0⭐] 𝙀𝙡 𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙤 𝘼𝙘𝙠𝙧𝙤𝙮𝙙 es una novela de misterio escrita por Agatha Christie y publicada en 1926. En 2013 fue elegida como la mejor novela de crimen de todos los tiempos por la Asociación de Escritores de Crimen. La historia transcurre en King's Abbot, donde el millonario Rogelio Ackroyd es encontrado asesinado en su estudio. El detective Hércules Poirot, recién retirado a la vida tranquila del campo, se ve arrastrado nuevamente al mundo de la investigación. Con su ingenio, Poirot deberá desentrañar una red de secretos y mentiras que envuelven a los habitantes del pueblo.


Quiero decir que soy una GRAN amante de este género. He leído muchos thrillers, he visto muchas películas policíacas y he visto millones de series de misterio. Digo esto porque me siento con la autoridad necesaria para decir que este es el mejor thriller que he leído en toda mi vida, es una verdadera obra maestra. Esta novela presenta uno de los giros más sorprendentes y audaces en la literatura detectivesca, de verdad que no me lo veía venir. Sin duda, se ha convertido en mi novela de misterio favorita. 

Christie destaca por su habilidad para crear personajes complejos y realistas, en especial en esta obra. Cada individuo en King's Abbot tiene sus propias motivaciones y secretos, lo que añade capas de complejidad a la trama. Además, esta es la primera obra de la saga en donde el narrador ya no es Hastings, sino que el Dr. Sheppard. Este individuo se convierte en un personaje esencial, ofreciendo una perspectiva íntima y detallada de los eventos ya que tiene conocimiento de la localidad y de sus habitantes.

El desarrollo de la trama, como siempre con Christie, es magistral. La autora maneja a la perfección la tensión, llegando a revelar poco a poco pistas y sembrando dudas en la mente del lector. Cada capítulo aporta nuevos elementos que enriquecen el misterio y la revelación final es tan inesperada que hasta he quedado completamente impactada con el/la culpable. La escritora desafía las convenciones del género policial con su desenlace, demostrando una vez más su genio creativo y el porqué la gente la ha llamado “la reina del misterio".


Finalmente, 𝙀𝙡 𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙤 𝘼𝙘𝙠𝙧𝙤𝙮𝙙 es una obra imprescindible para cualquier amante del misterio ya que es una obra maestra. Agatha Christie ofrece una trama ingeniosa, personajes muy memorables y un final de alto impacto que ha dejado una huella imborrable en el género. 

[s.penkevich [hiatus-will return-miss you all] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dead bodies, betrayal, blackmail, and the biggest reveal to rock the crime novel world of the 1920s, Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is as stone cold a classic as the titular character’s corpse is stone cold dead. In the study, go figure. This was also Christie’s fourth novel to feature the great eccentric detective: the one, the only Hercule Poiroit and his mustache of justice as he works his ‘little grey cells’ to figure out just whodunnit. If you are to only read one Christie, this is a fine choice and offers a twist that had fans either fanning themselves in shock or hissing with rage like a pissed off cat for not “playing fair.” Whatever your reaction, this is a fun little mystery that weaponizes the readers empathy against them as the clues fall in and out of focus and you’re working your own little grey cells while crossing people off your handy-dandy Clue spreadsheet. ‘This is Agatha Christie’s masterpiece,’ writes Louise Penny in the introduction, ‘if she never wrote another word, she’d still have gone down as the Queen.’ High praise coming from a writer who is easily one of the biggest names in modern crime fiction but I can’t say she’s wrong. A riproaring thrill of a mystery as chock full of suspense as it is red herrings and mischievous misdirection, I had a blast with The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and I hope you will too.

‘The truth, however ugly in itself, is always curious and beautiful to seekers after it.’

Okay, fine, NO I did not guess the killer (I was thinking the maid). Sure, I had a modicum of suspicions at one point but I thought “surely not.” Surely, I was wrong, but that’s why I’m writing a book review and not donning a dapper-ass stache and solving murders while being a portly and petty little genius like my man Poirot. He got it right, and the crime novel world was never the same.Often considered one of the greatest works of crime fiction, the public reception of Christie’s Roger Ackroyd wasn’t quite as filled with adoration at the time of publication, being ‘both lauded and hated,’ Louise Penny tells us, ‘with some critics decrying the fact that she’d broken a cardinal rule and committed a literary sin.’ Rest assured, I won’t spoil the ending or reveal her technique here, but it was a rather daring and groundbreaking gambit for 1926. It also leaves the reader eager for a reread, perhaps the moment you finish it because the final pages recontextualizes everything you thought you knew. ‘What might initially seem like an innocuous moment becomes thrilling once we know the twist,’ Penny says, which, in a time before we could get sucked into sitcom reruns or play our favorite film on repeat, having a book that encouraged a reread that would offer quite a fresh experience from the same pages was quite a gift of entertainment and buyers bargain.

‘Everything is simple, if you arrange the facts methodically…’

It’s also a ploy that mystery authors would try to reinvent over and over again and in the aftermath of the surprise I couldn’t help but think on Benjamin Stevenson’s books making playful use of Ronald Knox’s 10 Commandments of Detective Fiction to subvert them. Critics of Roger Ackroyd cried foul that Christie broke two of the rules of “fair play” and in 1945 Edmund Wilson published an essay against crime fiction at large titling it Who Cares Who Killed Roger Ackroyd? and stating ‘[Christie’s] writing is of a mawkishness and banality which seem to me literally impossible to read.’ Did we read the same book, Wilson, because I found this a breeze to read and sailed through it in two sittings (we did, he’s just a grumpyass goose). I suppose an enjoyment of the novel may hinge on ideas of “fairness,” but as far as rules go, and Knox’s in particular, crime author P.D. James gives nary a shit. In her book Talking About Detective Fiction James writes ‘rules and restrictions do not produce original, or good, literature, and the rules were not strictly adhered to.’ Honestly, rules or not, just give me a good book. Christie said sure, here you go while tromping merrily over the rules. Good for her.

‘Fortunately words, ingeniously used, will serve to mask the ugliness of naked facts.’

Christie gives us a wonderful cast of characters to decide who might be down for some murder, though perhaps my favorite is Caroline Sheppard, the sister of Doctor Sheppard of whom he marvels for her ability to know all the gossip ahead of everyone else without ever leaving home. I do love a good gossip. Christie throws misdirection everywhere at us until you might start to think everyone from the maid to Charles Kent’s goose quill heroin snorter is the killer. It makes for a fun puzzle and has some rather clever use of 1920s technology that all wraps up in the shocking end. And perhaps there are more bodies to come…

‘Every new development that arises is like a shake you give to a kaleidoscope - the thing changes entirely in aspect.’

Get down with some good old fashion murder mystery-ing with The Death of Roger Ackroyd where you not only get to decide who you think the killer is but also if you think the ending is fairplay or some “mawkishness” as Edmund Wilson did. It is a fun ride that does have some rather unfortunate rampant misogyny (looking at you, Dr. Sheppard) and aspects that haven’t aged the best in 100 years, but its also a marvel that 100 years later this novel is still talked about and beloved. A delightful story of death, deception, and the detective who pieced it all together.

4/5

[El Librero de Valentina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es Agatha Christie ¿qué más puedo decir? Una gran novela policiaca con un final impecable.

[Terrie R · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christi is Hercule Poirot Mysteries, Book #4!

This is, by far, the best Agatha Christie Mystery I've read to date...

This murder mystery takes place in the village of King's Abbot where a wealthy widow, Mrs. Ferras, had taken her own life. The following day wealthy widower, Roger Ackroyd, is found in his study stabbed to death by his own dagger. There is a series of events before and after both deaths to be discovered as you read...

Dr. James Sheppard, the local physician is our narrator and a neighbor of the recently retired Hercule Poirot, whom Sheppard mistakes for a retired hairdresser based on his mustache. There's a fun and interesting exchange between these two men over the wall separating their adjacent vegetable gardens, where they first meet.

Roger Ackroyd's niece, Flora, requests Poirot to investigate her uncle's murder, and Dr. Sheppard agrees to be Poirot's assistant in place of Arthur Hastings, who is now married and residing in the Argentine.

There is a tangle of interesting characters and paying attention to who is related to or engaged to whom, is key to avoid missing anything crucial. There are plenty of suspects, one rising to the top fairly quickly, a series of clues, and lots of red herrings. Poirot continues diligently with his search until he, at last, states that he "knows everything".

The 7H 30M audiobook is expertly narrated by Richard Armitage whose narration and voicing are an experience. I could listen to this man's voice all day, every day. Seriously!

Now I know why this is one of Agatha Christie's most famous novels, and of course, it is Hercule Poirot who delivers The Queen of Mystery's most surprising twist. If you only read ONE Agatha Christie Mystery, I recommend you make this the ONE. Voilà!

5⭐

[Baba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hercule Poirot, book #4 sees Christie at her best. Poirot retires to rural Sussex and his invited to help solve the case of the murder of Roger Ackroyd. Hastings is replaced as the narrator by a Dr Shepherd who has an enigmatic and very nosy sister, Caroline. With a zillion twists, red herrings and false paths Christie convincingly and imperiously leads the reader through a dance to a stunning denouement. Superb! 8 out of 12.

2012 read

[Piyangie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another brilliantly written murder mystery story by Agatha Christie. The plot is well structured, and the mind-blowing twist at the end quite shocks the readers. I'm truly impressed by the craftsmanship of Agatha Christie in this particular story. She has a great ability to lead the plot without giving any hint or clue as to the guilty party until the very end. In this case, it was quite a shocking revelation.

Poirot works alone in this case without Mr. Hastings, but a new acquaintance partly helps him with the investigation. This is one of the mysteries where the genius mind of Poirot is greatly tested and his "little grey cells" challenged. But Poirot comes out being the winner of the day, apprehending the culprit and dazing the readers with his astonishing discovery. At the same time, Poirot shows some consideration for the criminal from being exposed and humiliated. The great detective is both brilliant and humane.

Christie's choice of the narrator is fascinating. I don't know what made her choose so, but it's quite an innovative move. It worked wonderfully at the end when the truth was revealed, which truly shocked me. I was like, "What on earth just happened?" :)

This was one intriguing and interesting read. I enjoyed every minute of it. I missed Hastings, but there was a substitute to keep enough humour. :) There is no doubt in my mind that The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is one of the best murder mysteries in the Poirot series.

More of my reviews can be found at http://piyangiejay.com/

[lisa ★ · Rating 5 out of 5]

goddamn it agatha you win this time

[Kat Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

She got me! That cheeky beeotch! She got me!

[Bill Kerwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Hercule Poirot is a genuine tour de force, a classic of the genre, for a very good reason that you will understand perfectly as soon as you have finish reading it.

[Henry Avila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Agatha Christie the Queen of Blood as I have humorously tried to christen the lady, a title well earned the name suits her because of the numerous killings in 73 novels you may have read , call her incorrectly this she despised carnage in real and fictional life. Still it was essential a little red appears in a few pages you can guess why...dough obviously , poisons she became an expert in while working in a British hospital during ww1...odd...a strange hobby to be sure. The book raised Mrs. Christie to heights never reached by rivals even though 95 years have expired she will remain as the ultimate in murder mysteries, the surprise ending is no longer that the impact today greatly lessened, "borrowing" is a common practice now and too much time has transpired , the numerous other writers soon had the exact idea, authors are like this. Enough background when a strange man arrives in the small village in England, things begin to roll downhill quickly not for the good as people vanish a little foreigner with a heavy accent French the suspicious local inhabitants believe... no make that Belgian, he seems quiet, calm person the kind country folks like , trust, no trouble maker he seems a nonthreatening little human rather to be honest, unattractive chap one of many from his devastated nation who escaped the enormous butchering in his pounded
wounded nation, retired he says...Still the conflict is nearly a decade ago facts are known so why is he here? They discover things these curious people, this man is a famous detective except here..in King's Abbot the world outside seems a distant, vague notion. Come to think about it there has been a few deaths unexplained lately tongues wag in villages were everyone knows all, boredom thrives and excitement lacking presence . The death of Roger Ackroyd the richest person in the neighborhood shocks the locals quiet atmosphere being a murder, stabbed in the back imagine in this place. As usual the bumbling police are ineffective and the reluctant Hercules Poirot steps on a few shoes in order to solve the crime, the dance continues but for some the music stops when the jolting conclusion occurs the deduction will not be the best or the worst that is you to judge. In my not very humble opinion I liked the material to a certain degree, writers like to fool the readers however in doing so lose sight of the consequences of their actions.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the spirit of a good mystery, I feel like I finally solved one myself:

Why is Agatha Christie so popular?

I can’t speak for everyone else, but after this first try with one of her books I can only say what impressed me:

1. A winning protagonist in the form of the delightful Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. How can you not love this guy? He’s so kind and affable, yet don’t let that exterior fool you. He’s incredibly smart and laser-focused so you’re not going to get anything past him!

2. Christie’s “Jenga” level mastery of all the puzzle pieces. There’s a reason mystery/thriller writers emulate her so much. She knows how to throw all the breadcrumbs out there for you to solve the puzzle, yet is so effective with misdirection that she still fools you.

3. She didn’t create the cozy mystery genre, but she was hugely influential in popularizing it. When you see books with diverse casts of characters, a charming setting and an exploration of each of the characters as potential suspects you largely have her to thank.

At his home Fernly Park in the English village of King’s Abbot, Roger Ackroyd is found murdered in his locked study. He was about to discover the identity of the person who’d been blackmailing his betrothed before her untimely death. Now Ackroyd’s new neighbor, Hercule Poirot, takes it upon himself to find the culprit with the help of Dr. James Sheppard, the book’s narrator and Ackroyd’s friend.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is the 4th book in the Hercule Poirot series and one of her most highly regarded. I read a lot of mystery thrillers, and I can see where the final twist in this book paved the way for a couple of my favorite ones in more contemporary reads. Only because I’ve read so much in the genre was I not that surprised by the big twist, but had I read this back in the day it would’ve knocked me on my rear! It was still extremely clever!

I’m not a big fan of locked room mysteries, so while I highly respect Christie’s talent in coordinating all the elements of this mystery and thought it was so smartly written, I can’t say that I LOVED it. What did I love? Richard Armitage’s brilliant narration in this Audible exclusive audio. It was so, SO good and I can’t recommend it highly enough! I followed along in my purchased physical copy and found both formats to work well together.

I have all the respect for Agatha Christie’s talent and what she’s done for the mystery genre. It definitely helps me see contemporary efforts in a new light, now that I can see her influence.

★★★★ (3.5 for the story and 5 for the narration)

[Phrynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw a few reviews, before I read this book, saying it was the best Agatha Christie they had read and I think I agree! I raced through it in a few hours though still making sure I absorbed every fact and every clue.

Not that it did me any good. I had plenty of ideas as to who the murderer might be but in the end none of them were correct. Poirot kept his secrets right to the end and only then did things become clear. It was actually an amazing conclusion to a really excellent story.

Thoroughly enjoyable and yes, one of the best Christie novels I have read.

[Elizabeth (Plant Based Bride) · Rating 5 out of 5]

An entertaining and intriguing mystery that kept me guessing until the final reveal - my favourite of Christie's work that I've read so far!


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[Holly B · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ending really got me!

My first Christie Poirot book and he is quite the quirky investigator. A who-dunnit with many suspects that seem reasonable. When Hercule Poirot and his "little ideas" comes to investigate, he narrows it down in a way that had my head spinning!

An entertaining mystery by the Queen of Mysteries and I really enjoyed playing detective along with the characters.

Thanks to my local library for this one. I'll continue reading some of the series and other Christie novels. Maybe I'll get better at following those clues!