murder-mysteries

The Murder of
Roger Ackroyd

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Agatha Christie

One of the most popular of the Poirot series, in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, the Belgian sleuth is called to the sleepy village of King's Abbot.

King's Abbot is home to a variety of interesting characters: Major Blunt, Colonel Carter, Miss Gannett, Dr. James Shephard (who narrates the story) and the doctor's very nosy sister and village gossip, Caroline. The village will soon be home to murder, suicide and blackmail and every one of the characters will be transformed into suspects.

We watch Poirot's every move through the eyes of Dr. Shephard. We learn about a very suspicious death of an attractive widow, Mrs. Ferrars, that has village tongues wagging night and day.

Before we can say, "Whodunit?", we discover that a murder of wealthy residen,t Roger Ackroyd, has shaken the quiet village to it's core. What's more, Ackroyd was thought to be in love with the recently deceased Mrs. Ferrars. Can his murder be connected to her suicide? Perhaps the Widow Ferrars didn't choose to end her life, after all? Maybe she was murdered just like Ackroyd?

This book is proof that Agatha Christie was the champion of mystery writers. Everyone in the village is a valid suspect and the surprise ending will have most mystery fans gasping with delight.

This great mystery was first published in 1926. The book was adapted into a play, 'Alibi' and opened in London in 1928 with Charles Laughton taking on the role of Hercule Poirot. Laughton took the play to America in 1932 with a new title, 'Fatal Alibi'.

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Read our biography of Agatha Christie.