Wednesday, 17 June 2026

Revisiting The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

The June selection in the 2026 Read Christie Challenge is The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926) in the category of 'best to read in one sitting'. So while on holiday in Far North Queensland I sat poolside and read the novel in one go. This was a revisit for me, as I had previously read this novel in the 1990s but had forgotten much of the story. 

The story is narrated in first person by Dr James Sheppard, a general practitioner in the village of King's Abbot. He lives with his spinster sister, Caroline, who is a notorious gossip.  Wealthy landowner, Roger Ackroyd calls Dr Sheppard and asks him to come to Fernly Park for dinner. There he meets Mrs Ackroyd (Roger's widowed sister-in-law), her daughter Flora, Mr Raymond (Roger's secretary) and Major Blunt (Roger's old friend). After dinner the doctor has a private conversation with Roger in his study. Roger advises that he was secretly engaged to a local widow Mrs Ferrars who recently died by suicide. The day before she died, Mrs Ferrars told Roger that she had poisoned her abusive husband and was being blackmailed. She has sent Roger a letter revealing the identity of the blackmailer, so he asks Sheppard to leave so he can privately read it. 
Later that evening, Sheppard receives a call from Parker, Roger's butler, asking him to return to Fernly Park as Roger has been found dead in his study, killed with a ceremonial knife. Police are called and signs point to Roger's stepson, Ralph Paton, as the likely suspect. Flora does not believe Ralph was responsible. She reaches out to a new villager, the famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, and asks him to investigate. Poirot investigates alongside Sheppard, with the latter performing a similar role to Hastings in other Poirot novels. The story builds with red herrings and subplots, before Poirot brings all the suspects together in a room and declares he knows who committed the crime. 

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is a delicious romp, showcasing Christie at her best. She is an excellent storyteller, crafting wonderful characters like gossipy Caroline. One chapter I particularly loved was where Sheppard and Caroline have friends over to play Mahjong. In between exclamations of 'pung', 'chow' and 'mahjong' and the discussion of rules, there is a gossipy session about the murder. 

I am so pleased to have re-read this novel. It is the only Christie novel to appear on the 1001 novels to read before you die list, and is a great example of her craft for readers new to this author. 

My reviews of other Christie novels are available on this blog: 

  • A Caribbean Mystery (1964) 

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