'The Murder of Roger Ackroyd' by Agatha Christie

Considered to be one of Agatha Christie's most controversial mysteries, The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd breaks the rules of traditional mystery.

The peaceful English village of King’s Abbot is stunned. The widow Ferrars dies from an overdose of veronal. Not twenty-four hours later, Roger Ackroyd—the man she had planned to marry—is murdered. It is a baffling case involving blackmail and death, that taxes Hercule Poirot’s “grey cells” before he reaches one of the most startling conclusions of his career.

MY THOUGHTS:  

My mum was always a great fan of the queen of crime when I was little, and collected many of her books. I never read them all but do appreciate knowing they're always on hand at Mum's place, just in case I want to grab hold of one for a vintage mystery fix if I feel like it. I've seen this crime classic mentioned frequently lately, as one of Christie's most brilliant and celebrated for its impeccable execution. One site even said that if you're only ever going to read one Agatha Christie, let this be the one. I promise I went into it with no idea what to expect, to see if it would blow me away as it has many others.

It was first published in 1926, and set in a tiny village named King's Abbot. The story's narrator is Dr James Sheppard, the friendly local GP. His patient Mrs Ferrars has just committed suicide by taking a lethal overdose of tablets. It turns out a ruthless blackmailer who knew she'd poisoned her husband has been extorting money from her ever since his death, and she's finally had enough of the stress. Mrs Ferrars leaves a letter to her fiance, Roger Ackroyd, revealing the identity of her blackmailer, but he's murdered in his study before he finishes reading the letter. Ackroyd is stabbed in the neck from behind with a sharp, ornamental weapon from one of his own drawers. 

The weird thing is that the killer makes a late night phone call to let the doctor know that another patient of his has bitten the dust. One of the biggest questions in this story is why on earth the anonymous murderer would preempt discovery, rather than wait for it to unfold naturally the following morning. It's so unusual, detective Hercule Poirot is certain that once the answer comes to light, they'll have their killer. 

The suspect who most evidence seems to indicate is Ackroyd's handsome stepson, Captain Ralph Paton, who disappeared after the murder. But almost everyone present beneath Ackroyd's roof that evening have personal secrets of their own, mostly fueled by being short of money. There's his widowed sister-in-law, Mrs Cecil Ackroyd, and her beautiful daughter Flora, along with a game shooter named Hector Blunt, and Ackroyd's vigilant personal secretary, Geoffrey Raymond. And the staff members include Parker the butler, Mrs Russell the housekeeper, and Ursula Bourne the parlour maid. Everyone is hiding something which they fear may cast them in a suspicious light. 

There are some interesting musings, including Poirot's theory about women's intuition (females take heaps of detail on board in their subconscious minds, and later assume there's something psychic about it) and the mind of a blackmailer (it's easy for any ordinary man to acquire a substantial income by doing nothing more difficult than keeping quiet about something). His sidekick Dr Sheppard comments that as each new revelation comes to light, the whole case is like the shake of a kaleidoscope. The thing changes its aspect entirely. 

I think the big revelation is rightfully considered controversial. Some readers think Dame Agatha was playing silly games with us, while others believe she was boldly treading ground traversed by no mystery author before her. I'll say no more, except that the murderer was so cocksure they got away with it, I'm glad Poirot was called on the case to prove them wrong! 

Did I figure it out myself? No, in all honesty, but nor was I totally floored by the announcement. 

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