Reading The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd

For the third installment of my Year With Agatha Christie reading challenge I decided to skip Christie’s short story collection, Poirot Investigates, and go straight to her third published Poirot novel, The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd.

The Story In The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd

In the village of King’s Abbot, Dr. James Sheppard is approached by his wealthy friend Roger Ackroyd, who urges Sheppard to meet with him soon to discuss an important and confidential matter. After dinner that evening Ackroyd invites Sheppard into his study and explains that the wealthy widow who had just taken her own life was actually Ackroyd’s secret fiancée, Mrs. Ferrars.

Mrs. Ferrars fatally poisoned herself after being blackmailed by an unknown person who threatened to reveal her secret–that she had, as many villagers suspect, murdered her husband a year earlier to escape his abuse. Ackroyd goes on to explain that Ferrars planned to reveal the identity of the blackmailer in a letter Ackroyd was to receive that evening. When the letter, enclosed in distinctive blue envelope, arrives, Ackroyd asks Sheppard to leave so he may read the letter in private.

Sheppard arrives back home just in time to take a telephone call from Ackroyd’s butler, telling him that Ackroyd has been murdered. Sheppard rushes back to Ackroyd’s estate, where the confused butler denies making the call or knowing anything about the murder. The men break down the study door to find Ackroyd stabbed to death.

When the police focus their attention on Ackroyd’s stepson, Ralph, Ackroyd’s niece, Flora, who is secretly engaged to Ralph, asks Poirot, who is retired and living next door to Sheppard, to investigate the case himself.

My Thoughts on The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd

Ackroyd is widely considered Christie’s masterpiece and routinely finds itself on best-of lists even a century after it was first published. If you’re not already familiar with it, do yourself a favor and read it before the surprise is spoiled for you.

As with the previous 2 novels, I “read” this as an audiobook, but this time I chose Hugh Fraser’s performance. Fraser played Hastings to David Suchet’s Poirot in the television series Agatha Christie’s Poirot. Fraser’s performance is flawless; he will be my go-to narrator going forward.

To date, I’ve read 4 Poirot novels (the 3 for my challenge and Murder on the Orient Express, which I read last year) and all the Poirot short stories. I’m utterly amazed at how innovative Christie’s stories seem. I can only imagine how amazing her mysteries must have felt to her audience at the time.

I suspect that part of the reason I don’t have Poirot Fatigue yet has to do with her willingness to let other characters share the stage with our favorite Belgian. I adore the characters of Japp and Hastings but having Poirot team up with Dr. Sheppard brought a breath of air to my experience.

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