The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Agatha Christie

Published in an omnibus edition: "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd"; "They Do It With Mirrors" and "Mrs. McGinty's Dead" as part of the "Agatha Christie Crime Collection" by The Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd.: London, 1969.
First published 1926.

This year at the Founders Book Fair, an annual book fair in my hometown, I came across a few volumes of the Agatha Christie Crime Collection, and decided to buy this one based solely on having heard that this particular story, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, had a fairly 'satisfying' ending. 

It does!

Inspector Poirot, of Orient Express fame, has retired to a small village, and gets caught up in solving the murder of Roger Ackroyd, a local rich widower who was believed to have been interested in another recently deceased local, the widowed Mrs Ferrars. Helped by the local doctor, Dr Sheppard, who also serves as our narrator, Poirot is able to uncover the usual string of mysteries, subterfuge and secrets that fill out the plot of such mysteries as this. Of course there is the mystery of Roger's murder, but other questions include the whereabouts of Roger's heir, Ralph Paton, the suspicious behaviour of Roger's butler Parker, and who was responsible for a mysterious phone call to Dr Sheppard that first alerted him to the murder. Poirot, of course, is also interested in details that upon first glance appear to have no bearing to the case, such as the positioning of a particular chair in the office where Roger's body was found, and the discovery of a piece of fabric in the summer house outside. Of course, in true Poirot fashion these will give Poirot vital clues before the story is done.

What I want in a good murder mystery is for the reader to conceivably have been able to put the clues together and figure out the murderer before the reveal. Not too early, or the 'fun' is gone, but neither do you want to get the reveal and realise that there is no way you had enough information to figure it out. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd has a great balance of these elements, and as the reveal approached I found myself suddenly beginning to have an inkling of what might have been happening, and then a rush of excitement as Poirot revealed all and my suspicions were correct. Poirot mysteries are not often the easiest to figure out, but there are enough clues sprinkled throughout the book that, in retrospect, the solution makes sense.

So, yes, this is worth the read. But try not to spoil it for yourself ahead of time.

Completed 23 June 2022.

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