roger ackroyd resumen

Jane Austen

El asesinato de Roger Ackroyd : Resumen

La novela está narrada por el Dr. James Sheppard, médico de la ciudad de King’s Abbott. La historia comienza con la muerte de la Sra. Ferrars, quien tomó una sobredosis de Veronal, un medicamento para dormir. Gran parte de la ciudad (incluida la hermana del Dr. Sheppard, amante de los chismes, Caroline) cree que la Sra. Ferrars envenenó a su esposo un año antes. Caroline ahora especula que la Sra. Ferrars se ha suicidado con Veronal por culpa.

Mientras tanto, Roger Ackroyd, el ciudadano más rico de la ciudad que se esperaba que se casara con la Sra. Ferrars, invita al Dr. Sheppard a cenar, alegando que tiene algo importante que decirle. También estuvieron presentes en la cena la Sra. Cecil Ackroyd, la cuñada de Roger, Flora Ackroyd, su sobrina (que recientemente se comprometió con Ralph Paton, el hijastro de Ackroyd), Geoffrey Raymond, la joven secretaria de Ackroyd, y el Mayor Blunt, amigo de Ackroyd. Angustiado durante la comida, Ackroyd finalmente tiene una discusión privada con el Dr. Sheppard después de la cena. En su estudio, le revela al Dr. Sheppard que la Sra. Ferrars no solo mató a su esposo, sino que también la chantajearon por ello. Ella le reveló todo esto a Ackroyd antes de quitarse la vida debido a la tensión emocional y financiera a la que se encontraba.

Aunque ella no le dijo quién era el chantajista, él tenía la sensación de que le había dejado un mensaje antes de su muerte. En ese momento, Parker, la secretaria de Ackroyd, llega con el correo de la tarde, que contiene una carta de la difunta Sra. Ferrars. Ackroyd comienza a leerlo en voz alta. En él, la Sra. Ferrars anuncia que nombrará a su chantajista y le pide a Ackroyd que busque venganza de su chantajista. Ackroyd se niega a leer el nombre del chantajista con Sheppard presente.

El Dr. Sheppard sale de Fernly Park (la casa de Ackroyd), pero en su camino de regreso se encuentra con un extraño que le pide indicaciones para llegar a la finca. En casa, el Dr. Sheppard y Caroline están a punto de irse a la cama cuando suena el teléfono. Le explica a Caroline que Parker ha llamado desde Fernly Park para decirle que Ackroyd ha sido asesinado. El Dr. Sheppard se apresura, pero cuando llega, Parker niega haber hecho la llamada telefónica. No obstante, entran al estudio cerrado de Ackroyd y lo encuentran asesinado en su silla.

Al día siguiente, Flora Ackroyd se acerca al Dr. Sheppard para que lo ayude a reclutar al nuevo vecino del Dr. Sheppard, el detective belga retirado Hercule Poirot, para que ayude a investigar el asesinato. A Flora le preocupa que la policía vaya a culpar a Ralph Paton por matar a su tío, especialmente porque Ralph, que había sido visto acercándose a Fernly Park esa noche, ahora no se encuentra por ningún lado. La policía ha encontrado huellas que coinciden con un par de zapatos que Ralph poseía fuera de la ventana del estudio de Ackroyd, y a las 9:30 pm (después de que el Dr. Sheppard se fuera, pero antes de que se encontrara el cuerpo a las 10:30), Major Blunt y Geoffrey Raymond escuchó a Ackroyd hablando con alguien en su oficina.

Debido a que Flora afirma haberle dado las buenas noches a su tío a las 9:45 pm y el Dr. Sheppard está convencido de que Ackroyd llevaba muerto al menos media hora cuando encontró el cuerpo a las 10:30, la policía está convencida de que el asesinato se cometió entre 9:45 y 22:00 h. Aunque todos los miembros de la familia de Ackroyd se beneficiarían económicamente de su muerte, Ralph heredó especialmente la mayor parte de la fortuna de su tío. Una vez que han determinado que Ralph estaba recientemente endeudado, sospechan aún más de él.

Aunque la policía está convencida de que es Ralph, la exhaustiva investigación de Poirot no lo deja convencido. Está obsesionado con la llamada telefónica al Dr. Sheppard (que la policía rastrea y determina que provino de la estación de tren King’s Abbot, no de Fernly Park), y la posición de una silla de abuelo en la oficina de Ackroyd, que se había trasladado al centro. de la habitación cuando el Dr. Sheppard y Parker encontraron el cuerpo. En el curso de su investigación, Poirot descubre una pluma de ganso y un trozo de batista en la casa de verano en los terrenos de Fernly Park, así como un anillo de bodas con la inscripción «De R» en un estanque de peces de colores en el terreno.

Poirot reúne a la Sra. Cecil Ackroyd, Flora Ackroyd, Geoffrey Raymond, el Mayor Blunt y el Dr. Sheppard y los acusa a todos de ocultarle algo que es relevante para el caso. Mientras tanto, Poirot señala que la camarera, Ursula Bourne, es la única persona en la casa que no tiene una coartada clara para el momento teórico del asesinato y, por lo tanto, la identifica como otra sospechosa. La Sra. Cecil Ackroyd y Geoffrey Raymond se acercan rápidamente al Dr. Sheppard y Poirot para admitir sus secretos; ambos reconocen por separado que estaban endeudados y la muerte de Ackroyd resuelve la mayoría de sus problemas de dinero.

Poirot también determina que Parker, de quien sospechaba que era el chantajista de la Sra. Ferrars, es culpable de nada más que espiar a Roger Ackroyd la noche del asesinato cuando escuchó la palabra «chantaje». Parker chantajeó con éxito a su empleador anterior y también esperaba chantajear a Ackroyd. Mientras tanto, la policía ha localizado al extraño que se acercó a Fernly Park la noche del asesinato. Arrestan a un hombre llamado Charles Kent, que el Dr. Sheppard confirma que era el extraño.

Mientras tanto, Poirot determina que Flora mintió acerca de desearle buenas noches a su tío a las 9:45 de la noche del asesinato; en cambio, se coló en su habitación para robar dinero para saldar algunas deudas y tuvo que fingir que era simplemente deseándole buenas noches a Ackroyd para evitar sospechas. En el transcurso de su confesión, el amor secreto del Mayor Blunt por Flora se revela cuando intenta asumir la culpa por su crimen. Poirot convence al mayor Blunt de que sea honesto con Flora sobre su amor por ella; le asegura que Flora y Ralph Paton no están realmente enamorados, sino simplemente comprometidos por conveniencia.

Poirot pide una reunión con la señorita Russell, el ama de llaves de Ackroyd. Él le hace admitir que Charles Kent es el hijo que tuvo fuera del matrimonio muchos años antes, y que es dueño de la pluma de ganso (para esnifar heroína) que encontraron en la casa de verano. La señorita Russell lo conoció allí antes de la cena la noche del asesinato después de que él la contactara; ella insiste en que él no puede ser el asesino.

Pronto, Flora y el mayor Blunt se comprometen, y Poirot rastrea al dueño del anillo de oro hasta Ursula Bourne. Después de colocar un aviso falso en el periódico de que la policía capturó a Ralph Paton, Bourne busca a Poirot y confiesa haberse casado con Ralph en secreto meses antes. Se reunieron alrededor de las 9:30 en la casa de verano y discutieron sobre su compromiso anunciado con Flora Ackroyd (Ralph aceptó el compromiso con la esperanza de que significara que su tío saldría de sus deudas).

Poirot convoca a todos los sospechosos a su casa una vez más y revela todos estos descubrimientos. Además, revela que ha determinado que Ackroyd compró un dictáfono la semana anterior y eso es lo que escucharon Raymond y Blunt cuando asumieron que Ackroyd estaba hablando con alguien a las 9:30. Luego revela a Ralph Paton, a quien el Dr. Sheppard había estado escondiendo fingiendo que era un paciente en un asilo local. Una vez que Poirot determinó lo que había hecho Sheppard, sacó a Ralph. Ralph admite que peleó con Úrsula en la casa de verano y luego caminó frustrado. No tiene coartada para el momento del asesinato. Poirot anuncia que es simple: para que Ralph sea exonerado, el verdadero asesino debe presentarse. Afirma conocer la identidad del verdadero asesino y explica que traerá la verdad a la policía a la mañana siguiente.

Él da de alta al grupo, pero le pide al Dr. Sheppard que se quede atrás. En un sorprendente giro de la trama, Poirot revela que es el Dr. Sheppard quien es el asesino. Sheppard apuñaló a Ackroyd antes de dejarlo esa noche, programó el dictáfono para que sonara a las 9:30 y le proporcionara una coartada, luego se coló por el costado de la casa, se arrastró hasta el estudio de Ackroyd, lo cerró desde adentro y plantó las huellas. con los zapatos de Ralph en el barro. Escondió a Ralph para que la policía lo encontrara más sospechoso. Asesinó a Ackroyd porque era él, el Dr. Sheppard, quien era el chantajista de la Sra. Ferrars, y sabía que si Ackroyd se enteraba, estaría arruinado.

Ante el conocimiento de que Poirot irá a la policía por la mañana, y con la esperanza de que Poirot pueda ocultarle la verdad a su hermana Caroline, el Dr. Sheppard se va a casa y se prepara para suicidarse con una sobredosis de Veronal.

Deja un comentario Cancelar la respuesta

Guarda mi nombre, correo electrónico y web en este navegador para la próxima vez que comente.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

By agatha christie.

• The Murder of Roger Ackroyd Summary

The novel is narrated by Dr. James Sheppard, a physician in the town of King’s Abbott. The story begins with the death of Mrs. Ferrars, who overdosed on Veronal, a sleeping medication. Much of the town (including Dr. Sheppard’s gossip-loving sister, Caroline) believes Mrs. Ferrars poisoned her husband a year before. Caroline now speculates that Mrs. Ferrars has committed suicide with Veronal over the guilt.  

Meanwhile, Roger Ackroyd, the town’s wealthiest citizen who was expected to marry Mrs. Ferrars, invites Dr. Sheppard to dinner, claiming he has something important to tell him. Also present at dinner are Mrs. Cecil Ackroyd, Roger’s sister-in-law, Flora Ackroyd, his niece (who recently got engaged to Ackroyd’s stepson Ralph Paton), Geoffrey Raymond, Ackroyd’s young secretary, and Major Blunt, Ackroyd’s friend. Distraught throughout the meal, Ackroyd finally has a private discussion with Dr. Sheppard after dinner. In his study, he reveals to Dr. Sheppard that not only did Mrs. Ferrars actually kill her husband, she was being blackmailed for it. She revealed all of this to Ackroyd before taking her life because of the emotional and financial strain she was under.  

Although she didn’t tell him who the blackmailer was, he had a feeling she left a message for him before her death. At that moment, Ackroyd’s secretary Parker arrives with the evening mail, which contains a letter from the late Mrs. Ferrars. Ackroyd begins to read it out loud. In it, Mrs. Ferrars announces she will name her blackmailer and asks Ackroyd to seek revenge on her blackmailer. Ackroyd refuses to read the name of the blackmailer with Sheppard present.  

Dr. Sheppard leaves Fernly Park (Ackroyd’s home), but on his walk back bumps into a stranger who asks for directions to the estate. At home, Dr. Sheppard and Caroline are about to go to bed when the phone rings. He explains to Caroline that Parker has called from Fernly Park to tell him that Ackroyd has been murdered. Dr. Sheppard rushes over, but when he gets there Parker denies making the phone call. Nonetheless, they break into Ackroyd’s locked study and find him murdered in his chair.  

The next day, Dr. Sheppard is approached by Flora Ackroyd to help recruit Dr. Sheppard’s new neighbor, the retired Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, to help investigate the murder. Flora is worried that the police are going to blame Ralph Paton for killing her uncle, especially since Ralph, who had been spotted approaching Fernly Park that night, is now nowhere to be found. The police have found footprints matching a pair of shoes that Ralph owned outside the window to Ackroyd’s study, and at 9:30 pm (after Dr. Sheppard had left, but before the body was found at 10:30), Major Blunt and Geoffrey Raymond both overheard Ackroyd speaking to someone in his office.  

Because Flora claims to have wished her uncle goodnight at 9:45 pm and Dr. Sheppard is convinced that Ackroyd had been dead at least a half hour when he found the body at 10:30, the police are convinced that the murder was committed between 9:45 and 10:00 pm. Although all members of Ackroyd’s household stood to gain financially from his death, Ralph especially inherited the bulk of his uncle’s fortune. After they have determined that Ralph recently was in a great deal of debt, they suspect him all the more.  

Although the police are convinced it is Ralph, Poirot’s thorough investigation leaves him unconvinced. He is fixated on the phone call to Dr. Sheppard (which the police trace, and determine came from the King’s Abbot train station, not Fernly Park), and the position of a grandfather chair in Ackroyd’s office, which had been moved into the center of the room when Dr. Sheppard and Parker found the body. In the course of his investigation, Poirot discovers a goose quill and a piece of cambric in the summerhouse on the Fernly Park grounds, as well as a wedding ring inscribed “From R” in a goldfish pond on the grounds.  

Poirot gathers Mrs. Cecil Ackroyd, Flora Ackroyd, Geoffrey Raymond, Major Blunt, and Dr. Sheppard together and accuses all of them of hiding something from him which is relevant to the case. In the meantime, Poirot notes that the parlormaid, Ursula Bourne, is the only person in the household who doesn’t have a clear alibi for the theoretical time of the murder and so identifies her as another suspect. Mrs. Cecil Ackroyd and Geoffrey Raymond quickly come forward to Dr. Sheppard and Poirot to admit their secrets – both separately acknowledge that they were in debt, and Ackroyd’s death resolves most of their money issues.  

Poirot also determines that Parker, who he suspected as Mrs. Ferrars’ blackmailer, is guilty of nothing more than snooping on Roger Ackroyd the night of the murder when he heard the word “blackmail.” Parker successfully blackmailed his previous employer, and was hoping to blackmail Ackroyd, as well. The police, meanwhile, have tracked down the stranger who approached Fernly Park the night of the murder. They arrest a man named Charles Kent, who Dr. Sheppard confirms was the stranger.  Meanwhile, Poirot determines that Flora lied about wishing her uncle goodnight at 9:45 on the night of the murder – instead, she had snuck up to his bedroom to steal money to settle some debts of her own, and had to pretend she was merely wishing Ackroyd goodnight to avoid suspicion. In the course of her confession, Major Blunt’s secret love for Flora is revealed when he tries to take the blame for her crime. Poirot convinces Major Blunt to be honest with Flora about his love for her – he assures him that Flora and Ralph Paton are not really in love, but merely engaged for convenience’s sake.  

Poirot asks for a meeting with Miss Russell, Ackroyd’s housekeeper. He gets her to admit that Charles Kent is the son she bore out of wedlock many years before, and that he owns the goose quill (for snorting heroin) that they found in the summerhouse. Miss Russell met him there before dinner on the night of the murder after he contacted her; she insists he cannot be the murderer.  

Soon, Flora and Major Blunt are engaged, and Poirot traces the owner of the gold ring to Ursula Bourne. After placing a fake notice in the newspaper that the police captured Ralph Paton, Bourne seeks out Poirot and confesses to having married Ralph in secret months before. They met around 9:30 in the summerhouse and fought about his announced engagement to Flora Ackroyd (Ralph agreed to the engagement hoping it would mean his uncle would discharge his debts.)  

Poirot summons all the suspects to his home once again and reveals all these discoveries. He further reveals that he has determined Ackroyd purchased a dictaphone the week before and that is what Raymond and Blunt heard when they assumed Ackroyd was talking to someone at 9:30. He then reveals Ralph Paton, who Dr. Sheppard had been hiding by pretending he was a patient in a local asylum. Once Poirot determined what Sheppard had done, he got Ralph out. Ralph admits that he fought with Ursula in the summerhouse, then walked around, frustrated. He does not have an alibi for the time of the murder. Poirot announces that it’s simple: for Ralph to be exonerated, the real murderer must come forward. He claims to know the identity of the real murderer, and explains he will bring the truth to the police the next morning.  

He discharges the group, but asks Dr. Sheppard to stay behind. In a stunning plot twist, Poirot reveals that it is Dr. Sheppard who is the murderer. Sheppard stabbed Ackroyd before leaving him that night, programmed the Dictaphone to go off at 9:30 and provide him with an alibi, then snuck around the side of the house, crawled into Ackroyd’s study, locked it from the inside, and planted the footprints with Ralph’s shoes in the mud. He hid Ralph so that the police would find him more suspicious. He murdered Ackroyd because it was he, Dr. Sheppard, who was Mrs. Ferrars’ blackmailer, and he knew if Ackroyd found out he would be ruined.  

Faced with the knowledge that Poirot will go to the police in the morning, and hoping that Poirot can keep the truth from his sister Caroline, Dr. Sheppard goes home and prepares to kill himself with an overdose of Veronal.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Most of Christie’s novels focus on upper-class characters but feature members of the serving class in supporting roles. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is no exception, and indeed, the power of the divisions between members of the two classes is...

Who does miss gannet think is guilty

What chapter are you referring to?

In The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, the author presents a detective who goes about systematically ‘solving’ a murder mystery through the use of logic and order.Do you agree with his statement? Comment critically.

I would agree with this but not for all characters. Check out "The Power of Method and Logic" below:

https://www.gradesaver.com/the-murder-of-roger-ackroyd/study-guide/themes

Study Guide for The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd study guide contains a biography of Agatha Christie, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
• Character List

Essays for The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie.

• The Murder of Roger Ackroyd in Relation to Auden's "The Guilty Vicarage"
• The Disruption of the Peaceful Bucolic Life of Kings Abbot
• Christie's Presentation of Wealth, Capitalism, and Class Structure in 'The Murder of Roger Ackroyd'
• Poirot: Seeker of Justice or Representative of the Law?
• "In The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, No One Is Innocent": An Evaluation of Christie's Characters

Wikipedia Entries for The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

• Introduction
• Principal characters
• Narrative voice and structure
• Literary significance and reception

Resumen de El asesinato de Roger Ackroyd

El asesinato de Roger Ackroyd”, de Agatha Christie , no es sólo un clásico de la novela policíaca, sino una obra maestra sin parangón que alteró drásticamente el curso de la ficción detectivesca. Publicada en 1926, esta novela es conocida por su innovadora estructura narrativa, su intrigante estudio de personajes y, sobre todo, por su impactante giro argumental.

La novela, con su revelación poco convencional del asesino, desafió las normas aceptadas de la ficción detectivesca y provocó mucha controversia y debate tras su publicación.

Situación y personajes principales

Los acontecimientos de “El asesinato de Roger Ackroyd” tienen lugar en King’s Abbot, un tranquilo pueblo inglés. Esta comunidad aparentemente pacífica, sin embargo, encierra un sinfín de misterios tras su bello exterior. Roger Ackroyd, nuestro protagonista, es un rico y conocido hombre de negocios de la comunidad.

El Dr. James Sheppard, amigo íntimo de Ackroyd, es a la vez el médico local y el narrador un tanto inesperado de la historia. Hércules Poirot, el estrafalario y brillante detective de la novela, se ha jubilado recientemente y se ha trasladado a King’s Abbot en busca de una vida tranquila alejada de la resolución de crímenes.

El enigma del suicidio y el asesinato

La historia de la novela comienza con el prematuro suicidio de la señora Ferrars, una viuda rica sospechosa de haber asesinado a su marido , Ashley Ferrars, un año antes. La noche siguiente, Roger Ackroyd, que al parecer mantenía una relación sentimental con la señora Ferrars, es descubierto muerto.

La noche de su muerte , Ackroyd recibe una carta de la Sra. Ferrars, en la que supuestamente divulga la identidad del asesino de su marido. Esta carta, sin embargo, desaparece repentinamente tras el asesinato de Ackroyd.

Inicio de la investigación

Cuando el doctor Sheppard descubre el cuerpo sin vida de Ackroyd, avisa inmediatamente a las autoridades locales y solicita la ayuda de su vecino, Hércules Poirot. A pesar de sus reservas, Caroline, la inquisitiva y persistente hermana mayor del Dr. Sheppard, convence a Poirot para que abandone su retiro y examine el desconcertante caso.

Poirot, conocido por sus “pequeñas células grises” y una metodología que a menudo desafía el razonamiento convencional, se adentra en la investigación, revelando finalmente las oscuras y enterradas verdades del pueblo.

Desentrañando la enmarañada red del misterio

Poirot adopta un enfoque metódico y exhaustivo para resolver el problema . Poirot no deja piedra sin remover al interrogar a numerosos miembros de la casa de Ackroyd , incluyendo sirvientes y parientes, así como a individuos íntimamente relacionados con Ackroyd.

Su meticulosa atención al detalle revela una serie de comportamientos cuestionables, incluyendo identidades ocultas , conexiones ocultas, reuniones secretas, e incluso un presunto caso de chantaje, todo lo cual puede estar relacionado con el asesinato.

La revelación imprevista

En la reunión culminante típica de las historias clásicas de detectives, Poirot desvela finalmente la identidad del asesino. En un giro que asombró al mundo de la lectura, el doctor James Sheppard, narrador de nuestra historia, se revela como el asesino.

Resulta que Sheppard había estado malversando dinero de Ackroyd y, temiendo que la carta de la señora Ferrars sacara a la luz su robo , asesinó a Ackroyd para mantener a salvo su secreto.

Tras la horrible revelación, Poirot aconseja a Sheppard que se suicide para escapar de la vergüenza de un juicio público. Sheppard documenta su horrible acto en una larga confesión escrita y, como Poirot esperaba, se quita la vida al final de la novela.

Este último acto no solo confirma los descubrimientos de Poirot, sino que también pone de relieve su brillantez como detective.

“El asesinato de Roger Ackroyd” es un hito en la ilustre carrera literaria de Agatha Christie y un clásico imperecedero de la novela policíaca. A través del ingenioso personaje de Hércules Poirot, Christie ahonda en el corazón de la naturaleza humana, revelando el siniestro engaño que puede esconderse bajo la fachada de lo ordinario.

La ingeniosa trama de la novela, salpicada por su impactante giro, ha dejado una huella indeleble en el género. Sigue cautivando a los lectores casi un siglo después de su publicación, lo que ilustra el atractivo intemporal de un misterio bien elaborado.

¡Suscríbete a nuestra Newsletter!

Únete a cientos de lectores de todo el mundo y consigue un regalo en tu Email

¡Gracias por unirte!

Ya perteneces a la comunidad de LaBibliotecaPerdida

Últimos Resúmenes

Resumen de Chesil Beach de Ian McEwan

Resumen de El mito de Sísifo

Los 5 mejores libros de William Faulkner

Resumen de Lo raro es vivir

Resumen de Santuario de William Faulkner

Resumen de Luz de Agosto de William Faulkner

Suscríbete a nuestra Newsletter

Recibe de forma semanal los mejores resumenes en tu bandeja de entrada..

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

Las 48 leyes del Poder

Hábitos Atómicos

Meditaciones

Ryan Holiday

René Descartes

George R. R. Martin

Desarrollo personal

Productividad

[email protected]

Llíria, Valencia - 46160

© LaBibliotecaPerdida 2024

Contacto | Política de Privacidad | Política de Cookies | Sistema de Afiliados de Amazon

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

• View history

Dust-jacket illustration of the first UK edition

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie which was first serialised in fifty-four parts in the London Evening News from 16 July 1925 to 16 September 1925, under the title, "Who Killed Ackroyd? " The first book publication was in the UK by William Collins & Sons in June 1926 and in the United States by Dodd, Mead and Company on the 19th of the same month. It features Hercule Poirot as the lead detective. The UK edition retailed at seven shillings and sixpence (7/6) and the US edition at $2.00.

It is one of Christie's best known and most controversial novels, its innovative twist ending having a significant impact on the genre. The short biography of Christie which is included in the present UK printings of all of her books states that this novel is her masterpiece. Howard Haycraft, in his seminal 1941 work, Murder for Pleasure , included the novel in his "cornerstones" list of the most influential crime novels ever written. The character of Caroline Sheppard was later acknowledged by Christie as a possible precursor to her famous detective Miss Marple .

• 1.1 The ending and the identity of the murderer
• 1.2 Juxtaposition of two knowledge systems
• 2 Characters
• 3 References to other works
• 4 References or Allusions
• 5 Literary significance and reception
• 6.1 Alibi (Play)
• 6.2 Alibi (1931 film)
• 6.3 "Campbell Playhouse" radio adaptation
• 6.4 BBC Radio 4 adaptation
• 6.5 Agatha Christie's Poirot
• 6.6 Russian adaptation
• 6.7 Kuroido Goroshi (2018 Fuji TV Japanese adaptation)
• 6.8 Graphic novel adaptation
• 7.1 Background
• 7.2 Publication
• 7.3 Book dedication
• 7.4 Dustjacket blurb
• 8 In popular culture
• 9 International titles
• 10 Worldwide Covers
• 11 References

Plot summary [ ]

(may contain spoilers - click on expand to read)

The book is set in the fictional village of King's Abbot in England. It is narrated by Dr. James Sheppard, who becomes Poirot's assistant (a role filled by Captain Hastings in several other Poirot novels). The story begins with the death of Mrs. Ferrars, a wealthy widow who is rumoured to have murdered her husband. Her death is initially believed to be an accident until Roger Ackroyd, a widower who had been expected to marry Mrs. Ferrars, reveals that she admitted to killing her husband and then committed suicide. Shortly after this he is found murdered. The suspects include Mrs. Cecil Ackroyd, Roger's neurotic hypochondriac sister-in-law who has accumulated personal debts through extravagant spending; her daughter Flora; Major Blunt, a big-game hunter; Geoffrey Raymond, Ackroyd's personal secretary; Ralph Paton, Ackroyd's stepson and another person with heavy debts; Parker, a snooping butler; and Ursula Bourne, a parlour maid with an uncertain history who resigned her post the afternoon of the murder. Dr. Sheppard's spinster sister Caroline is a favourite character among many and some say she could have been in another book.

The initial suspect is Ralph the old friend of Dr. Sheppard, who is engaged to Flora and stands to inherit his stepfather's fortune. Several critical pieces of evidence seem to point to Ralph. Poirot, who has just moved to the town, begins to investigate at Flora's behest.

The ending and the identity of the murderer [ ]

The book ends with a then-unprecedented plot twist. Poirot exonerates all of the original suspects. He then lays out a completely reasoned case that the murderer is in fact Dr. Sheppard, who has not only been Poirot's assistant, but the story's narrator. Dr. Sheppard was Mrs. Ferrars' blackmailer, and he murdered Ackroyd to stop him learning the truth from Mrs. Ferrars. Poirot gives the doctor two choices: either he surrenders to the police or, for the sake of his clean reputation and his proud sister, he commits suicide.

In the final chapter of Sheppard's narrative (a sort of epilogue), Sheppard admits his guilt, noting certain literary techniques he used to write the narrative truthfully without revealing his role in the crime or doing anything to suggest that he knew the truth, and reveals that he had hoped to be the one to write the account of Poirot's great failure: not solving the murder of Roger Ackroyd. Thus, the last chapter acts as both Sheppard's confession and suicide note.

The final revelation uses meta-fictional tropes. The ending also opens up the question whether narrators can be trusted or not. Christie uses unreliable narrator again in 1967 novel Endless Night . Reader response to the ending varies from admiration of the unexpected end to a feeling of being cheated.

Juxtaposition of two knowledge systems [ ]

In the novel, Christie has laid side by side two modes of gathering of information and building of hypothesis. One is Poirot's use of ratiocination, the other is the channel of gossiping, practised by almost all inhabitants of King's Abbott, in particular, Caroline. While even Caroline is able to interpret certain situations correctly, Christie privileges scientific mode of investigation by unveiling the murderer through Poirot.

Characters [ ]

Roger Ackroyd's household

• Roger Ackroyd
• Mrs Cecil Ackroyd – Mr. Ackroyd's sister-in-law
• Flora Ackroyd – Mr. Ackroyd's niece and Mrs. Cecil Ackroyd's daughter
• Ralph Paton – Mr. Ackroyd's stepson
• Geoffrey Raymond – Mr. Ackroyd's secretary
• Major Hector Blunt – Roger Ackroyd's friend and houseguest
• John Parker – butler
• Elizabeth Russell – housekeeper
• Ursula Bourne – parlourmaid
• See here for list of other members of the Fernly Park household

King's Abbot

• Hercule Poirot – a retired detective who is heartily tired of growing vegetable marrows.
• Dr. James Sheppard – the village doctor, Poirot's assistant (and the story's narrator )
• Caroline Sheppard – Dr. Sheppard's spinster sister who has her finger on the pulse of King's Abbot
• Mrs Ferrars – who poisons herself at the very beginning of the book
• Ashley Ferrars – late husband of Mrs. Ferrars, who was poisoned by his wife
• Miss Gannett - friend of Caroline Sheppard
• See here for a list of the other residents of the village .
• Inspector Raglan
• Inspector Davis is the local Inspector for King's Abbot and the investigating officer.
• Colonel Melrose
• Constable Jones
• Superintendent Hayes
• Charles Kent – Elizabeth Russell's son and drug addict, another obvious suspect
• Mr Hammond is the lawyer of Roger Ackroyd .
• Mrs Folliott - Ursula Bourne's elder sister, married to Richard Folliott

Mentioned characters

• Cecil Ackroyd , Mrs Ackroyd's deceased husband
• Major Ellerby
• Chief Inspector Japp
• Sally Jones - barmaid at "Dog and Whistle"
• Bruce MacPherson
• Colin MacDonald

References to other works [ ]

In Chapter 11, Caroline Sheppard relates how Poirot told her that he was able to solve a "baffling murder case" for Prince Paul of Mauretania ( sic ) and his new wife. This is a reference to the events of " The King of Clubs ".

References or Allusions [ ]

When Caroline Shepherd reads an article about Ralph Paton detained at Liverpool, she noted that she expected him to try to get away to America because that was what "Crippen did". This refers to the celebrated case of Hawley Harvey Crippen who was arrested in Canada after escaping from Britain.

Literary significance and reception [ ]

(lengthy - click on expand to read)

The Times Literary Supplement's review of June 10, 1926, began with "This is a well-written detective story of which the only criticism might perhaps be that there are too many curious incidents not really connected with the crime which have to be elucidated before the true criminal can be discovered". The review then gave a brief synopsis before concluding with "It is all very puzzling, but the great Hercule Poirot, a retired Belgian detective, solves the mystery. It may safely be asserted that very few readers will do so."

A long review in The New York Times Book Review of July 18, 1926, read in part:

There are doubtless many detective stories more exciting and blood-curdling than The Murder of Roger Ackroyd , but this reviewer has recently read very few which provide greater analytical stimulation. This story, though it is inferior to them at their best, is in the tradition of Poe's analytical tales and the Sherlock Holmes stories. The author does not devote her talents to the creation of thrills and shocks, but to the orderly solution of a single murder, conventional at that, instead. ... Miss Christie is not only an expert technician and a remarkably good story-teller, but she knows, as well, just the right number of hints to offer as to the real murderer. In the present case his identity is made all the more baffling through the author's technical cleverness in selecting the part he is to play in the story; and yet her non-committal characterization of him makes it a perfectly fair procedure. The experienced reader will probably spot him, but it is safe to say that he will often have his doubts as the story unfolds itself.

The Observer  of May 30, 1926, said,

No one is more adroit than Miss Christie in the manipulation of false clues and irrelevances and red herrings; and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd makes breathless reading from first to the unexpected last. It is unfortunate that in two important points — the nature of the solution and the use of the telephone — Miss Christie has been anticipated by another recent novel: the truth is that this particular field is getting so well ploughed that it is hard to find a virgin patch anywhere. But Miss Christie's story is distinguished from most of its class by its coherence, its reasonableness, and the fact that the characters live and move and have their being: the gossip-loving Caroline would be an acquisition to any novel.

The Scotsman  of July 22, 1926, said,

When in the last dozen pages of Miss Christie's detective novel, the answer comes to the question, "Who killed Roger Ackroyd?," the reader will feel that he has been fairly, or unfairly, sold up. Up till then he has been kept balancing in his mind from chapter to chapter the probabilities for or against the eight or nine persons at whom suspicion points. ... Everybody in the story appears to have a secret of his or her own hidden up the sleeve, the production of which is imperative in fitting into place the pieces in the jigsaw puzzle; and in the end it turns out that the Doctor himself is responsible for the largest bit of reticence. The tale may be recommended as one of the cleverest and most original of its kind.

Robert Barnard, in A Talent to Deceive: An appreciation of Agatha Christie , writes:

Apart — and it is an enormous "apart" — from the sensational solution, this is a fairly conventional Christie. ... A classic, but there are some better Christies.

Laura Thompson , Christie's biographer, wrote:

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is the supreme, the ultimate detective novel. It rests upon the most elegant of all twists, the narrator who is revealed to be the murderer. This twist is not merely a function of plot: it puts the whole concept of detective fiction on an armature and sculpts it into a dazzling new shape. It was not an entirely new idea ... nor was it entirely her own idea ... but here, she realised, was an idea worth having. And only she could have pulled it off so completely. Only she had the requisite control, the willingness to absent herself from the authorial scene and let her plot shine clear.

In 1944-1946, the noted American literary critic Edmund Wilson attacked the entire mystery genre in a set of three columns in The New Yorker . The second, in the January 20, 1945 issue, was titled "Who Cares Who Killed Roger Ackroyd?"

Pierre Bayard, literature professor and author, in Qui a tué Roger Ackroyd? ( Who Killed Roger Ackroyd? ), re-investigates Agatha Christie's Ackroyd , proposing an alternative solution. He argues in favour of a different murderer – Sheppard's sister, Caroline – and says Christie subconsciously knew who the real culprit is.

Adaptations [ ]

Alibi (play) [ ].

The book formed the basis of the earliest adaptation of any work of Christie's when the play, Alibi , adapted by Michael Morton, opened at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London on May 15, 1928. It ran for 250 performances with Charles Laughton in the role of Poirot. Laughton also starred in the Broadway run of the play which was retitled The Fatal Alibi and opened at the Booth Theatre on February 8, 1932. The American production was not as successful as the British had been and closed after just 24 performances.

Alibi is especially notable as it inspired Christie to write her first stage play, Black Coffee . Christie, along with her dog Peter, attended the rehearsals of Alibi and found its "novelty" enjoyable. However, "she was sufficiently irritated by the changes to the original to want to write a play of her own."

Alibi (1931 film) [ ]

The play was turned into the first sound film to be based on a Christie work. Running 75 minutes, it was released on April 28, 1931, by Twickenham Film Studios and produced by Julius S. Hagan. Austin Trevor played Poirot, a role he reprised later that year in the film adaptation of Christie's 1930 play, Black Coffee .

"Campbell Playhouse" radio adaptation [ ]

Orson Welles adapted the novel as a one-hour radio play for the November 12, 1939, episode of the Campbell Playhouse. Welles himself played both Dr. Sheppard and Hercule Poirot.

BBC Radio 4 adaptation [ ]

The novel was adapted as a 1½-hour radio play for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast on December 24, 1987. John Moffatt made the first of his many performances as Poirot. The adaptation was broadcast at 7.45pm and was recorded on November 2 of the same year.

Agatha Christie's Poirot [ ]

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was adapted as a 103-minute drama transmitted in the U.K. on ITV Sunday January 2, 2000, as a special episode in their series, Agatha Christie's Poirot . In this adaptation Japp — not Sheppard — is Poirot's assistant, leaving Sheppard as just another suspect. However, the device of Dr. Sheppard's journal is retained as the supposed source of Poirot's voice-over narration and forms an integral part of the dénouement. The plot strayed considerably from the book, including having Sheppard run over Parker numerous times with his car and commit suicide with his gun after a chase through a factory. Ackroyd was changed to a more elderly, stingy man who owns a factory, disliked by many. Mrs Ackroyd is also not as zany as in the book version.

Kuroido Goroshi (2018 Fuji TV Japanese adaptation) [ ]

A Japanese language adaptation Kuroido Goroshi ("The Murder of Kuroido") was produced by Fuji TV and broadcast on 14 Apr 2018. This featured Mansai Nomura reprising his role as the Poirot parallel Takeru Suguro after his first outing on Oriento kyuukou satsujin jiken ("Murder on the Orient Express") in 2015.

Graphic novel adaptation [ ]

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was released by HarperCollins as a graphic novel adaptation on August 20, 2007, adapted and illustrated by Bruno Lachard ( ISBN 0-00-725061-4 ). This was translated from the edition first published in France by Emmanuel Proust éditions in 2004 under the title, Le Meurtre de Roger Ackroyd .

Publication history [ ]

Background [ ].

Christie revealed in her 1977 autobiography that the basic idea of the novel was first given to her by her brother-in-law, James Watts of Abney Hall , who in a conversation one day suggested a novel in which the criminal would be a Dr. Watson character: i.e., the narrator of the story. Christie considered it to be a "remarkably original thought".

In March 1924, Christie also received an unsolicited letter from Lord Mountbatten . He had been impressed with her previous works and had written to her, courtesy of The Sketch magazine (publishers of many of her short stories at that time) with an idea and notes for a story whose basic premise mirrored the Watts suggestion. Christie acknowledged the letter and after some thought and planning began to write the book but kept firmly to a plotline of her invention.

In December 1969, Mountbatten wrote to Christie for a second time after having seen a performance of The Mousetrap . He mentioned his letter of the 1920s, and Christie replied, acknowledging the part he played in the conception of the book.

Publication [ ]

• 1926: Dodd Mead and Company (New York), June 19, 1926, Hardback, 306 pp
• 1927: William Collins and Sons (Popular Edition), March 1927, Hardback (Three Shillings and sixpence)
• 1928: William Collins and Sons (Cheap Edition), February 1928 (One shilling)
• 1939: Canterbury Classics (William Collins and Sons), Illustrated hardback, 336 pp
• 1939: Pocket Books (New York), Paperback (Pocket number 5), 212 pp
• 1948: Penguin Books, Paperback (Penguin 684), 250 pp
• 1957: Fontana Books (Imprint of HarperCollins ), Paperback, 254 pp
• 1964: Modern Author series (William Collins and Sons), Hardback, 254 pp
• 1967: Greenway edition of collected works (William Collins and Sons/Dodd Mead), Hardback, 288 pp
• 1972: Ulvercroft Large-print Edition, Hardback, 414pp ISBN 0-85456-144-7
• 2006: Poirot Facsimile Edition (Facsimile of 1926 UK First Edition), HarperCollins, September 4, 2006, Hardback ISBN 0-00-723437-6
• 1925: London Evening News , serialisation from July 16 1925 as "Who Killed Ackroyd".
• 1926: Flynn's Detective Weekly , serialisation in 4 parts from June 19, 1926.
• 1932: The Agatha Christie Omnibus of Crime , William Collins and Sons, February 1932.
• 1936: Hercule Poirot, Master Detective (omnibus), Dodd Mead, 1936.
• 1957: Christie Classics (omnibus), Dodd Mead, 1957.
• 1969: Agatha Christie Crime Collection (omnibus), Paul Hamlyn, 1969.
• 1977: Masterpieces of Murder (omnibus), Dodd Mead, 1977.
• 1977: A Poirot Quintet (omnibus), Collins, 1977.
• 1983: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, The Mystery of the Blue Train, Dumb Witness, Death on the Nile (omnibus), Octopus Books, 1983.
• 1985: Five Classic Murder Mysteries (omnibus), Avenel Books, 1985.
• 1996: 1920s Agatha Christie vol. 3 , HarperCollins, 1996.
• 2017: Murder on the Orient Express and Other Hercule Poirot Mysteries (omnibus), HarperCollins, 2017.

The novel received its first true publication as a fifty-four part serialisation in the London Evening News from Thursday, July 16, to Wednesday, September 16, 1925, under the title, Who Killed Ackroyd? [1] Like that paper's serialisation of The Man in the Brown Suit , there were minor amendments to the text, mostly to make sense of the openings of an instalment (e.g., changing "He then..." to "Poirot then..."). The main change was in the chapter division: the published book has twenty-seven chapters whereas the serialisation has only twenty-four. Chapter Seven of the serialisation is named The Secrets of the Study whereas in the book it is Chapter Eight and named Inspector Raglan is Confident .

In the U.S., the novel was serialised in four parts in Flynn's Detective Weekly as "Who Killed Ackroyd" from June 19 (Volume 16, Number 2) to July 10, 1926 (Volume 16, Number 5). The text was heavily abridged and each instalment carried an uncredited illustration. [2]

The Collins first edition of 1926 was Christie's first work placed with that publisher. "The first book that Agatha wrote for Collins was the one that changed her reputation forever; no doubt she knew, as through 1925 she turned the idea over in her mind, that here she had a winner." To this day, HarperCollins , the modern successor firm to W. Collins Sons & Co. Ltd., remains the UK publishers of Christie's oeuvre.

By 1928, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was available in braille through the Royal National Institute for the Blind and was among the first works to be chosen for transfer to Gramophone record for their Books for the Blind library in the autumn of 1935. By January 27 1936 it was listed, by The Times , as one of only eight books available in this form.

Book dedication [ ]

Christie's dedication in the book reads:

"Punkie" was the family nickname of Christie's sister and eldest sibling, Margaret ("Madge") Frary Watts (1879–1950). There was an eleven-year age gap between the two sisters but they remained close throughout their lives. Christie's mother first suggested to her that she should alleviate the boredom of an illness by writing a story. But soon after, when the sisters had been discussing the recently-published classic detective story by Gaston Leroux, The Mystery of the Yellow Room (1908), Christie said she would like to try writing such a story. Margaret challenged her, saying that she wouldn't be able to. In 1916, eight years later, Christie remembered this conversation and was inspired to write her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles .

Margaret Watts herself attempted a career as a writer. She wrote a play, The Claimant , based on the Tichborne Case. The Claimant enjoyed a short run in the West End at the Queen's Theatre from September 11 to October 18 of 1924, two years before the book publication of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd .

Dustjacket blurb [ ]

The dustjacket blurbread as follows:

M. Poirot, the hero of The Mysterious Affair at Stiles and other brilliant pieces of detective deduction, comes out of his temporary retirement like a giant refreshed, to undertake the investigation of a peculiarly brutal and mysterious murder. Geniuses like Sherlock Holmes often find a use for faithful mediocrities like Dr. Watson, and by a coincidence it is the local doctor who follows Poirot round, and himself tells the story. Furthermore, as seldom happens in these cases, he is instrumental in giving Poirot one of the most valuable clues to the mystery.

The dustjacket blurb is repeated inside the book on the page immediately preceding and facing, the title page.

In popular culture [ ]

• In the novel The Reptile Room , book 2 of A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket, the character of Sunny Baudelaire uses, as part of her baby babble, the interjection "Ackroid!" as a substitute for the more common "Roger!" to mean "message received and understood."
• Gilbert Adair's 2006 locked-room mystery The Act of Roger Murgatroyd was written as "a celebration-cum-critique-cum-parody" of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd .

Worldwide Covers [ ]

References [ ]

• ↑ This fact is contentious as Christie herself never mentioned this in her autobiography. However two entries for the chapters in London Evening News can be found in the U.S. Library of Congress Catalog of Copyright Entries (New Series Volume 22 for the year 1925 Nos. 1-131). One entry is for "Christie, Agatha, 'Who Killed Ackroyd!' chap 16-19. 6 instalments. (in London Evening News) pubd. Aug 31, Sep 1-5." The other entry is "Christie, Agatha, 'Who Killed Ackroyd!' chap 5-16. 33 instalments. (in London Evening News) pubd. July 23-Aug. 29." This document is in the public domain and may be found on Google Books. URL
• ↑ See this listing at Galactic Central
• 1 Dumb Witness (Agatha Christie's Poirot episode)
• 2 Hercule Poirot
• 3 The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Agatha Christie's Poirot episode)

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd Summary

September 21, 2023

Agatha Christie’s “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd” is not just a classic whodunit, but an unparalleled masterpiece that drastically altered the course of detective fiction.

Published in 1926, this novel is known for its innovative narrative structure, its intriguing character study, and above all, for its shocking plot twist. The novel, with its unconventional revelation of the murdere r, challenged the accepted norms of detective fiction and sparked much controversy and discussion upon its release.

Setting and Principal Characters

The events of “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd” take place in King’s Abbot, an otherwise tranquil English village . This seemingly peaceful community, however, has a trove of mysteries behind its beautiful exterior.

Roger Ackroyd, our main character, is a rich and well-known businessman in the community . Dr. James Sheppard, Ackroyd’s close friend , is both the local doctor and the story’s somewhat unexpected narrator. Hercule Poirot, the novel’s quirky and brilliant detective, has lately retired and relocated to King’s Abbot in search of a quiet life away from crime solving .

The Enigma of the Suicide and the Murder

The novel’s story begins with the untimely suicide of Mrs. Ferrars, a rich widow suspected of murdering her husband, Ashley Ferrars, a year before.

The next night, Roger Ackroyd, who was reported to be romantically engaged with Mrs. Ferrars, is discovered dead. On the night of his death , Ackroyd received a letter from Mrs. Ferrars, allegedly divulging the identity of her husband’s killer . This letter, however, suddenly vanishes after Ackroyd’s murder.

Commencement of the Investigation

When Dr. Sheppard discovers Ackroyd’s lifeless body, he immediately notifies the local authorities and enlists the assistance of his neighbor, Hercule Poirot.

Despite his reservations, Poirot is eventually convinced to come out of retirement and examine the baffling case by Caroline, Dr. Sheppard’s inquisitive and persistent elder sister. Poirot, known for his ‘little grey cells’ and a methodology that frequently defies conventional reasoning, goes into the inquiry, eventually revealing the village’s dark and buried truths.

Unraveling the Tangled Web of Mystery

Poirot takes a methodical and comprehensive approach to solve the problem. Poirot leaves no stone unturned by interrogating numerous members of Ackroyd’s home, including servants and relatives, as well as individuals intimately affiliated with Ackroyd.

His meticulous attention to detail reveals a slew of questionable behaviors , including hidden identities, hidden connections, secret meetings, and even a suspected instance of blackmail , all of which may be connected to the murder.

The Unforeseen Reveal

In the climactic gathering typical of classic detective stories, Poirot finally unveils the identity of the murderer. In a twist that stunned the reading world, Dr. James Sheppard, the narrator of our tale, is revealed as the murderer.

It transpires that Sheppard had been embezzling money from Ackroyd and, fearing that Mrs. Ferrars’s letter would expose his theft, murdered Ackroyd to keep his secret safe.

Following the horrific revelation, Poirot advises Sheppard to commit himself in order to escape the embarrassment of a public trial.

Sheppard documents his horrible deed in a lengthy written confession and, as Poirot expected, takes his own life at the end of the novel. This last act not only confirms Poirot’s findings, but also highlights his brilliance as a detective.

“The Murder of Roger Ackroyd” is a milestone in Agatha Christie’s illustrious literary career and an undying classic in detective fiction. Through the ingenious character of Hercule Poirot, Christie delves into the heart of human nature , revealing the sinister deceit that can hide beneath the facade of the ordinary.

The novel’s ingenious plot, punctuated by its shocking twist, has left an indelible mark on the genre. It continues to enthrall readers nearly a century after its publication, illustrating the timeless appeal of a well-crafted mystery.

Most Recent

Bittersweet by Susan Cain Summary

Quiet by Susan Cain Summary

The Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine N. Aron Summary

Maame by Jessica George Summary

The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman Summary

Someone Else’s Shoes by Jojo Moyes Summary

Your Lost Library

24 M Drive East Hampton, NY 11937

YourLostLibrary© 2024

The New York Times

Book review | graphic review: ‘the murder of roger ackroyd’.

Advertisement

Book Review | Sketchbook

Graphic review: ‘the murder of roger ackroyd’.

By LEUYEN PHAM JAN. 19, 2017

A graphic review of Agatha Christie’s classic novel.

More on NYTimes.com

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

47 pages • 1 hour read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-5

Chapters 6-11

Chapters 12-16

Chapters 17-22

Chapters 23-27

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Literary Context: The Structure of Detective Fiction

Detective fiction often employs a structure that allows the reader to follow the flow of the narrative through complex plot developments. The structure involves four parts and a midway change, with the sections often called the Introduction, the Discovery, the Midpoint, the Funnel, and the Reveal. Christie was a pioneer and master of this structure.

The Introduction is the section in which the author establishes the characters and setting . The author will introduce the reader to the primary characters, including the victim, the suspects, the detective, and the community where the crime occurs. In The Murder of Roger Ackroyd , the Introduction comprises the first five chapters leading up to the discovery of Ackroyd’s body.

Get access to this full Study Guide and much more!

• 7,400+ In-Depth Study Guides
• 4,900+ Quick-Read Plot Summaries
• Downloadable PDFs

The Discovery phase is the first half of the detective’s investigation. In this phase, the detective conducts the first interviews and gathers as much information about the crime as possible. There will be clues and red herrings that the reader can return to and see how it all leads to the resolution. This section includes Chapters 5 through 11, which describe Poirot and his initial investigation.

Don't Miss Out!

Access Study Guide Now

Related Titles

By Agatha Christie

A Murder Is Announced

Agatha Christie

And Then There Were None

A Pocket Full of Rye

Crooked House

Death On The Nile

Murder at the Vicarage

Murder on the Orient Express

Poirot Investigates

The ABC Murders

The Mousetrap

The Mysterious Affair at Styles

The Pale Horse

Witness for the Prosecution

Featured Collections

British Literature

View Collection

Good & Evil

Required Reading Lists

The Best of "Best Book" Lists

Truth & Lies

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Agatha christie, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.