Book Review: The Murder of Roger 

Ackroyd by Agatha Christie



So starting with the review, I shall give you a small, spoiler-free summary of the story. The story is written from the perspective of Dr. James Sheppard. It takes place in Kings Abbot, where a rich and wealthy man named Roger Ackroyd has been murdered and his adopted son Ralph Paton has run away. The story revolves around how Mr. Hercule Poirot, with the help of Dr. James Sheppard, solves the murder.

Coming to the go-through, Agatha Christie has done a quite good job concealing the murderer and dividing our suspicions into various suspects. The story is neither slow-paced nor fast. It is quite thrilling to read the various twists and turns in the stories. The climax, the motive of the murder, and the murderer are so unpredictable that I just stared at the wall and started thinking of the fool I made of myself from the start of the read. The various suspects all have their own stories, the mismatching alibis. I can call it a masterpiece. This type of writing is way ahead of its time. I was so shocked when I found out that this book was actually written and published in 1926. And another shocking fact is that it is just the fourth book in the Hercule Poirot series, even though it has been written so well. The small things I like about this book are how Agatha Christie has given importance to very small details of the book, like the surroundings of a place or relatable things like a talkative, gossip-loving sister, etc. The story has a perfect ending, which is so unexpected that I just wondered if some of the pages were torn at the end!

Coming to the conclusion, this book was a great read that had me on my toes. The writing is not too complex; it may be a little hard for beginner-level readers, but it can be thoroughly enjoyed by intermediate and expert readers. I loved the whole concept and plot of the story—an absolute grab for a mystery read, if I may tell you. I would recommend this book for readers who like medium-paced crime-mystery books set in old Europe with a thrilling climax.

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