The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

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Summary edit see section history

Characters edit see section history

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• Hercule Poirot: A retired Belgian detective, displaced by the war to England. He is a friend of Lieutenant Hastings. A short man, no more than five feet four inches tall, he moved with "great dignity." His head is "egg-shaped" and "he always perched it a little on one side." He has a mustache that is "stiff and military." He is particularly fastidious in regards to his appearance and is a "dandy." He walks with a limp (presumably a war wound). He is one of the most "well-celebrated" members of the Belgian police force and is in retirement at the time of the story.
• Dr. James Sheppard: The local doctor, a friend of the victims, who insists on helping Poirot solve the case. Also the narrator of the story.
• Caroline Sheppard: The doctor's gossipy sister, who keeps house for him. If anything happens in their village, she already knows about it.
• Ralph Paton: The victim's ne'er-do-well stepson, who has made huge blunders with money and is also chief suspect for his step-father's murder.
• Flora Ackroyd: Niece to the murdered man, Roger Ackroyd always hoped she would marry Ralph and settle himdown. She is the one who actually convinced the detective to come out of his retirement.
• Mrs. Ferrars: though not in her first youth, was a very attractive widow.
• Roger Ackroyd: the owner of Fernly Park. An immensely successful manufacturer. He is a man nearly fifty years of age, rubicund of face and genial of manner.
• Miss Russell: the housekeeper - she was once a very handsome woman
• Parker: the butler
• Geoffrey Raymond: Ackroyd's secretary
• Mrs. Ackroyd: Flora's mother."She is all chains and teeth and bones."
• Hector Blunt: Major. He has shot more wild animals in unlikely places than any man living. A man of medium height, sturdily and rather stockily built. His face is almost mahogany coloured, and is peculiarly expressionless. He has grey eyes that give the impression of always watching something that is happening very far away.
• Inspector Raglan: Add a description of this character.
• Ursula Bourne: the parlourmaid

Quotes edit see section history

• “Never worry about what you say to a man. They're so conceited that they never believe you mean it if it's unflattering.”

  Caroline Sheppard

• “‎"It is odd, when you have a secret belief of your own which you do not wish to acknowledge, the voicing of it by someone else will rouse you to a fury of denial."”

  Narrator

• “But I wish Hercule Poirot had never retired from work and come here to grow vegetable marrows.”

  Narrator, doctor

• Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers

• The truth, however ugly in itself, is always curious and beautiful to the seeker after it.

  Highlighted by 44 Kindle customers

• ‘The chains of habit. We work to attain an object, and the object gained, we find that what we miss is the daily toil.

  Highlighted by 42 Kindle customers

• ‘Never worry about what you say to a man. They’re so conceited that they never believe you mean it if it’s unflattering.’

  Highlighted by 41 Kindle customers

• Women observe subconsciously a thousand little details, without knowing that they are doing so. Their subconscious mind adds these little things together—and they call the result intuition.

  Highlighted by 39 Kindle customers

• It is odd, when you have a secret belief of your own which you do not wish to acknowledge, the voicing of it by someone else will rouse you to a fury of denial.

  Highlighted by 37 Kindle customers

• One can press a man as far as one likes—but with a woman one must not press too far. For a woman has at heart a great desire to speak the truth. How many husbands who have deceived their wives go comfortably to their graves, carrying their secret with them! How many wives who have deceived their husbands wreck their lives by throwing the fact in those same husbands’ teeth!

  Highlighted by 25 Kindle customers

• One is King’s Paddock, left to Mrs Ferrars by her late husband. The other, Fernly Park, is owned by Roger Ackroyd.

  Highlighted by 21 Kindle customers

• Mr Porrott—a name which conveys an odd feeling of unreality. The one thing we do know about him is that he is interested in the growing of vegetable marrows.

  Highlighted by 20 Kindle customers

• When she goes out, it is not to gather in information, but to spread it.

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• I have heard Hector Blunt described as a woman hater, but I noticed that he joined Flora at the silver table with what might be described as alacrity.

  Highlighted by 4 Kindle customers

Setting & Locations edit see section history

• King's Abbot: a village 9 miles away from Cranchester.
• England
• Liverpool

Organizations edit see section history

• THREE BOARS: Add a description of this organization.

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Series & Lists edit see section history

Preceded by Poirot Investigates, and followed by The Big Four.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Agatha Christie (Author)

Other Contributors:

1. L.M.A. Vuerhard (Translator) - Dutch translation of 'The Murder of Roger Ackroyd'

First Edition edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: PR6005.H66 M85
• Dewey: 823.912

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Add a note to help parents select a book for a child.

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Mystery & Thrillers › Authors, A-Z › ( C ) › Christie, Agatha
• Books › Mystery & Thrillers › Mystery › British Detectives

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

• Wikipedia: "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" on Wikipedia
• Official Agatha Christie Website: "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" on the Official Agatha Christie Website.

Movie Connections edit see section history

• Agatha Christie's Poirot - The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (IMDb): British crime drama, season 7, episode 1
• Alibi (IMDb): 1931. Based on "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd".

Books with Additional Background Information edit see section history