The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

by Agatha Christie
Published: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1926
Pages: 276

It's an "Eclectic Reader 2012 Challenge" book!

When Roger Ackroyd is murdered, all angles point to his stepson as the murderer.  It's up to master detective Hercule Poirot and doctor James Sheppard to discover the identity of  the killer and whether or not the rumors are true.

Agatha Christie is among the greatest mystery writers ever known and for good reason.  Her mystery is so well thought out and executed; it makes for a great read.  I found myself constantly trying to beat Hercule to figure out the identity of the murderer.  I am sad to report that I hopped from person to person and ultimately came to the wrong conclusion. I will not become a detective any time soon.

Hercule Poirot is possibly my favorite character in this book and luckily he is a reoccurring character in several Christie's mysteries.  This quirky detective has the audacity to shut down his nosy neighbor, the gossip queen of the village.  He is easily one of the most entertaining character, with his unexplained oddities and his gardening.  I look forward to reading about this character in future Christie books.

We read the story form Dr. James Sheppard's point of view, which is very interesting in a murder mystery.  It's a clever way to write a mystery novel because the reader only gets a certain view of the circumstances and in this case it's from Dr. Sheppard's view.  I didn't notice or realize that until Hercule Poirot began to explain himself to Dr. Sheppard.  It's really very interesting.  

Agatha Christie writes great light reading with plenty of humor and eccentricities.  I shall definitely be reading more Agatha Christie in the near future!

Stars: 3/5

Praise:

 “A classic—the book has worthily earned its fame.”
                - Irish Independent

“One of the landmarks of detective literature.”
              - H. R. F. Keating, Crime & Mystery: The 100 Best Books

“Agatha Christie had a mind like a mousetrap and taught me, in novels like The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, the pleasure of literary surprise.”
              - William Dietrich, New York Times bestselling author