The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Agatha Christie

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - a detective novel by Agatha Christie, published in 1926. As Agatha Christie herself admitted, the main idea of ​​the novel - to turn “Watson” from a narrator into a murderer - was offered to her independently from each other by two people. It was first done in a personal conversation by her son-in-law, James Watts. Then in the letter - an admirer of her creativity, Lord Louis Mountbatten. At first, Agatha Christie did not want to take on a similar plot, believing that it would be difficult to implement technically. The novel The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was released in England and the United States in the spring of 1926. The novel takes place in the fictional English village of King’s Abbot. The story in the book The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is conducted on behalf of Dr. James Sheppard, who becomes the assistant detective Hercule Poirot (in most other works on Poirot, this role is performed by Captain Hastings).

The action in the book The Murder of Roger Ackroyd begins with the death of Mrs. Ferrar, a rich widow, rumored to have killed her husband. The villagers believe that the widow committed suicide until Roger Ackroyd died - a widower who was about to marry Mrs. Ferrar. Under suspicion are: Roger's daughter-in-law (wife of his late brother Cecil) Mrs. Ackroyd, suffering from hypochondria and having neurotic inclinations, who has a lot of debts because of her extravagant expenses; her daughter Flora; Major Blunt is an avid hunter; Jeffrey Raymond - Ackroyd's personal secretary; Roger Ralph Payten's stepson, who also has huge debts; Parker, a curious butler, and Ursula Born, the dismissed maid on the eve of the murder.

The first suspect becomes Ralph Payten, who is the heir to the victim. In addition, some evidence clearly indicates it. Poirot, who recently arrived in the village, begins an investigation at the request of Flora, engaged to Ralph.