Product Description

Considered to be one of Agatha Christies most controversial mysteries, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd breaks all the rules of traditional mystery writing. A widows suicide has stirred rumors of blackmail, and of a secret lover named Roger Ackroyd, who was found stabbed to death in his study. The case is so unconventional that not even crack detective Hercule Poirot has a clue as to how to solve it.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #110633 in Books
• Published on: 2006-08-18
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 1.00" h x 5.84" w x 8.48" l, 1.07 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

From Library Journal

This novel, written in 1927, is considered the best and most successful of the early mysteries. It met with no small outrage when it appeared, as it uses a plot device many readers thought "unfair." There is a full complement of characters populating the cozy English village of King's Abbot: Major Blunt, Colonel Carter, Miss Gannett, the butler, the housekeeper, the narrator, Dr. Sheppard, and his know-it-all sister (the precursor of Miss Marple, according to Christie), and, of course, the redoubtable Hercule Poirot and his little grey cells. There are clues with a capital C to mislead us, and the listener gets so involved with these red herrings (or not) that the very simple truth eludes the puzzler. Venerable reader Robin Bailey keeps the light, almost comic tone alive, although his voices are not particularly differentiated, and often he rushes the reading of dialog. A classic of the genre and essential for any fiction collection. Harriet Edwards, East Meadow P.L., NY

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
Combining murder, with rumors and gossip, narrator Nigel Anthony performes this classic Christie mystery with superb pacing and style. Versatility, gender changes, and English accents display his dynamic range of characters and animate the quiet village of King's Abbot. From Poirot's charming, sophisticated humor to Mrs. Ackroyd's snappy, breathless speech, the depictions are true to character and provide plenty of red-herrings for listeners to follow. Poirot's precise deductions lead to blackmail, murder, and a surprising conclusion. The depiction of Dr. James Sheppard, with his clipped, academic voice, lends itself well to dry humor. G.D.W. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Review
"The most brilliant of deceptions." - Julian Symons; "Very few (detective stories) provide greater analytical stimulation." - The New York Times; "Original and ingenious." - The Nation and Athaneum; "The truly startling denouement... will restore a thrill to the most jaded reader of detective stories" - New York Herald Tribune