Written By Emily James

With Scotland’s Winter in full swing, there is nothing more comforting than cosying up with a good book. The perfect winter read is a deceptively simple recipe; a good amount of curiosity and tension, without pushing the reader into a stressful frenzy, a cosy 1920s village with a cast of entertaining characters, and of course, a bit of murder splashed in. 

The 1926 Agatha Christie detective novel ‘The Murder of Roger Ackroyd’ delivers exactly this. The story follows protagonist Dr James Sheppard after the untimely death of wealthy widow Mrs Ferrar, who was long suspected of murdering her first husband, in a classic murder story full of charming characters and intrigue.

Ackroyd (Mrs Ferrar’s lover) is irate, not just because of this tragic suspected suicide, but also as he discovers that Mrs Ferrar was being blackmailed. Yet after receiving a letter from the late Mrs Ferrar he believes there is a chance to reveal the identity of the blackmailer.

As is the standard in any Christie novel, Ackroyd is found later in the night, stabbed in the back, with the possibly incriminating letter missing, leaving the police completely baffled. Lucky for them, recently retired detective Hercule Poirot (a classic character featured in other Christie stories) has just moved in around the corner and is more than happy to catch a killer one final time. 

Oh, Hercule Poirot, where do I even begin? There is a reason this funny little Belgian detective has lasted as long as he has in popular culture. Poirot is an absolute delight, revealing just enough of his observations to Sheppard (and in turn, the audience) to keep us guessing, all while saving his clues until the dramatic confrontation at the end of the novel. 

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd features a charming plethora of characters to love, hate, and scream at through the page. These include the Ackroyd family – Roger’s flighty stepson Ralph, his ambitious niece Flora, and her mother, the somewhat selfish and dramatic Mrs Cecil – as well as friends and employees of Roger: the unflappable Major Hector Blunt, cheerful secretary Geoffrey, the eavesdropping butler Mr Parker, and the seemingly indomitable Mrs Russell, who all come together in an excellent ensemble.  

My personal favourite character has got to be Caroline Sheppard, Dr Sheppard’s gossiping, feisty sister. She absolutely steals every scene in which she features, never short of witty remarks, all while showing a considerable amount of warmth. In fact, her knack for finding village gossip proves to be surprisingly helpful with Poirot’s investigation. 

I can’t talk about The Murder of Roger Ackroyd without mentioning the infamous ending. Widely regarded as one of Christie’s best twists, readers are in for a treat with this book. Recontextualising many minor moments in the book, the twist does not diminish the reader’s enjoyment, instead giving you the opportunity to marvel at the craft.

For those who, like me, went in blind… happy detective work. 

Emily James

(She/her)
Second year English and Creative Writing student.