The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

Discussion questions

1. Almost everyone in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd has something to hide. What does the novel
say about deceit by having so many “guilty” characters?

2. Although the novel contains murder, blackmail, drug abuse, and suicide, there is nevertheless
lightness to its tone. How does Christie achieve this lightness, and what purpose does it serve?

3. How does Christie challenge or subvert the typical mystery format with The Murder of Roger
Ackroyd? In what ways does the novel diverge from the expected?

4. Hercule Poirot says that it’s important, when investigating, to “always bear in mind that the
person who speaks may be lying” (p. 149). Why is this an important attitude, and how does it
help him solve the murder?

5. Poirot uses many techniques and strategies with suspects and allies when he investigates his
crimes. What are some of the strategies he employs towards other people, and why are they
successful?

6. Many of the characters in the novel profess to use “logic” in their deductions, but Poirot claims
he is the only one who actually does. What is the difference between the “logic” that Poirot uses
and the “logic” of other characters, like the inspectors or Dr. Sheppard?

7. The murderer in this novel is ultimately not a bloodthirsty killer or a sociopath, but an otherwise
upstanding member of society. What is the author saying about what makes a murderer by this
characterization?

8. How do class distinctions influence the story, specifically with regard to the characters’
behaviors and choices?

9. Poirot accuses Dr. Sheppard of “keeping his personality in the background” throughout his
narration. In what ways does Dr. Sheppard do this? When and how does the reader understand
his true personality?

10. Caroline Sheppard tells her brother he has a “streak of weakness.” Which other characters
exhibit weakness and what foolish, unethical, or illegal actions does it prompt them to commit?

11. Although Poirot constantly emphasizes the importance of his logical approach to solving crime
and using his “little gray cells,” he expresses admiration of Caroline’s intuition, and in fact,
many of Caroline’s pronouncements are proved correct. How can we reconcile these two
seemingly opposite methods of arriving at the truth?

12. Unlike many modern mysteries, there is little violence or gore in this narrative. Why do the
characters behave is such a “civilized” manner even when accused of a heinous crime? How
does this influence the tone of the novel?

13. When playing mah jong, Dr. Sheppard marvels at his luck when he draws a perfect hand. How
else does luck play a part in the unfolding of events? Does anything in the book strain credulity?
14. Although the novel is famous for its shocking and unexpected conclusion, actually clues as to
the identity of the real murderer can be found throughout the narrative. What are these clues,
and how does the author employs them?

15. Was the ending satisfying? Why or why not? Were you disappointed that the killer eluded
justice in the legal system?

16. How is Poirot different from “classic” crime solvers such as police officials or hard-boiled
private eyes? How does his personality help them to be more effective than the local authorities?

17. Despite Christie’s popular success, professional critics have not always been kind, often saying
she focused more on puzzle than people and calling her characters two-dimensional. Is this
assessment true of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd? Which is more important in a murder
mystery — an intricate plot or two-dimensional characters — and why?

About the author

Agatha Christie was born Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller on September 15, 1890, in Torquay, Devon,
in southwest England. The youngest of three siblings, she was educated at home by her mother, who
encouraged her to write. When she was 16, she moved to Paris for a time to study vocals and piano.
In 1914, she wed Colonel Archibald Christie, a Royal Flying Corps pilot, and took up nursing
during World War I. (Their daughter, Rosalind, born in 1919, was Christie’s only child.) In 1926
she discovered that her husband was involved with another woman and the couple divorced in 1928.
In 1930, she married archaeology professor Max Mallowan. She was made a Dame of the British
Empire in 1971 and died on January 12, 1976.

Christie published her first book, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, in 1920; it features one of her
most famous characters, Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, who would appear in 33 novels and 54
short stories, including The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926), The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928),
Murder on the Orient Express (1934), and Death in the Clouds (1935). Another one of her famous
detectives, Jane Marple, an older single woman from the village of St. Mary Mead, made her debut
in the short story “The Tuesday Night Club” in 1927; the first novel featuring the character was
Murder at the Vicarage (1930) and she appears in 11 additional novels, including The Moving
Finger (1942) and A Pocket Full of Rye (1953), and 19 more stories.

Christie wrote more than 70 detective novels and was a renowned playwright as well; her plays
include The Hollow (1951), Verdict (1958), and The Mousetrap, which opened in 1952 and — at
more than 8,800 showings during 21 years — holds the record for the longest unbroken run in a
London theater. She also wrote the non-fiction books Come, Tell Me How You Live, about working
on an archaeological dig, drawn from her life with her second husband; The Grand Tour: Around
the World with the Queen of Mystery, a collection of correspondence from her 1922 tour of the
British empire; and Agatha Christie: An Autobiography, published posthumously in 1977; and six
romance novels under the name Mary Westmacott.

Many of Christie’s books have become popular movies and it has been said that her books rank
third in worldwide sales, behind only the Bible and the works of William Shakespeare.