The Agatha Christie Challenge --- The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Synopsis From Dust Jacket:

In the village of King's Abbot, a widow's sudden suicide sparks rumors that she murdered her first husband, was being blackmailed, and was carrying on a secret affair with the wealthy Roger Ackroyd. The following evening, Ackroyd is murdered in his locked study-but not before receiving a letter identifying the widow's blackmailer. King's Abbot is crawling with suspects, including a nervous butler, Ackroyd's wayward stepson, and his sister-in-law, Mrs. Cecil Ackroyd, who has taken up residence in the victim's home. It's now up to the famous detective Hercule Poirot, who has retired to King's Abbot to garden, to solve the case of who killed Roger Ackroyd-a task in which he is aided by the village doctor and narrator, James Sheppard, and by Sheppard's ingenious sister, Caroline.

This was a reread for me so I'm way past some of the controversy that this book sometimes causes. Some critics have said that this book wasn't done in a fair manner, that the solution to the crime comes out of thin air. The first time I read it I have to admit to being taken by surprise as to the identity of the killer, but with each reread I find myself picking up one the clues that Christie left for us to see and that Hercule Poirot explains to the killer as he is recounting how he solved the case.

Now this book is a little hard for me to review because of how important the identity of the killer is to the overall impression of the book. I can't say too much more without giving more away that would be fair to new readers. I will say that his is one of Christie's best mysteries in my opinion, one that is based on a limited reading so far, and the solution is genius. She pulls the reader into the story and into trusting the killer, not even thinking that this person is even a suspect. It's brilliant and I urge everyone to give this one a try.