Reviews with content warning for Death - The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

For my first Agatha Christie, this was definitely an interesting one. I thought it was really fun to follow along, and I felt absolutely no hope of guessing what would happen. This was probably for the best as I'm fairly sure some of the reveals were literally impossible to see coming, although maybe a reread would prove me wrong.
I found the style a bit repetitive, though being new to this genre, that just may be necessary to tell the story. The point of view character, Dr. Shepherd, I thought was wonderful, although the detective was less pleasant. Overall, just a really fun read. I'll definitely check out more Christie novels (but maybe not more Hercule Pierot).

Characters - 8
Plot - 9
Setting - 5
General appeal - 8
Writing style - 7
Originality - 8
Ending - 8

Content Warnings

paperback_moon's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Content Warnings

angeliquebabineau's review against another edition

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mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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moonlitemuseum's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I can't quite give this (or any Christie yarn) 5 stars because of the unnecessary cruelties peppered through her work; nasty little asides about anyone who isn't white, able-bodied or neurotypical. That said, there's so much to appreciate and love about this story decades on. It's told with wit and humour, and changing pace from Hastings as a narrator both lets us experience a different side to Poirot and gives us the benefit of the narrator's close position in the community (as well as to his incredible gossip of a sister, Caroline.)
The mystery features a strong cast, all with their own secrets and skeletons to hide. Unraveling each one in turn is so much fun that I genuinely felt sad when it was all over. My favorite Poirot so far!

Content Warnings

lynnette_reads's review against another edition

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mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

I am coming to the conclusion that Agatha Christie's writing is not for me. Don't get me wrong I do enjoy the mystery and the eventual reveal but the telling is a little dry and slow for me.

The story is well written and I can see why it is lauded as the best of her works. I had no idea right up until the reveal who the killer was despite the many leads and clues.

Content Warnings

megj23's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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