Reviews

A country doctor is called in when an old friend, Roger Ackroyd, is found murdered shortly after the suicide of a widow who had been Ackroyd's lover. Was the widow being blackmailed? Who would benefit from Ackroyd's murder? And what of the doctor's odd new neighbor, a little mustachioed Belgian with a vegetable garden who is rumored to be a retired detective?

This book is an exhilarating ride with a truly surprising twist ending. I won't say more for fear of spoiling it. Highly recommended.

bookwyrmknits's review against another edition

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mysterious fast-paced

4.0

I enjoyed this one more than I had expected to based on the opening. (I think part of that was getting used to Doctor Sheppard as narrator, and meeting a new cast of side characters.) As it turns out, though, I liked it probably as much as another other Poirot story I've read so far. There were a lot of distractions and misdirections, and many of the supporting characters grew on me over the course of the story. I feel like I should have seen the denouement coming, but I must confess that it took me by surprise.

One side note: there is the usual minor racism that I have come to expect in books of this era, but for some reason the Mahjong scene really rubbed me the wrong way.

Content Warnings

nickienikita's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

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

2.5

This book just wasn't for me. I normally love Poirot books but the twist in this one was wholly unsatisfying

impville's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
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

3.5

seriesly's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

The book was very slow in the beginning and up until the final reveal I was confused as to what had happened. And then that final reveal absolutely shifted my 3.5 rating to a whopping 4.25. Great book, very satisfying.

qiu's review against another edition

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mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.75

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