A review by elaichipod
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

If I hadn't made the mistake of reading The Perfect Marriage just a few days ago, this murderer reveal would have been more novel and exciting to me! Nevertheless, it was still fun to read and I really loved the last chapter. Caroline was my favorite character, which is why I felt so bad for her at the end. Poirot is also so cool because he's just so in tune with the human condition. He seems like one of those types of people who can just get anyone talking, and obviously as a detective, that must be a very useful skill.

“Les femmes,” generalized Poirot. “They are marvellous! They invent haphazard—and by miracle they are right. Not that it is that, really. Women observe subconsciously a thousand little details, without knowing that they are doing so. Their subconscious mind adds these little things together—and they call the result intuition. Me, I am very skilled in psychology. I know these things.”

“Nonsense,” I cried. “He was stabbed in the neck. You know that as well as I do.” “After death, James,” said Caroline; “to make a false clue.” “My good woman,” I said, “I examined the body, and I know what I’m talking about. That wound wasn’t inflicted after death—it was the cause of death, and you need make no mistake about it.” Caroline merely continued to look omniscient, which so annoyed me that I went on: “Perhaps you will tell me, Caroline, if I have a medical degree or if I have not?” “You have the medical degree, I dare say, James—at least, I mean I know you have. But you’ve no imagination whatever.” “Having endowed you with a treble portion, there was none left over for me,” I said drily.

Buried under curiosity and scandal-mongering there is a lot of kindness in Caroline.

“Never worry about what you say to a man. They’re so conceited that they never believe you mean it if it’s unflattering.”