The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie. Short summary

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The famous detective Poirot is hired to investigate the mysterious death of Mrs. Ferrar and the murder of local rich man Roger Ackroyd. But the murderer is not the one originally suspected.

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A novel in the series «Hercule Poirot». The narrative is in the name of Dr. James Sheppard, who in this novel becomes an assistant to Hercule Poirot. In the English village of King’s Abbot, where Poirot has settled, the widow Mrs. Ferrar dies in a strange way. Her death looks like a suicide, but soon in her own house are found stabbed with a dagger Roger Ackroyd, who was going to marry the widow. Poirot takes up the investigation.

The main suspect is Ralph, an old friend of Dr. Sheppard. Also among the suspects are Roger’s sister-in-law Mrs. Cecil Ackroyd, her daughter Flora, hunter Major Blunt, Ackroyd’s secretary Ralph Paton.

Eventually Poirot manages to find the murderer — it turns out to be Dr. Sheppard, who blackmailed Mrs. Ferrar when he learned that the widow had killed her husband. Sheppard got rid of Ackroyd to prevent him from learning the truth from Mrs. Ferrar. The doctor admits his guilt and ends his life by suicide.