The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

How it reads

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is mystery (golden-age detective mystery, specifically), and its dominant mood is tense. The suspense is the kind you feel in your shoulders. The pace is moderate — neither a page-turner nor a slow burn — so it holds up whether you read it in long sittings or short ones.

It's set in a small town setting, in the historical past, told in the first person by a single narrator. Its central concerns are secrets, justice and identity. In weight it sits in the middle: substantial without being heavy going.

It stands alone, so there's nothing else you need to read first or after. The ending resolves happily. At 288 pages it's a quick read. It's a mega-bestseller — the book everyone seems to have read.