When the wealthy Roger Ackroyd is found murdered in the peaceful village of King's Abbot, the crime shatters rural calm and draws retired Belgian detective Hercule Poirot back into a world of puzzles and human frailty. Narrated by the local Dr. James Sheppard, this compact classic combines painstakingly plotted clues, sharp characterization, and the intimate claustrophobia of a community where everyone has something to hide. Christie's elegant prose and ingenious plotting keep you guessing to the final page, delivering a suspenseful, morally complex mystery that forever changed detective fiction.