The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

I've heard about Agatha Christie. I mean, you're bound to hear of her at some point in one's life. I just never thought I'd actually read her work... I mean yeah sure I love reading, but I'm not one of those huge literature bumpkins who HAVE to have read all the big names and what not. I just read what ends up in front of me...

So, it turns out that Agatha Christie's "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" happened to end up in front of me. I popped into CNA one day and there it was! Going for only R24.95! They're having this fortnightly Christie collection series. So, you get this first book at a pretty awesome price, with a magazine full of stuff about the book and Christie (I haven't read the magazine). Alas, with some convincing from my cousin, I bought the book.

And it was awesome! It truly is a gripping read and  certainly keeps up the mystery. It reminded me of a murder mystery/thriller play that I once saw (though for the life of me I cannot recall the name). But it did involve a group of people in a little town and a mysterious murder where everyone is a suspect and plays their part in hindering the investigation and truth in some way or the other. In the end the murderer is discovered by the almost "all knowing super" detective and is someone least expected.

I guess that's the thrill of it all - these days most things are so predictable that you don't get that rush of discovering the truth, you saw it coming... So even though you want to feel like you're all that and more by being able to work out the "who dunnit and why", you cannot truly enjoy the glory as you would if you had truly been challenged.

This is where this crime novel gets you. I had played around with the idea of the 'real murderer' but I had only done so 'cause I was expecting the unexpected. I had no idea as to the how's and why's and what not. So I can't really say that I'd had it figured out and wasn't caught by surprise when all was revealed.

I WAS surprised. I would never have expected such a crime and the criminal. Apart from this I was caught completely off guard as all the secrets of all the suspects, and then some, came out. It gave me a thrill to be 'wowed'. I will not reveal details as I hate spoilers, and I'm sure there's plenty of people who have yet to have read the book....

For those who wish to know the whole story (without reading the book) - there's Google.