I read it almost 100 years after publication (and just one week after reading Endless Night, which has a very similar plot structure), yet it still felt sharp. Many similarly elegant sleights of hand allow Christie to prevent us from feeling cheated when we eventually realise Sheppard’s guilt, and also to keep us in suspense. He isn’t lying, but he is hiding the truth. You’d have to be smart to realise first time around how significant it is that Sheppard only gives us his side of the conversation. They’ve just found Roger Ackroyd murdered.” “Parker telephoning,” I shouted to Caroline, “from Fernly. I ran upstairs, caught up my bag and stuffed a few extra dressings into it. Here’s what he tells us after he picks up the receiver:
I particularly enjoyed the report of a vital telephone call made to Sheppard shortly after the murder was committed. After that, the signs are there – but far more subtle. That’s the most outrageous moment in the book and easy to miss among all the initial excitement.
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