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Agatha Christie is one of the most influential mystery authors of all time. Aptly known as the Queen of Mystery or Queen of Crime, Christie redefined the genre with her many novels, introducing iconic detectives like Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Notably, one of her most groundbreaking works, which many deemed "unfilmable," is now 100 years old.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was published in June 1926 and has since been called Agatha Christie's masterpiece. And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient Express are probably Christie's most popular works and have received multiple adaptations. However, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is Christie's most influential novel, and easily the hardest to adapt on screen.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd Was Voted the Best Crime Novel Ever
Many Agatha Christie novels have become influential in the murder mystery genre. Some of the most popular modern books reference Christie and her works, including The Thursday Murder Club and Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone. Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was even voted the best crime novel ever by the British Crime Writers' Association.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is a Hercule Poirot story that follows the Belgian detective as he tries to live a quiet life in the country, only to find himself investigating the murder of a wealthy widower. In this case, Poirot doesn't have his loyal friend, Hastings, and instead teams up with Dr. Sheppard, the story's narrator.
The 1926 novel is one of Christie's smartest and most controversial books due to its twist ending. The story redefined the genre and became a groundbreaking murder mystery that would go on to inspire many other iconic stories today. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd also has one of Christie's darkest endings, pushing the boundaries of the genre at the time.
Even 100 years later, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is a topic of discussion, analysis, and even new theories. University professor and psychoanalyst Pierre Bayard wrote the 2002 essay titled Who Killed Roger Ackroyd? that proposed a completely different ending. The Crime Writers’ Association called The Murder of Roger Ackroyd "the finest example of the genre ever penned."
Despite its groundbreaking concept, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is often overlooked by the general public in discussions of Christie's bibliography. This is mostly because it's s one of the hardest novels to adapt, and hasn't had a major theatrical adaptation since the release of Alibi, which is now considered a lost film.
Alibi Was the First Movie to Feature Hercule Poirot
The iconic Belgian detective Hercule Poirot was first introduced in Agatha Christie's debut novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. The first-ever big-screen adaptation of one of Poirot's novels was Alibi, the movie version of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. The film was released in 1931 and starred Austin Trevor as Hercule Poirot.
The title of the film comes from the stage adaptation of the story, which debuted in 1928. The changes to the stage production inspired Christie to write her first play: Black Coffee. Her career as a playwright led Christie to write The Mousetrap, which is currently the longest-running West End show and has had the longest run of any play in the world.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd Was Also Adapted for Television
Agatha Christie's Poirot, starring David Suchet as the beloved Belgian detective, debuted in 1989. Series 7, released in 2000, included the adaptation of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, which was a 103-minute TV drama. While many were happy to see this iconic Christie novel on screen, the adaptation included many changes to the original story.
The Agatha Christie's Poirot version of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd removed a few characters and featured Inspector Japp, a recurring figure in other Christie novels who doesn't appear in the 1926 murder mystery. This changed the dynamic between Poirot and Dr. Sheppard, who takes Hastings' place in the novel, with Inspector Japp teaming up with the Belgian detective instead.
Adapting The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is one of the biggest challenges, which is why, despite being one of Christie's most influential works, it was only brought to the big screen once in 1931 and once on television in 2000. The groundbreaking unreliable narrator trope works best on paper, but it's almost impossible to replicate on screen, despite the multiple changes.
In comparison, other Agatha Christie novels have received many adaptations on film and TV. Murder on the Orient Express has received two theatrically released movie adaptations and one made-for-TV film. And Then There Were None was adapted for the big screen and television more than five times, including the 2015 miniseries, and was even the basis for a two-part Family Guy episode.
The influence of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is undeniable. And while many consider this Christie story "unfilmable," there's no denying fans are still hoping for a faithful modern movie or miniseries adaptation, especially now that the iconic mystery novel is 100 years old. But for now, fans can re-read The Murder of Roger Ackroyd to mark its monumental milestone.
