Characters
- Hercule Poirot – retired detective who investigates the central murder
- Roger Ackroyd – country gentleman, distressed about the recent death of his paramour, Mrs. Ferrars
- Mrs. Cecil Ackroyd – Mr. Ackroyd's sister-in-law
- Flora Ackroyd – Mr. Ackroyd's niece and Mrs. Cecil Ackroyd's daughter
- Ralph Paton – Mr. Ackroyd's stepson, often referred to as his "adopted" son
- Ursula Bourne – Mr. Ackroyd's parlourmaid, recently quit
- Major Hector Blunt – big game hunter, Roger Ackroyd's friend and houseguest
- Geoffrey Raymond – Mr. Ackroyd's secretary
- John Parker – Mr. Ackroyd's butler
- Elizabeth Russell – Mr. Ackroyd's housekeeper
- Charles Kent – Elizabeth Russell's son and drug addict
- Dr. James Sheppard – the doctor, Poirot's assistant (and the story's narrator)
- Caroline Sheppard – Dr. Sheppard's spinster sister
- Mrs. Ferrars – who poisons herself at the very beginning of the book
- Ashley Ferrars – late husband of Mrs. Ferrars, who was poisoned by his wife
- Inspector Raglan
Read more about this topic: The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd
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“The naturalistic literature of this country has reached such a state that no family of characters is considered true to life which does not include at least two hypochondriacs, one sadist, and one old man who spills food down the front of his vest.”
—Robert Benchley (1889–1945)
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“We are like travellers using the cinders of a volcano to roast their eggs. Whilst we see that it always stands ready to clothe what we would say, we cannot avoid the question whether the characters are not significant of themselves.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)