The Murder of Roger Ackroyd Trivia

1. What month of the year does the story start?

From Quiz The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Answer: September

Doctor James Sheppard is the narrator of the story. He is the village Doctor of King's Abbot. One of his patients, a widow, Mrs Ferrars, has just died. The Doctor lives with his unmarried sister, Caroline. Caroline believes that Mrs Ferrars' death is suspicious. Mrs Ferrars died of an overdose of veronal, says the Doctor. One of the most important people in the village is Mr Roger Ackroyd. He is a widower, but brought up his stepson, Captain Ralph Paton, as his own. Mr Ackroyd lives at Fernly Park, with his widowed sister-in-law and her daughter. His housekeeper is Miss Russell. Roger was rumoured to be close to Mrs Ferrars - marriage was not far away. The Doctor meets Ackroyd in the village. Ackroyd looks worried, and he invites Doctor Sheppard to dine with him, that evening.

From Quiz The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Answer: Mrs. Ferrars's house, King's Paddock

He was just hanging up his overcoat after returning from a call to King's Paddock. He had received a call at 8:00 am on Friday, the 17th of September, that Mrs. Ferrars had just been found dead.

From Quiz The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Answer: Blue

The Doctor goes for dinner at Ackroyd's home. Flora -Ackroyd's niece - tells him that she and Ralph are engaged. Mr Ackroyd seems distracted during dinner, and asks to speak to the Doctor in the study. In the study, Ackroyd tells Sheppard to make sure the windows are shut securely. He admits to his friend that he was in love with Mrs Ferrars and was going to ask her to marry him. The day before, Mrs Ferrars told him that somebody was blackmailing her. She admitted that she poisoned her husband, and she then killed herself. She never told Ackroyd who was blackmailing her - it might have been a member of Ackroyd's household. Parker, the butler, brings in the evening post. A blue envelope startles Ackroyd - it is Mrs Ferrars' writing. The Doctor encourages his friend to read it in his presence; it may contain the blackmailer's name. But Ackroyd puts it aside. The Doctor leaves the study at ten to nine, and heads home. He bumps into a stranger, asking for directions to Fernly Park. Just as the Doctor is preparing for bed, he gets the telephone call from Parker, the butler. Mr Ackroyd has just been found murdered.

From Quiz The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Answer: His sister, Caroline

Caroline Sheppard had only two interests in life: taking care of her brother, and gathering and spreading gossip--which she did with an ability that would rival Sherlock Holmes's Baker Street Irregulars, to the aggravation of Dr. Sheppard.

From Quiz The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Answer: Tunis

The Doctor hurries to Fernly Park. Parker denies ringing him; it must be a cruel hoax. Mr Ackroyd is still in the study. The Doctor and Parker go to the study, which is locked from the inside. Nobody answers when the Doctor hammers on the door. He is feeling most concerned for his friend, so the two men break down the door. Mr Ackroyd is sitting in the same position as Sheppard left him. But he is dead - stabbed from behind. And the study window is open. The local Inspector, Inspector Davis, comes to begin the inquiries. There is no sign of the blue letter. Major Blunt gave the dagger to his friend, Mr Ackroyd. It was usually kept in a silver table, in the drawing room. The Doctor tells the Inspector how he heard the lid of the table being shut down, the night before. Miss Russell, the housekeeper, came out of the room minutes later. The Inspector seems to suspect Parker. The Chief Constable of the County, Colonel Melrose, will come to Fernly the next day.

From Quiz The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Answer: Poirot almost hits him with a vegetable marrow.

Poirot has retired to the village of King's Abbot to grow vegetable marrows. Overwrought at the stubborn refusal of his vegetable marrows to grow up to quality, Poirot throws one across the fence into Dr. Sheppard's yard. Ever the gentleman, Poirot profusely apologizes, and their acquaintance begins. For those of you who do not know exactly what a vegetable marrow is, according to my friends from the Forums, monkeycouzin and izzi (who are both from the UK, and knew), it is a summer squash. My thanks to them both, and thank you monkeycouzin for providing a photo of prepared vegetable marrows, and the scientific name 'curbita pepo'.

From Quiz The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Answer: Billiard room

The Doctor's new neighbour is revealed to be none other than the famous detective, Hercule Poirot. He has now retired and has been trying to keep his real identity a secret. Inspector Raglan has worked out where everybody at Fernly was, between 9.45 and 10 pm. The chair, where Ackroyd sat, was drawn out slightly more than people remember, and nobody remembers moving it. The only stranger who came to Fernly the last week was a salesman. Ackroyd was considering buying a Dictaphone (a tape recorder) but he changed his mind. Mr Raymond says he heard Mr Ackroyd talking to somebody the night before - Ackroyd was refusing to give somebody money. He doesn't know whom Ackroyd was talking to. In the nearby summerhouse, Poirot finds a scrap of stiff cambric (material) and a goose quill.

From Quiz The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Answer: She killed herself

Mrs. Ferrars's suicide was never in doubt from the start. She died of veronal poisoning.

From Quiz The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Answer: March

Although Flora Ackroyd is in mourning, she is very happy. Major Blunt is chatting with her in the garden. He will have to return to Africa soon, but Flora begs him to stay a while longer. Flora is happy because her Uncle's lawyer - Mr Hammond - told her that she has been left twenty thousand pounds. Poirot and Sheppard join them. Poirot pretends to them that he cannot get a glittering object out of the goldfish pond. But he later shows the Doctor the wedding ring.

From Quiz The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Answer: He wishes to discuss the circumstances of Mrs. Ferrars's death.

Roger is very upset by Mrs. Ferrars's death and wishes to discuss it with the man whose advice he trusts most, Dr. Sheppard.

From Quiz The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Answer: She disarranged some papers

Mr Hammond reveals what was in Mr Ackroyd's will. Ralph will be a rich man. Miss Russell inherits £1000, which annoys Mrs Ackroyd. Mrs Ackroyd feels that the money left to Flora should have been hers. Mr Ackroyd put £100 aside the day before, and put it in his room. Now there is only £60. Poirot asks the Doctor to go and see Ursula Bourne's previous employer, Mrs Richard Folliott, the next day.

From Quiz The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Answer: Major Blunt

Major Blunt, the big game hunter, stayed with his friend Roger for a couple of weeks every two years or so. Colonel Melrose is the village's chief constable. Colonel Carter was a social acquaintance, and Raymond was Roger Ackroyd's private secretary.

From Quiz The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Answer: Cocaine

The practice was more common in America, so the stranger whom the Doctor met, might be American. The stranger went to meet somebody in the summerhouse. Poirot says Ralph had three motives to kill his stepfather. This proves to him that Ralph is innocent.

From Quiz The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Answer: The name of her blackmailer

Mrs. Ferrars was in love with Roger, but she had two secrets: she had murdered her brutish husband, Mr. Ferrars, a year ago, and she was being bleed dry by a blackmailer. When she confessed to Roger, he rejected her. Mrs. Ferrars wrote a letter telling Roger who her blackmailer was and then swallowed veronal. The letter arrives the night of the dinner party.

From Quiz The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Answer: Mrs Ackroyd

Mrs Ackroyd asks to see the Doctor at Fernly. She says that she and her daughter have often been short of money; Mrs Ackroyd was considering using a loan firm. She decided to search her brother-in-law's desk for his will, but unfortunately, Ursula Bourne caught her. She also removed some old silver, from the silver table, to get it valued as a 'surprise' for her brother-in-law.

From Quiz The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Answer: Stabbed with his own dagger

He is stabbed with an ornamental Tunisian dagger given to him by Major Blunt.

From Quiz The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Answer: A map of the county

Poirot told Caroline that he had an imbecile nephew. He also said that Cranchester is the only big town near King's Abbot. At a Mah Jong party, the Doctor announces to his sister and their neighbours - Miss Gannett and Colonel Carter - the find of the wedding ring in the goldfish pond.

From Quiz The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Answer: Parker, the butler

The doctor says the call is from Parker informing him Ackroyd has been murdered.

From Quiz The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Answer: Liverpool

Poirot, the Doctor and Inspector Raglan travel to Liverpool. The Doctor identifies Charles Kent - an American - as the man he met at Fernly Park, on the night of Ackroyd's murder. Kent says he went to Fernly to meet someone, but he was in Cranchester, in a pub, at quarter to ten. Poirot says he was born in Kent, England.

From Quiz The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Answer: Miss Russell

Doctor Sheppard is working in his workroom when Poirot comes to see him. The Doctor enjoys tinkering with mechanical devices. Poirot is going to put an announcement in the newspaper, stating that Ralph is detained in Liverpool. He has also arranged for Miss Russell to come and see the Doctor. When Miss Russell arrives, Poirot says he knows her secret. Charles Kent is her secret son. She paid for his board and lodgings and he eventually went to Canada. However, Charles is now addicted to drugs. He found out Miss Russell was his mother and wrote to her. Miss Russell knew that she would lose her job if she were revealed as Kent's mother. She met Charles in the summerhouse and gave him money, but he was gone by quarter to ten.

From Quiz The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Answer: Flora Ackroyd

Flora was afraid that Ralph Paton would be the prime suspect.

From Quiz The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Answer: She is married to Ralph Paton

Poirot receives a mysterious visitor, who arrives by car, early in the morning. He doesn't tell Caroline or the Doctor who his visitor is. Poirot goes to Fernly with the Doctor. Poirot wants the Doctor to ask Mrs Ackroyd, Flora, Mr Raymond and Major Blunt to his house at nine pm. Mrs Ackroyd says Flora is now engaged to Major Blunt. Ursula Bourne is waiting at the doctor's house when the Doctor and Poirot return home. Ursula and Ralph secretly married; Ralph decides to tell his stepfather at a more convenient time. Then Mr Ackroyd told Ralph that he wanted him to marry his cousin, Flora. Ursula told Mr Ackroyd about the marriage - this is what the argument was about. Ursula met Ralph in the summerhouse on the night of the murder; she had left him by quarter to ten.

From Quiz The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Answer: Flora Ackroyd

While Roger begrudgedly paid his niece's bills, she was always short of spending money. When she saw the 100 pounds, the temptation was too great, and she took 40 out of it.

From Quiz The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Answer: Nursing home

Poirot wishes that his friend, Hastings, was with him to assist on the case. Doctor Sheppard shows him a manuscript, he has written notes about the case. Poirot praises the Doctor's meticulous writing up of the case. The reunion is held, and Ursula is revealed as Mrs Ralph Paton. Poirot mentions that Mr Ackroyd's words, that Mr Raymond and Major Blunt overheard, seemed strange. He has learned that Mr Ackroyd had purchased a Dictaphone, contrary to popular belief. Poirot knows where Ralph is now. Ralph stands in the doorway of the room. After Mr Ackroyd was killed, the Doctor went to see Ralph and advised him to go in hiding, organising him to go to a nursing home. Ralph was Poirot's early morning visitor. Ralph saw no newspapers in the nursing home but says he never saw his stepfather, alive or dead. Poirot says the murderer must come forward; the truth goes to Inspector Raglan in the morning. Poirot receives a telegram from a steamer.

From Quiz The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Answer: A wedding ring

Poirot fishes out a wedding ring with 'From R., March 13th' engraved inside it.

From Quiz The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Answer: Dictaphone

All the options might have been on the table, but Ackroyd's chair was pulled out to hide the Dictaphone. When Blunt and Raymond heard Mr Ackroyd's voice, he was already dead. It was a recording, timed to go off at a certain time. But the Dictaphone has disappeared. Poirot says only one person had the opportunity of removing it before the police arrived.

From Quiz The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Answer: Doctor Sheppard

The Doctor blackmailed Mrs Ferrars because he knew that she had poisoned her husband. Then he killed Mr Ackroyd, because he thought Mrs Ferrars had told her lover the name of her blackmailer before she died. He removed the Dictaphone by putting it in his Doctor's bag. The Doctor prepares to take an overdose of veronal. Hope you have enjoyed one of Poirot's most puzzling cases.

From Quiz The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Answer: 1926

It really stands the test of time, doesn't it? It was also the first of Christie's books to be dramatized, with Charles Laughton playing the first Hercule Poirot on the London stage.

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