Clues in Roger Ackroyd

nef

On the map of the room in which Roger dies (found in chapter 7), the Grandfather chair in not in the interesting position described by Poirot. Neither does it have the X on it that Dr Sheppard states that there should be to indicate the chair in question. I have often wondered if this was an innocent mistake or something a little more fishy!!!

Have we been offered a visual clue by the great lady?

Neil

Anubis

I have two versions of this book. In the diagram in the replica copy, the "X" is behind the grandfather chair. In the Black Dog and Leventhal publication, the "X" is in front of the chair. In each case, however, the chair is where it should be. That is to say, it is the position where it normally is, and there is no evidence to support the butler's statement that it had been moved. Perhaps in your copy the "X" is erroneously missing.

nef

How interesting! I will be in Canada this Summer so I will look out for the editions you mention!

Tommy_A_Jones

I have just finished the Book I have a question SPOILER ALERT!!! How did the Murderer know that that Dictation by The Victim was on the Dictaphone to help with the Alibi? I didn't understand that.

Anubis

nef: I ordered the replica edition from England. It is not normally for sale in Canada. You might try the nearest Watermans. The other is from the U.S.

Tommy: I think earlier in the week that the story begins, Ackroyd said to the Murderer, "Can you help me with this thing? It doesn't seem to work." The Murderer said to Ackroyd, "Talk some words into it, and I'll try to fix it."

nef

I have just l looked in my facsimilie first edition and the cross is there! I is not in any of the paperback copies that I have though.!

I will investigate Tommy's question and your suggestion. Its a point I had never considered before.

Tommy_A_Jones

That solution sounds very sensible Anubis and nef for putting your minds to it.

nef

Having scoured the book again, I  cannot find any reference to the murderer knowing about the dictaphone. The secretary states that the words used are ones that Mr Ackroyd had used several times in the past and that he did not know about the purchase as his employer liked to surprise people and was probably keeping it a secret whilst he played with it.

So, the question of how the murderer knew to make use of the device and and to adapt it in the way that they did remains a little (and forgivable) mystery.

I wonder if the explanation got lost in the editing process!

Tommy_A_Jones

I think it quite natural to assume that because others knew about the Dictaphone they would have mentioned it in conversation when the Murderer is present and he would not bring the reader's attention to the fact he knew about it for fear of giving the Reader a clue but as it is used in the Killing I don't think the 'mystery' is as forgiveable as you think nef,

nef

I am not sure that others did know about the dictaphone - the secretary didn't. Also, the decision to kill cannot have been made very soon before the actual act so I am not sure that the killer could have planned to use it as they did.  

Tommy_A_Jones

So The Dictaphone shatters everyone's thoughts about it being a Masterpiece really. It is just very Good.

nef

What a dreadful thought - I would hate to stop thinking of it as a masterpiece!

Tommy_A_Jones

It is probably a case of One man's meat, I probably think of some as Masterpieces that you wouldn't for instance Cat Among The Pigeons and ABC Murders. 

Griselda

Surely Christie tells us that there was a glitch with the new dictaphone, and rather than send it back to the manufacturers, Roger Ackroyd gives it to his friend SPOILER ALERT Sheppard's, to fiddle with. Because he knows he is good at mending things. Sheppard obviously fixed it up to store recordings, which were made daily, then set it up just after the murder.

nef

I cannot find reference to that in the book. I would be very gratefully directed to it though

nef

Tommy, I love the ABC Murders and think that Cat Among The Pigeons is an underrated piece. I also have a real soft spot for Sad Cypress, After the Funeral and Taken At The Flood

Griselda

Hi nef. At the end of the novel, when SPOILER ALERT Dr Sheppard is explaining what happened, he writes: 'So I went home and took my precautions. If the trouble were after all only something to do with Ralph - well, no harm would have been done. The dictaphone he had given to me two days ago to adjust. Something had gone a little wrong with it, and I persuaded him to let me have a go at it, instead of sending it back. I did what I wanted to, and took it up with me in my bag that evening.'

nef

How on Earth could I have missed this!!!!!!!! I have been back to the book and found the passage. I am so glad that masterpiece status can be restored - thanks Griselda

nef

Feeling very dense!

Tommy_A_Jones

Nef, I love After The Funeral too, I still read the other 2 but the ones I mentioned and After The Funeral are ones I would take to a Desert Island, I don't think I would take Sad Cyprus and Taken At The Flood, for me those 2 aren't 10s

Griselda

I think, nef, that, reading the end bit, we are all a bit shocked by the surprise twist, and the actual details of how he did it are overlooked as we reel from the audacity of SPOILER ALERT making the narrator such a key player - and, obviously, some readers have felt his plot wasn't fair and square.

nef

I love the audacity. The solution was fully justified and totally fair and square and ,as usual, totally indicated in the body of the text. I am not surprised that this cemented her position as the leading light - which she still remains in my opinion.

nef

Tommy - I would have to have the collected works on a desert island as I would continuously regret the ones I left behind!

Tommy_A_Jones

Some I dislike so much I wouldn't mind hearing their titles ever again.

nef

I would be fascinated to know which they are. 

Tommy_A_Jones

Death Comes As The End

Endless Night

Passenger To Frankfurt

Sparkling Cyanide

They Came To Baghdad

Destination Unknown

Murder In Mesopotamia

Peril At End House

The Mystery Of The Blue Train and probably Murder On The Orient Express and perhaps Sad Cypruss and The Hollow.

I would take They Do It With Mirrors and Caribbean Mystery but only because It would be a shame not to have the set f Miss Marple's but I probably would not read them but as I am not on a Desert Island I do still read those 2.

I would take all the books of short stories because in all the books there is at least 2 short stories I like

Tommy_A_Jones

I forgot to add Murder On The Links.