Therearedoubtlessmanydetectivestoriesmoreexcitingandblood-curdlingthanTheMurderofRogerAckroyd,butthisreviewerhasrecentlyreadveryfewwhichprovidegreateranalyticalstimulation.Thisstory,thoughitisinferiortothemattheirbest,isinthetraditionofPoe'sanalyticaltalesandtheSherlockHolmesstories.Theauthordoesnotdevotehertalentstothecreationofthrillsandshocks,buttotheorderlysolutionofasinglemurder,conventionalatthat,instead.

　　MissChristieisnotonlyanexperttechnicianandaremarkablygoodstory-teller,butsheknows,aswell,justtherightnumberofhintstoofferastotherealmurderer.Inthepresentcasehisidentityismadeallthemorebafflingthroughtheauthor'stechnicalclevernessinselectingthepartheistoplayinthestory;andyethernon-committalcharacterizationofhimmakesitaperfectlyfairprocedure.Theexperiencedreaderwillprobablyspothim,butitissafetosaythathewilloftenhavehisdoubtsasthestoryunfoldsitself.