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)
“Waxed-fleshed out-patients
Still vague from accidents,
And characters in long coats
Deep in the litter-baskets
All dodging the toad work
By being stupid or weak.”
—Philip Larkin (1922–1986)
“What makes literature interesting is that it does not survive its translation. The characters in a novel are made out of the sentences. That’s what their substance is.”
—Jonathan Miller (b. 1936)