The Murder of Roger Ackroyd Agatha Christie

Voted the greatest crime novel of all time by the British Crime Writers’ Association in 2013, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie remains one of the most groundbreaking and influential works of detective fiction ever written. 

In the peaceful village of King’s Abbot, tragedy strikes twice. The night after his fiancée’s suicide, wealthy widower Roger Ackroyd withdraws to his study to read a mysterious letter—one that holds secrets best left buried. By morning, he is dead, murdered in a locked room with a weapon from his own collection. Summoned out of retirement, detective Hercule Poirot finds himself in one of his most baffling cases, where every friend is a suspect and every truth hides another lie. Was Roger Ackroyd murdered for money? Love? Revenge? The truth will out… but you’ll never see it coming. 

Originally published as a fifty-four-part serialization in the London Evening News from July 16 through September 16, 1925 under the title, Who Killed Roger Ackroyd?, the first edition was published by William Collins, Sons in June 1926. It was Agatha Christie’s first novel to be published by Collins and its monumental success changed her reputation forever, with critics like The New York Times Book Review comparing it to works by Edgar Allan Poe and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The Observer wrote, “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd makes breathless reading from first to the unexpected last,” while The Scotsman praised it as “one of the cleverest and most original of its kind.” 

With its unexpected twists and a game-changing conclusion, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is a masterpiece of suspense and ingenuity that continues to captivate readers worldwide.

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About The Edition

Our edition of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie is presented in three states. The edition measures 6” x 9” and features seven color illustrations by award-winning Italian artist duo Anna & Elena Balbusso, an introduction by Martin Edwards and an afterword by John Curran. The text is set in Monotype Bell and printed letterpress on Fedrigoni Arena 120 gsm, mouldmade Liber Charta 135 gsm and handmade Velké Losiny 120 gsm papers by Pat Randle & Ellen Bills at Nomad Letterpress on a Heidelberg cylinder press in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom. Design and typography by award-winning designer Mark Argetsinger.

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A Note on the Typography

Monotype Bell, with its origins in the late 18th century and revival by Monotype in the 1930s, brings an elegant crispness to The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Its refined serifs and vertical stress evoke the polished veneer of English village life—a perfect counterpoint to the dark undercurrents of Agatha Christie’s narrative. The typeface’s classical clarity mirrors Poirot’s methodical intellect, while its restrained grace hints at the hidden tensions and secrets pulsing beneath King’s Abbot, the novel’s seemingly tranquil setting. Bell’s composed, slightly mannered appearance subtly underscores the story’s central irony: that decorum often masks deception.

The Artist edition is limited to five hundred copies with a dust jacket illustrated by Anna & Elena Balbusso. It is a full cloth binding with a foil blocked front cover. Endsheets are embossed Rainbow and the edition is housed in a cloth covered slipcase. It is printed letterpress on Fedrigoni Arena 120 gsm paper, and signed by Anna & Elena Balbusso.

The Numbered edition is limited to two hundred fifty copies. Bound in a Bradel style, it features a goatskin leather spine and Japanese cloth boards. The front cover showcases a die-cut dagger, crafted from metallic paper and inset with a ruby-red gemstone—a striking visual motif that mirrors one of the novel’s central instruments of intrigue. Endsheets are custom patterned papers designed for this edition, and the head & tail bands are leather. The edition includes a fold-out of the Artist edition dust jacket illustration.

Printed letterpress on mouldmade Liber Charta 135 gsm paper, the book is housed in a cloth-covered clamshell enclosure with velour-lined trays, and is signed by Anna & Elena Balbusso, Martin Edwards, and John Curran.

The Lettered edition is limited to 26 copies. It is a full goatskin binding with a foil blocked cover featuring a custom Art Deco design—an aesthetic nod to the period elegance that permeates the novel. Endsheets are marbled, and head & tail bands are leather. The edition includes a fold-out of the Artist edition dust jacket illustration.

It is printed letterpress on handmade Velké Losiny 120 gsm paper, produced by the historic Velké Losiny mill in the Czech Republic, which has been crafting fine paper since the 16th century. The paper features a custom dagger-shaped watermark, echoing the ornamental device used throughout the text. The edition is housed in a cloth covered clamshell enclosure with velour lined trays. It is signed by Anna & Elena Balbusso, Martin Edwards, and John Curran.

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Matching Numbers & Letters

A Matching Pre-Order email is sent to owners of our previous publication, No Country for Old Men at 9:00 A.M. PT on the day of announcement. If you did not receive the email, contact us here. If your order is not received before the deadline, your designated number or letter will be assigned to the new owner.

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Illustrations by Anna & Elena Balbusso