What is the name of the village where 'The Murder of Roger Ackroyd' is set?

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is set in the English village of King’s Abbot.

The village is the fictional rural community where Dr James Sheppard lives with his unmarried sister, Caroline. Sheppard narrates the novel and becomes involved after Mrs Ferrars dies by suicide and Roger Ackroyd, a wealthy widower, is murdered. Hercule Poirot, who has retired nearby, is drawn into the investigation.

King’s Abbot provides the close-knit setting that makes the mystery work: residents know one another’s routines, rumours travel quickly, and apparently respectable people conceal private motives. The village setting also allows Christie to contrast ordinary country life with the shocking crime at the centre of the story.

A frequent mix-up is between King’s Abbot and Fernly Park. Fernly Park is Roger Ackroyd’s estate and the location of the murder, not the name of the village. Styles Court belongs to The Mysterious Affair at Styles, Christie’s first Poirot novel, while St Mary Mead is Miss Marple’s fictional home village. The novel was published in 1926 and is famous for its innovative narration and celebrated twist.