This story has all of the twists and turns one comes to expect in a good murder mystery.

That brilliant murder mystery author Agatha Christie is universally praised and beloved, but one of her first successes is not  well known to American readers. Happily the the stage adaptation by Heidi Armbruster of  that early work, THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD, now playing at Buffalo's Alleyway Theatre ,will change that for Western New York audiences.

This actually was the first Christie book I ever read, and I was instantly hooked. This story has all of the twists and turns one comes to expect in a good murder mystery. And the notorious sleuth  Hercule Poirot is on the scene to solve the case. Her most famous titles like MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS and DEATH ON THE NILE came after 1926's ACKROYD story, and readers couldn't get enough of the mysterious Belgian detective, Poirot.

Playing in the fictional village of King's Abbot in 1926, Dr Sheppard serves as our narrator, as well as an active character. The sleepy little hamlet soon becomes the scene of a death  of one of the doctor's patients, Mrs. Ferrars. When he is called to examine the deceased woman, the plot unfolds and her fiance, Roger Ackroyd, appears on the scene. Ackroyd knows of a secret Ferrars was keeping, and more will be revealed in a letter she wrote to him  prior to her death. But alas, Ackroyd is also found murdered in his own home and the details of Ferrars final letter are another mystery.

David Lundy  as Dr. Sheppard anchors the play with an exacting amount of detail. Whether commenting on the banality of his daily existence, or the eccentricities of his  spinster sister Caroline, or some of the other town loonies, Lundy is endearing from the onset. He guides us through the story with conviction and a calm demeanor that one would expect from the village Doctor.

Sheila McCarthy gives a brilliant performance in the role of the busybody Caroline, as well as Ackroyd's own live-in sister in law, Mrs. Cecil Ackroyd. McCarthy has mastered the art of British impertinence and civility, as well as an inherent whackiness that suits each character like a glove. Everyone has a family member that reminds them of  the roles McCarthy plays with aplomb.

Bill Lovern plays both Roger and Poirot, but appeared challenged from the outset. The accents never came easily and difficulty with lines plagued him throughout. The suave, yet idiosyncratic Poirot was not an easy fit for Lovern.

Roger's stepson Ralph mysteriously disappears at the time of the murders, just as it was going to be announced that he would wed Roger's niece, Flora. It would appear that any of these relatives could gain wealth from Ackroyd's death. Julia Witt as Flora plays the part of the young girl with innocence and naivete, although the perpetually clasped hands clutched to her breast did appear out of a melodrama. Witt delivered a convincing exposition of her backstory and need for money, leaving the audience to ponder her self proclaimed innocence.

Steven Maiseke does a fine double duty as Ralph and more importantly, the butler Parker. The story leaves lots of juicy bits of "did the butler do it," that readers have come to expect. Maiseke is earnest in his portrayal, leaving plenty of room for doubt as he attempts to cover his lies.

The cast is rounded our by colorful characters like Major Blunt, played with quiet deadpan comic timing by Johnny Rowe, and Sara Kow- Falcone as the housekeeper Ursula. Kow-Falcone has a quiet and sinister, matter of fact delivery delivery that arouses suspicion. She also gets to play the Inspector, here drawn with broad comic  brush strokes, poking fun at those notorious Scotland Yard types.

Director Chris J. Handley has very wisely chosen to stage the piece in the round, and the effect is marvelous. The audience and cast are all within arm's reach and the tension is palpable. The fabulous set by Chyna Mayer is both practical and evocative, complemented by dramatic light and sound design by Emma Schimminger. Anna R. Emo has designed subtle, yet weathered vintage costumes one would expect from a small  English town.The total production resulted in an amalgamation that was spot on for mood and period.

Armbruster's script follows the novel near identically, packing in the myriad of details necessary to invoke suspicion for all parties. A smattering of humor, as Sheppard has some mumbling asides, and a humorous game of croquet help balance the drama.  The details of the case can be a bit monotonous, as reading a litany of the order of events can be cumbersome. The drawing room scenes with the full cast assembled, as well as the re-enactment of the night of the murder were all handled extremely well, thanks to some well executed staging devised by Handley. The epilogue of sorts did seem a bit heavy handed regarding the morality of the story, but that is a minor quibble. A juicy murder mystery is always a fun night of theatre, and Alleyway's production would rank among the high  caliber of those seen at The Shaw Festival on almost all accounts.

THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD plays at Buffalos' Alleyway Theatre through May 3, 2025. Contact alleyway.com for more information.