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A character in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Inspector Raglan

The Cranchester policeman who is confident from the start, and who has Ralph Paton's footprints to prove it.

What they want

An arrest, preferably of the man who has already run away.

The book

The Murder of Roger AckroydAgatha Christie, 1926

A village doctor tells the story of his neighbour's murder, and tells it honestly. That is the trick.

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At a glance

In the book
Police inspector from Cranchester
Where he appears
From Chapter 8

Who they are in the book

Spoiler-free

Raglan comes from the county town and takes over from the village constable. He has a suspect, the footprints, the debts and the disappearance, and he sees no reason to look further. Poirot treats him with courtesy and works around him. He is the official mind of the book, and the official mind is wrong.

How Inspector Raglan Is Portrayed

Appearance, manner, and tone — as the book sketches them, in our words.

  • The footprintsRalph's shoes matched to the prints under the window; his whole case rests on them.
  • The confidenceThe title of Chapter 8 is Inspector Raglan Is Confident, and he is.
  • The fingerprintsHe fingerprints the household with a thoroughness that finds nothing.
  • The courtesyPoirot flatters him and is allowed the run of the house in return.
Their ending, and the commentary — spoilers aheadHow the book leaves them, what happened after, and what the record says. Open when you're ready.

Raglan is left with a case he never solved. Poirot names the murderer only to the murderer, and the book ends before the police are told.

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