The film opens as Agatha Christie (Vanessa Redgrave) gets a silver cup engraved for her husband Archie (Timothy Dalton), who receives the gift with utter disdain. The couple walks to a publicity event for Agatha's new novel, ''The Murder of Roger Ackroyd''. They are tailed into the venue by American reporter Wally Stanton (Dustin Hoffman). The next morning, Archie demands a divorce, saying he loves his secretary Nancy Neele (Gregory).