A young drifter finds more than he bargained for when he agrees to deliver a parcel to an English country house…
The Secret of Chimneys (Masterpiece Edition)
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Review
‘One of the best of Agatha Christie’s early thrillers.’ Charles Osborne
‘A thick fog of mystery, cross purposes, and romance, which leads up to a most unexpected and highly satisfactory ending.’ Times Literary Supplement
‘Here’s another capital detective story by Miss Christie, which will keep the reader guessing until the very end, not only as to the identity of the arch villain – the murderer – but also that of the hero, Anthony Cade.’ Literary Review
From the Back Cover
Little did Anthony Cade suspect that a simple errand on behalf of a friend would make him the centrepiece of a murderous international conspiracy. Someone would stop at nothing to prevent the monarchy being restored in faraway Herzoslovakia.
The combined forces of Scotland Yard and the French Sûreté can do no better than go in circles – until the final murder at Chimneys, the great country estate that yields up an amazing secret.
A FASCINATING TRAIL OF CLUES THAT LEADS HALF-WAY AROUND THE WORLD
Agatha Christie was born in Torquay in 1890 and became, quite simply, the best-selling novelist in history. She wrote 80 crime mysteries and collections, and saw her work translated into more languages than Shakespeare. Her enduring success, enhanced by many film and TV adaptations, is a tribute to the timeless appeal of her characters and the unequalled ingenuity of her plots.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By Free Radical
Format:Paperback
I hadn't read an Agatha Christie for about 30 years until I picked this up on spec at a station bookstall and I was delighted at how much I enjoyed it.
The Secret of Chimneys is an early (1925) Christie and is much more of a light-hearted romp than her more famous books. The plot is too complex to precis here (besides, I don't want to spoil your fun) although it involves, inter alia, Balkan revolutionaries, daring adventurers, stolen letters, missing diamonds, and, of course, a brace of mysterious murders.
The characters are very Wodehousian - amiable young men about town, flirtatious flappers, vague and woolly-minded peers - although, as usual, not everybody is what they seem and I doubt if even the most astute spotter of red herrings will work out who is really who, let alone whodunnit, before the loose ends are all adroitly tied up in the last couple of chapters.
There is not as much detection as in, say, a Poirot (indeed, her characters make a number of mock disparaging references to detective fiction throughout) and some of the 1920s attitudes may set a few teeth on edge today - foreigners are blithely referred to as dagoes, the Jewish characters have big noses, etc - but that shouldn't detract from an immensely enjoyable caper that brims with period charm.
The Secret of Chimneys is an early (1925) Christie and is much more of a light-hearted romp than her more famous books. The plot is too complex to precis here (besides, I don't want to spoil your fun) although it involves, inter alia, Balkan revolutionaries, daring adventurers, stolen letters, missing diamonds, and, of course, a brace of mysterious murders.
The characters are very Wodehousian - amiable young men about town, flirtatious flappers, vague and woolly-minded peers - although, as usual, not everybody is what they seem and I doubt if even the most astute spotter of red herrings will work out who is really who, let alone whodunnit, before the loose ends are all adroitly tied up in the last couple of chapters.
There is not as much detection as in, say, a Poirot (indeed, her characters make a number of mock disparaging references to detective fiction throughout) and some of the 1920s attitudes may set a few teeth on edge today - foreigners are blithely referred to as dagoes, the Jewish characters have big noses, etc - but that shouldn't detract from an immensely enjoyable caper that brims with period charm.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio Cassette|Amazon Verified Purchase
I love this story! Admittedly it is more light-hearted than the more familiar classic Christie mysteries, but it's so well done. It has a complicated plot, in a good way, with lots of good characters. The pompous patriotic Lomax, thorn in the flesh of the bumbling lacksadaisical Lord Caterham, who in turn is the father of the live wire that is Lady Eileen "Bundle" Brent, to name but three, all jump off the page. This unabridged audio version is wonderful, read by the excellent Hugh Fraser with just the right light touch. Only the best narrators can "do" all the voices both distinctly and convincingly, especially the opposite sex. I doubt that you will guess whodunnit, and even if you do, there are still more secrets to be revealed at chimneys.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
First published in 1925, this is the first Christie novel to feature Superintendent Battle (he appeared in a further four novels: The Seven Dials Mystery (Masterpiece Edition), Cards on the Table (Poirot), Murder Is Easy (Agatha Christie Collection) and Towards Zero (Agatha Christie Collection). The novel is in many ways a typical country house farce, involving many aliases, royalty, blackmail, secret assignations, jewel thieves, murder and general confusion. The story begins when Anthony Cade is given a manuscript to deliver to London by his old friend Jimmy McGrath, along with some letters to be returned to a blackmail victim. Along the way Cade is attacked, robbed and becomes involved with some high level meetings at the country house Chimneys involving the royal family of Herzoslovakia. Virtually nobody is who they are supposed to be and the plot is almost too involved to explain. However, the whole thing is great fun and people take the most astounding events with great calm and English reserve, making this a very enjoyable read indeed.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Secret of Chimneys
Wonderful to find a replacement for our old tape that is always snarling up thro' overuse. Good speedy delivery too.
Good quality reproduction. Read more
Good quality reproduction. Read more
Published 3 months ago by mave
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Secret of Chimneys
An Agatha Christie classic brilliantly read by Hugh Fraser. This version is the best I have heard. Unmissable for Christie enthusiasts.
Published 4 months ago by Chris
4.0 out of 5 stars
Vintage Agatha Christie
This is a very early Agatha Christie and seems old-fashioned but still very enjoyable, a bygone era of Country Houses and butlers etc. Read more
Published 8 months ago by RitaH
5.0 out of 5 stars
book
was very pleased with the quickness on getting this book prob due to the fact i downloaded it onto my kindle
Published 11 months ago by Mrs. S. Overton
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sheer escapism
Fans of Christie's mature mysteries might be disappointed, as this is more of a comedy spy thriller than a classic who-dunnit. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Karen
1.0 out of 5 stars
book
I have not recived these 2 books yet which i orded quite a while ago only one came so not very happy
James QUiddington
James QUiddington
Published 20 months ago by james
4.0 out of 5 stars
Format works well
The previous reviewers have summed up the story so I'll concern myself with the format. It works well as a graphic novel showing that the format is suitable for stories from any... Read more
Published on 5 May 2008 by D. O'Reilly
3.0 out of 5 stars
Early Christie in ripping form
This is one of Christie's early thrillers written in the 20s. She wasn't sure yet what kind of writer she was going to be, or even if she'd be a professional writer at all, and... Read more
Published on 9 July 2006 by Ms. L. R. Fisher
3.0 out of 5 stars
Everything But The Kitchen Sink--And Maybe That Too!
If Agatha Christie's THE SECRET OF CHIMNEYS had been written in the 1890s instead of the 1920s, we might actually regard it as a classic of its kind. Read more
Published on 14 Aug 2003 by Gary F. Taylor
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another excellent work of Agatha Christie!
The Secret of Chimneys is an excellent book for any reader, not just for Agatha Christie's fans! It draws the reader into its story from the very beginning. Read more
Published on 31 Jan 2001 by radoneme@global.net.mt
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