Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
HarperCollins (2007), Edition: Facsimile edition, Hardcover, 320 pages
Description
Marking the first appearance of Agatha Christie's character Inspector Battle, The Secret of Chimneys was first published in 1925 and went on to be a hit among readers. This mystery novel follows Anthony Cade, a man who unknowingly finds himself in the middle of an international conspiracy and a murder investigation after accepting a simple delivery job from an old friend. As Cade slowly begins to realize his predicament has potentially put him in danger, he begins his own investigation into the strange series of events just as Inspector Battle of Scotland Yard begins the main, official investigation. As more and more clues begin to pop up-along with even more mysteries-Inspector Battle and Anthony Cade search diligently for the true murderer and uncover the answers to multiple conundrums that plague the characters within the novel.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member smik
HIMNEYS begins in Bulawayo, Africa, when Jimmy McGrath runs across his old friend Anthony Cade. Jimmy has in his possession a manuscript that needs to be delivered to a publisher in London by a particular date. He also has a bundle of incriminating love letters that he wants returned to the person
Cade agrees to take on both tasks, and travels to London by steamer in the guise of James McGrath.
One of elements of this story is political intrigue related to the kingdom of Herzoslovakia in the Balkins. Its last king was assassinated seven years earlier and the kingdom has been a republic ever since. However the heir to the throne is attempting to claim it back. The Herzoslovakian links in the story become important because the manuscript is the memoir of a former Prime Minister.
The action moves to London and then on to Lord Caterham's country house Chimneys, where a murder takes place. Christie's search for a suitable protagonist continues. THE SECRET OF CHIMNEYS marks the appearance of yet another, this time a Scotland Yard detective, Superintendent Battle. He is assigned to this case because of the importance of Chimneys, which is apparently often used as a pleasant meeting place for affairs of state. We are told Battle is a man of "ripe experience", and there certainly seems an attempt to give him a modicum of intelligence, and to allow him at times to be a step or two ahead of others in his understanding and intuition. On the other hand he is often poker-faced and expressionless.
Other people who will appear in later novels are Caterham's daughter Eileen (Bundle) and Bill Eversham, a young clerk from the foreign office. Colonel Melrose makes a cameo appearance as the Chief Constable although in later stories and novels he will be the Coroner.
The novel is possibly set I think in "real time". There is a reference to European nations rebuilding for the past 7 years, which seems to indicate a passage of time since a cataclysm, possibly the Great War. There is however no other reference to those events. There is also a reference to the previous, assassinated, queen of Herzoslovakia having claimed Romanov connections.
Perhaps I am mistaken and the setting is actually in the period just before World War I when the Balkans was in great turmoil. Another point in favour of this earlier period is the reference to Bertillon measurements as a means of identifying a person. These were measurements taken of various parts of the body: a system in common use in France in the late 19th century.
This is a novel in which many characters are not who they seem to be, beginning with Anthony Cade who poses as Jimmy McGrath. There are many who are leading a double life, and it becomes difficult for the reader to decide who is on whose side.
There are elements in THE SECRET OF CHIMNEYS that really don't work all that well. The idea of an arch criminal which first appeared in THE MAN IN THE BROWN SUIT makes an
appearance, as does the idea of conspiracy and secret societies, in this case the Society of the Red Hand. The Koh-i-noor diamond, part of the British Crown Jewels since 1858, makes a puzzling appearance.
This is also a novel in which Christie shows that she doesn't really care if the reader has all the information, that we should expect that she will keep cards up her sleeve to be revealed in the final denouement. The novel is full of red herrings, and at the end we ask ourselves if we had enough information to solve the mystery. A pattern that is becoming a trademark in her novels even by this, the 5th one, is that in the final pages the cast of characters will be gathered and all will be revealed.
I wouldn't rate this as one of her best novels, although at the time of publication it was well received. It feels rather over-populated with characters, heavily reliant on ideas of conspiracy, intrigue and political upheaval, with some romantic elements.
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who wrote them. He can't take them himself as he on the hunt for some gold.Cade agrees to take on both tasks, and travels to London by steamer in the guise of James McGrath.
One of elements of this story is political intrigue related to the kingdom of Herzoslovakia in the Balkins. Its last king was assassinated seven years earlier and the kingdom has been a republic ever since. However the heir to the throne is attempting to claim it back. The Herzoslovakian links in the story become important because the manuscript is the memoir of a former Prime Minister.
The action moves to London and then on to Lord Caterham's country house Chimneys, where a murder takes place. Christie's search for a suitable protagonist continues. THE SECRET OF CHIMNEYS marks the appearance of yet another, this time a Scotland Yard detective, Superintendent Battle. He is assigned to this case because of the importance of Chimneys, which is apparently often used as a pleasant meeting place for affairs of state. We are told Battle is a man of "ripe experience", and there certainly seems an attempt to give him a modicum of intelligence, and to allow him at times to be a step or two ahead of others in his understanding and intuition. On the other hand he is often poker-faced and expressionless.
Other people who will appear in later novels are Caterham's daughter Eileen (Bundle) and Bill Eversham, a young clerk from the foreign office. Colonel Melrose makes a cameo appearance as the Chief Constable although in later stories and novels he will be the Coroner.
The novel is possibly set I think in "real time". There is a reference to European nations rebuilding for the past 7 years, which seems to indicate a passage of time since a cataclysm, possibly the Great War. There is however no other reference to those events. There is also a reference to the previous, assassinated, queen of Herzoslovakia having claimed Romanov connections.
Perhaps I am mistaken and the setting is actually in the period just before World War I when the Balkans was in great turmoil. Another point in favour of this earlier period is the reference to Bertillon measurements as a means of identifying a person. These were measurements taken of various parts of the body: a system in common use in France in the late 19th century.
This is a novel in which many characters are not who they seem to be, beginning with Anthony Cade who poses as Jimmy McGrath. There are many who are leading a double life, and it becomes difficult for the reader to decide who is on whose side.
There are elements in THE SECRET OF CHIMNEYS that really don't work all that well. The idea of an arch criminal which first appeared in THE MAN IN THE BROWN SUIT makes an
appearance, as does the idea of conspiracy and secret societies, in this case the Society of the Red Hand. The Koh-i-noor diamond, part of the British Crown Jewels since 1858, makes a puzzling appearance.
This is also a novel in which Christie shows that she doesn't really care if the reader has all the information, that we should expect that she will keep cards up her sleeve to be revealed in the final denouement. The novel is full of red herrings, and at the end we ask ourselves if we had enough information to solve the mystery. A pattern that is becoming a trademark in her novels even by this, the 5th one, is that in the final pages the cast of characters will be gathered and all will be revealed.
I wouldn't rate this as one of her best novels, although at the time of publication it was well received. It feels rather over-populated with characters, heavily reliant on ideas of conspiracy, intrigue and political upheaval, with some romantic elements.
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LibraryThing member MusicMom41
When I read Cards on the Table last month I was introduced to two Recurring Christie characters with which I was unfamiliar, Colonel Race and Superintendent Battle. I decided to read the other books in which they occur. This is the first appearance of Battle and he plays a major role as the
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detective. I really like this character and am sorry that she only used him in five novels. This novel was written shortly after The Man in the Brown Suit, Colonel Race’s first appearance. It is in her younger style and shares some similar melodramatic elements but this one seems to me to show her maturing as a writer. There were more surprises and the characters seemed to be better drawn. I enjoyed this immensely. Show Less
LibraryThing member riverwillow
This is a fun frothy novel and is everything that The Secret Adversary wasn't. It is very much a novel of its time and is a reworking of the country house murder with romantic overtones. This is a novelist having fun with characters and story and it shows.
LibraryThing member Auntie-Nanuuq
I liked the story, I liked the characters.... Really liked Lord Caterham, his daughter Bundle, & Inspector Battle. In fact I like Inspector Battell much better than M. Poirot & Miss Marple combines. He's intelligent, quiet (not boastful or misleading), and he has a sense of humor.
There are three
All involved are gathered at the Chimneys, a traditional meeting place of Royalty & political power, much to the consternation of the current Lord Caterham. There are people who are not who the seem, and all except the family have something to hide & gain.
A very delightful mystery, definitely one of Christie's better books.
There are three
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stories here: a jewel thief just out of French prison looking for the original Koh I-noor diamond that is said to be hidden 2 the Chimneys; the infamous manuscript of a well known count that is on its way to publication (but has been stolen), and the death/murder of the next crown prince and his "dead" brother....All involved are gathered at the Chimneys, a traditional meeting place of Royalty & political power, much to the consternation of the current Lord Caterham. There are people who are not who the seem, and all except the family have something to hide & gain.
A very delightful mystery, definitely one of Christie's better books.
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LibraryThing member bcquinnsmom
The Secret of Chimneys is the first Christie novel to feature Superintendent Battle, who will, over the course of his career, be the featured detective in two more mysteries, The Seven Dials Mystery and Toward Zero. Battle, however, takes second place to one Anthony Cade, who, when we first meet
As with most Christie novels, there are plenty of suspects, an abundance of motives, and an interesting array of lead characters. Unlike most of her stories, this one is filled with political intrigue, and the reader has to digest the background story of the country of Herzoslovakia before really delving into the mystery. This may be a bit off-putting to regular Christie readers, but it's worth the time and effort to get the story and the list of who's who regarding that nation as it sets an important backdrop to the various criminal activity throughout the book. It is rather complicated and at times convoluted, but still an interesting read, with a lovely twist at the end.
If I were a reader who has decided that he or she would like to read through the Christie novels, I would not want to start with this one, since imho, it doesn't deliver the best Christie has to offer. My advice: read through the Poirots and the Marples, then tackle the others for something just a bit different.
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him, works as a tour guide in Africa. At a bar one day Cade meets an old buddy, James McGrath, who has been tasked with the delivery of the memoirs of the now-dead Count Stylptitch of Herzoslovakia to a London publishing firm. But McGrath has decided to seek his fortune in the gold fields, and offers Cade a tidy sum to go to England with the memoirs and a stash of letters that could be blackmail fodder for an unsuspecting Virginia Revel. Cade is off to England, and finds himself caught up between two sides of a touchy political situation. He also finds that he is a target of some very nasty people who are trying to get both the memoirs and the letters. The situation leads him to a house called Chimneys, the home of Lord Caterham, his daughter Bundle, and various diplomats and others interested in the political situation in Herzoslovakia. Upon his arrival, Cade finds himself as a chief suspect in the death of Prince Michael Obolovitch, the heir to the Herzoslovakian throne and negotiator of British oil interests in that country. Enter Superintendent Battle and the hunt for the murderer begins.As with most Christie novels, there are plenty of suspects, an abundance of motives, and an interesting array of lead characters. Unlike most of her stories, this one is filled with political intrigue, and the reader has to digest the background story of the country of Herzoslovakia before really delving into the mystery. This may be a bit off-putting to regular Christie readers, but it's worth the time and effort to get the story and the list of who's who regarding that nation as it sets an important backdrop to the various criminal activity throughout the book. It is rather complicated and at times convoluted, but still an interesting read, with a lovely twist at the end.
If I were a reader who has decided that he or she would like to read through the Christie novels, I would not want to start with this one, since imho, it doesn't deliver the best Christie has to offer. My advice: read through the Poirots and the Marples, then tackle the others for something just a bit different.
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LibraryThing member antiquary
A delightfully improbable story in which an English adventurer in the middle of Africa is unexpectedly offered two missions by a friend --first, to deliver the memoirs of a somewhat dubious deceased Balkan statesman to his publisher, and secondly to return a packet of indiscreet letters to a lady.
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This leads to the adventure being invited to a weekend at the stately home Chimneys,where the party includes the charming lady who wrote the letters, and the current pretender to the throne of the deceased statesman's (presently republican) nation of Herzoslovakia (whose history sounds more like Yugoslavia's the Czechoslovakia's -- the late King Nicholas IV is obviously based on a king of Serbia. It also appears in The Labors of Hercules) It turns out a jewel and a jewel thief are also involved. The whole preposterous business is more like The Adventure of the Bloodstained Eggcosy than like the average Christie.A lot of fun. Very unlikely the blurb "It ended when a man's emotions turned a gay and fashionable house party into an unforgettable nightmare of terror and death." Unforgettable, yes. Nightmare, no. Show Less
LibraryThing member miss_scarlet
This was one of my favorite Agatha Christie novels, combining both mystery and romance. Thought it was great!
LibraryThing member jguidry
I really enjoyed the first book in the Inspector Battle series. I had not read any books starring him before this and really enjoyed him as an Agatha Christie detective. He was a fun and secretive character that seemed to be clueless, but would pop up in the right moments to show you he was there
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and fully aware of what was going on around him. I enjoyed the mystery, too. There were lots of Christie twists and I was only partially prepared for the ending. What a fun read! Show Less
LibraryThing member Cassandra2020
The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie - Good
Always a delight to return to AC for a little reliable comfort reading. Was
particularly pleased with this one as it is totally different to the TV adaptation to the extent that only a few names and the fact that it was partially set at Chimneys links
Great easy read to hibernate to.
Always a delight to return to AC for a little reliable comfort reading. Was
particularly pleased with this one as it is totally different to the TV adaptation to the extent that only a few names and the fact that it was partially set at Chimneys links
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them.Great easy read to hibernate to.
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LibraryThing member SueinCyprus
Anthony meets an old friend and agrees to deliver an important manuscript to London. He becomes involved in several people's lives and attempts to solve a mystery. Excellent plot, with the usual Agatha Christie surprises.
LibraryThing member booksandscones
Anthony Cade, a young man seeking adventure, meets an old friend, Jimmy McGrath in Bulawayo. Jimmy wants to go gold prospecting, but has accepted a job conveying a manuscript of potentially damaging political memoirs to its London publisher, and also wants to return a bundle of letters written by a
A stately English country home, British and foreign aristocrats, dead bodies here and there, scandalous memoirs, blackmail letters, a fabulous missing jewel, and an inept but lethal organization calling itself the Comrades of the Red Hand! Great fun.
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frightened wife to her lover, which a now-deceased man might have intended to use to blackmail her. Anthony agrees to travel to England as James McGrath and fulfill Jimmy's commitments.A stately English country home, British and foreign aristocrats, dead bodies here and there, scandalous memoirs, blackmail letters, a fabulous missing jewel, and an inept but lethal organization calling itself the Comrades of the Red Hand! Great fun.
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LibraryThing member Jiraiya
Unlike other books, I reacted more strangely than usual in two ways. First, I checked previous reviews here. I had to because there was no guessing how received and how viewed this book was. Secondly, I had personal feelings in the matter of the hero. I almost never feel annoyance or jealousy at a
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Mary Sue, but here I thought of poor Bill and how he never had a chance. The fact that Agatha Christie tried to give even him a happy ending - that came out wrong - is slightly annoying. The story tried to juggle and awful lot of balls in the air. My rating of it reflects how it all came together. I knew there would be twists galore at the end but still the latter was unsatisfying. This is the longest Agatha Christie story I've read. She didn't yet know how to trim the fat. That would come later. Despite the poor climax, the racial tones, the vile hero, and the meandering red herrings, it was the lack of coziness which determined my final opinion. This book is not Big Four bad, but reserve it when you've exhausted all of the author's classics. Show Less
LibraryThing member Miguelnunonave
A minor Christie mystery. Definitely not her best.
LibraryThing member leslie.98
I had completely forgotten this first Superintendent Battle mystery. Quite fun with Balkan politics, international jewel thieves, blackmail and possible impostors, not to mention a murder or two!
Hugh Fraser does a marvelous narration.
Hugh Fraser does a marvelous narration.
LibraryThing member cajela
I've been rereading some Agatha Christies, and while some of them are still fun, some are real duds to the eye of the modern reader. This one was made into part of a TV series, with Miss Marple added in, and the plot twisted and rearranged almost beyond recognition. And a good thing, too.
This one
It's just too much. One or two of those elements can be quaint; all of them makes an annoying mishmash.
This one
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has the usual upper crust British nobs in a country house, but with lots more xenophobia and racism than Christie usually showed. Cliched Eastern Europeans ("Herzoslovakians") with names too full of consonants, princes and presidents being assassinated, international jewel thieves, shady greasy foreigners of various stripes, deepest darkest Africa, implausible political machinations, incompetent conspirators, etc etc. And oh yeah, there's a murder.It's just too much. One or two of those elements can be quaint; all of them makes an annoying mishmash.
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LibraryThing member ritaer
This is one of Christie's standalone novels, featuring neither Poirot nor Miss Marple. Instead, an adventurer in Africa is asked to deliver a manuscript and a packet of letters apparently used for blackmail to the proper persons in England. When he arrives he is attacked and robbed of the letters.
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Complications follow, involving oil, Balkan politics, mistaken identities, international jewel thieves and a variety of other characters in a English country house. An alert reader will soon realize that Anthony Cade is not what he seems. Entertaining, and the Scotland yard Inspector is a refreshingly; intelligent break from dim flatfoots of some Christie works. Show Less
LibraryThing member cmbohn
This is a great example of the madcap kind of mysteries that are more or less romps around the Stately Houses of England, with mysterious strangers, sinister foreigners, bluff Americans, an odd tycoon or film star or two. Always some intrigue and romance thrown in. Sure, it's not exactly hard on
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the brain, but it is pure escapist fun, and that's why I love this book. Reminds me a bit of The Prisoner of Zenda. Neat little ending. Show Less
LibraryThing member Figgles
Sort of Agatha Christie does John Buchan (but not as well) - still amusing period detail...
LibraryThing member Condorena
This is the first of the series ostensibly centered around the character of Superintendant Battle of Scotland Yard. The Secret of Chimneys was written in 1925. This was written about five years before the Marple books and five years after the Poirot books. The main mystery centers around political
Christie writes with a light touch, quick pace and about amusing characters. This story was fun to read and I look forward to the next in the series. It was interesting to note in the Christie movie with this name Jane Marple was the lead protagonist. I will have to watch it and compare notes. The moguls of the movie business must be positive that not only can Miss Marple have only one hat or we won't recognize her, they must also believe that the public won't accept anything but Poirot and Marple. They may be right, I don't care for Tommy and Tuppence.
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skulduggery revolving around a fictional Balkan State. Adventure loving Anthony Cade leaves his job as a travel guide to carry some important papers to London. These are the memoirs of a Count who had his fingers in many pies and it is feared that these writings may reveal secrets dangerous to many in government circles. Anthony becomes a target and the fun begins.Christie writes with a light touch, quick pace and about amusing characters. This story was fun to read and I look forward to the next in the series. It was interesting to note in the Christie movie with this name Jane Marple was the lead protagonist. I will have to watch it and compare notes. The moguls of the movie business must be positive that not only can Miss Marple have only one hat or we won't recognize her, they must also believe that the public won't accept anything but Poirot and Marple. They may be right, I don't care for Tommy and Tuppence.
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LibraryThing member DeborahDRKralich
I rate Agatha Christie's books against each other. It would be hard not to give them all five stars rated against other writers. This is an early book and full of youthful themes and optimism amidst the murder. Some of her best humor also.
LibraryThing member lamour
This is a fast easy read with interesting characters and complicated plot. Anthony Cade is a bored tour guide in Africa. When offered a chance to get back to England by delivering a hotly sought manuscript to a publisher in London plus deliver some scandalous letters to the woman who wrote them, he
Now he feels responsible to tell the woman her letters have been stolen and when he gets to her address, she is looking at a murdered man in her living room. It also appears that the succession to the throne of a country in the Balkans is behind this murder and others that are to follow. Most of the story takes place in an English country house with its many servants, guests and hidden passages. The police and especially Scotland Yard come out looking very able in this story.
My one criticism is that Christie seemed to want to wind this novel up in a hurry and tied up the various hanging mysteries too quickly and neatly.
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jumps at the chance. Soon he realizes that some people are willing to kill for the manuscript and then the letters are accidentally stolen by a manuscript thief.Now he feels responsible to tell the woman her letters have been stolen and when he gets to her address, she is looking at a murdered man in her living room. It also appears that the succession to the throne of a country in the Balkans is behind this murder and others that are to follow. Most of the story takes place in an English country house with its many servants, guests and hidden passages. The police and especially Scotland Yard come out looking very able in this story.
My one criticism is that Christie seemed to want to wind this novel up in a hurry and tied up the various hanging mysteries too quickly and neatly.
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LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
In my early teens, some forty years ago now, I encountered Agatha Christie’s novels, and, as is perhaps customary with teenage obsession, started working through them, as if driven to complete the set as quickly as possible. One of the first of her books that I read was this one, The Secret of
It features neither Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple (although the recent television adaptation did recast it as one of Miss Marple’s cases), and it isn’t even a true whodunit, being instead a simple thriller, straight out of the John Buchan mould. Certainly all the key ingredients of a boisterous story are there – stolen jewels, beautiful but mysterious women, a stately home and quasi-Balkan intrigue (it was, after all, written just a few years after the end of the First World War when the map of Europe had been redrawn under the auspices of Versailles, and newly-minted states were strewn across the continent) and a handsome, intelligent and boundlessly gallant hero thrown in. Sadly, other clichés of the 1920s shocker are also to the fore, and the book is shot through with casual anti-Semitism manifested through a succession of throwaway remarks from most of the characters.
The story does rattle along, and I could see why I enjoyed it so much at the age of thirteen. Forty years on I found it rather irritating. None of the characters displayed any vestige of realism. Of course, one doesn’t read Agatha Christie for her gritty verisimilitude, but this book also lacked her lightness of touch with regard both to characters and plot. It was one of her ealier books, and she was clearly still getting to grips with the genre.
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Chimneys, and at the time I thought it was about as good as literature could get. It features neither Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple (although the recent television adaptation did recast it as one of Miss Marple’s cases), and it isn’t even a true whodunit, being instead a simple thriller, straight out of the John Buchan mould. Certainly all the key ingredients of a boisterous story are there – stolen jewels, beautiful but mysterious women, a stately home and quasi-Balkan intrigue (it was, after all, written just a few years after the end of the First World War when the map of Europe had been redrawn under the auspices of Versailles, and newly-minted states were strewn across the continent) and a handsome, intelligent and boundlessly gallant hero thrown in. Sadly, other clichés of the 1920s shocker are also to the fore, and the book is shot through with casual anti-Semitism manifested through a succession of throwaway remarks from most of the characters.
The story does rattle along, and I could see why I enjoyed it so much at the age of thirteen. Forty years on I found it rather irritating. None of the characters displayed any vestige of realism. Of course, one doesn’t read Agatha Christie for her gritty verisimilitude, but this book also lacked her lightness of touch with regard both to characters and plot. It was one of her ealier books, and she was clearly still getting to grips with the genre.
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LibraryThing member funstm
There were two other men in the room. One was Colonel Melrose, the chief constable. The other was a squarely built middle-aged man with a face so singularly devoid of expression as to be quite remarkable.
Christie, Agatha. The Secret of Chimneys (Superintendent Battle Book 1) (p. 109).
I referred to Superintendent Battle of Scotland Yard. A man of the utmost discretion.
Christie, Agatha. The Secret of Chimneys (Superintendent Battle Book 1) (p. 106). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
What seems likes a simple errand to deliver a manuscript turns into a dangerous and perilous journey to right a wrong, find a jewel and crown a King. Anthony Cade undertakes the quest at the behest of his friend Jimmy McGrath and has soon run afoul of Superintendent Battle who is called into investigate the ensuing trouble.
The Secret of Chimneys is the first Superintendent Battle novel and introduces the intelligent, impassive and humorous, Superintendent Battle.
“You’re a man in a thousand, Battle. Either you have taken an extraordinary fancy to me or else you’re extraordinarily deep. Which is it?” Superintendent Battle smiled a little, but did not answer.
Christie, Agatha. The Secret of Chimneys (Superintendent Battle Book 1) (p. 168). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
As always with Agatha Christie, this was a well written mystery with decently complex characters and interesting motives. Battle was a great character. I liked his style - not quite as dramatic and flamboyant as Poirot and not as absent as Colonel Race. He chips away at the suspects and the evidence and uses his own little grey cells to solve the case. And I loved Anthony Cade's easy going nature and his humour and his interactions with Battle were hilarious.
“You know, sir,” he said, “you’ll get into trouble one of these days.” “Then, for the second time, I’m not to be taken into custody?” “We always like to give a man plenty of rope,” said Superintendent Battle. “Very delicately put,” said Anthony. “Without unduly stressing the end of the proverb.”
Christie, Agatha. The Secret of Chimneys (Superintendent Battle Book 1) (p. 209). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
I enjoyed how they worked together to solve the crime and how insistent Mrs Revel was on helping and not being left out. Although she was pretty funny in her own right.
“By the way, Mrs. Revel,” he ended, “I’ve never thanked you for imperilling your mortal soul by saying that I was an old friend of yours.” “Of course you’re an old friend,” cried Virginia. “You don’t suppose I’d lumber you with a corpse, and then pretend you were a mere acquaintance next time I met you? No, indeed!”
Christie, Agatha. The Secret of Chimneys (Superintendent Battle Book 1) (p. 147). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
I got a little confused by the ending - it got very convoluted and there were so many tangled threads. I actually kind of thought Mrs Revel would end up being King Victor - the crime lord. I figured out that Mr Fish was an imposter - but I thought he was going to be the guilty party - not another detective. Although I did guess that the French detective was guilty - I just wasn't sure what of. So it was a bit tangled in my mind, but I enjoyed the reveals.
A well plotted mystery. 3.5 stars, rounded to 3 stars.
Christie, Agatha. The Secret of Chimneys (Superintendent Battle Book 1) (p. 109).
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HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.I referred to Superintendent Battle of Scotland Yard. A man of the utmost discretion.
Christie, Agatha. The Secret of Chimneys (Superintendent Battle Book 1) (p. 106). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
What seems likes a simple errand to deliver a manuscript turns into a dangerous and perilous journey to right a wrong, find a jewel and crown a King. Anthony Cade undertakes the quest at the behest of his friend Jimmy McGrath and has soon run afoul of Superintendent Battle who is called into investigate the ensuing trouble.
The Secret of Chimneys is the first Superintendent Battle novel and introduces the intelligent, impassive and humorous, Superintendent Battle.
“You’re a man in a thousand, Battle. Either you have taken an extraordinary fancy to me or else you’re extraordinarily deep. Which is it?” Superintendent Battle smiled a little, but did not answer.
Christie, Agatha. The Secret of Chimneys (Superintendent Battle Book 1) (p. 168). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
As always with Agatha Christie, this was a well written mystery with decently complex characters and interesting motives. Battle was a great character. I liked his style - not quite as dramatic and flamboyant as Poirot and not as absent as Colonel Race. He chips away at the suspects and the evidence and uses his own little grey cells to solve the case. And I loved Anthony Cade's easy going nature and his humour and his interactions with Battle were hilarious.
“You know, sir,” he said, “you’ll get into trouble one of these days.” “Then, for the second time, I’m not to be taken into custody?” “We always like to give a man plenty of rope,” said Superintendent Battle. “Very delicately put,” said Anthony. “Without unduly stressing the end of the proverb.”
Christie, Agatha. The Secret of Chimneys (Superintendent Battle Book 1) (p. 209). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
I enjoyed how they worked together to solve the crime and how insistent Mrs Revel was on helping and not being left out. Although she was pretty funny in her own right.
“By the way, Mrs. Revel,” he ended, “I’ve never thanked you for imperilling your mortal soul by saying that I was an old friend of yours.” “Of course you’re an old friend,” cried Virginia. “You don’t suppose I’d lumber you with a corpse, and then pretend you were a mere acquaintance next time I met you? No, indeed!”
Christie, Agatha. The Secret of Chimneys (Superintendent Battle Book 1) (p. 147). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
I got a little confused by the ending - it got very convoluted and there were so many tangled threads. I actually kind of thought
A well plotted mystery. 3.5 stars, rounded to 3 stars.
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LibraryThing member leslie.98
I had completely forgotten this first Superintendent Battle mystery. Quite fun with Balkan politics, international jewel thieves, blackmail and possible impostors, not to mention a murder or two!
Hugh Fraser does a marvelous narration.
Hugh Fraser does a marvelous narration.
LibraryThing member graeme.bell3
Terrific AC novel. Outside Poirot/Marple novels Christie enjoys herself. Eastern Europe, Oil, Americans, jewel thieves and, best for last, Lady Eileen's some what lunatic driving. (LE's point of view:- They did not catch Grace Kelly) .
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
1925-06-01
Physical description
320 p.; 7.17 inches
ISBN
0007265212 / 9780007265213
Local notes
A young courier discovers that a gang of mercenaries will stop at nothing to retrieve the parcel he has been entrusted to deliver.
From the HarperCollins Crime Agatha Christie Facsimile Series. In boxed set 'The Early Years'. (1925, Battle).
From the HarperCollins Crime Agatha Christie Facsimile Series. In boxed set 'The Early Years'. (1925, Battle).