The Secret of Chimneys

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 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. ( )

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 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. ( )

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. 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.

Un prince déchu sollicite l'appui des Britanniques pour reconquérir son petit royaume des Balkans. À Paris, un de ses anciens ministres meurt laissant un manuscrit qui contient des révélations explosives sûr la famille royale. Anthony Cade est chargé de le remettre à un éditeur tandis que les services secrets anglais aussi bien que les opposants lu prince souhaiteraient l'intercepter... C'est dans le cadre somptueux du manoir de Chimneys que vont se retrouver les protagonistes de cette ténébreuse affaire. dans ce livre publié en 1925, Agatha Christie utilise avec humour les ressorts du roman l'espionnage pour ménager un de ces huis clos criminels dont elle a le secret

As I work my way though these, I feel very much like I do when I read Sherlock Holmes novels. What seems so simple and contrived today was fairly revolutionary for its time. This was full of seriously silly dialogue and lots of 'What ho! Better luck next time!' when the villain escapes, but nevertheless, good fun to read. I love what is now known as the Agatha Christie ending, when the entire cast is gathered in a room for the final flourish, at which point all is revealed. ( )