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Loading... The Secret of Chimneys (1925)by Agatha Christie
   Books Read in 2017 (3,054) In and About the 1920s (156) » 7 more Books Read in 2018 (3,533) Books Read in 2022 (3,897) Agatha Christie (2) Detective Stories (176) Books About Murder (259) No current Talk conversations about this book. DNF - am usually willing to overlook how uncomfortable I am with some of the attitudes AC has, these things being a product of their time, but in return I usually get some sharp plotting and the occasional touch of characterisation. But I just cannot hack her in thriller mode. I get to feel dirty AND bored. Not for me, sorry. (  ) Helen.Callaghan | Aug 28, 2023 |  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). 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. (  ) funstm | Aug 6, 2023 | 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. (  ) leslie.98 | Jun 27, 2023 | 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) . ( ) graeme.bell3 | Apr 6, 2023 | I enjoyed this. Christie takes her time gathering the premises of the situation and the consort of characters, but this was fine for me. It wasn’t long before the first mysterious corpse appeared, and from then on, things moved along. The protagonist, Anthony Cade, is attractive, adventurous, and mysterious. His love interest, Virginia Revel, has enough spunk to match; she was my favorite character. The other characters fill their roles well for the most part, except for three who are pure stereotype: Lord Caterham, the effete, skittish proprietor of Chimneys (a confusing name for an estate), George Lomax, a blustering government type (think Lummox), and Isaacstein, the financier. In the last case, the stereotype is uncomfortably anti-semitic. There’s the requisite amount of misdirects (drawing my suspicion first to one, then to another) and details mentioned early on, then forgotten until brought back as part of the denouement. And, of course, all are gathered in a room for the big reveal (well, almost all—nice touch), leading to a satisfying conclusion. All that with neither Poirot nor Miss Marple, yet undeniably Agatha Christie. ( ) HenrySt123 | Mar 18, 2023 | no reviews | add a review
Belongs to SeriesBelongs to Publisher SeriesIs contained inMurder in the Manor: Murder at Hazelmoor, The Secret of Chimneys, The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie Agatha Christie Crime Collection: Five Little Pigs, The Secret of Chimneys, Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie 1920's Agatha Christie, Vol. 2: The Man in the Brown Suit / The Secret of Chimneys / Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie 1920s Omnibus: The Secret Adversary, The Man in the Brown Suit, The Secret of Chimneys, The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie Agatha Christie Omnibus: Murder on the Links / The Secret of Chimneys / The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie Has the adaptation
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. No library descriptions found. 
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 Google Books — Loading...GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.912Literature English & Old English literatures English fiction Modern Period 1901-1999 1901-1945LC ClassificationRatingAverage: (3.56)
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