It's got that Christie oddball strangeness you find in some of her more outlandish books - the plot goes to some weird places - but the tone and atmosphere are so well done, and the personalities are so distinct and, “What a lot of funny people it does take to make a world.”, “When I want to get anywhere, I usually do.”, Clement Edward Alistair Brent, Lord Caterham. The review concluded: "There is more than murder in this story; there is a treasure hunt in it, not for gold but a diamond, and the story is suitably staged for the main part at Chimneys, that historic mansion whose secret will be found in Chapter XXIX, though the wise in these matters may have discovered it a little earlier". The Secret of Chimneys was adapted by Christie into a stage play in 1931 but its planned performance was cancelled. There are huge gaps in the story line and the end is dull. [4], The reviewer for The Observer wrote on 28 June 1925: "Mrs Christie plunges lightheartedly into a real welter of murders, innocently-implicated lookers-on, Balkan politics (of the lighter Ruritanian kind), impersonators, secret societies, ciphers, experts, secret hiding-places, detectives (real and pretended), and emerges triumphantly at the end, before her readers are too hopelessly befogged. 2001 Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of. The next heir to the throne, Nicholas, cousin to Michael, was raising money on his expectations in America. (I have to blame this on my sis; she used to feed me Christie's stories when we were alone in our room at night with the lights turned off etc - and when images of dead bodies and children being murdered while bobbing for apples can be quite traumatising and scar one for life:D). Inhabitants of "Chimneys" and guests at the house party, The Times Literary Supplement reviewed the novel in its issue of 9 July 1925 and, after setting up the story, stated favourably that "there is ... a thick fog of mystery, cross-purposes and romance, which leads up to a most unexpected and highly satisfactory ending". John Lane, then publisher at Bodley Head, had replied that if anyone wished to pay that much for Christie's novels, they were welcome to her. This is maybe the fourth time I've read The Secret of Chimneys. Published Check out the movies and shows we're excited about this month, including "Star Trek: Discovery" and After We Collided. A lavish weekend party sees Miss Marple accompany Lady Virginia Revel to her family home of Chimneys - a house which was once prized for its diplomatic gatherings until a rare diamond was stolen from the premises over twenty years ago. The Secret of Chimneys (Superintendent Battle Book 1), Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2017. Miss Marple attends a party at Chimneys, a historic country house, where a fellow guest reveals plans to buy the estate but is shot dead during the night. Out of these well-worn parts, Christie melds a lively story, playful, tongue in cheek, suspenseful, romantic, adventurous and just plain fun. Soon after she married my son, whom she had met in Mesopotamia while he was working under Sir Leonard Woolley. The world of detectives and fiction writing gas changed so much since then. It was clearly written with a lighthearted mood, and should be read in the same spirit for maximum enjoyment. Cade and Fish solve the conundrum; it points to a rose on the grounds, where the Koh-i-Noor is subsequently recovered. The combined forces of Scotland Yard and the French Surete can do no better than go in circles – until the final murder at Chimneys, the great country estate that yields up an amazing secret. Cade slips out to Dover, to find an address on a slip of paper given him by Boris Anchoukoff, valet to the late prince. A life long Agatha Christie fan I found this one quite boring. Sadly, the adaptation lacked the playful and witty charm of the book.So overall, not a complete waste of time but disappointing. The most recent review says the novel requires a hefty suspension of disbelief. The UK edition retailed at seven shillings and sixpence (7/6)[3] and the US edition at $2.00.[2]. Instead, in Chapter 19, Superintendent Battle says: "Just over seven years ago, there was a lot what they called reconstruction going on especially in the Near East." I found the ending to be ridiculous and pretty implausible. Here are the 25 most promising TV and... What to Watch Now on HBO Max and the HBO App, Music title data, credits, and images provided by, Movie title data, credits, and poster art provided by. Young Lomax Laura O'Toole. Virginia, the daughter of Miss Marple's late cousin, must decide by the end of the weekend whether to accept a marriage proposal from George Lomax or to follow her heart and the courtship of another more adventurous suitor, Anthony Cade. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. Secondly, I had personal feelings in the matter of the hero. This was the first Superintendent Battle and he is the epitome of the British stiff upper lip- an impassive mask of a face in the most disastrous situations . Anthony Cade, British-educated adventurer, down on his luck when the novel opens; 32 years old, and 14 years since he was last in England. With Julia McKenzie, Ian Weichardt, Laura O'Toole, Robert Dunbar. In the library, Boris finds Miss Brun with a pistol, as she means to kill him and get the jewel. Eversleigh Adam Godley. While Inspector Battle would only appear in a further four novels, Collins (later HarperCollins) would remain Christie's publisher for the rest of her life. I'd really call it an Adventure book. Hmph. Anthony Cade agrees to undertake a commission for an old friend but he soon finds himself involved in something much more complex and more serious than he expected. But honestly, he is not even needed in this story since once again another person solves the crimes that are central to this story. Miss Marple Ian Weichardt. These promotions will be applied to this item: Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. Just for the record, I don't mind changes to books, as long as the spirit is maintained. Little did Anthony suspect that a simple errand to deliver the manuscript on behalf of his friend would drop him right in the middle of an international conspiracy, and he begins to realize that it has placed him in serious danger. His final decision on the novel overall was that it was "By far the least awful of the early thrillers. This was quite enjoyable, but it seemed a bit long winded and not so enjoyable as previous stories by this author. Looking for some great streaming picks? The elements of the story were, in her era, commonplace in novels, both serious and humorous, mystery and adventure: the hero of mysterious origins who gets a kick out of danger, the lovely ladies, each adored by multiple admirers, the beleaguered Master of the House, a murder or two to spice the story, strange foreigners who are up to no good, stiff necked officials, a solid representative of law and order who must be avoided if possible, and others too humorous to mention (sic!). Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free. Angèle Mory, former dancer at the Folies Bergère, jewel thief with King Victor's gang, later Queen Varaga of Herzoslovakia [Miss Brun, French governess to the Brent girls]. Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2019. In his analysis of Christie's Notebooks published in 2010 and 2012, Christie expert and archivist John Curran wrote that "a hefty suspension of disbelief is called for if some aspects of the plot are to be accepted. Virginia Revel, cousin of George Lomax, daughter of a peer, society beauty and young widow of Timothy Revel, former British envoy to Herzoslovakia; she is 27 years old. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, The Secret of Chimneys (Agatha Christie Mysteries Collection), The Seven Dials Mystery (Agatha Christie Mysteries Collection), Cards on the Table: Hercule Poirot Investigates (Hercule Poirot Mysteries), © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. The fictional country of Herzoslovakia makes a return appearance in the short story The Stymphalean Birds which was first published in the April 1940 issue of the Strand Magazine and later appeared in the 1947 collection The Labours of Hercules. The world of detectives and fiction writing gas changed so much since then. Read it yourself and find out. Little did Anthony suspect that a simple errand to deliver the manuscript on behalf of his friend would drop him r. A bit of adventure and quick cash is all that good-natured drifter Anthony Cade is looking for when he accepts a messenger job from an old friend. I sort of anticipate, Finished it in one day. Dismayed by the odd array of guests, including socialist spinster Miss Blenkinsopp, Caterham's formidable eldest daughter Bundle and the quietly inscrutable maidservant Treadwell, Lomax castigates his affable assistant Bill Eversleigh, who also has a soft spot for Virginia. Only the best narrators can "do" all the voices both distinctly and convincingly, especially the opposite sex. Virtually nobody is who they are supposed to be and the plot is almost too involved to explain. Cade introduces the real M Lemoine to the group, while Hiram Fish snares King Victor, who has been posing as the French detective and in America as Nicholas. Quite fun with Balkan politics, international jewel thieves, blackmail and possible impostors, not to mention a murder or two! We've got you covered with the buzziest new releases of the day. Lastly came The Hollow, a book dear to me as revealing her artistic, simple and sincere temperament. I loved the scenery and costumes as well as the photography, while the house itself was amazing. Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2019. I find little to add to the positive reviews of this early light-hearted effort by (later) Dame Agatha. © 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. They struggle; the gun goes off in her hand, killing her. shanty_sleuth, I am a huge fan of Agatha Christie, both her books and most of the adaptations based on her stories. We hoped to find the packet of code letters in his house, but it appea. The Radio Times observed that this production was "classic Agatha Christie, even though it's only distantly related to her original ... purists will be utterly flummoxed – and the plot has more holes in it than the murder victim".[18]. I re read this after a gap of ten years. 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), Murder Is Easy (Agatha Christie Collection), Towards Zero (Agatha Christie Collection).