The Secret of Chimneys (1925), Christie's third novel, comes from the period when romance was almost as important to her as crime. Each of the guests at Chimneys, a country estate, is suspected of the murder of a foreign nobleman. Two of the accused, a young widowed aristocrat and a young man of seemingly dubious background, find themselves falling in love as they join forces to solve the case. Blackmail, a politician's memoirs, and a notorious thief, are mixed expertly into the highly entertaining plot. A French detective and a no-nonsense English cop seem to be prototypes for Hercule Poirot and Inspector Japp, who look into the puzzling death of Hercule's dentist in One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, from 1940. Hercule must solve the crime while preventing further deaths, with prominent financier Alistair Blunt a much-threatened target. As wonderful as Hugh Fraser is as Captain Hastings in the television adaptations of the Poirot tales, he is even better as the reader of both novels. Highly recommended for popular collections.-Michael Adams, CUNY Graduate Ctr. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
The Secret of Chimneys
Narrated by Gabrielle de Cuir
Agatha ChristieUnabridged — 9 hours, 27 minutes
The Secret of Chimneys
Narrated by Gabrielle de Cuir
Agatha ChristieUnabridged — 9 hours, 27 minutes
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Overview
Intrigue, espionage, mystery, and murder collide at a British country home in this captivating thriller from Agatha Christie.
Eager to leave his job as a tour guide in Africa, international vagabond Anthony Cade meets an old acquaintance, Jimmy McGrath, who offers him a small sum to dispatch an errand in England. McGrath is in possession of the memoirs of the recently deceased Count Stylptitch, former Prime Minister of the Balkan state of Herzoslovakia-a man deemed a dictator, a patriot, or a statesman, depending on which newspaper you prefer. His task is to deliver the count's manuscript to a certain firm of publishers in London and receive payment. Little does Cade suspect that a seemingly simple job will drop him right in the middle of an international conspiracy.
Just as the discovery of oil in Herzoslovakia creates extreme political turmoil between the nation's republican and royalist factions, Prince Michael, presumed heir to the throne of Herzoslovakia, is found murdered at a party at Chimneys, the historic home of Lord Caterham, where Cade happens to be a fellow attendee. Superintendent Battle of Scotland Yard arrives to lead the investigation, and although young Cade is cleared of suspicion, he has quite the role to play in the fallout of this assassination ...
As much a murder mystery as it is a treasure hunt, the tale is chock-full of impersonators, inspectors, riddles, and intrigue. Superintendent Battle, and the spirited “it” girl in the character of Lady Eileen “Bundle” Brent, are introduced into Christie's canon for the first time in The Secret of Chimneys, a first-class romp and one of her best early thrillers.
Editorial Reviews
Agatha Christie taught me two things: that plotting mysteries was an art and that a woman detective could be as strong a character as a male detective.”
Agatha Christie was a revolutionary writer, one of the first to make the detective story accessible, with clean, easy prose.
Will keep the reader guessing until the very end.
Hugh Fraser, known to aficionados of PBS's "Mystery" as Poirot's sidekick, Captain Hastings, is the narrator of this delightful story in which the combined forces of Scotland Yard and the French Surete can do no better than run in circles--until the final murder at Chimneys. Readers might think they’ve picked up a multivoiced performance when they meet Anthony Cade, the witty, and chivalrous hero who never loses his cool in sticky situations; the zealous politician George Lomax, hilarious in his pomposity; Herzoslovakian Baron Lolopretjzyl ,who does strange and amusing things to English word order; Prince Michael's gothic valet; the intelligent and sensible Superintendent Battle; Lady Eileen ("Bundle") Brent, who uncovers the "secret" of the title; and Virginia, who sounds so delicate but actually enjoys being blackmailed for the sake of the experience. Listen to this audiobook once for the mystery and parody and again for the wealth of Fraser’s smooth, cultured character presentations. K.A.T. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine
Hugh Fraser, known to aficionados of PBS's "Mystery" as Poirot's sidekick, Captain Hastings, is the narrator of this delightful story in which the combined forces of Scotland Yard and the French Surete can do no better than run in circles--until the final murder at Chimneys. Readers might think they’ve picked up a multivoiced performance when they meet Anthony Cade, the witty, and chivalrous hero who never loses his cool in sticky situations; the zealous politician George Lomax, hilarious in his pomposity; Herzoslovakian Baron Lolopretjzyl ,who does strange and amusing things to English word order; Prince Michael's gothic valet; the intelligent and sensible Superintendent Battle; Lady Eileen ("Bundle") Brent, who uncovers the "secret" of the title; and Virginia, who sounds so delicate but actually enjoys being blackmailed for the sake of the experience. Listen to this audiobook once for the mystery and parody and again for the wealth of Fraser’s smooth, cultured character presentations. K.A.T. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940178058183 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Blackstone Audio, Inc. |
| Publication date: | 05/17/2022 |
| Series: | The Superintendent Battle Series , #1 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
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