This was my introduction to Superintendent Battle, although he really isn’t featured in this story he is definitely present and Agatha Christie did write four more books in which he is included.

This is one of my favorite formats ala Christie, big country house, odd assortment of characters and of course a murder or two. This is a mystery with secret identities, stolen items, missing people and lots of suspects who just all happen to be in the same place at the same time!

My timing for reading this book could not have been more perfect for me. It’s a time of needing the familiar to wrap yourself into and find a little peace and comfort there. I’ve been a Dame Agatha Christie fan since I was ten or eleven and discovered there were more than just Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys solving crimes in literature.

First and foremost, I loved the way she played games with character names. As Lord Caterham stuffed ham in his mouth, or something like that, you just know there are going to be a few laughs in this story and there are. This contributes to the enjoyment of reading a very classic mystery story written by The Queen of Mystery.

Thank you to The Book Club Girls, Netgalley, William Morrow and, of course, to Agatha Christie.

I have read only a couple of Agatha Christie novels and I'm not sure why I've missed out. The Secret of Chimneys is a great read, full of twists and turns; just a great mystery. Thank you to Book Club Girls, NetGalley and William Morrow for the free Friday download.

Ms. Christie incorporates multiple characters into a charming tale about a memoir that promises to be incendiary along with letters that may be the cause of blackmail or worse. True to the time, the major characters all congregate at a manor home with all the accoutrements. Readers used to a detective, either professional or amateur will not find such here. True, there is a detective and although he is prominent in the story, he is not a major character. There is gentle humor and many turns which forces the reader to suspend disbelief, yet these occurrences do not distract from the story, but do cause one to pine for more gentle times when a lady could invite a stranger into her home and then proceed to enlist his help in disposing of a body. There are definite politically incorrect references but they seem in character with the time and relatively mild. The plot does become convoluted with perhaps too many twists and turns but in the end is satisfying if not completely plausible.

The Secrets of Chimney's is a classic Agatha Christie Novel.
I loved the characters and the setting.
This is a great who dunit that only Agatha Christie can write.

A delightful Agatha Christie mystery set in the English countryside with international intrigue. Charming characters with many twists and turns right up until the end.

How did I miss this gem during my teenage Obsessed With Agatha Christie Books phase? Reading this was a blissful return to the time when I was discovering Christie’s oeuvre.. When the story begins, we meet Anthony Cade who quickly becomes embroiled in a mystery/treasure hunt involving a manuscript and a packet of letters. The story expands to include the usual suspects in a Christie classic: a remote and opulent weekend home, untrustworthy characters and a hefty does of British humor. I was reminded of the recent book The Hunting Party and wonder if author Lucy Foley was inspired by this book. So glad I read it!

Agatha Christie is at her charming, mysterious self with The Secret of Chimneys. Led by Anthony Cade, a carefree man returning to England from Africa, a group of upper crust English gather at the Chimneys estate where they cheerfully confront the death of the heir to the throne of Herzoslovakia and the possibility that a notorious jewel thief is trying to steal back a gem from said country that is supposed to be at Chimneys. Virginia is a hoot, intrigued and amused by the scandal. That being said, pretty much everyone seems to be more caught up in the excitement of the events than concerned that a murderer is amongst them. This may come across as cavalier, but with the mood I was in when I read it made the book more entertaining for me. As usual, Christie integrates plot twists and secret identities that the reader is never expecting but is almost always likely to enjoy.

It’s been a long while since I have read an Agatha Christie novel, but The Secret of Chimneys happily reconnected me with this classic author. One of Christie’s earlier novels, Chimneys contains the large cast of characters for which she is known, this time brought together in a country manor where a foreign prince has been murdered following a scheme surrounding stolen memoirs. There are plenty of Christie’s trademarks: eccentric suspects, the taciturn detective, a budding romance, and surprise identities. The dialogue is sharp and witty, reminiscent of a screwball comedy from classic Hollywood, but one warning – some of the vernacular is politically incorrect by today’s standards, so keep in mind the era in which this gem is written.

Early Agatha Christie. Lots of twists & turns & interesting characters. The story includes romance, politics, theft and murder, all with a dose of humor. A bit fanciful with respect to the ending but light-hearted and fun. Overall, a good read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I had never read an Agatha Christie book before so I wasn't sure what to expect. It was a fun read that made me interested in reading more of her novels. The main character Anthony Cade helps a friend out by delivering something for him and it turns into a murder mystery that he is now part of. Unexpected conclusion which makes it that much better

I love Agatha Christie books and this one certainly didn't disappoint. It was a good, fun mixture of mystery and romance. I found the characters absolutely delightful.

Usually love Agatha Christie books, but this one did not keep my attention. Characters were interesting but not over the top where I would like to meet them.
Sad to give this OK review!

I was unfamiliar with the Superintendent Battle series prior to seeing this title offered on the Book Club Girl Facebook group but decided to give it a try since you can't go wrong with an Agatha Christie mystery. Originally published in 1925, some of the characters use phrases and have notions that are less than politically correct. While it was jarring, I can appreciate the decision to stick to the author's original text. The mystery was quite complex, involving multiple murders, false identities, and international intrigue. It felt a bit campier than some of the other works I've read by Christie. For example, one of the characters seemed positively giddy over the fact that she was in the midst of a murder investigation (ooh! how delightful!). The opening chapters seemed a bit disjointed to me, so it took a little time to get into the story. However, this eventually smoothed out and I enjoyed seeing how everything came together in the end. All in all, an enjoyable romp and a welcome bit of escapism. I'm glad I got a chance to read one of Christie's earlier works since it gives me an even greater appreciation for how she evolved as a writer and masterful storyteller over her long, brilliant career.

This review is based on the NetGalley ebook I received courtesy of William Morrow. Many thanks to both William Morrow and Book Club Girl for making this a free Friday pick!

This is a typical Agatha Christie novel where you think you figured it out, but you really haven’t. The main character seems like he is a scoundrel, but a likeable guy, who falls into a mystery surrounding love letters from a woman. This woman is well connected and couldn’t afford for the letters to become public, so our main character helps her out and thus begins the intrigue. Enter barons, financiers, foreign dignitaries, foreign investigators, high placed officials into the mix, and a murdered count into the mix all set at an English country estate.

I've never met an Agatha Christie novel I did not enjoy. That said, this is one of her earlier works and not one of my favorites. It's still a great read, but it pales in comparison to what's to come. A young man takes a job in the hopes of making a little money and finds himself in the middle of something way over his head. There's a murder mystery that involves the British upper class, a detective (no Poirot, but still), a huge country house, secrets, lies, red herrings, and all that good stuff that Christie is known for. I'm not sure I would start here if I were new to Agatha Christie....I would say start with And Then There Were None, The Body in the Library, or The A.B.C. Murders....but after you've read more of her, come back to this one and see what you think.

I have always loved Agatha Christie ever since I read "And then there were none" as a kid. This book is not the exception. Once again, her mystery skills delight me!

This was an older read from Book Club Girls.

I had a hard time concentrating on this book. It didn’t hold my interest as most mysteries do.

I have not read an Agatha Christie novel in a very long time. It is one of her classic murder mystery. I enjoy when I can read a book and I can't predict the ending--this book definitely kept me intrigued until the end.

The Secret of Chimneys is further proof that Agatha Christie is the Mystery Queen. In true Christie fashion, the story unfolds in a twisted plot full of suspects and led by likable detectives both amateur and from Scotland Yard. Anthony Cade is asked to delivery an autobiographical script by a former leader for a small European country for publication and is soon thrown into political intrigue as everyone wants the script. A secret society wants to stop its publication and the government wants to throw in its two cents. The small packet of letters that were to be returned to the writer leads him down futher dangerous avenues. Everyone is a suspect and Commander Battle plays his card close to the vest. Lightened up with humor and wit, the story is fast paced and the ending is still unexpected. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

This is my first Agatha Christie read her style of suspense, whodunnits, and character development is very intriguing. It’s a good story and the first of the Superintendent Battle Series. Thanks to Book Club Girl, NetGalley, and HarperCollins Publishers for an ebook copy. This is my honest review.