The Secret of Chimneys

Anthony Cade, a quick-witted rogue spending some time working as a tour guide in Zimbabwe, meets a friend who hands him a manuscript with instructions to deliver it to its publishers in London. Cade agrees, and quickly discovers that the manuscript is desperately sought after by high-level dignitaries—and revolutionaries—of the country of Herzoslovakia.

As he does his best to complete his task in bustling London, he soon finds himself a guest of one Lord Caterham for a weekend party at his country estate, Chimneys. Chimneys, legendary for its long history of esteemed guests ranging from politicians to business magnates to royalty, is an ideal location for a murder mystery: it’s palatial, filled with secret rooms, and surrounded by rolling country. Sure enough, without delay one of the guests is murdered, kicking off a series of fast-paced intrigues as local and international police, led by Superintendent Battle, try to snag the killer—all while a famed French jewel thief seems to be lurking among them.

The Secret of Chimneys was a well-received entry in Agatha Christie’s canon, and is often considered among her best early thrillers. Events unfold quickly, the plot is thick with misdirection and secret identities, and the ending is unexpected while simultaneously putting a neat bow on the futures of the witty and charming main characters. This is the novel in which Superintendent Battle, a character Christie returns to often, is introduced.