If you are fascinated by political intrigue, then you’ll enjoy The Secret of Chimneys. The story begins with a chance meeting between adventurers Anthony Cade and Jimmy McGrath in the Rhodesian bush. McGrath is on his way to search for gold in Africa, and asks his friend if he’d like to run two errands for him in London.
The first favor involves delivering the memoirs of Count Stylptitch of Herzoslovakia to his publisher for 1,000 pounds. McGrath had rescued the Count from a street assault in Paris, and upon his recent death, the Count had asked that McGrath safely see his manuscript delivered. The second request McGrath asks of Cade is to relieve a woman named Virginia Revel of a blackmail scheme. McGrath had procured the blackmail letters from a dying man who asked him to keep up the scheme, but McGrath only wanted to put the woman’s fears to rest. Cade, being the free spirit that his is, agrees to both tasks.
On his first night in London, Cade receives three unexpected visitors. The first, a baron from Herzoslovakia, pleads with Cade to sell him the Count’s memoirs for twice the payoff. The Baron is concerned the publication of the memoirs would harm the country’s plan to restore its monarchy by putting Prince Michael Obolovitch on the throne. Cade refuses.
His next visitor, a member of the Comrades of the Red Hand, demands the manuscript at gunpoint. The group does not want the monarchy restored. Cade is able to kick the revolver out of the man’s hand and he flees off into the night. Cade has to defend himself one last time after he discovers a waiter named Giuseppe rifling through his things in the middle of the night. Cade once again manages to scare away his knife-wielding invader, but not before Giuseppe makes off with the blackmail letters.
Cade manages to complete his first task – delivering the manuscript to the publishers – after a harrowing evening and embarks upon his second task – letting Virginia Revel know about the blackmail scheme. Upon meeting her, Cade is stunned when she asks him for a favor instead – disposing of the dead body in her study, which Cade is equally astonished to find is that of Giuseppe.
And we’re not even at Chimneys, a sprawling country estate, yet. Cade and Virginia Revel head there next after finding a note reading “Chimneys 11:45 Thursday” in Giuseppe’s pocket. Murder and political intrigue follow them into the country, and if you didn’t have enough to keep track of, a jewel thief who goes by the name King Victor, is thrown in for good measure.
This has been my least favorite Agatha Christie mystery so far. I had a really hard time following all of the different offshoots of the story, and I thought the premise of Herzoslovakia was a bit far-fetched. This novel seemed so different in tone and storyline structure, and I felt like she was trying to put too many cases into one novel. I will give Dame Agatha credit for throwing in an unexpected twist at the very end that left me with a bit of satisfaction.
I give The Secret of Chimneys one out of five stars. I don’t expect to be this disappointed very often in the rest of my journey.
