The Secret of Chimneys

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.