Rating: 
Summary: Christie's Bow To Gilbert & Sullivan
Review: "The Secret of Chimneys" has a plot worthy of a comic opera. Disguises, dewy romance, and comic relief. This is very early Christie (1925), and I think she let her girlish enthusiasm run away with her. I noted Ms. Christie, who developed a weight problem as a young woman, worships at the altar of skinniness. There are constant references to her heroines as being "gloriously slim." I couldn't help but smile.A mysterious manuscript and a bundle of letters are the focus of frantic attention by the British Foreign Ministry and the tiny Balkan country of Herzoslovokia. The stately English home, Chimneys, is the focus of where the agents, the intrigue, and the paperwork are supposed to arrive. A weekend party is hastily arranged, and we meet the characters: the loopy Lord, madcap daughter called "Bundles" (shudder), a beautiful woman, mysterious handsome stranger, young English oaf, Balkan prince and his entourage including an Igor-like manservant of frightening loyalty, stuffy politicos of English and Balkan stripe, a perfect butler, an odious American, an equally odious financier, and the stalwart Scotland Yard types. The prince is done away with in a mysterious manner. How anything could be "mysterious" at Chimneys amazes me because there was such a large cast, I would think no one had enough privacy to paint their fingernails, let alone murder someone. Much hiding behind doors, in bushes, and behind curtains ensues. The murderer is unveiled and a magnificently improbable finale marks the fall of the curtain. This is definitely one of Dame Agatha's lesser efforts. Her anti-semitism is particularly grating when she tries to put a humorous aspect upon it. The mystery is intricate, but by the time it is explained, I really didn't care that much. I would recommend giving "Chimneys" a pass.
Rating:
Summary: Christie's Bow To Gilbert & Sullivan
Review: "The Secret of Chimneys" has a plot worthy of a comic opera. Disguises, dewy romance, and comic relief. This is very early Christie (1925), and I think she let her girlish enthusiasm run away with her. I noted Ms. Christie, who developed a weight problem as a young woman, worships at the altar of skinniness. There are constant references to her heroines as being "gloriously slim." I couldn't help but smile. A mysterious manuscript and a bundle of letters are the focus of frantic attention by the British Foreign Ministry and the tiny Balkan country of Herzoslovokia. The stately English home, Chimneys, is the focus of where the agents, the intrigue, and the paperwork are supposed to arrive. A weekend party is hastily arranged, and we meet the characters: the loopy Lord, madcap daughter called "Bundles" (shudder), a beautiful woman, mysterious handsome stranger, young English oaf, Balkan prince and his entourage including an Igor-like manservant of frightening loyalty, stuffy politicos of English and Balkan stripe, a perfect butler, an odious American, an equally odious financier, and the stalwart Scotland Yard types. The prince is done away with in a mysterious manner. How anything could be "mysterious" at Chimneys amazes me because there was such a large cast, I would think no one had enough privacy to paint their fingernails, let alone murder someone. Much hiding behind doors, in bushes, and behind curtains ensues. The murderer is unveiled and a magnificently improbable finale marks the fall of the curtain. This is definitely one of Dame Agatha's lesser efforts. Her anti-semitism is particularly grating when she tries to put a humorous aspect upon it. The mystery is intricate, but by the time it is explained, I really didn't care that much. I would recommend giving "Chimneys" a pass.
Rating: 
Summary: Good But Not Memorable
Review: Agatha Christie's usual skill is evident here, but for some reason this book failed to interest me as much as other books by this author. Maybe the setting just didn't appeal to me personally. The characters are engaging, but I felt the romance overshadowed the mystery, so that when I finished the book I could hardly remember what it was about.
Rating: 
Summary: Improbable Plot But A Fun Read
Review: Chimneys is the palatial home of the Marquis of Caterham and his charming daughter Eileen, better known as Bundle. His good friend, George Lomax, a high-ranking official in the Foreign Office, arranges a hunting party to be held at Chimneys. The party is actually a cover for diplomatic intrigue. Before the party is too far along, Christie serves up murder, blackmail, romance, mysterious strangers, and a case of mistaken identity. There is also a bit of political information about a fictitious country called Herzoslovakia. This book is often confusing, definitely improbable, but always fun. I think that anyone who starts with this as their first Agatha Christie will not get a true picture of her work nor will they really see the depth of her genius. However, it is very enjoyable for confirmed Christie lovers. This book is notable for the introduction of Superintendent Battle of Scotland Yard, a man who will appear in several other Christie books including one of her very best, "Towards Zero."
Rating:
Summary: Improbable Plot But A Fun Read
Review: Chimneys is the palatial home of the Marquis of Caterham and his charming daughter Eileen, better known as Bundle. His good friend, George Lomax, a high-ranking official in the Foreign Office, arranges a hunting party to be held at Chimneys. The party is actually a cover for diplomatic intrigue. Before the party is too far along, Christie serves up murder, blackmail, romance, mysterious strangers, and a case of mistaken identity. There is also a bit of political information about a fictitious country called Herzoslovakia. This book is often confusing, definitely improbable, but always fun. I think that anyone who starts with this as their first Agatha Christie will not get a true picture of her work nor will they really see the depth of her genius. However, it is very enjoyable for confirmed Christie lovers. This book is notable for the introduction of Superintendent Battle of Scotland Yard, a man who will appear in several other Christie books including one of her very best, "Towards Zero."
Rating: 
Summary: ANOTHER THRILLER
Review: I enjoyed this book. I thought it was interesting and well-written, but there was a flaw. I just couldn't remember who was who. What with 16 different characters, most with odd names impossible to pronounce, it was hard. But I truly liked this, and think you should read it.
Rating:
Summary: Falls between two chairs
Review: If "The Secret of Chimneys" was supposed to be a comedy, it's not funny enough; and if it was supposed to be a thriller, it's not tense and dramatic and mysterious enough. I'm not sure whether to attribute its problems to lack of skill on Agatha Christie's part or the expectations of the time it was written, though I lean towards the former.
Basically, Anthony Cade jumps at the opportunity to involve himself in the convoluted goings-on surrounding the political future of an imaginary Balkans kingdom, saving the day with good old English pluck amongst a succession of silly characters and foreseeable plot "twists". Tommy Beresford works as a character, Anthony Cade doesn't. It's a very personal thriller, with mighty events hanging upon the actions of one man; perhaps an attractive idea in the 1920s, but one that doesn't sit well these days.
A curiosity more than anything else.
Rating:
Summary: Everything But the Kitchen Sink
Review: If Agatha Christie's THE SECRET OF CHIMNEYS had been written in the 1890s instead of the 1920s, we might actually regard it as a classic of its kind. Instead, it is best regarded as something of a cultural curiosity. The English of Christie's age and background tended to have an 'Empire' mentality, and a sense of national and racial superiority was often the result--and it is seen in the works of many English mystery writers of the 1920s and 1930s. (Dorothy Sayers is particularly notable for a patronizing anti-Semitism.) Unlike some of her contemporaries, Christie would eventually outgrow the mindset--but CHIMNEYS shows her at her most xenophobic, taking swipes at unpolished colonials, Jews, and those troublesome little Balkan states, to name but a few. That said, the plot centers on a monarchy's possible return to power in one of the aforesaid Balkan states--and it offers us everything but the kitchen sink. There are mysterious memoirs, scandalous letters, blackmail, missing jewels, secret passages, a body in a trunk, and gunshots at night. Ultimately, the novel reads like the basis for a Marx Brothers movie that every one thought better of. But it does have one or two charms, and the primary one is a handful of entertaining characters that stand out against the otherwise cardboardish creations that people the novel: the spirited and charming Virginia Revel, the eternally anxious Lord Caterham, and Caterham's "bright young thing" daughter 'Bundle.' And the absurd plot itself has its own odd sort of fascination: you can't help wondering what silly thing Christie will throw at you next. This is really a book more for established fans who will be interested in the writer's earlier and more obscure titles. But for newcomers interested in the same period, I would recommend THE SECRET ADVERSARY, which offers the same convoluted and often ridiculous plot but does so with tremendous humor, spirit, and more memorable characters. --GFT (Amazon.com Reviewer)--
Rating:
Summary: Everything But the Kitchen Sink
Review: If Agatha Christie's THE SECRET OF CHIMNEYS had been written in the 1890s instead of the 1920s, we might actually regard it as a classic of its kind. Instead, it is best regarded as something of a cultural curiosity. The English of Christie's age and background tended to have an 'Empire' mentality, and a sense of national and racial superiority was often the result--and it is seen in the works of many English mystery writers of the 1920s and 1930s. (Dorothy Sayers is particularly notable for a patronizing anti-Semitism.) Unlike some of her contemporaries, Christie would eventually outgrow the mindset--but CHIMNEYS shows her at her most xenophobic, taking swipes at unpolished colonials, Jews, and those troublesome little Balkan states, to name but a few. That said, the plot centers on a monarchy's possible return to power in one of the aforesaid Balkan states--and it offers us everything but the kitchen sink. There are mysterious memoirs, scandalous letters, blackmail, missing jewels, secret passages, a body in a trunk, and gunshots at night. Ultimately, the novel reads like the basis for a Marx Brothers movie that every one thought better of. But it does have one or two charms, and the primary one is a handful of entertaining characters that stand out against the otherwise cardboardish creations that people the novel: the spirited and charming Virginia Revel, the eternally anxious Lord Caterham, and Caterham's "bright young thing" daughter 'Bundle.' And the absurd plot itself has its own odd sort of fascination: you can't help wondering what silly thing Christie will throw at you next. This is really a book more for established fans who will be interested in the writer's earlier and more obscure titles. But for newcomers interested in the same period, I would recommend THE SECRET ADVERSARY, which offers the same convoluted and often ridiculous plot but does so with tremendous humor, spirit, and more memorable characters. --GFT (Amazon.com Reviewer)--
Rating:
Summary: What FUN!
Review: Let's be clear: this book is a NOVEL....The Ingram review isn't much better: yes, there's a beautiful woman and a stolen diamond in the story, but she has nothing to do with the theft. In some ways, this is classic Christie, complete with nefarious goings-on in the grand country home, swarthy-looking foreigners, a beautiful heroine, a manly hero, the mysterious dead body, etc., etc. What raises it above the rest (and makes it one of my favorite Christie books) is that there is an unusual amount of HUMOR in the book, and more than a dollop of romance. And it's clever, altho' the "who-dun-it" is a bit obvious by the end. However, this is one book worth reading for what happens BETWEEN the crime and the revelation of the crook. For budding Christie fans, you should know that "Chimneys" features some of the same characters found in "The Seven Dials Mystery," including the young Lady Eileen Brent (aka, "Bundle"), her long-suffering father Lord Caterham, the over-earnest George Lomax, and Bill Eversleigh - who marries Bundle at the end of "Seven Dials" but is infatuated elsewhere in this volume. Crime-solving is by the impassive Inspector Battle, another one of Christie's recurring characters. A delicious read for a rainy week-end or a day at the beach.
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