The Secret of Chimneys
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The Secret of Chimneys (published in 1925) is a detective novel written by Agatha Christie. It introduces the character of Superintendent Battle.
[edit] Plot
Anthony Cade is working in South Africa, where he is approached by an old friend, Jimmy McGrath. McGrath wants Cade to deliver the memoirs of a Count Stylptitch to a publishing company in London, for which he would be paid. Also, McGrath obtained letters written by a Virginia Revel, for which she could be blackmailed. One of the letters was sent from Chimneys, a mansion where British politicians and high society congregate. McGrath asked Cade to return these letters to Mrs. Revel.
When Cade gets to London, he is approached by different people who want to get their hands on the memoirs. These people are involved in the politics of Herzoslovakia. a (fictional) balkan state. They either want to reinstate the monarchy, or prevent this. Since the memoir is suspected to implicate the new king, the one side wants to prevent the publication, while the other side wants to make sure that the memoir is published in its entirety.
In a second development, the British government is also interested in supporting the aspiring king, who plans to grant oil concessions to a British syndicate. In order to facilitate these plans, a weekend meeting of politicians and financiers involved is arranged at Chimneys. To make for a lighter atmosphere, a few socialites, amongst them Virginia Revel, are invited as well. Furthermore, the government is also aware of the memoir, and contacts Anthony Cade, inviting him to Chimneys, with the intent of convincing him to not hand the memoir to the publisher.
Things get moving after the letters are stolen from Cade. When he arranges to meet Virginia Revel at her home, the thief is found at her place, shot dead. Revel and Cade get acquainted, and Cade suggests that they displose of the body, because a police investigation would prevent Revel from getting to Chimneys. While Revel takes an early evening train, Cade arrives late at night, explores around the mansion, hears a gunshot, does not find any further hints, and takes a room at a local inn.
The following morning finds the aspiring king dead in his room at chimneys, killed at the same time that Cade was around the place, with obvious tracks of his boots on the grounds.
Over the course of the following days, it becomes clear that another person is also interested in Chimneys: Many years ago, a valuable diamond was stolen and hidden at Chimes, and the prime suspect has recently been released from prison.
Superintendent Battle, called from Scotland Yard, has to sort through the possible motives of political assasination, rival oil interests, possible contenders to the throne and diamond thiefs in order to find the murder, maintain British interests and secure the diamond.
The final surprise of the novel comes in the relevation, that Anthony Cade is next in succession for the Herzoslovakian throne.
[edit] Trivia
Christie used the Chimneys mansion, along with some of the characters in this book in a later mystery called The Seven Dials Mystery.
