I've spent most of my life looking for trouble... Perhaps, this time, I've got a little more than I bargained for.
The Secret of Chimneys
by Agatha Christie
Genre: Murder Mystery
About: Anthony Cade is on a mission: to deliver a controversial manuscript, and some indiscreet letters. They're two seemingly unrelated documents, but in the wrong hands both could cause untold damage. Princes, thieves and government officials chase Cade down for the papers. Trouble is, he keeps stumbling across dead bodies...
The Good
I really enjoyed the characters in this one. It reads like a screwball comedy and reminded me a lot of His Girl Friday. The dialogue is whip-fast and the characters make light of every situation - turning blackmail, murder, civil war and thievery into a fun ride that entertains them as much as the reader. There are so many memorable characters that, as usual with Christie, you're never quite sure who they really are but as well as being mysterious they're all just really funny. I loved Lord Caterham, found Battle an interesting detective and was genuinely charmed by Virginia.
The Bad
I didn't care about the murders or the mysteries behind them. The lost jewels, the potential scandals from the manuscript and the monarchy question were issues that mattered to the plot, but had no hold on me. I was there for the characters, and most of the characters were only mildly interested in getting to the solution.
The Somewhat Iffy
The connection between the manuscript and the letters seemed a huge coincidence, especially how they both came into Cade's possession. In fact there were a lot of coincidences and too many characters in disguise that it could have been Scooby-Doo hour.
Overall
This was pure nonsense that was a lot of fun to read. The spy thriller/murder mystery elements were a bit weak for me, but the comedy and the characters were a real vibe.
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