What is The Secret of Chimneys? A young drifter finds out when a favor for a friend pulls him into the heart of a deadly conspiracy in this captivating classic from Agatha Christie.
Little did Anthony Cade suspect that an errand for a friend would place him at the center of a deadly conspiracy. Drawn into a web of intrigue, he begins to realize that the simple favor has placed him in serious danger.
As events unfold, the combined forces of Scotland Yard and the French Sûreté gradually converge on Chimneys, the great country estate that hides an amazing secret. . . .
About the Author :
Dame Agatha Christie (1890-1976) was a British crime writer best known for her detective novels and short stories. According to Guinness World Records, she is the bestselling novelist of all time, her novels having sold over two billion copies and having been translated into more than one hundred languages. The Agatha Award for best mystery and crime writers was named in her honor.
Hugh Fraser, an Earphones Award-winning narrator, is an English actor and theater director who is best known for his portrayal of Captain Hastings in the television series Agatha Christie's Poirot. He studied acting at Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and is an associate tutor, director, and member of the audition panel at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, specializing in Shakespeare.
Review :
"The Secret of Chimneys, Christie's third novel, comes from the period when romance was almost as important to her as crime. Each of the guests at Chimneys, a country estate, is suspected of the murder of a foreign nobleman. Two of the accused, a young widowed aristocrat and a young man of seemingly dubious background, find themselves falling in love as they join forces to solve the case...As wonderful as Hugh Fraser is as Captain Hastings in the television adaptations of the Poirot tales, he is even better as the reader...Highly recommended for popular collections."
-- "Library Journal (starred audio review)"
"Hugh Fraser, known to aficionados of PBS' Mystery as Poirot's sidekick, Captain Hastings, is the narrator of this delightful story in which the combined forces of Scotland Yard and the French Surete can do no better than run in circles--until the final murder at Chimneys. Readers might think they've picked up a multivoiced performance when they meet Anthony Cade, the witty, and chivalrous hero who never loses his cool in sticky situations; the zealous politician George Lomax, hilarious in his pomposity; Herzoslovakian Baron Lolopretjzyl, who does strange and amusing things to English word order; Prince Michael's gothic valet; the intelligent and sensible Superintendent Battle; Lady Eileen "Bundle" Brent, who uncovers the 'secret' of the title; and Virginia, who sounds so delicate but actually enjoys being blackmailed for the sake of the experience. Listen to this audiobook once for the mystery and parody and again for the wealth of Fraser's smooth, cultured character presentations."
-- "AudioFile"
"It is an exciting story with a bewildering array of potential murderers and a curious collection of detectives, amateur and professional, and with a crook of international importance and (alleged) consummate ability."
-- "Scotsman (Edinburgh)"
"There is...a thick fog of mystery, cross-purposes, and romance, which leads up to a most unexpected and highly satisfactory ending."
-- "Times Literary Supplement (London)"
"Will keep the reader guessing until the very end."
-- "Literary Review (London)"
