In "The Secret of Chimneys," tour guide Anthony Cade becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue, murder, and hidden identities while delivering a mysterious package tied to a royal scandal
The novel "The Secret of Chimneys" by Agatha Christie, also known as "Secrets of the Chimneys," was first published in 1925 in the United Kingdom. The story revolves around a young man, an English-born tour guide in Africa, who unexpectedly meets an old friend who requests a rather strange favor: to deliver a package containing old letters belonging to former prime ministers of a kingdom called Hirsoslovakia.
Main Character:
- Anthony Cade: The tour guide
- James McGrath: The tour guide's friend
- The Supervisor: Battle
- Lady: Elin
The events of "The Secret of Chimneys" center around Anthony Cade, the tour guide, who coincidentally meets an old friend who asks him for a favor that initially seems easy. However, once he accepts, Anthony finds himself embroiled in numerous mishaps despite the reward promised to him upon completion of the task, but the difficulty of the mission turns out to be far greater than expected.
When Anthony Cade arrives in London, he is visited by someone who, through their conversation, reveals that they are part of a criminal gang intending to steal the writings and the package he was responsible for delivering. The second task he was responsible for involved delivering important letters to a woman named Virginia Revel. Upon reaching her, he is shocked to find a body; he recognizes it as the Italian waiter who was with the man from the criminal gang who had stolen one of Virginia's letters. It becomes apparent that the waiter had intended to blackmail her with these letters for money, but she was also surprised by his murder next to her house and decides to deny any connection to those messages.
Throughout the events of "The Secret of Chimneys," Anthony Cade discovers a note written among the letters in the package, stating Chimneys 11.45. When he reaches the designated place, he hears gunshots and finds the body of Prince Michael, who is the official heir to the throne of Hirsoslovakia and was in Cheminez to attend a party hosted by Lord Caterham, a political friend of George Lomax, who is related to Virginia. Here, Anthony Cade finds himself accused of a complete murder charge; fortunately for him, the investigator does not believe that the tour guide is the culprit, but even so, he lacks evidence to prove otherwise.
The French investigator arrives on the scene, and things become more complicated. The investigator's primary goal is not just to solve the crime but to track down a thief named King Victor, who stole a diamond gem from the Tower of London years ago. After searching the records, they find that he was released a few months ago from a prison in Paris and is likely to return to the kingdom of Cheminez to retrieve the diamond he buried. In "The Secret of Chimneys," it is suggested that the wanted thief might be among the guests at Lord Caterham's party, disguised, and it becomes the responsibility of both the investigator and Cade to find the murderer to exonerate him from the charges. Do you think that the journey to deliver the package to the former prime minister was an easy task for Anthony Cade?
