Reviews with content warning for Xenophobia - Le Secret de Chimneys

“After all, that was what one came abroad for - to see all these peculiar things one reads about in books.”

This book starts in Bulawayo. It is the second time Agatha Christie writes about this location.
Anthony Cade is asked to bring the memoirs of Count Stylptitch and to return some letters to Virginia Revel. The Comrades of the Red Hand as well as the Loyalist Party are trying to get the memoirs from Cade. On top of all that, he also finds himself in the middle of a murder mystery.

The story was a bit confusing because I found it hard to separate the Comrades of the Red Hand from the Loyalist Party. But still found it an entertaining book. One thing I found disturbing is how some characters talked about black people.
“Merciful God in heaven! He has married a black woman in Africa! Come, come, it’s not so bad as all that. She’s white enough - white all through, bless her.”
I mean, this was written in 1925, so we cannot really judge that time by our current standards. But reading it was still quiet disturbing.

“It’s awful, but I never really look at them properly.”
The servants and the so-called "lesser" people are usually ignored. Nobody really notices them, which gives them anonymity. In this case, Varaga took advantage of that.

Content Warnings

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adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This is the last Agatha I read when I was poorly and it is such a romp. It has it all lords, ladies, princes, policemen, spies, blackmail, adventurers, government officials, communists. There is a lot of love for the gentry which can be a bit hard to swallow and the frequent and nasty xenophobia when describing any 'foreigner' is pretty horrendous to say the least, but the main characters are clearly drawn and compelling and the convoluted plot is a real page-turner. I especially enjoyed the reluctant host who kept bring interrupted before breakfast to his deep chagrin by the pompous politician George as well as the ever charming Virginia Revel. Don't look at the plot too closely and just enjoy being swept along for the ride.

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