Reviews

Le Secret de Chimneys by Agatha Christie

dknippling's review against another edition

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4.0

Really goofy. A couple of nice sub-twists. Princes! Foreign conspiracies! Lost diamonds! Oh my! Christie throws the kitchen sink into this book.

kaiserlich's review against another edition

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mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I thought that the plot was very convoluted and not gonna lie, I still don’t really know what was going on with that monarchy stuff. I also found the main character particularly unlikeable and the other characters overall uninteresting. I liked the beginning a lot but it all fell apart for me in the end. Also this is the second book in a row that I read where Agatha decided to throw in some blatant racism which was weird. 

iagonizing's review against another edition

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2.0

I think i much prefer Hercule Poirot series over these kinds of stories. There is waaaaay too many characters to keep track of, and the plot is so convoluted. There is just no way of even having an idea of what is happening, and then there is twist and twist and twist... but none of them elicited any gasps from me.

michaelontheplanet's review against another edition

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2.0

Battle weary: enjoyable if very messy romp involving crowned heads of Europe, a secret society and international master criminals. By contrast, her Poirot books are as disciplined as a police report. The main enjoyment here is as a period piece, a vanished England which still had an empire and foreigners are a source of amusement or irritation (though she pulls a neat sleight of hand on this), but you’ll go for it if you like your entertainment laced with xenophobia and mildly anti-Semitic tropes that were de rigeur back then - though at least on the latter she seems to have partly relented in later life. “By far the least awful of the early romps,” says Robert Barnard. The bright young things depicted here may not be amusing to everyone but they’re nicely drawn and up for fun, although this can’t ameliorate her snobbery and prejudice.

tmisch's review against another edition

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lighthearted mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

priyakonanur's review against another edition

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mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

andyfaythe's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

afih's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

this was really good and characters were quite likeable! it always fascinates me when a criminal hides in plain sight! and even more when they start assisting the police! very clever! both twists/reveals surprised me completely! i did not see them coming! 👏🏼

jjammymay's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

4-4.5 ⭐️

This was brilliant! I absolutely loved this one. I understand now why my mum always said this was one of her favourite Christie’s. 

Anthony and Virginia are so cute oh my gosh 🥹🩷

quinnyplants's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

definitely a product of its time, but a really engaging mystery