Reviews with content warning for Racism - The Secret of Chimneys

Reviews tagging 'Racism'

The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie

25 reviews

caitlancole's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious relaxing medium-paced

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

3.5

This was certainly entertaining and kept me turning the pages, but it relied a bit too much on coincidence.

I had trouble suspending my disbelief that James McGrath just so happened to come into possession of both the manuscript and the letters, and then just casually handed them both off to Anthony Cade, who we later find out is next in line for the throne of Herzoslovakia. I also think the whole group at Chimneys was unrealistically welcoming and trusting of Cade right away.

The plot felt overly complicated and confusing, so that the final reveal wasn’t as satisfying as it could have been. I’m glad to have read it though.

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ijustreallyliketrees's review against another edition

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mysterious slow-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

2.5

Requires a heavy suspension of disbelief but liked the main characters. Lots of casual rascism typical of the time period it was written in.

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bonnie9595's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious tense fast-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

2.0

For my money, not Christie's best work. The suspension of disbelief required is a bit much, and the racial slurs are near constant. I felt like a lot of the loose ends were left dangling.

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babblingbooks'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? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Starting to think every single book Agatha Christie wrote has a marriage proposal! This one had some very overt racism, that I wonder if has been edited out of more recent editions (the copy I read was published in 1956).

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forget_why's review against another edition

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adventurous 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

4.0

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gabby1's review against another edition

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

4.5

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readerette's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

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

3.75

A fun entry in the Christie legacy. A little strangers-to-lovers story, a little murder and mayhem, a little amateur sleuthing. Not a lot of history on each character, but plenty of time observing their interactions and taking their perspectives.

A bit more racist than her average story, and about the usual level of classism, so if period-typical stereotyping bothers you, you might do better with another story of hers. This mystery is not possible to unravel on your own because key clues and information are kept from you until the end. It's also too long.

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