Hatfield House was used as the location for Chimneys. The Old Palace as nicknamed was the home of Elizabeth The First when she was a young child. And today, the 7th Marquess and Marchioness of Salisbury call it home.
The original 1925 novel has Anthony Cade as the chief investigator and does not feature Miss Marple at all.
"The Secret of Chimneys" (1925) was one of Agatha Christie's early thriller novels, predating the creation of Jane Marple in 1927.
The novel "The Secret of Chimneys" (1925) introduced the recurring characters of Superintendent Battle and Lady Eileen "Bundle" Brent, who would both return in the sequel novel "The Seven Dials Mystery" (1929). Bundle never reappeared, but Battle went on to appear in the novels "Cards on the Table" (1936), "Murder is Easy" (1939), and "Towards Zero" (1944).
The setting of the story is the country house Chimneys, which Agatha Christie based on Abney Hall. Abney Hall is a Victorian house in Cheadle, Greater Manchester, and used to belong to Christie's brother-in-law James Watts.