The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont
Reviewed by: Becky Houghton, Circulation Assistant
Genre: Historical fiction
What is this book about? This book is a fictionalized account of what happened in 1926 when mystery writer, Agatha Christie, disappeared mysteriously for 11 days. For years many have speculated about this time, but Christie remained totally silent and never revealed where she was or what she did during her absence. De Gramont has woven an intriguing tale of love, marriage, grief and loss, and more in her mysterious and moving account of these “lost” days in Christie’s life.
My review: This was a fascinating book that I had to keep reminding myself was a fictional account, not a true story. Agatha Christie’s mysterious disappearance has fascinated readers of her sixty six mystery books for years and apparently continues to do so. For eleven days in 1926, no one, including her husband Archie or her publicist, knew where she was. She just vanished leaving no trace which prompted an extensive search throughout Great Britain. In this book, Nina de Gramont weaves an account written by Archie Christie’s mistress, Nan O’Dea which has flashbacks to Nan’s youth, early romance and troubled life, with the missing days of Agatha. It reveals an elaborate, long-term plot for Nan to insinuate herself into Archie and Agatha’s life and to orchestrate and conceal Agatha during her absence from her home. This story has many unexpected twists and turns combined with the switching from the 1926 timeframe to events in the past. If I have any criticism of this book, it would be that the reader must be constantly vigilant to the dates that events occur. Written beautifully, I recommend this book to mystery fans, especially those readers who love Agatha Christie’s extensive collection of mystery stories, plays and books.
Three words that describe this book: Chilling, Intriguing, Complex
Give this a try if you like: Agatha Christie’s books or The Mystery of Mrs. Christy by Marie Benedict
Rating: 4.5/5
