It's been a few days since I read this book and I am still left with all the feels for this novel. Nina de Gramont has written a brilliantly successful tale of murder, mystery, revenge, love and loss. Centered around the 11 days in which Agatha Christie famously disappeared it is a clever, heartwarming yet sad at times story. I wholeheartedly recommend that you pick this book up and delve into the charm of this historical fiction title.

I very much look forward to reading more from de Gramont.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for my advanced reader copy of this book.

A 4.5 star book of magnificence!

I came across this book by chance, I’m so thankful that I did. This is set during the 10 day absence when Agatha Christie disappeared in 1926. Although this is fictional, there are some factual elements to it as well. Not the premise of the story but the circumstances around the disappearance. I assumed it would be a retelling of Agatha’s disappearance as told by her husbands mistress, however it had more depth and grit. Murder and romance were also thrown in as well as mystery. At first I thought I’d get bored of the story, but I was completely wrong I couldn’t put the book down. I thought the stories inside the plot were fantastic, some I guess but it didn’t detract from enjoying the book itself. This is one that’s hotly anticipated and I can see why.

I really wanted to love this book but I couldn't.

I found it a real struggle to read and it was only my stubbornness that prevented me from DNFing it.

Any fans of crime novels and of Agatha Christie may be familiar with the true life mystery surrounding the author. In December 1926, she went missing for 11 days and to this day no one knows the truth about what happened to her during that time. All she would say was that she didn’t remember. This forms the premise of the book but it is about so much more; the effects of the horrors of the First World War, the terrible treatment reserved for unmarried mothers in Ireland and what lengths a person will go to for love. The book is written from the perspective of Agatha’s husband’s mistress, Nan O’Dea, which brings a really interesting slant to the book. It tells us about those missing 11 days but also the background to the disappearance and the heartbreaking tale of Nan’s life. The story unfolds beautifully, written with warmth and humour but unafraid of tackling difficult and painful subjects as well. The characters are well-rounded and believable and the interaction between them is compelling; I didn’t want the story to end. This is a gem of a book which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Thanks to Pan Macmillan and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy in return for an honest review.

Being an Agatha Christie fan, I was naturally drawn to this book by the title. The book describes a possible senario for her missing eleven days. I liked the beginning, but then the writing took a different turn, to the history of the narrator which I found initially intrusive. I want to read about Agatha! As the story developed, I realised the importance of this flashback as the narrator dipped back and forth between times past and the present day (1926).
Without any spoilers, this book didn't tell a senario I particularly enjoyed or found especially believable. That said, it was an enjoyable read.

As a lover of Agatha Christie and with a fascination for her unexplained disappearance I was very much looking forward to reading this.

We are told the story from the view of Nan O’Dea, mistress of the husband of Agatha Christie. The character is fictional but apparently based on a real person. I found the story captivating and although the main character in the story is Nan, the focus is still on the great lady and what could have happened during her disappearance.

Everything is here that the mystery buff will enjoy; murder most foul, adultery, kidnap and much more. The story is well told and Nan is an entertaining narrator and her own story unfolds as does that of Agatha Christie. I would say that those hoping for the story to be told by Mrs Christie will be disappointed however she does feature in all the action and her disappearance is written plausibility and with some style.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll be honest I wasn’t too sure about this but once I started reading I was instantly intrigued by the story. Part fiction and part truth it’s set during the days when Agatha Christie went missing the author has done well in combing the two elements to create an engaging story. I loved that we saw it all from Nan O’Deas POV and that we saw elements of what is was like for women during this period of time

Thank you NetGalley for my copy of this book in return for a review

“Evil never goes unpunished, Monsieur. But the punishment is sometimes secret.” - Hercule Poirot


I’ve just completed my first book of 2022; The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont.

Thank you @panmacmillan & Mantle for my early review copy via @netgalley.

___________

In 1926, Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days. Only I know the truth of her disappearance.
I’m no Hercule Poirot.
I’m her husband’s mistress.

___________

First of all, I really enjoyed this book, but it’s completely different from what I thought it would be, but in a good way.

You would think the disappearance of one of the worlds now-most-famous crime writers would be the centre of this novel, and although it is, it’s so much more.

The book follows the story of Nan O’Dea, Agatha Christie’s husbands mistress mainly, and her wholly-fictional account of what happened in the 11 days that AC disappeared from the world.

You think you wouldn’t root for Nan from the blurb, but you do in the end. Overall, this is Nan’s story, Agatha Christie is not so much the centre of this book, but how AC and Nan are connected - it was a bombshell for me; as was the whodunit

I’ve only read AC’s Murder On the Orient Express, but the writing style is very golden age whodunit style. There is murder, mystery, romance, tragedy and resolution in this book.

I’d highly recommend picking this book up, but go into with an open mind, and don’t be expecting an Agatha Christie centred plot.

The Christie Affair is published on 20 January by Mantle in the U.K. and 1 February by St. Martin’s Press in the U.S.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blurb:

Agatha Christie’s world is one of glamorous society parties, country house weekends, and growing literary fame.

Nan O’Dea’s world is something very different. Her attempts to escape a tough London upbringing during the Great War led to a life in Ireland marred by a hidden tragedy.

After fighting her way back to England, she’s set her sights on Agatha. Because Agatha Christie has something Nan wants. And it’s not just her husband.

Despite their differences, the two women will become the most unlikely of allies. And during the mysterious eleven days that Agatha goes missing, they will unravel a dark secret that only Nan holds the key to…

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this gripping book

a story about agatha christie and about her disappearance but this one is from someone else perspective which could have been based on fact....

its as interesting as the books that agatha wrote herself with many a red herring to confuse the way....

but on the whole its an interesting book to read

With such an interesting character and premise of seeing the disappearance of Agatha Christie from her husband’s mistress’ perspective, this book really surprised me with how Nan is built so skillfully throughout as well as the clear sympathy for Agatha and cringe-worthy depiction of Archie, the husband. The constant trying to work out exactly what Nan is up to kept me turning pages, especially as she is quite likeable, not the one-dimensional husband stealer she could have been depicted as. Recommending this one to thriller and historical fiction readers alike!

I won't claim to be a huge fan of Agatha Christie. I’ve read some of her work – novels and short stories both – and find her (unsurprisingly) to be very much of her time with some of the word choices and attitudes a little jarring when read in the present day. She does write a good mystery, however – I have to give her that. While her work is a little hit and miss for me personally, I was immediately intrigued by the idea of The Christie Affair when I was invited to read it via Netgalley.

During 1926, Agatha Christie disappeared for eleven days. To my knowledge, there’s little known about this period – she disappeared, seemingly without a trace, and was discovered almost two weeks later in circumstances that I won't spoil for you if you're not familiar with the story. In The Christie Affair, Nina De Gramont provides us with a fictional account of that eleven day period – why she vanished, how she evaded detection, and what she did during that time. The few known facts are successfully incorporated into the narrative and enhanced by the story woven around those real-life events. It works brilliantly as a novel, and I think that readers will love this whether they enjoy Christie’s work or know much about her as a person – no prior knowledge is assumed. To be honest, having read this, it’s a little surprising that it hasn’t been done before now – it makes for an excellent novel.

The Christie Affair is narrated by Nan O’Dea – a fictional individual based upon Archie’s (Agatha’s husband) mistress – and this works well to give the perspective of someone intimately involved in these events whilst still retaining a sense of mystery and without revealing too much too soon. That’s not to say that I liked Nan, however. She is introduced to the reader as “the other woman” and while it takes two (Archie comes across poorly for his behaviour as well) I found it hard to sympathise with her, particularly at the outset of the novel. We do learn more about the fictional Nan as the novel progresses, and it soon becomes apparent that she has led an incredibly hard life and experienced things that no one should have to go through. Bu while I may have warmed to her to a degree, I don’t think that I can say that I liked her even as I came to understand her motives as portrayed here.

Agatha Christie is, of course, well known for her murder mysteries, but it still came as something of a surprise that The Christie Affair itself contains a mystery as well. It's an unexpected development in the novel, but one that works well to add a little something extra whilst also fitting in well with the themes and characters. And as a mystery novel, it works brilliantly. It’s a suitably complex puzzle that’s well thought out and one that will keep you guessing even as the information surrounding this mystery is gradually revealed. I very much enjoyed this aspect of the novel.

The Christie Affair successfully takes a famous individual and provides a fictional view of a part of her life. It is a work of fiction and doesn't claim to be anything other than that, so readers looking for an explanation as to Agatha's disappearance will have to keep on looking. Nor do I think that this is wholly plausible as an explanation – it relies a little too much on coincidence and convenience for that, but it works brilliantly as a novel. And the themes explored go beyond the obvious, looking at the impact of the First World War, love and marriage, class divisions, and highlighting how women were viewed and treated at the time. An excellent novel and a fascinating portrayal of this popular author.

Not for me I'm afraid. The story of Nan as a character reads well enough but could have stood as just that. The Agatha Christie angle really didn't work for me.

I was really excited for this and it did start off well. I was fascinated with Nan and actually enjoyed the story more when it told of her past in Ireland and her relationship with Finn.

Unfortunately I got to halfway through and it started to feel a little bit of a slog to read. I just lost interest and wasn't invested anymore in the character of Nan or what might have happened to Agatha.

I think going into this I was expecting more from Agatha's side but as it's told from Nan's point of view I just lost interest.

I'm sure many others will really enjoy this and it did start off well and Nan's backstory was interesting. Unfortunately it just wasn't right for me.

An enjoyable but slightly disappointing read. The basic premise was OK but the constant flipping between the present and Nan's past was irritating. Also, there were many passages of unnecessary rambling; I did start to just skim them. It would, if slimmed down, make a good TV miniseries.

Most people know Agatha Christie went missing for a number of days and when she was found/re-appeared there was no real explanation as what had happened. I assumed this book would provide a feasible theory as to what happened. It felt like the Agatha Christie was a sideshow in this story. It was mainly seemed to be about the treatment of unmarried mothers at the turn of the century which did make for some depressing reading.
The story was told from many viewpoints and changed perspective almost mid-sentence – very confusing.
This was not the book I was expecting to read.

The pitch of this book is absolutely genius. I'll confess I found the execution confusing at times - and I love an unusual point of view/mixed timeline. However, it was worth soldiering on as the climax built as I found the ending as satsifactory as any of Mrs. Christie's own!

The Agatha Christie Affair by Nina de Garamont

In 1926 Agatha Christie disappeared from her home for 11 days after her husband tells her he is ending there marriage, this is the imagined story of what happened in those 11 days told to us by NanO'Dea.

Nan O'Dea is the woman that Archie Christie left Agatha Christie for.. the book starts a couple of days before Agatha’s 11 day mysterious disappearance and we are told all about it but from Nans point of view, how Nan imagines things or the information she is told later.

The story of Agatha’s disappearance is intercut with Nans life when she was becoming an adult in both London and Ballycotton in Ireland, it tells the story of Nans first romance and how her life and Agatha's are fated to meet from a certain point in Nans life.. (this bit reminded me of Agatha's book Towards Zero, where all the characters are destined to a certain point)

The book discusses war, family, class, love and survival after immense pain

I finished the book last night and I have waited overnight to collect my thoughts and write this review... I think I loved the book, last night I thought it was ok but with time, I really think I loved it.. I loved the characterisation of all the characters but Nan and Agatha are really special.

At first I thought that Nan was an unreliable narrator, as she was the 'other woman' but the more the book goes on the more you realise that Nan is probably the only character who does tell it like she sees it as she has nothing to lose that she has not lost before and survived.

There is a bit of everything in this book, love, adultery, murder mystery.. it is all underplayed and subtle and perfect. It has a mystery in a mystery!!!

We are never going to know what happened in the 11 days that Ms Christie disappeared but this is a very good imagination of what could of happened.

I really recommend this book to people who love Agatha Christie, murder mysteries and romance books..

#TheAgathaChristieAffair # Netgalley #England #1926 #mystery

I was very excited to read The Christie Affair and it did not disappoint! This brilliant book is a fictionalised account of a fascinating real-life happening: In December 1926, iconic author Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days. And no-one knows why or what happened to her…

So, as well as this true and very intriguing base material, Nina de Gramont has made our narrator the woman Agatha Christie’s husband, Archie was having an affair with. And, in this novel, it is she who has the inside track and tells us what happened to Agatha over those 11 lost days.

As well as a clever and engaging telling of what happened to Agatha, The Christie Affair is also a commentary on women’s place in society – 1920s society in this case.

At the time this is set, Agatha is 36-years old, has been married to Archie for 12 years and they have a 7 year old daughter, Teddy. (In real life, Agatha’s daughter was Rosalind, so some details have been tweaked for the story here.) Although born into the upper classes, Agatha’s career as a writer gives her drive and ambition and sets her apart from the domestic role laid out for her.

Nan O’Dea is our narrator. She is Archie Christie’s secretary and mistress but she is so much more than that. We learn about her heartbreaking history, how she came to meet Archie and the circumstances that led to her being where she is now. And, how it is that it is she, and she alone, that knows what happened to Agatha…

I’m not going to say too much more on the plot as I don’t want to give anything away but The Christie Affair is far more multi-layered than I was expecting: it has drama, excitement, heartbreak and a strong feminist message – all hooked on a real life event. That’s the perfect narrative blend for me – loved it! It has most certainly set the bar high for my reads this year.

This was a really enjoyable story. I think I was expecting more of a whodunnit, but this was definitely a story about Nan’s life. It was a really well researched piece of writing and the storyline was heartbreaking in places and really transported me to the 1900’s. Nan’s character at the start was not very likeable but once her history was revealed it all made sense.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to an early copy of the novel

Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days. She was eventually found under an assumed name, remarkably similar to that of her husband's mistress, in a hotel at the other end of the country. She always claimed amnesia.

This might be the fantastic premise for this novel but it is also true. Agatha's mystery died with her. This book imagines the truth behind that mystery and why it was never made public.

Pulling together the careful characterisation of the way in which many men of this time were affected by serving in WW1, the experiences of young mothers who were imprisoned and had their children stolen as they were unmarried and the looming presence of murder, lost lovers and the atmosphere of a hotel seeming apart from the world, this is a clever novel.

I felt for Nan, and everything she went through. This novel is at its best when discussing her experiences and the actions they push her to choose.

However, this is not a mystery worthy of Agatha. This isn't even a reasonable fictional leap to explain what happened in those 11 days - and that's before you take into account needlessly altered facts that I can only assume are for legal reasons. Setting a murder mystery in a book about Agatha Christie is forcing comparison to the best of the best - which means that solving this mystery ahead of time felt like I had been cheated of one which I couldn't have done - I could have just read another Poirot novel.

Ultimately, I think this book stands better if you don't connect it to Agatha Christie. I understand that's the point, but I genuinely think this book is more interesting and better if it isn't trying to stand in place of the mystery of those 11 days and isn't trying to speak to the life of such a well respected author. Pretend Agatha in this novel is Agatha Smith, pretend this is The Smith Affair, I think it is more impressive in what it achieves if you do.