As an Agatha Christie fan, I was super excited to read this book! I've always wondered what happened to Agatha on those notorious days when she disappeared, and I enjoyed this novels take on what happened to her. A perfect read for any Agatha fan!

An interesting idea on the speculation of the disappearance for Agatha Christie for which the chapters with Agatha in were brilliant. I did not care however for so the character of Nan and her involvement/backstory, There was far too greater portion of the book given to this in my opinion.

This was book was really great!! I enjoyed it a lot, loved the characters and the world building. The cover is also so lovely. It was a brilliant audio to listen to as well, the narrator was so great at keeping me engaged.

The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont; Narrated by Lucy Scott is written about the time that Agatha Christie famously disappeared for 11 days, and this is an imagining of the whole event told from the point of view of Christie's husband's mistress!

This is an entertaining mystery with a murder along the way!

I though this was a good story, and was one that tries to make sense of the events that occurred, and how Agatha Christie's life changed so much.

I enjoyed the narrator, and felt that Lucy Scott did a good job, and added to the story.

The Christie Affair was released as an audiobook on 20th January 2022, and is available from Amazon/ Audible.

You can follow Nina de Gramont on Twitter, Instagram and her website.

You can follow Lucy Scott on Twitter.

I was given access to this audiobook in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Macmillan UK Audio.

I was very excited to be reading this and was expecting a great mystery story worthy of Mrs Christie herself. Unfortunately this was not the case. The narrator, Nan O’Dea, is an awful woman. First she has an illegitimate baby in a country where this would make her an outcast, only for the child to be given up for adoption, and seems to blame everyone else but herself. Then she basically forgets all about her childhood sweetheart, the man she apparently yearns for, when she determinedly sets her sights on Agatha Christie’s husband and embarks on an affair. All in all a very distasteful character who even copies Agatha’s style of dressing. On the other hand, Agatha comes over as a very sweet lady who conducts herself with grace and dignity. The book is well written but I never felt I got to know some of the characters well enough. There is quite a lot of hopping backwards and forwards in time, so much of the book is back history and only part relates to the actual 11 days of the disappearance. Yes, there was a murder mystery in the plot which kept me guessing with an explanation which came as quite a surprise, but even then, the revelation about one couple in particular seemed a little incredible to say the least. Out of respect to the author, I did read to the end so that I could write a balanced review but overall I really didn’t enjoy this. I think there is so much more that could have been done with the 11 days but I am glad at least that the memory and reputation of Agatha Christie wasn’t maligned and she certainly came out of the story as a very likeable lady.
I also listened to the audio book and on the whole it was well done with easy to distinguish characters, but the narrator’s attempts at portraying fast talking nervy women often came across as screechy and a little irritating. 3*

The Christie Affair is a novel revolving around the dissolution of Agatha Christie's first marriage and her famous disappearance. It's told from the perspective of Nan, Archie Christie's mistress, whose own complex motivations and backstory provide the backbone of the novel alongside, the events of "The Disappearance."

I'm a little ambivalent about this one, I'm afraid. It wasn't bad; the writing is good, the story is competently told and the narrator, Lucy Scott, does an excellent job, I especially appreciated her accents. It didn't grip me, though, meaning I'd stop listening for days at a time before starting up again. To be fair, the plot picked up towards the end, especially with the introduction of a murder, straight out of one of Christie's mysteries. And Christie fans will probably enjoy the novel's little tributes to Christie and her books, though, rest assured, there aren't any spoilers. Some of the details about Christie's personal life are fictionalised, like her daughter's name and even Nan's full name, so don't read this expecting 100% historical accuracy. (Though I suppose that should go without saying in a reimagining of Christie's disappearance and subsequent 'amnesia.') And I did enjoy some of the details about the national manhunt for Christie; I didn't know that Arthur Conan Doyle and Dorothy Sayers had been involved, for example. And de Gramont through Nan makes a great point about classism and privilege that's (sadly) still relevant today; it's not like the nation mobilises every time a woman or girl goes missing, after all.

The Christie Affair mostly focuses on Nan, though Christie gets her own character arc, learning to let go of her cheating husband, which was satisfying to read. De Gramont implies that Archie Christie might have felt threatened by Agatha's success (the more things change), so it's especially satisfying to reflect on her phenomenal professional success, which Nan does several times, since the novel is presented as a memoir narrated from her old age. This, incidentally, allows for some juicy hints towards forthcoming plot points along the way and a "where are they now?" round up at the end. And Nan's complicated feelings for and relationships with Archie and Agatha save the novel from just being an 'Other Woman' melodrama. As I said, it starts off slowly with long segments about Nan's childhood sweetheart Finbar, their separation during the First World War and Nan's miserable time in a Magdalene Laundry interrupting the main drama of Christie's disappearance. These digressions do pay off in the end, and I was impressed how well de Gramont pulls the various plot strands together.

Unfortunately, it's hard to fully root for Nan, and not just because of the adultery. If anything, it helps that Archie comes off as a selfish cad who doesn't deserve Agatha. He doesn't deserve Nan either (for both their sakes), which is the frustrating thing. I found Nan a sympathetic but flawed character (the best kind!) and her motivations are eventually explained fully, making them more understandable, if not completely convincing (for me, at least). In any event, her course of action seems a bit extreme, and it's hard to believe it would really make her happy, hence why it's hard to root for her. (Poor Finbar. He made some great points!) For me, she ended up with a downer ending on pretty flimsy grounds, so it wasn't even satisfying in a tragic way. Agatha also gets a bittersweet ending, despite the promise of future success and a second marriage. *SPOILER ALERT* Her little romance with Chiltern was sweet, but ultimately felt unnecessary, since the reader knows going in that it can't go anywhere. I didn't fully buy it; it felt like a cheap strategy to wring some extra sorrow and drama out of the situation. Like Nan doesn't have enough of that all on her own! In fact, the whole "lost manor" side plot was a bit too sentimental for me - I rolled my eyes - but I'm sure it will work for lots of other readers!

I'd recommend The Christie Affair to Christie fans looking for a historical novel inspired by her life who aren't afraid of some harsh reality. Unplanned pregnancies, suicide, child death, rape and physical abuse all feature in the book (especially in the flashbacks to Nan's time in a Magdalene Laundry), so don't expect a cosy mystery!

Well, this was disappointing. But I’ll start from the good bits: the audiobook narrator was extremely good and I enjoyed the way they portrayed the various characters, but especially how they expressed the voice of Nan herself. I am extremely glad to have listened to it as an audiobook, because it made the experience less tedious for me. You can now find it on Storytel, since the book came out a while ago, and I highly recommend this format, if you want to pick The Christie Affair up.
Unfortunately, other than the narration, there is not much about this book I enjoyed. The historical setting was nice enough and I think one plot point in particular (I can’t say, because it can be considered spoiler) served the accuracy very well. I could tell the author did her research on the time period and I can appreciate the effort that was put into the book.
However, when writing about such a specific topic, on which plenty of people have speculated, you are taking a huge risk. While you could potentially write anything, since it is indeed a mysterious disappearence, you are still writing about one of the most beloved writers of all times; not only that, but you are writing about the mystery queen, so no plot holes should be allowed. Which is exactly one of my main issues with the book: the plot was not too intricate, yet the author managed to have a few of them here and there. Moreover, there were some things that were just too convenient and glossed over. I mean, usually that would be okay, even though still not ideal, but not if you are writing about Agatha Christie.
Another thing I did not like was the choice of telling the story from the point of view of Nan; or, to take things further, the fact that most of the story was made up by her, not recounting facts, but making assumptions. Being historical fiction, it is obvious that the author had to make assumptions herself, but I did not like that she ‘used’ Nan’s voice to justify her choices. I don’t know how to explain it, but if you’ve read the book I think you may know what I am talking about.
In general, I don’t think that the book benefitted from the back and forth between past and present, because I found myself bored for half of it. While I understand that the author wanted to talk more about Nan than about Agatha, I don’t think anyone who picked this book up cared more about her than about the writer. I could be mistaken, but if I pick up a book called The Christie Affair, I want Miss Christie to have a bigger role. If this were a basic historical fiction with a dash of mystery, I think I would have given a higher rating; however, seeing as the author ‘exploited’ Agatha Christie’s name, I would have liked something different. At least, a bit more mystery, a bit more suspense.
The writing style was nice enough, I guess, but it became stagnant at some point, making the story boring. How can you make a story about Agatha Christie’s disappearence boring is beyond me. An yet, here we are… Surely, the last 10% of the book was the most interesting, but that was not enough to save it, for me. I am disappointed to say the least and I wish I could erase this book from my memory.
All in all, I don’t recommend this book the way it is marketed. However, if you want a mysterious historical fiction, I guess this would be an okay book. Just don’t think you are going to read a book about Agatha Christie’s disappearence and you’ll be good. I still think it is not an outstanding novel, even overlooking the ‘retelling’ aspect, but I have read worse.

Murder, mystery, love and revenge. In Christie style comes a story inspired by the real events of the disappearance of Agatha Christie. In 1926, author Agatha Christie went missing for 11 days. This book is a speculation of what occurred in those nine days, largely focusing on the POV of Christie’s husband’s mistress, Nan O’Dea. We learn of Nan’s difficult upbringing and life in Ireland.

I found the first half of the book quote slow and not as focused on Agatha as I had expected, but I enjoyed the second half way more. All the secrets come out and everything starts to make sense. I like how neatly things were tied up in the end.

I can’t fault the narration, She done an excellent job of bringing all of the characters to life and of building suspense.

Overall an enjoyable listen but not what I was expecting based on the blurb.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was unable to review - adequate time between approval and archive date was not given.

I will review the ebook copy in the future, but am unable to provide feedback on the audio production.

What happened to Agatha Christie during the 11 days she disappeared? This book sets out on a fictionalised account of those lost days and unravels the mystery.
Unfortunately, I think this may be one where listening to the audiobook was detrimental to my enjoyment. The story jumped around all over the place and was quite tough to follow at any given point.
The mystery was very complex, with a myriad of characters that did all link and come together, but it did feel a bit too late in the book for me.
The last third of the book was much better as elements started to make more sense, hence the 3 star rating, but I would recommend maybe reading rather than listening.
There were quite a few sections with TW and I struggled with these, including rape, death of a child, forced adoption, I didn't feel that all of them really added to the story and were maybe a bit unnecessary.
A mixed bag for me.

Thankyou so much to Pan Macmillian via Netgalley for letting me read an arc of this book.

I chose this as I am a fan of Agatha Christie. The books I have read by her I have adored and I have always been interested in her life and what inspired some of her stories.

This story is a fictional account about the time Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days in 1926. There have been many theories as to where she went and why she left. The Christie Affair however, is the story old by Christie's husband’s mistress!

A story of murder, mystery, revenge, love and loss.
A story full of secrets, lost loves, redemption and of course Murder.

It had a real Agatha Christie esk writing style - the pace, supporting characters and plot.

This is a brilliant book for fans of Agatha Christie.But if you know a lot about Christie or you have read up on the background of the real Nan O’Dea, Nancy Neele may not work for you.
I myself read this as fictional which was inspired by true events. It created an interesting story and that was what kept me reading and why I would recommend.

Lucy Scott was a great narrator. She was clear and her characterisation kept the pace going to help build the suspense and drama.

This book was not quite what I'd expected. It really isn't about Agatha Christie but about Nan, the woman who is having an affair with Agatha's husband. This mystery novel explores the life Nan had when she was a young girl in Ireland, and the effect this has had on her as an adult, leading her to the present time and her involvement with Agatha and her husband..

The story then focuses on the real event of Agatha Christie disappearing for 11 days. The author imagines what could of happened during this period between Nan and Agatha. Lots of mystery and unexpected turns involved in this storyline, some of which I did find hard to believe of Agatha Christie. A good murder mystery, just not what I had expected.

Easy to follow as an audiobook.
Length 10 hours 24 minutes

Thank you Netgalley & Macmillan UK audio for a review copy

A really unique and enthralling read! The premise is so fascinating and I enjoyed the narration too. An excellent new piece of historical fiction.

An enjoyable but slightly disappointing. I thought the audio version was better than reading it myself. The basic premise was OK but the constant flipping between the present and Nan's past was irritating. The narrator was very good and made the many passages of unnecessary rambling sound more interesting.. It would, if slimmed down, make a good TV miniseries.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book. The premise of this novel was so attractive - it’s a fictitious account of the mystery of what happened to novelist Agatha Christie when she really did disappear for 11 days in 1922. We don’t know why or what happened to her in the lead up to and during this period, so the idea of uncovering the mystery, albeit a made up account, was so interesting. Unfortunately, this book is not the page turner it’s set up to be by the premise in its description.

It’s narrated mainly by Agatha’s husband’s mistress, however the character I think most people are really interested in is Agatha. I wanted to see it all from her perspective. Nan, the mistress, isn’t likeable or all that interesting & her story just annoyed me as it took me away from the person I really wanted to read about - Agatha Christie. I would have liked the mystery to be centered more around her, as Agatha’s scenes are actually quite boring and not that suspenseful at all. Lots happens to Nan, but I’d have liked it to have been the other way around.

There are many things I could say about this book, and most of them are highly complementary. It is written beautifully, in a captivating manner that makes you pass away the hours without even noticing you have done so. It's one of those books that will steal your time and you will thank you for it.

However, I did have to stop reading at a certain point when it took a different direction than I was expecting, and touched on several triggers of my own. I wish the author all the best, and look forward to her future work.

My thanks to Macmillan Audio U.K. for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘The Christie Affair’ by Nina de Gramont in exchange for an honest review. The audiobook was narrated by Lucy Scott.

I was excited to read this novel but found myself disappointed on a number of counts. It’s one of those books that has received a lot of prepublication buzz and is presented as a fictionalised account of Agatha Christie’s 11-day disappearance in 1926; from the perspective of her husband’s mistress.

The author has created a fictional counterpart to the real second Mrs. Christie and so Nancy Neele becomes Nan O’Dea, a young woman who survived a tough London upbringing during the Great War and then goes on to experience further hardship in Ireland before settling her cap at Col. Archibald Christie for reasons that become clear as the narrative progresses.

Throughout the novel, I never warmed to Nan and was especially uncomfortable with the backstory of star-crossed lovers, mistreatment of unmarried mothers in Ireland, and Nan’s motive for breaking up the Christie marriage. Indeed, throughout Nan appeared to be the main focus of the novel with Agatha Christie becoming almost a supporting character.

While I don’t want to head into spoiler territory, I felt that the story was all over the place. Aside from the relationship drama there’s a murder mystery at the hotel where Agatha and Nan are inextricably both staying and a romance that I found unconvincing. The jumping about in time and Nan’s seeming ability to fill the reader in on details where she wasn’t present were distracting and effected the pacing.

I feel that the author could have created a fictional 1920s mystery writer, who goes missing, ‘inspired’ by the Christie incident and explored Nan’s tragic story in Ireland and the like to her heart’s content. Still, cynical me says that the Christie name will be a big draw.

Ultimately Agatha Christie chose to draw a veil over her 11-day disappearance as well as elements of her failed first marriage. However, it appears that both she and Archie made better choices in their second marriages. I rather hoped that the Author might set the record straight in her Acknowledgments or add a Historical Note. Yet I was disappointed.

Yes, it was readable and I expect that many won’t be as bothered as I was by these representations of Nancy Neele Christie and Rosalind Christie, Agatha and Archie’s daughter, who the author had replaced with the fictional Teddy. While I am certain that it wasn’t the author’s intention, so many aspects of the novel felt disrespectful to Agatha Christie and her family and it just didn’t sit well with me.

With respect to the audiobook, Lucy Scott was a fine narrator and I have previously enjoyed her reading of a number of titles.

Overall, ‘The Christie Affair’ just didn’t work for me.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

The Christie Affair is an intriguing fictional exploration of the events surrounding Agatha Christie's 11 day disappearance in 1926, written across dual timelines by Nan, the mistress of Agatha Christie's husband, giving her account of events as well as her version of Agatha's story, and adding an interesting "unreliable narrator" dimension to the disappearance and to Nan's actions and motives.

Nan describes the affair, her history and her relationship with Agatha, combined with great narration making for an immersive, uncomfortable but clever read.

As a big Agatha Christie fan, I was super excited to get my hands on an early copy of this one, and while this is not so much the story of Agatha, but rather the story of her husband's mistress, I was not disappointed. I devoured this book in just a couple of days as I couldn't put it down. The mystery, the history, the characters, the motivations... it was captivating from start to finish.

This is essentially a tale set during the 11 days during which Agatha Christie famously disappeared and Da Gramont weaves her own fiction around the facts; what we know and what we don't know about her disappearance, and presents us with a plausible perspective on why, in all the years since, Christie remained silent about what happened.

Nan is a wonderful main character and one you really come to know and empathise with. Her story and her past are utterly compelling and I adored the way the plot played out; this could easily have been too far-fetched, too forced, or too outlandish, but the fact that this COULD be what happened in those mysterious 11 days is what had me completely sold.

Highly recommended to Christie fans and Historical Fiction readers alike!

5 captivating stars.

I am so torn what to think about this one!

According to the blurb, this is the story behind the mystery of Agatha Christie's eleven day disappearance, told from the point of view of her husband's mistress, Nan O'Dea, who he is leaving Agatha for.

What we get is instead very much the story of Nan, and the horrors she endures (SPOILERS) after she falls pregnant with her Irish one true love and is sent to a horrible group of nuns. Nan O'Dea is a fascinating character, sympathetic if not necessarily likeable, and her search to find justice definitely makes a story filled with twists.... it's just not quite the story I signed up for.

I think Nan's story proves that de Gramont is a good storyteller, and that she can unfold a suitable mystery, so I wonder if it perhaps wouldn't have been better if she perhaps hadn't clung on to Agatha Christie in order to gain intrigue - the book can stand on his own two feet without her, especially as, disappointingly, we don't really get to spend too much time with Agatha at all.

Nan also isn't present for quite a few of the events that happen in this story, and although this is briefly mentioned, it's not enough for me to feel like the book's plot holes are suitably covered over. I definitely felt like some bits could be trimmed too - by the time the story truly starts to unfold at around 60% I found myself sort of already done with it. The twists were enough to claw me back though - even if I saw a few coming, their delivery was satisfying!

Overall an interesting mystery, but not one I fell in love with like I hoped!