I will fully admit I was not terribly impressed with this slow burning plot until I hit the ¾ quarter mark- and then – oh. my. This is a book within a book, a cleverly crafted nod at Agatha Christie. There were several jaw-dropping moments that took me completely by surprise.

I can’t give this book five stars for one major reason- the book is supposed to be a first person point of view- but chapters take place that are third person and even first person for other characters but are purely the imagination of the main character. It is quite confusing and kept me repeatedly from being able to fully immerse myself in this story.

Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the gift e-copy!

I DNF’d this. I just couldn’t get into it at 25% abs found it boring. I don’t know if it’s partially the writing plus the fact that I didn’t read any Christie but not for me.

The premise of this book is so intriguing, and it lived up to that hype. I have long heard about Agatha Christie's disappearance and found it fascinating. This fictional version of the 11 days was well thought out and really interesting.

This book had some twists and turns that I did not see coming. Others I did see coming but it didn't make them less enjoyable. These characters were well developed and easy to follow their thoughts and motives.

This story is told in the POV of Archie's mistress Nan, which at first was disappointing however, as the story progressed and we learned more about Nan you got sucked in.

The Christie Affair was an interesting historical fiction thriller! A little bit of a slow burn for me but enjoyable. The synopsis said it best "the greatest mystery wasn’t Agatha Christie’s disappearance in those eleven infamous days, it’s what she discovered."

As a huge Agatha Christie fan, I have always wanted to know what happened over those 11 days she was missing. She was of such importance that she became the focus of a nationwide search. And this was before she had become famous as an author. Yes, Christie had published some books before her disappearance; but most were published in the following years.

It is also no secret that she and her first husband, Archie, had a tumultuous marriage that ended with his affair with a woman he met while golfing. His mistress was often part of family functions initially, so much so that she and Agatha may have been friendly at one point.

In these points, de Gramont kept true to the book. While the author may have changed the names of some parties involved, she kept the base story true.

But this novel is more about the story of Nan O’Dea than it is about Agatha Christie. While it is an interesting story and one that is plausible, it wasn’t totally what I expected. I struggled with some of Nan’s flashbacks because they didn’t fit quite right when they were in the story. Nor did the bits of foreshadowing, if that’s the proper term.

This book was just not my glass of wine.

What should have been a 5-star book only rated 3 stars with me. However, the idea behind this book was brilliant. Take the true-life disappearance of Agatha (Dec 3, 1926 – Dec 14, 1926) and make a part true (the husband) and a mostly fictional story about it.

Unfortunately, it just did not work for me. Instead, the book focused on the mistress and her very tragic upbringing.

The whole book is told from the mistress's point of view, and in some ways, it is disconcerting. For example, you will be reading passages that have nothing to do with the mistress (Nan), and all of a sudden, Nan will be 'talking'.

There are many, many hot-button issues in this novel- the Catholic Church, rape, forced adoption, cheating, etc.

*ARC was supplied by NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and the author.

I enjoy reading a good Agatha Christie novel and had heard that she went missing for a brief period, but never looked into it. This novel, The Christie Affair, by Nina de Gramont offers an interesting "insight" into what may have happened during those eleven days, from the perspective of Agatha's husband's mistress. The story unfolds with a few twists that justify why the activities of those days remain a secret. Historical fiction with components of a good thriller mixed in. Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC ebook version of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Well, I am an easy guy. Just mention the name of my favorite author ever in the title and I am totally in. Some similar books have raised lately, all of them revolving around the intriguing vanishing of Mrs. Christie during 11 days in 1926, some of them quite disappointing, I must say. But this one is special. The writing is really good and the story is twisty and just enough dark to keep you guessing.
Highly recommended!

I love reading Agatha Christie novels and books about her life. I enjoyed this new novel that reimagines the unexplained 11-day disappearance of Agatha Christie that captivated the world.

The book is told from the perspective of Archie Christie’s mistress, Miss Nan O'Dea, a fictional character but based on someone real. I applaud the author for her fresh take on a story I was already familiar with from recent books and movies.

I did have trouble with the POV in this book. It is told from Nan’s POV, but Nan is an omniscient narrator. We experience all of the action of the book from Nan’s perspective, even other character’s inner thoughts. I know this is a perfectly acceptable way to write a book, but as a reader it left me confused several times as to who was speaking. I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that Nan was telling the reader what Agatha (and other characters) was thinking/feeling.

As with other books that covered this event, I had little time for Archie Christie …spoiled, self-centered, selfish man! I did however come to feel ‘some’ sympathy for the fictional mistress, Nan.

The plot was the thing that kept me reading and propelled me to the end! There are several ingenious plot twists that took me by surprise. The fact that I was surprised contributed to the overall rating I have given this book. However, there were a few plot lines that were not resolved or addressed by the end of the book.

Covering the days of Agatha Christie's disappearance, this story is told by Archie's mistress. Compiling a highly unlikely series of events, I found the story not only far-fetch Ed but depressing. However, the writing was very good.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read and review.

It is a well known fact that Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days in 1926. What happened in those 11 days has, for the most part, remained a mystery. This novel tells a story that could have happened. Or could not have. It reads like truth, and it reads like fiction, and it reads like an Agatha Christie novel.

I have fallen down an Agatha Christie rabbit hole thanks to this book.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of The Christie Affair.

While I've never read any Agatha Christie books, but she is fascinating and I've enjoyed reading books about her, unfortunately The Christie Affair missed the mark for me. While it sounded interesting to see her 11 day disappearance though the eyes of her husband's mistress Nan.

I had a really hard time getting into this. I wanted more of Agatha, but the story was mostly Nan. I was also disappointed that there was no author's note or historical note since this was a completely fictional account of the time she was missing.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

As the title suggests, this book has to do with famed mystery writer, Agatha Christie. However, the tale is not told entirely from her perspective. Instead, we meet Nan O’Dea, the woman who is actually having an affair with Arthur Christie. That’s right, the first husband of Agatha Christie. As the story begins, Arthur is promising Nan that he is finally going to tell his wife that he is leaving her. This is something that he does and soon after Agatha disappears. As the country mobilizes to find the authoress, Nan relishes readers with a tale of the present investigation and her very troubled past in Ireland.

Admittedly, I wasn’t quite sure of the novel as I began. As interested as I was in Agatha, I wasn’t quite sure where I stood on the subject of Nan. Was her story worth knowing? As I kept on turning the pages, I quickly realized that I was being baited on a hook and that I wouldn’t get any answers if I stopped now. By the end of the novel, I felt myself quite satisfied with the tale and eager to pass on my recommendations to other readers. Although the novel will not be out until February, I imagine it will still be a conversation piece for most of 2022.
Publication Date 01 /02/22
Goodreads review 08/01/22

I am a huge Agatha Christie fan and I am so glad that I read this amazing book! I couldn’t put it down and it grabbed my attention from the very beginning. I was aware that she had disappeared briefly in 1926 but I had never looked into the details of what happened. “The Christie Affair” is the perfect title for a book that has many underlying stories. We have the affair that Agatha’s husband had with Nan O’Dea and also the many social affairs that are part of the life of a famous author. I was in awe of Agatha Christie’s life and how she really felt about being an author, and what she considered most important in her life.

Nan was our narrator throughout this fascinating account and her actions surprised me at every turn. Her past in Ireland plays an important part in the present and how it relates to all the characters. In my opinion, she didn’t turn out to be the person who I thought she was. Nan was secretive, devious and had a vendetta against those who had harmed her. I never expected some of the revelations that occurred throughout the book. The author didn’t wait until the ending to shock the reader with out-of-nowhere surprises that changed the course of the book. I loved the twists and turns, the weaving of past and present and the way the author invites us into the lives of the characters. I was taken aback by the actions of some of the characters and surprised by things I never expected to happen. I love everything about this book and I am thrilled to have learned more about one of my favorite authors!

While the premise of this loosely-based-on-a-true-story novel is a brilliant concept…I think it misses the mark. Mainly, I have no interest in reading the story from the vantage point of the homewrecker. It dove so deep into the mistress’ back story. For what though? It did not endear me to her. It would have been far more interesting to hear the story from AC’s point of view. I will say that the author’s language/word choice is quite exquisite.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The Christie Affair is a fictional account of the real-life, temporary disappearance of Agatha Christie in 1925. As a big fan of Christie's work, I was intrigued by the premise, which is definitely unique. The perspective and mid-1920s setting initially grabbed me, as well as the obvious "mystery" element. However, I never felt entirely gripped by the plot or the characters.

This story grabbed me from the beginning but unfortunately it didn’t keep up the pace. I have to admit I did not finish, I got to about 65% then I started flipping thru to see if it would stay with one story and not veer off into so many different paths, it didn’t appear to.
The best way to describe this book is “rambling”. The concept was excellent, but the delivery of the story could have been reduced to about half. So much of it was inconsequential information or repetition of saying the same thing over and over. I’m sure it will appeal to other readers, but it did not keep my interest.
Received an ARC from St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my unbiased review – This one comes in with 3 stars.

This is the first novel I read by Nina de Gramont and it did not disappoint. Gorgeous cover, well developed characters, story lines in the past and present intertwined, and then, the big Agatha Christie ending. LOVED it. Nan’s storyline is heartbreaking and you root for things to go her way in the end. .

Great read, definitely recommending this one.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for this ARC, congrats to Nina de Gramont, and thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity.

Who doesn’t love a good Agatha Christie mystery, right? I came across The Christie Affair and was curious to see how the facts would be woven into this historical fiction novel about Agatha Christie’s disappearance in 1926.

Agatha Christie did in fact disappear from her home on December 3, 1926. As an established author, a country-wide manhunt was issued, enlisting police officers to search for her across all of England. She was ultimately found at a spa in Yorkshire eleven days later, and never fully divulged what happened or why she disappeared.

After reading The Christie Affair, I was pleasantly surprised by how much of the story was taken from factual accounts – including even Sherlock Holmes’ author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle enlisting spirit mediums to help find the missing author. Nina de Gramont did a fantastic job of weaving in all of these little details into an account that is both interesting and plausible.

The story is told from the perspective of Miss Nan O’Dea, who is Archie Christie’s mistress. Agatha’s husband Archie had just devastated Agatha by announcing that he wanted a divorce, planning to marry his mistress. While the story centered around Agatha and her disappearance, the true center of the novel was Nan, and it was surprising to find that I liked them both despite the typical wife-mistress dynamic that makes you want to choose a side.

I won’t get into too much detail so as not to spoil the story or give anything away, but Nan’s story and the chapters that alternated in telling her past were the ones that kept me most absorbed. It was a heartbreaking tale that made her actions and choices completely understandable.

Throughout the story, there were two themes that constantly caught my attention – disappearing women and how love changes and evolves.

While the story was centered on Agatha’s disappearance, it also emphasized how much police and media attention she received because of her high position in society and being a well-known author. Nan talked about so many other women who disappeared for various reasons and drew attention to how it’s been happening since the dawn of time. If we look at the headlines today, it’s still happening and certain women get a lot of attention because of their connections while hundreds of others simply disappear and no one cares to find out what happened to them.

The theme of love was expected since ultimately this is a tale of a mistress and a wife both vying for the love of the same man. What made this book different though was how and why each of them loved the men in their lives and how it changed as they changed as human beings. Love is constantly portrayed as this tangible thing that’s supposed to be unconditional and unchanging, but in reality, the love that we feel for someone changes and evolves consistently depending on how we each are changing as individuals. I absolutely loved reading about this in a way that was so natural and sensible.

Overall, this was an engaging novel and I absolutely loved it. While I don’t want to give away any spoilers, I do want to caution some sensitive material that caught me completely off-guard regarding sexual assault, homes for unwed mothers, and the realities of the world for those lost mothers and their children. Anyone who may have experienced this should proceed with caution.

3 or 3.5 stars. Over the course of this novel, more than one character says they prefer to read mysteries to romance. This has some mystery, and maybe technically some romance, but this book is too sad and melancholy for romance.

What this seems to be about is Agatha Christie, who famously went missing for 11 days. She was only a moderately successful author at the time, but apparently lots of English police officers were charged with looking for her. She disappeared after her husband, Archie, told her he was leaving her for another woman. We’re told all this from the perspective of the other woman, who obviously can only guess and imagine things she wasn’t present to witness herself or hear from the people who actually lived the experiences—and people lie all the time from omission or the way things get lost in translation—I don’t mean spoken language necessarily, but the way we can misinterpret body language or situations.

This is ultimately a downer of a book, which, in addition to a fictionalized account of Agatha Christie going missing, is also about the evils of the way some organized religions choose to control women, shaming them or using them for its own purpose.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel, which RELEASES FEBRUARY 8, 2022.