The Christie Affair" by Nina De Gramont

I will say this, totally not what I expected it to be. But in a good way not bad.

Agatha Christie had gone missing in 1925 for 11 days. Where was she and what was she doing in that time period? When she reappeared Agatha claimed to not be able to remember anything about those 11 days. Not where she was, why she had disappeared, or what happened during the time she was gone. Now author Nina De Gramont offers us an explanation of her disappearance and folks, it is nowhere near anything I imagined the reason for it. But it is a wonderful, intriguing explanation that touches on issues affecting women in Agatha Christies' days. Social issues are brought up within this storyline along with secret trysts, scandals, betrayals plus friendships are formed and bonds made and broken. It has everything. And is beautifully written. I could not have enjoyed this more. I finished reading in a day, it is that good.❤❤❤

Thank you to the publishers at St. Martin's Press and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

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I received an advance reader copy of The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont in exchange for an honest review.

At this point I have read several historical fiction novels about Agatha Christie and her disappearance. The Christie Affair provides a fresh perspective on the story, being told from the perspective of the other woman, Nan O’Dea. The title holds dual meanings: the events surrounding Christie, and the affair had by Archie Christie and Nan. It was fun delving deeper into the character of the mistress, because usually she’s no more than a side character in the life of Agatha Christie. Here she takes center stage. Despite it being from Nan’s perspective, it is still very much focused around Christie’s disappearance, suggesting that while she was missing the two women were on holiday together. I really loved this concept, taking two woman who, to an outside perspective, should hate each other, and have them join forces and become friends.

Initially it was a challenge to connect to the protagonist, since I thought of her as a homewrecker who destroyed the marriage of one of my favorite authors. Although, to be fair, Archie was obviously just as if not moreso responsible. As the story went on though I grew to find her much more well-rounded and engaging. I liked the backstory she was given and how it provided her motivation during the events of the story. The novel also contains elements of romance and murder mystery, and I liked how both of these genres was woven into the narrative.

One aspect of the novel which I struggled with was the fluctuating perspective. The entire thing is supposed to be written by Nan, however for scenes where she is not present she shifts to third-person omniscient, describing the thoughts of other characters and things they never would have disclosed to her even if given the opportunity, but somehow she knows all this? It was a strange bit of incongruity that would occasionally pull me out of the story, but then I would quickly get pulled back in.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the storyline it presents for the whereabouts of Agatha Christie during her disappearance. It is lighthearted and cozy. I think this is a book that any Christie fan would enjoy, and it’s one I would definitely recommend. Thank you NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

This is the second book I've read about the 11 days Agatha Christie went missing. This is a really creative take on this particular mystery and there's a lot to like in the novel. I do enjoy the 1920s as a setting and de Gramont does a wonderful job of setting the scenes for us.

This is a character-driven novel with an unreliable narrator, Nan, Mr. Christie's mistress. This is a bold choice and I did not always enjoy her imaginings, but I appreciated her backstory and she grew into a much more complex character than I first expected. It's rare that I change my mind about characters, so Bravo to de Gramont for turning my expectations on their head.

In addition to Agatha's disappearance, there's also a double murder that needs solving. The detective, Chilton, is my favorite character. He's easy to like and genuinely interesting and entertaining. I loved being able. to see glimpses of Agatha Christie, and wished we'd been able to see more of her.

The twists and turns are interesting, especially the 1926 part, which I loved. Fans of mysteries, interesting narration style, and historical fiction should check out this compelling novel. For now, I need to hang up my historical fiction hat.

I gave this book 4/5 stars. I loved the storyline, but sometimes I would get confused when the author would switch to a different character. This book is about Agatha Christie’s disappearance as told from her husbands mistresses perspective (for the most part). It took me a little bit to get into the book, but I really enjoyed it once I did!

This is the fictional story of Nan O'Dea, the mistress of Agatha Christie's husband Archie. Her story uses the real life disappearance of Agatha in 1926 for 11 days as a frame. This event still remains a bit of a mystery and the story is presented as what may have happened during that time. This story is narrated by Nan in two time lines, one covering her early life and one during the time of Agatha's disappearance. Although Nan is the narrator, the author takes some liberties with the narration and provides her with insight into other characters feeling and emotions. We are given Nan's backstory, which is tragic, in order to provide understanding for her actions as well. I enjoyed the added that included a Christie type murder mystery. I feel this really benefitted the story.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the arc. This is my honest review.

What makes a woman desperate enough to destroy another woman's marriage?
What makes someone vengeful enough to hatch a plot years in the making?
What drives someone to murder?

The Christie Affair reimages Agatha Christie's 11-day disappearance that captivated the world, as told by her husband's mistress. Its twists and turns had me glued, and Nina de Gramont's atmospheric storytelling made it the perfect book to cozy up by the fire with. If you love hist-fic thrillers, be sure to grab this one when it comes out February 1st, 2022!

This was a page turning book that focuses on the real life disappearance of author Agatha Christie and the authors interpretation of what may have happened.
In 1926 Agatha and her husband had an argument. Agatha's husband had a lover named Nan and apparently wanted a divorce. Agatha disappeared for over a week. Although she was ultimately found, she never discussed the details of her disappearance. Even when she died, the truth about her reasons and what happened never emerged.
This very creative story involves Nan, Agatha and several other characters and involves the authors perceptions of what may have happened. This was a real page turning and I definitely would recommend this mystery to others. I received an e-book from Netgally in exchange for a review.

For some reason the story of Agatha Christie's 11 day disappearance never made it to me until an article entitled "The Real Life Gone Girl" I enjoyed this outside in look, a reimagining of something that is completely ripe for interpretation and retelling. I'm not sure though why the author changed some details that were rooted in fact but overall a good book. It actually made me want to read others of the AC disappearance.

This is an intriguing take on Agatha Christie’s famous 11-day disappearance, although it’s really the story of Archie’s mistress, here named Nan O’Dea. Nan manipulates Archie to leave his wife so that she can step in, but her plans go further than that, and timing is everything. Interspersed between the timeline of Agatha’s disappearance (and a trip Nan planned for herself), is Nan’s retelling of her own tragic background, and as it unfolds, her true objective comes to light.

Nan is extremely clever, but she’s also laser-focused on getting what she believes is owed to her, regardless of how her actions affect others. Her tenacity and self-justification are fascinating. The story of what Agatha was up to at that time was satisfying, and de Gramont also gifted us a mystery subplot that is indeed Christie-esque.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for giving me an advanced copy of this book.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for a digital advance reader copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

Where and why did novelist Agatha Christie disappear, and what did she do while gone for eleven days in 1925? I can never get enough of Agatha Christie, so when I saw this novel I had to read it, even though in January 2021 I had read The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, a similar novel where another author also conjectured on the whereabouts and doings of the world famous mystery writer. As I was reading this one, I made a point not to compare the two books, so am reviewing this on its own merits - both good and not so good.

This novel was narrated by the character Nan O'Dea, Archie Christie's mistress. Told in two timelines, both the period during Agatha's disappearance and also going back in time to Nan's earlier years. It all comes together at the end, so I urge you to just read and you'll see how it all fits so cleverly. The author was obviously inspired by Christie's own novels as she created a mystery, and then a brilliant murder mystery with logical motive.

The part I thought was "not so good" was that since the story was told by Nan O'Dea, it was distracting and unbelievable that she could read the minds of many of the other main characters, and recounted their imagined conversations when she wasn't there. She broke one of the basic rules of writing with this blunder. She does explain this "technique" by saying they probably thought this or probably said that. So that's even worse that the author (via the character) admits she's doing this. The novel also changes point of view in the middle of chapters, which could cause some confusion as to who was thinking or acting. How could an editor allow these two unprofessional bungles?

Despite this colossal breach, the novel was a page-turner and the characters were well-developed and likable/sympathetic. Lots of clues sprinkled throughout enabled me to figure out motives, feel satisfied with explanations and outcomes, and appreciate the decisions that led to actions. Even with the problematic storytelling style, I really liked this and recommend reading it.

3.5 stars
This book really took me on a bit of a ride, I honestly was not sure what was going on early on in the book, it felt a little slow and disjointed. The second half of the book quickly started to put things together and I couldn’t put it down during the last quarter of the book.
Very interesting topic, I do not know much about Agatha Christie and with her & I sharing a name I was very intrigued with this story.

As with any good historical fiction, I’ll be spending the next hour googling about this story and Agatha Christie’s disappearance.

I enjoyed this book and would recommend. Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy for review.

On Friday, December 3rd, 1926, Agatha Christie got into her Morris Cowley roadster and disappeared for 11 days. She wrote letters to her secretary, brother-in-law, and husband prior to leaving. When she was found, she said that she didn't remember what happened, nor even her name. She signed into a spa under her husband's mistress' name. That is the true version.

Nina de Gramont takes those events and creates a narrative of what happened. She presents an interesting, fictional story of what Agatha Christie did during those 11 days she went missing. While the version she presents takes some big licenses with Christie's life, it is fun and fascinating theory of what could have happened and why.

The author not only fictionalized Christie's life, but also her husband's mistress and her own daughter's. Gramont's version is both harrowing and gratifying, a rare combination for an author to achieve. She takes us on her own suspense-filled journey into the disappearance, and subsequent finding of Christie.

The Christie Affair works due to the multiple storylines that are told. The back and forth of the differing and converging of the storylines make for a deep and enriching tale of Agatha Christie's life and loves. The characters have deep flaws but also redeemable qualities that make them feel real. Their actions, once the motives are laid bare, seem understandable and almost reasonable. Though the book does gloss over what Christie could really have felt during her 11 days, it does make for a strangely happy read.

This book was so much more than I expected. Delving into the mysterious 11 day disappearance of Agatha Christie, imagining a solution to the mystery that has in reality never been solved. This story is told through the eyes of the woman who stole Agatha's husband, telling both Agatha's story and her own. Beautiful, heartbreaking--a breathtaking sweep through history and fiction. I couldn't put this book down from the first page to the immensely satisfying conclusion. 5 out of 5 stars, highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of THE CHRISTIE AFFAIR by Nina de Gramont. I loved the historical aspects of this story, post-World War I England, and I also loved the fictionalized glimpse into Agatha Christie's life. Telling the story of the days when she went missing from the perspective of her husband's mistress was so unique and interesting. The mistress, Nan's, fictional tragic back story had me hooked with the horror and drama and romance of it. There were some soapy twists and turns that I didn't see coming but sometimes felt a little out of left field, or like it took me too far out of the realism of this story that is partially based on history. The fictionalized parts of this story also made me really, really want what really happened not to be true and made it hard to want to finish it knowing the depressing reality that was coming. But I think overall I enjoyed myself, so I'm generously rounding up to four stars.

This is the story of Nan who had an affair with Archie Christie, husband of Agatha Christie. Archie falls for Nan and tells Agatha that he is leaving her. Agatha then disappears for 11 days.

This is historical fiction to the Nth degree and I can’t recommend it enough.

I started this on a Saturday morning and had an extremely difficult time putting it down. The story is seamless, and it drew this reader in deep from the first chapter. The author’s writing is masterful and I was able to see the vivid and lush imagery she gives with her words.

I kept at this one, not stopping once to read from my other current reads. That’s high praise in itself, as any reader of many at one time well knows. This one is definitely going on my re-read list. I’m planning on listening to it on audio in a few months, or next year - the story was amazing.


Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an eARC of this title. Opinions shared are based on nothing other than my reading experience.

This is the story of Agatha Christie, and Nan O’Dea, and the way their lives are forever intertwined, more so than they even realize. When Agatha realizes that her marriage is over at the hands of Nam, she is unsure how to proceed. After one last ditch effort to win him back, Archie still decides to leave with Nan. But when Agatha goes missing, nobody is sure what step to take next. As Nans backstory unfolds, and Agathas disappearance picks up headlines, the women realize they have more in common than just Archie. What happens if Agatha is found? What happens if Nans secrets come out? Follow the story of two women as one wants to be lost, and one wants to be found.

I really enjoyed this novel. All the aspects of a great read we’re found within these pages. Be sure to pick up this title!

This cleverly plotted, engrossing story will keep you frantically flipping pages to find out what happens next. This takes the story you think you're getting: of a man who leaves his wife for a younger woman, and the wife is so distraught, she disappears for a week, then it turns the trope on his head.

This book is based on the true story of Agatha Christie, the famous author, who, when she found out her husband was having an affair, disappeared for a week, prompting a countrywide hunt for her. She was finally found checked into a spa under her husband's mistress name. And no, telling you that doesn't give you any spoilers. This book was very unexpected, in a good way.

Agatha was memorable as the scorned wife playing her cards to get her husband back. Nan's the clear-eyed younger woman who knows exactly what she's doing and sees all the faults in , but wants him anyway. And Archie Christie is the man who thinks he knows what he wants, until he doesn't. But the further you read, the more unexpected layers these characters have. The two separate love stories that play out are both bittersweet and engaging. There's murder, lust, star-crossed lovers and characters taking charge of their own destiny, despite the societal forces that conspired against them.

This book also takes an insightful look at wealth and privilege, and how it can lead to carelessness with others' lives. If you're a fan of historical fiction, this is one you won't want to miss.

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

Thank you to Net Galley for giving me this opportunity to read the book 'The Christie Affair'.
It took me a while to read it as I didn't find it grabbing my attention. The story is about the novelist Agatha Christie and her disappearance for several days. To me the story was more about Nan O'Dea and her relationship with Archie Christie. Nan finds her way into the Christie household as she believes that the Christie's have something/someone that belongs to her.
I had no empathy for either of the Christie's or Nan O'Dea. The only character that I had empathy for was Finnbar.
It was an o.k. read, but not one that I would rave about.