Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read a digital ARC of “The Christie Affair: A Novel” by Nita de Gramont. Although this book was published in February 2022, I’m just now getting around to reading and reviewing it.

This is the first novel I’ve read by Ms. de Gramont. While reading the novel, I wondered why it was titled “The Christie Affair,” when essentially, it revolves around the imagined life of her husband Archie’s mistress, Nan O'Dea, and what led her to become “the other woman.”

The story is based on the actual disappearance of Agatha Christie in 1926, which lasted for 11 days. Archie Christie asks Agatha for a divorce to marry Ms. O’Dea, which leads to an unexpected event. Agatha disappears, and the mistress, Nan O’Dea, narrates the novel and shares her backstory, explaining why she befriended the Christies and became Archie’s mistress. Ms. O’Dea is cold and calculating, as is Archie Christie; neither individual is nice.

Ms. de Gramont weaves a creative, original, and suspenseful narrative that the reader will find is filled with twists and turns, murder, mayhem, and suspense. Overall, I found the characters calculating and unsympathetic, but I enjoyed the originality of the author’s spin on the mystery surrounding Agatha Christie’s disappearance.

3.5/5 stars

I thought this book was so intriguing when I read the title and the brief synopsis of the plot. Wow! An Agatha Christie personal life situation such as an affair her husband had with a woman they had both become friends with? How devastating that would be in any marriage, but I couldn't imagine such a beloved author going through such a horrible and heartbreaking thing.

When Archie first began to pull away from Agatha, it was a tear-jerker. It wasn't as though she'd done anything wrong to make her stop loving her. Not as though their marriage had been broken by horrible name-calling of her husband and loud obnoxious yelling, etc. No, it was a seductive and beautiful woman, Nan O’Dea. It was rather odd to me that their affair wasn't one of true falling in love, at least not on her part. No, rather it seemed more a case of wanting what someone else had. Agatha didn't deserve to go through what she did. She didn't deserve the backstabbing from both of them. My heart was broken for Agatha and I was so angry with Nan. I couldn't get to a point of truly liking or understanding what she'd gone through enough to "forgive" her for what she did. It was totally inexcusable. Although, aside from her wanting to break up their marriage, I can commiserate with what she went through. But, again, not enough to say, "OK, now I get why she wanted him and didn't care who she hurt in the process."

The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont is an interesting blend of historical fiction and mystery, offering a fictionalized account of Agatha Christie’s real-life 11-day disappearance in 1926. The premise is captivating, and the author’s writing is engaging, but the execution felt a bit uneven at times. The pacing is slow, and some of the twists didn’t land as strongly as expected. While it’s an enjoyable read for fans of Agatha Christie or historical fiction, it didn’t fully capture the suspense I was hoping for.

*Nina de Gramont’s The Christie Affair* is a captivating historical fiction novel that blends mystery with real-life intrigue. Set against the backdrop of Agatha Christie’s infamous disappearance in 1926, the story offers a fresh and imaginative take on the event. De Gramont’s writing is rich and immersive, and she skillfully weaves together multiple perspectives, creating a gripping narrative full of suspense and emotional depth. While the pacing slows at times, the atmospheric setting and complex characters keep the story engaging. Fans of historical mysteries and Agatha Christie will find this book both intriguing and thought-provoking.

The world wondered what happened to the great Agatha Christie during that unfortunate week. This is a plausible telling of a mystery left untold.

Whewwww thought I might DNF, the story didn't pick up till after 40% but I'm glad I didn't put it aside. I ended up enjoying it, what a ride. Very good but took awhile to get there!

This was just mediocre to me. I wasn't interested enough in the backstory of Agatha Christie and felt it was long to get to the point.

Agatha Christie disappeared for 10 days and no one knows where she was. This novel tells on possible version from the perspective of Archie Christie’s mistress. ARC from NetGalley

This book was not for me. the story was all over the place. It took the few facts we know about Agatha Christie's disappearance and spun a wild story that probably would have been better without the Agatha Christie story thrown in. Or maybe not.

Agatha Christie is one of my favorite authors and I've been fascinated by her life and her mysterious disappearance. Maybe someday we'll learn the answer!

The Christie Affair
A Novel
by Nina de Gramont
Pub Date **Feb 01 2022**   
St. Martin's Press
General Fiction \(Adult\)| Historical Fiction


Currently, I am reviewing The Christie Affair through St. Martin's Press and Netgalley:


What prompted the world's most famous mystery writer to disappear for 11 days? What makes a woman so desperate that she destroys another woman's marriage? Can revenge be craved so deeply?




Miss Nan O'Dea infiltrated Agatha Christie's wealthy, exclusive world in 1925 with her husband, Archie. She became part of their lives in every way -- first, both Christies. After that, it was just Archie. Nan soon became Archie's mistress, luring him away from his devoted wife, desperate to marry him. Nan’s plot didn’t begin the day she met Archie and Agatha.


It began decades ago, in Ireland, when Nan was a young girl. She and the man she loved were destined to be together--until the Great War, a pandemic, and shameful secrets tore them apart. After that, they were separated by acts of unspeakable cruelty.

What motivates someone to commit murder? In the name of love, what will someone do? What kind of crime is impossible to forgive? This and many other questions are explored in Nina de Gramont's brilliant, unforgettable novel.


I give The Christie Affair five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

The Christie Affair was an enjoyable read filled with complexities, twists & turns that kept you on your feet—in true Christie spirit. The premise of the book as well as the execution is both clever and tremendously done.

This book was so interesting! As an avid Agatha Christie reader, the topic of her disappearance was fascinating. However, I found the book a little awkwardly paced. Some chapters ran too long and were difficult to follow. The character development was good, but it felt like some background information was irrelevant and took away from the main storyline. As a novel based on historical events, it was worth a read, but I unfortunately struggled to stay engaged.

"The Christie Affair" by Nina de Gramont is a captivating historical novel that reimagines one of the most intriguing mysteries of the 20th century: the real-life disappearance of Agatha Christie in 1926. Blending fact with fiction, de Gramont offers a fresh perspective by telling the story through the eyes of Nan O’Dea, a fictionalized version of the woman who had an affair with Christie’s husband and is often cast as the villain in the famous author’s life.

Nan is a complex, multifaceted character whose life is steeped in secrets and sorrow. As she recounts her own troubled past and her complicated relationship with Christie’s husband, Archie, readers are drawn into a narrative that weaves together themes of love, betrayal, and redemption. De Gramont skillfully portrays Nan not as a simple antagonist but as a woman shaped by her circumstances, making her both sympathetic and intriguing.

The novel excels in its atmospheric portrayal of 1920s England, with richly detailed settings that transport the reader to a world of grand estates, smoky jazz clubs, and rural villages. De Gramont’s writing is elegant and evocative, perfectly capturing the moody tension of the time.

While the story is centered around Christie’s disappearance, it is equally a tale of the lives touched by it. The author deftly explores the emotional landscape of her characters, delving into the pain, longing, and resilience that define them. The alternating timelines between Nan’s past and the events surrounding Christie’s disappearance keep the narrative engaging and suspenseful.

It’s a compelling read for fans of both Agatha Christie and historical novels, offering a fresh take on a real-life mystery while exploring the complexities of love, loss, and forgiveness.

No one knows for sure the who, what, where, when and why of Agatha Christie's disappearance in 1926 so the story is open to anyone who has an original, compelling story line. Nina de Gramot has given us this story through the eyes of Christie's husband's mistress. Gramont takes us on a wild ride through the history and aftermath of Nan O'Dea's fictional romance of Archie Christie. I've read many books on what may have happened in 1926 and this one is as plausible as the others.

This is a fun "what if" take on a very interesting event in the very interesting life of Agatha Christie. If you enjoy historical fiction with a loose connection to actual history or if you, like me, are kind of obsessed with Agatha Christie, this book is for you.

Great story of an unknown segment ,to me, of Agatha’s life. The story progressed at a nice pace, very descriptive and extremely interesting.
I’m writing this vaguely so as not to give any spoilers.
I definitely would recommend this book and any others by this author.

The Christie Affair was a really engaging historical mystery. I don't read a lot in this genre, so it was a really nice change of pace for me. dr Gramont did a wonderful job with this reimaging of Agatha Christie's 11 day disappearance. So good!

Such a fun read! Loved this one!

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC.

I loved this book! It's well-written, enjoyable, and a great read. Nina de Gramont did a great job of writing in a way that captures the readers attention, and makes you not want to put it down until you're finished! This was such an interesting story, I would highly recommend it!