A fictional story of the "disappearance" of Agatha Christie. While I really enjoyed the writing and the idea of an Agatha Christie mystery, it just didn't really do it for me. I wanted more of a mystery, I guess. I wish there was more about Agatha. Nan was a very unlikable character, in my opinion, and while I understand her story, it just needed more interesting elements. The audiobook was very well narrated, which made it enjoyable.


*Thank you @stmartinspress and @macmillanaudio for the audiobook and egalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Thank you so much to @stmartinspress for the digital review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It is well known that Agatha Christie went missing for eleven days in 1925, and no one knows what happened to her during that time. Author Nina de Gramont had written one possibility of where she went and what she was doing.

There are two timelines going in this novel, and until the end I had no idea how they were going to come together. Because of that, some parts were a little difficult to keep track of throughout the story.

This book came to me at the perfect time, which definitely impacted how much I liked it. This January I started on a journey to read all of Christie's Poriot books, and I read this one immediately after finishing The Mysterious Affair at Styles. I don't know anything about AC's history, so it was fun imagining her living this story with Nan O'Dea.

When I was part way through reading this book it was announced as the Reese's Book Club pick for February, which is very exciting to someone who has only finished one celerity book club pick in the month it was chosen before (the first was Reese's December pick, Lucky).

There is a never-ending appetite for Agatha Christie, in all forms and mediums (including historical para-fiction like this novel) and I covered the subject and this book in a longread about Death on the Nile and Christie's legacy, for Zoomer magazine (article at link).

One of the most talked about mysteries of the twentieth century is the eleven day disappearance of famed mystery writer Agatha Christie. On December 3, 1926, after being told by her husband that he was leaving her for another woman, Agatha Christie left their home and simply disappeared for eleven mysterious days. A massive manhunt ensued. Her car was discovered abandoned with her clothing and driver's license inside. There are multiple theories on the why and how - revenge, publicity, amnesia, grief? Finally, on December 14, 1926, Christie was discovered at a hotel staying under the name Mrs. Tressa Neele, but she claimed not to remember anything. What happened during those eleven days? The answer remains a mystery to this day.

The Christie Affair is the fictional retelling of a spasmodic time in Agatha Christie's life and is narrated mostly by Archie Christie's mistress, Nancy Neele known as Nan O'Dea is this book. As it turns out, Nan's story is quite intriguing. Readers learn of a her own troubled life from a young age and are privy to her motivation for insinuating her way into Archie's life even at the cost of his marriage. Nan appears convinced she knows the true story of what happened to Agatha and in fact, tells the story as though she has insider information, but remember it's all conjecture. As it turns out, this book's more about Nan, her thoughts and need for the spotlight than about what happened to Agatha. It's an interesting premise for narrating a story, but it relegates Agatha to a support role vs. Nan who becomes the fictional star of the show.

Readers looking to learn the answer to the big real life mystery of Agatha Christie's disappearance will be disappointed in this book. However, The Christie Affair is entertaining and quite twisted with a mysterious murder, a touch of romance and a complex quest very similar to a real life Agatha Christie mystery story. The pacing is nigh on perfect and the ending, although readers may see it coming, is quite stunning. The characters are well fleshed out, believable and dare I say even likable? The author accomplishes quite a feat in making O'Dea come across as somewhat likable given she admittedly set out to destroy a marriage for selfish reasons.

The Christie Affair is an intense, emotional fictional story. This reader would have liked to hear more from Agatha Christie herself; however, I believe the author accomplished what she set out to do which was to give readers insight into the mistress and her role in what happened leading up to those fateful eleven days, including the fact that O'Dea had been hatching this plot for years. Readers of historical fiction will enjoy this book especially if they go into it knowing what - or what not - to expect. Recommended to fans of fictional retellings of true stories. 3.5 Stars

In December 1926, Agatha Christie quietly left her home after her husband Archie asked for a divorce, and disappeared for 11 days. A country-wide manhunt ensued, and while Christie was found unharmed, the details about those missing 11 days were never disclosed. de Gramont has taken the facts of the case, and deftly built her theory of what might have happened during those days. Told from the perspective of Nan, Archie's mistress and future wife, readers are led through intrigue, romance and subterfuge. Written with respect to Christie's writing style, the book often felt like a news report of the situation.

True to Christie's style, de Gramont has thrown in several red herrings, leading me to formulate ideas, only to have them thrown aside a few pages later. But all those loose threads come together in the end in a very satisfying manner. I appreciated the writing style, but would have appreciated less focus on Nan, and more on Agatha. Nan was not an endearing character, although that might have been the author's point. I also struggle with the way that Agatha is portrayed, as she presents as almost hysterical, and entirely disconnected from her child. 3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the complimentary eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Agatha Christie disappears for almost 2 weeks. Where does she go and what does she do during that time? This novel explores what she might have done. Her husband is having an affair and is planning to leave Agatha and marry his mistress. Can she turn things around and keep her family intact?

The Christie Affair is a fictionalized account of what happened when Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days after her husband asked for a divorce. Christie's disappearance was never explained in real life. This account imagines the entire story from the POV of her husband's mistress Nan. Nan's story was so interesting that it kind of eclipsed Agatha's story. There were times when she wasn't very likable and acted in ways that I couldn't understand but all was explained at the end. I loved the fictionalized men in this story. I'll admit that I had never heard of the disappearance and haven't read much of Christie but I think that even if you were really knowledgeable about her life, you'd probably still enjoy this story.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for my honest review.

The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont is a reimagining of Agatha' Christie's disappearance. Did she disappear because she was upset by her husband's mistress? I found this explanation a little unbelievable, but the writing was entertaining. Also, the reason why Nan O'Dea became Archie Christie's mistress was quite the twist! This was a quick, fun read, but I don't believe that the author has solved Agatha Christie's disappearance with this story. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

In December 1926 Agatha Christie disappeared in bizarre circumstances from her home in
southern England. The discovery of the crime writer's abandoned car led to the biggest
manhunt in British history for a missing person. Eleven days later she was found in a northern
spa town claiming to be the victim of amnesia

 all the separate threads woven loosely together at the start, were pulled tight as the story
progressed, until you realised - almost too late - that every single thing that has happened since
page one was for a reason, and has brought us, perfectly, to The End.
It is the story of Agatha Christie's missing 11 days. It is fiction, of course, but as good an explanation
as any other. It is written from the viewpoint of Archie Christie's girlfriend, Nan, and also features her
life story. It is creative and intelligent and heart breaking
Agatha Christie went missing for 11 days in December of 1926. Her disappearance led to one of the
largest man hunts in history. Where was she? What happened? This is a novel of what might have
occurred and why.

Gramont tried to emulate her style and it often read like a detective mystery of old
fans of Agatha Christie and historical fiction, in general, will enjoy the story.
Trigger Warnings: kidnapping, rape, birth trauma

What a rollercoaster of a read! The story is told through Nan’s perspective, the woman who is having an affair with Agatha’s husband, Archie. In a fit of distress, Agatha disappears without a trace and the events that unfold can only be described as something out of a Christie novel.

Told in dual timelines, the truth of Nan’s tragic past is slowly revealed to the reader. In the present, Nan spends her time distancing herself in a hotel from the drama surrounding Agatha’s disappearance. Past and present collide in an epic turn of events, with an ending that took me completely by surprise.

As a leading lady, I found Nan to be a bit dull. She’s always focusing on saying and doing exactly the right thing and working singularly towards her goal of coaxing her way into a permanent position by Archie’s side. The Nan of the past was much more interesting to read about. Though she faced many challenges, she met them all with strength, courage, and determination.

The Christie Affair is full of tragedy, mystery, and unbreakable and unconditional love. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more from de Gramont. While I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this book to a friend, I would proceed with caution, as there is a lot of this story that could be quite upsetting to some readers.

I am very much in awe with Agatha Christie and would love to read all her novels. When I read that this fictional story in The Christie Affair is based on her mysterious disappearance, I could not wait to put my hands on this book and read it.

I was completely intrigued by the interesting tale on Agatha’s 11 days of disappearance, narrated by Nan O’Day, non other than mistress of Christie’s husband Archie. I liked the narration, the spin on the event and Nan’s point of view.

No wonder this beautiful novel was a reesebookclub pick and I enjoyed reading each Ms every page of this beauty!

Thank you St. Martins Press and NetGalley for 5e gifted galley. I highly recommend this mysterious tale to all the Agatha hirsute fans out there!

"A long time ago, in another country, I nearly killed a woman. It's a particular feeling, the urge to murder. It takes over your body so completely, it's like a divine force, grabbing hold of your will, your limbs, your psyche. There's a joy to it. In retrospect, it's frightening, but I daresay in the moment it feels sweet. The way justice feels sweet."
– Nan O’Dea

A combination of fact and fiction, “The Christie Affair” recounts Agatha Christie’s real-life disappearance in 1926, through the eyes of her husband Archie’s mistress, Nan O’Dea. Christie abandons her car in the middle of nowhere and disappears for 11 days. How was O'Dea so intricately tied to those secretive days? The greatest enigma wasn't the famous crime writer’s disappearance, it's what she discovered. A composite of love and revenge, agency and betrayal, murder and justice, Nina de Gramont’s novel is entertaining and beautifully written.

Synopsis

In 1925, Miss Nan O’Dea infiltrated the wealthy, rarefied world of author Agatha Christie and her husband, Archie. In every way, she became a part of their life – first, both Christies. Then, just Archie. Soon, Nan 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 before, in Ireland, when Nan was a young girl. She and the man she loved were a star-crossed couple who were destined to be together – until the Great War, a pandemic, and shameful secrets tore them apart. Then acts of unspeakable cruelty kept them separated.

Note

In real life, Agatha’s devastation over her husband’s demand for a divorce led her to flee her Berkshire home and disappear for 11 days; no one knows where she went and she took that secret to her grave.

A huge thank you to @NetGalley, @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for both the advanced review ebook and audiobook.

#TheChristieAffair #NinadeGramont #NetGalley # St. Martin's Press #Mysteries #HistoricalFiction #Fiction

I listened to the Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont on audiobook. The narrator was the perfect match for this eloquently told tale of Agatha Christie's disappearance told from the perspective of her husband's mistress. This was an interesting perspective and an intriguing fictional take on what may have happened during the days of Agatha's actual disappearance.

When Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days, it was a great mystery but The Christie Affair tells the tale of another, greater mystery: that of Nan O'Dea, Archie Christie's mistress. Nan has destroyed Agatha's marriage, enticing Archie to leave his wife, a woman everyone admires. On purpose. The question is: why?

Told through Nan's POV, we get insight into Agatha's story as well. There are other characters who we meet during these 11 days and soon there are series of intertwined events that at first appear unrelated but are all tied together.

I admit that when I started this read, I almost gave up. I am glad I returned to it and persevered. Although I didn't fall in love with this book, I did find the writing/story creative. I also enjoyed the second half better than the first once I stopped trying to dwell on: How does Nan know what is in Agatha's or any of the other characters minds?

Thank you #Netgalley for the opportunity to read and leave my honest review.

.This is not a book I would normally pick to read but I love to find new to me authors and I like to take part in the reader challenge that Brenda Novak has every year.

The story is more about Nan O'Dea, the mistress of Agatha Christie's husband. It is her narration of how she believed everything happened and why. Nan had many hardships and dealt with a lot of suffering. She definitely didn't have it easy. She believes she may know why Mrs. Christie left without a word.

There were a lot of things that made me upset in the story, because no one should go through what many of the girls did. It was beyond wrong and sickening.

There are some twist and turns in the story most I saw coming, some parts of the story were flat and I didn't feel engaged but then there were the parts that had me upset, so I am giving it 3 stars as it was good overall but I didn't love it.

Read it and see what you think because I didn't love it doesn't mean you won't.

Agatha Christie famously disappeared for 11 days following her husbands announcement that he was in love with someone else. She has never discussed, or revealed the true nature of her disappearance maintaining that she does not remember.
Told from the perspective of Nan O’dea, her husbands mistress, The Christie Affair tells a story of what could have happened.


Plus the author cleverly slips in a
Christie-esque mystery, which for me was the best part of the story.

Well written and interesting however this book was a 3.5-4 stars when it could have been a definite 5.
I didn’t love the character development as AC was sometimes portrayed as weak and almost vapid. And not the incredibly brilliant and strong woman that I would like to think she was.

The Christie Affair, definitely struck a cord with me. The narrator (Mr. Christie’s mistress) tells the story of Agatha’s speculated 11 day disappearance reimagined through her eyes and the life she intended.

This narrative approach evoked sadness in me as the reader, I felt bad for Agatha, and the pain she must have felt when her husband announced that he was leaving as described , though the perspective of the mistress. I found it made Agatha more compelling, and needy, justifying her possible fugue state and disappearance. I did not feel compelled to like the narrator, or feel any empathy or likeness towards her. Not sure if this was the intended tool here.

The author brought to life the feels of a true Agatha Christie mystery, twists, romance, a real whodunnit. . The author conveyed the era, set the tone for the mystery to occur, developed the characters and laid out the clues.

I enjoyed this book and feel it was well done!

Thank you to St. Martian’s Press and #NetGalley for the advanced ecopy of this book.

What really happened to Agatha Christie when she went missing for those 11 days?

While I have read some of Agatha Christie's novels over the years, I will admit that I didn't know much about her personal life. While this is a fictionalized telling of what happened during those eleven days, it was fascinating to imagine the dynamics of the relationship between the Christie's and how this mistress came into their lives and destroyed their marriage. While mostly told from Nan O'Dea's POV, there are some chapters that are told to us from Agatha's POV and also the detective that found her quite by chance.

We learn a lot about Nan and her childhood and the first love of her life. There are some other things that come about that add complexity to the story and the reason why Nan did what she did to get to know this family. While I probably should have seen it coming, it was a bit of a surprise.

I found that the multiple POV added depth to the story and kept me intrigued as to why this story was playing out as it was for the characters. Did some of this happen? Perhaps.

You will also find that the chapters jump around in time but it is important to understand Nan's motivation for her actions.

This was a surprisingly delightful story and we give it 4 paws up.

The first 75% of this book, I didn't understand where the story was taking me, and I found it very boring. I am, however, thankful I kept with it, as all the pieces (that I didn't even know were pieces) came together.

We follow Agatha Christie, her husband (Archie), her husband's lover (Nan O'Dea). Agatha Christie learns of her husband's infidelity but believes it will all be okay and just go away. To Agatha's surprise, Nan talks Archie into leaving Agatha in order to continue his life by her side.
Why does Nan want to take a man that is already spoken for? Why this man? Does she really love him? Nan is even willing to commit murder to get what she so desperately wants.
Agatha leaves in a rush and is announced to be missing. Being an author, all the stops are pulled to find her. She is gone for a total of eleven days. While she is being searched for, all the different truths of the characters show themselves: strand by strand. Agatha learns why Nan infiltrated her life and accepts that change is sometimes a blessing in disguise.

I did find the timelines of this book rather confusing. We are present day, then last week, then years ago, then 3 weeks ago, then present day again.

Other than these downfalls, I am glad to have read this. It has a very different way of telling the story, and I find that refreshing.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Immense gratitude to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review

Nina de Gramont's The Christie Affair is gripping historical fiction novel loosely based around the disappearance of Mrs. Agatha Christie in 1926. The story is told from the perspective of Nan Neele. Nan's backstory could have been this entire novel. It is great to see a new take on the disappearance of Agatha Christie. This novel kept me on my toes till the end. I highly recommend it you those that love a good mystery or historical fiction piece.
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