I loved hearing the story of Agatha's disappearance, and to tell it from the POV of the mistress was genius. I couldn't finish this book fast enough. I spent way too much time Googling when I finished! I also liked the back and forth of the timeline, finally meeting in the present.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

This book was just OK to me. I did enjoy some of the twists, but I didn't love Nan as the narrator. It just didn't pull me in until towards the end, and even then I didn't love it.

I have been a fan of Agatha Christie for many years, since I was a teenager and came upon her books, I have read all of them and was always intrigued by her life.

Originally written this book tells the story of the disappearance of Agatha Christie and helps the reader learn what happened in those almost two weeks where the whole of England was looking for her and the world was waiting to hear the news.

But, and here is the interesting part, the narrator of the story is Nan O'Shea, the mistress of Archie Christie, Agatha's husband. This makes the book much more engrossing but also skews the narrative to Nan and her life with Agatha always present, but not as a protagonist.

Beautifully written and an engrossing read, I finished this book in almost one seating, Nina de Gramont didn't disappoint.

This was such an engaging read. I had a hard time putting down the book. I wasn't sure about the narrator at first and if I could get into her telling the story, but I got caught up in the story (hers and Agatha's). "The Christie Affair" is intriguing and worth the hype IMO! Would recommend for lovers of mystery or historical fiction.

This was simply amazing!! I can honestly say that I never knew that Agatha Christie had gone missing - and this is a look at that event with the author applying facts and taking license with the rest to give her fascinating version of events. It's hard to know what is fact and what is fiction. But it really doesn't matter. (It caused me to hit up The Googles pretty hard to try to learn stuff!!!) I gobbled this all up and amazed on this author's take of events and how she weaved Nan's (the real life mistress) story and Agatha's story together. In the end, it doesn't matter to me what is true and what is made up, I just loved it.

A fun and interesting historical fiction novel based on the 11-day disappearance of Agatha Christie in the 1920's, told in the voice of her husband's mistress. Many twists and turns in the plot, as well as much mystery, lust, revenge and background stories revealing in perfect timing. This novel felt authentic and juicy. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the copy for review. All opinions are my own.

I've read a couple of Agatha Christie novels over the years, but I have no idea her real life was just as exciting and mysterious as the characters in her books. The author disappeared in the 1920s for eleven days and dominated headlines worldwide. Not much is known because she never publicly discussed the disappearance, barely glossing over the subject in her memoir. Recent movie adaptations have renewed public interest in Christie and her books.

I couldn't pass on the opportunity to get an early copy of The Christie Affair, a historical fiction reimagination is told from the perspective of Agatha's husband's mistress. I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for this honest review.

The book opens with Archie Christie and his mistress discussing breaking the news to Agatha that their marriage is over. Agatha had been largely absent due to taking care of her dying mother and writing her books. The story bounces between past and present (circa the 1920s). Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, and this book combines the best of both worlds to weave a tale that will have you dying to know what comes next.

The story follows several timelines and perspectives, but it is easy to understand what is going on. The blend of real-life people, places, and events brings this work of fiction to life. Just don't expect the famous author to be the main character. The mysterious disappearance is merely a vehicle to tell an intricate tale of grief, pain, and moving on.

The Christie Affair delivers everything I look for in a book. It was an addictive read I could not put down. It is a fantastic blend of genres with historical fiction, mystery, and romance topping the list. Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days in 1926 and the reason remains a mystery. In The Christie Affair the author imagines one possible version of events, narrated by Christie's husband's mistress. What a compelling plot!

This was an exciting and creative novel with two timelines that were equally compelling. We alternate between Nan's backstory (which has its own plot) and the 11 days of Agatha Christie's disappearance. How the two worlds collide is so much fun to discover.

There are a couple of surprises in the book, one of which I figured out and the other I didn't, but they were both presented wonderfully. They are perfect examples of my favorite kinds of mysteries: not too obvious but they still provide plenty of clues and make perfect sense once they're revealed. I'm a sucker for mysteries in a book that doesn't fall under your typical suspense/thriller/murder mystery genre and The Christie Affair was so rewarding in this aspect. I especially enjoyed that one reveal was a nod to a plot device common of Agatha Christie.

I also loved the voice. I really enjoy when second person is done well and hearing Nan talk directly to us, the readers, made me giddy each time. She respects our intelligence and calls attention to key points in the story. Nan had many similarities to Agatha Christie, including a desire to write and I loved that by using second person it implies Nan did become a writer after all, since she voices the story we're reading.

Overall, this was a winner for me and an easy 5 stars!

Unfortunately I did not finish this book. I got to about the 50% mark but it wasn't holding my attention nearly enough for me to push through.. I thought it started out strongly and was really intrigued with the affair side of things, but it ended up falling a bit flat. I sometimes was confused by whose point of view was being presented and overall just didn't like the narrator - she was so selfish! I did think the writing was good.

My Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐/ 5 stars

This is a historical fiction based on the actual event of infamous writer Agatha Christie’s mysterious disappearance in 1926. Some had thought it was for publicity for her new book or hiding from the embarrassment of her husband’s affair, and this book fixates on the latter. The POV is solely from Miss Nan O’Dea, who is the mistress to Agatha’s husband, Archie. It is unclear as to why she is so adamant about going after this married man. As you read further, you learn about how her past in Ireland has now led her to this moment and how it ties to another man that she truly loves. After Archie tells Agatha he is is divorcing her, she disappears for 11 days, without a trace involving a nationwide man hunt into her whereabouts.

I loved the premise and the whole idea of how it ties back to Agatha Christie, but at times I felt like I was reading two different books. I wished the book was told in other POVs, maybe Finbar or Agatha. I didn’t find Nan to be particularly interesting, other than the tragic things that were happening to unwed mothers at the time. We are told what we think Agatha might be thinking, because it is still in Nan’s POV which I didn’t enjoy. As much as I wanted to like this story about how a man rightfully and deservedly stole another woman’s husband, I thought it was ok, but didn’t love it.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

What happened to Agatha Christie during her 11 day disappearance? I found Ms. de Garmont’s take very entertaining. Full of twists, turns, love, loss, revenge and acceptance. The decision to tell the story from Mr. Christie’s mistresses point of view was an interesting one! I found myself sympathizing with the home wrecker.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Nina de Gramont for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley #The ChristieAffair

Review will be posted on 2/15/22

Agatha Christie's world is crumbling apart. Despite living in a beautiful home with her husband and daughter, and the fact that she is a successful writer, her life isn't perfect. Her husband, Archie, has a mistress and plans on divorcing Agatha to be with his mistress, Nan O'Dea. Archie is so bold that he flaunts his mistress and even spends long weekends with her. There seems to not be much remorse on his end, despite the fact that Agatha wants to work on their marriage. Archie takes off for a long weekend and leaves Agatha behind. She has decides she will leave as well, but all that remains is her abandoned car on the side of the road with a full suitcase inside. What happened to her? No one can find her. This novel re-imagines the eleven day disappearance of Agatha Christie and the highly publicized search for her. Meanwhile, readers learn more about Nan, Archie's mistress, and who she is exactly--what motivates her, her trauma from the past, and her early adult years in England and Ireland. I was completely absorbed in Agatha's story and despite my best efforts, I was even sympathetic towards Nan's plight. I adored The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont and its new take on Agatha's disappearance as well as the complex questions it raises, such as what drives people to do questionable things? What would you do for love?

At first, it was easy to brush Agatha to the side as she seemed rather boring and a bit frumpy in The Christie Affair. However, as the story unfolds there's so much more to Agatha than readers initially thought, mostly because the story is from Nan's point of view. Despite the fact that these two women shouldn't have anything in common other than Archie, their stories do intertwine for sometime and de Gramont weaved it so very well. I have always wondered what the heck happened to Agatha Christie during her eleven day disappearance. It just seems very mysterious...almost straight out of her books. Was it a publicity stunt? Someone must know of the truth, right? Well, de Gramont re-imagined it and answered all our questions. She filled in the gaps to her disappearance, added a few tantalizing twists, and what she came up with is so very memorable.

At first, I was thinking there's no way I could sympathize with Nan in The Christie Affair. I mean why is she so interested in Archie? Is she really ok with breaking up the Christie's marriage? Archie is a cad and an all around horrible guy, so what gives? However, as de Gramont takes readers back to Nan's childhood, her summers in Ireland, and the various events that forged her character, I was invested. I cared about Nan despite my best efforts and her story broke my heart. I loved her summers in Ireland, her relationship with the charismatic Finbarr, and so much more. I don't want to give too much away, but I ended up caring a lot about Nan and even empathized with her! Nan has had to deal with so much. A war, a pandemic, a family tragedy, an unfortunate twist of fate--how could I not feel for her situation?

The Christie Affair is one of my favorite books of the year. I adored the way the story unfolded and how it addressed so much more than Agatha's disappearance. I loved de Gramont's writing style and the story truly made me think about what motivates people. It made me question what would I do for love? Also, de Gramont brings major Christie vibes to The Christie Affair and dare I say she does Agatha justice!

So, is The Christie Affair on your TBR list or did you read it already? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

The Christie Affair is the story of Agatha Christie's 11 day disappearance told from the viewpoint of her husband's mistress. This is a quick, entertaining read!

After enjoying "The Mystery of Mrs. Christie", which imagines Agatha Christie's disappearance from her point of view, I was intrigued to see how this period of time might be recreated from the point of view of Archie's mistress, Nan. It seemed like that would be hard to do, and I imagine it was. The result is a spellbinding, meaningful novel. The author's version of the events of Agatha's disappearance is so original, I never could have come up with it. Mixed in with these events, we learn Nan's back story, which causes the reader to come away with a respect and a closeness to both Nan and Agatha. I think that is masterful, because this is someone I was set against from the beginning. If I were to change anything, I might cut out a bit of Nan's story, because it caused the book to lose momentum for me, but I understand if the author felt it necessary to win us over to Nan's mindset. The events of this book were where it shines. I felt warmth for Agatha, Nan, Finbarr, and Inspector Frank Chilton. I also loved the little bits of Agatha's life mixed in, such as how Archie's mother never liked Agatha because she wore Peter Pan collars and dared to show her neck, or how Agatha and Archie called each other "A.C." As an Agatha Christie fan, I really appreciated that, but I believe this book will have fans of people who have never even picked up an Agatha Christie book.

I loved this book so much!!!!!! This is a historical fiction story about Agatha Christie that tells us the other side to her failing marriage. Her side and the courage it took her to move on after the destruction.

The story behind this was new to me, even though the mystery is pretty common knowledge for Christie fans. I have to say the concept was good, but actually reading it was a little flat. It was a very slow read for me, found it hard to keep my interest.

I'm flew through The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont. Though it's historical fiction, I was really fascinated by the story of Agatha Christie's disappearance and may have fallen down a rabbit hole reading about it. I've not read an Agatha Christie book...yet! But that may change soon!

I really enjoyed The Christie Affair and would definitely recommend this book.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-book in exchange for my honest review.

A heartbreaking tragic love story interwoven with the mysterious disappearance of Agatha Christie. Written from the perspective of Nan O’Dea the mistress of Agatha Christie’s husband Archie. This novel is more a historical drama rather than a mystery, but Nan’s story is poignantly told and will leave your heart aching. The novel is written beautifully, but the first two parts are intractably told, and readers may abandon the story for a faster paced novel. In typical Agatha Christie fashion, there is a beguiling mystery that is satisfactorily concluded. As no one knows what Agatha Christie did during her missing eleven days, the story is fictional. I enjoyed the novels portrayal of events but was anticipating an action-packed adventure. The subdued historical drama was filled with heartbreak and drama. The ending however is worth the wait and will have you greedily flipping pages. A very different novel that will have you rooting for a happy ending. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

The Christie Affair novel is classified as historical fiction as it uses the true story of mystery writer Agatha Christie's mysterious, real 11 day disappearance as the framework for the story. However, a closer reading reveals that it is mostly pure fiction with only tidbits of true history thrown in. The story is narrated by Nan O'Dea, who is a completely fictional character replacing the real life counterpart of Nancy Neele as the woman who steals away Agatha's husband Archibald (Archie). Agatha's daughter Rosalind is replaced by fictional Teddy. Nancy's son is replaced by a daughter. The narration is confusing within the story as the narrator says she is imagining what everyone said and did, so even though Nan is the narrator throughout the story, the story seems to shift between points of view and perspective within chapters rather abruptly to different characters such as Archie or police detectives or Agatha.

The book mainly focuses on the backstory of the fictional Nan. It was a compelling story complete with young romance, tragedy, war, and life-changing decisions. I would have likely given THAT story, as a stand alone book, 4-5 stars. That story was the story the book should have been about, minus any (however minor) forcibly woven in story about Agatha Christie. THAT story didn't need the distraction of Agatha Christie as the "other" woman--any fictional wife written in her place, would have actually created a much more readable and compelling story. Also, the very last portion of the book weaves in the fictionalized version of what Agatha's time during her disappearance might have been like, complete with a murder for her to solve. THAT story also should have been separate book, where it could have been based mostly on the real author's real life, with the fictional, imagined time away dealing with a murder (no fictional Nan or back story) to solve and also a potential romance, while she's there. That stand alone book, is the book I THOUGHT this one was going to be and disappointed that it wasn't. That book, I would likely give 4-5 stars to also. THIS book should have actually been 2 books instead of 2 separate stories forcibly and incoherently mashed together into one.

“Authors created problems, they didn't solve them”

The Christie Affair takes place in 1926 around the sensational chain of events leading up to Agatha Christie’s disappearance for 11 days. The day after her husband, Archie Christie, tells her that he’s leaving her for his mistress Nancy Neele, Agatha Christie disappears. Her car was discovered abandoned with all of her belongings, clothes and license included. Agatha was nowhere to be found.

This historical fiction is written from the point of Nancy Neele, referred to as Ms. Nan O’Dea, which was an interesting choice that I really enjoyed. She had a very interesting background that felt similar to The Handmaid's Tale. Nan’s story overpowered Agatha’s more than once, which made me wonder if she could have had her own story instead.

I really loved the idea of this book, what happened to Agatha Christie was compelling and there isn’t a reader who doesn’t know her name. The writing was good, but the story felt a little messy at times when it came to plot. The guessing game of what happened was what kept me going. It was long, but in the end, the mystery of Agatha Christie was worth reading.