Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The first thing you need to know about this fictional book about the real-life disappearance of Agatha Christie is that it NOT really a book about Agatha Christie. She is a secondary character in Nan O’Dea’s story. The sooner you come to this realization, the more readily you’ll enjoy this book.

The second thing you need to know about this book is that while the affair, the disappearance, and most of the characters are all real-life events and people, this book is a completely fictional imagining of what happened. Don’t drive yourself crazy fact-checking along the way. Just enjoy the ride. This historical fiction is mostly fiction.

Once you understand those two things, you will understand that the author used them as a device to deliver the real story, one of lovers torn apart by war and circumstance, betrayal, revenge, justice, the camaraderie of women willing to help other women, and how far a mother is willing to go for her children.

I admit, I struggled through the first 25-30% of this book until I came to terms with the two things above.

The story is told by Nan O’Dea, the mistress that Archie Christie left his famous wife for. It was a risky move by the author because who wants to find sympathy with a home-wrecker? But as the story unfolded, I found myself invested. The story de Gramont paints of Nan’s life is compelling and heart-breaking, and I ended up finding her very sympathetic.

I really enjoyed how Nan and Agatha were portrayed in the book in relation to one another. They were two women who should have been rivals, enemies, but instead of tearing one another down as opportunities arose, they chose to support one another instead.

I also liked the light that was shone on the despicable practice of essentially imprisoning unwed expectant mothers in “homes” run by nuns who instead of caring for their charges, took pleasure in punishing them, in the name of faith and religion. These mothers were expected to work off their room and board, had their children ripped away from them almost as soon as they gave birth to be adopted out, and in many cases were abused by those who were supposed to be caring for them. And don’t get me started on the social norms that put them there. Side note: if you want to read another historical fiction about this topic, I highly recommend The Girl in the Letter by Emily Gunnis.

The plot itself played out much like an Agatha Christie book, and I enjoyed the symmetry of that. I often find myself trying to guess every little thing along the way, but I just sat back and enjoyed the ride with this one, allowing myself to be surprised, even though it was pretty predictable.

The only complaint I have is the narration. I found at times that there was very little differentiation between first person and third person in Nan’s telling of the story. Some paragraphs were third person accounts of another person in the story followed immediately by Nan’s own first person thoughts. Usually I could see through it, but there were definitely several times I had to re-read passages because the narration was a bit ambiguous. This could be due to the unedited proof eARC I have, so I’m giving it the benefit of the doubt that this will have been smoothed over in the final published copy.

All in all, I liked the book and found the storyline interesting and the concept unique. It’s a bit of a slow burn, but it holds your attention once you get over the fact that the story isn’t really about Agatha and is more fiction than historical. I happen to have Marie Benedict’s The Mystery of Mrs. Christie in my TBR pile, and I am anxious to read that soon and compare notes with this one. If you’re a fan of historical fiction with strong female characters, I think you’ll like this book.

The disappearance of Agatha Christie for 11 days in 1926 is fodder for supposition, and Nina de Gramont proposes a factually implausible, but intriguing, story to explain it. Told from the perspective of Agatha’s husband Archie’s mistress, named in this work as Nan O’Dea, the most interesting elements of the story are Nan’s background. We learn about Nan as a teen and young woman through flashback chapters, which I looked forward to more than the resolution of the missing Agatha. Any fan of Christie, unless unwilling to suspend belief of some facts, would find this version of the missing 11 days a well written story about the fictional mistress.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for access to an early access to The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-ARC of The Christie Affair by Nina deGramont.
The Christie Affair is a mystery surrounding Agatha Christie's 11 day disappearance. Because of the unknown details of the 11 days, Nina deGramont has the freedom to create her own events. DeGramont imagines a mystery worthy of Agatha Christie.

The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont
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Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days back in the 1920s. Where did she go during that time? What happened to her? The Christie Affair spins a tale of secrets, betrayal, heartache, unexpected camaraderie and ….death.
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What I liked:
-I wouldn’t say I’m obsessed with Agatha Christie, but I enjoy her books and am very intrigued by her. Reading a story about her famous disappearance is what drew me to this book.
-Once the story got to the hotel it really picked up. The cast of characters there really had a feel like one of Agatha’s books.
-Nan’s back story was heart-wrenching and I loved how it was told slowly and it made me gradually change my mind on how I felt about everything.
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What I didn’t like:
-I think my intrigue for Agatha has made me super loyal to her so I strongly disliked Nan’s character at first. So it took me awhile to get into this book.
-I was also disappointed by how Agatha was betrayed towards the end of the book.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Before I even finished this story I was researching the internet for Agatha and her life. I needed to know all about her! Overall, I enjoyed this story and I think the author did a great job spinning an “Agatha-like” mystery while also giving a possible reason for her 11 day disappearance.

I was really interested in this topic. I love the idea of trying to figure out what Agatha Christie was doing during those 12 days. This unfortunately was really hard for me to get into. I found myself strongly disliking her husband and his mistress.

The Christie Affair, by Nina de Gramont, engages the reader in the decades-old parlor game of wondering where Agatha Christie actually was when she disappeared for 11 days in 1926. We know that her husband had asked for a divorce so that he could marry his secretary. We know where she was found. Beyond that, there is nothing. Within that slight historical scaffold, the author creates a complicated story of lost love, found love, abuse, revenge, murder, and redemption of sorts. She takes us on a wonderful, twisty ride, powered by both conjecture and coincidence. Once I recognized that the story was almost entirely fiction, I enjoyed it. The characters are memorable and sympathetic, including the completely amoral mistress, who serves as narrator for much of the novel. If you are looking for history about Agatha Christie, don't spend time or money on this book. On the other hand, if you are willing to enjoy one author's creative attempt to fill an actual blank page of history, this might be the perfect book for a winter weekend. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read a digital ARC. It was my pleasure.

I enjoyed this historical fiction that leans heavily into the fiction aspect, of what MAY have occurred during the 11 days that saw Agatha Christie disappear and claim she could not remember what occurred , and never did reveal. The story is told from the POV of her husband’s mistress Nan, who weaves a tale of mystery, romance and past trauma to create the imagined events. Not only do we know that these events themselves are purely author speculation, I also loved how Nan herself, is an unreliable narrator, recalling many scenes that she could not have possibly witnessed. A clever premise, well executed.

The Christie Affair is my favorite type of historical fiction, the kind that centers around real people and even better a writer. On Dec. 3, 1926 Agatha Christie's husband informs her that he is leaving her for his mistress, Nancy Neele. Agatha's reaction is to drive away, then abandon her car and disappear for eleven days.. She is eventually found staying at a hotel under another name, Tressa Neele.

The brilliant thing this book does is to tell the story from the point of view of the mistress.. Nan is a compelling character in her own right and having the book told in her voice adds a new dimension to the scandalous chain of events. I found that having Agatha be a secondary character in this novel gave the story a freshness and unpredictability that really worked. It drew me in and while Agatha's husband is immensely unlikeable, I grew to care about and relate to the way Nan was portrayed. The fact that much of the circumstances surrounding Agatha's disappearance and what occurred in those eleven days really allowed the author to infuse the story with her own imprint. I loved the murder mystery that is woven throughout the novel. It was the thread that really propelled the book and had me turning the pages. Overall I enjoyed this book and the way a familiar story was told was both a surprise and pleasure to read.

I was excited to get this book. However, completely disappointed by the fact that it was much more fiction that historical. Which happens to be a pet peeve of mine in historical fiction. Sorry this isn't a better review. Thanks #NetGalley for allowing me to review #TheChristieAffair.

The Christie Affair tells the story of Agatha Christie's disappearance, no one knew where she was and upon return days later, she refused to speak about it. This book is different in that the story is told from the POV of Nan O'Dea, Archie Christie's mistress, with time shifting between the days of the disappearance and a period of time from Nan's younger days when she was in a convent of sorts. For most of the book we are left to wonder how the stories in each timeframe will come together.

The first 70% of this book is a slow burn, emphasis on slow with a good portion focusing on Nan's past as opposed to Christie's disappearance. While I did enjoy the way things ultimately came together, for me, it took too long to get there. I will say that I think that Agatha Christie herself would appreciate how Nina de Gramont told the mystery and weaved all of the parts together. What a tale it would be if this work of fiction was an accurate depiction of Agatha's actual disappearance!

This one is for fans of Agatha Christie, those who enjoy historical fiction and/or keeping up with Reese's Book Club picks. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a copy of this novel.

So you think you know what happened when Agatha Christie disappeared?????

Read this!!!!

If you, like me, are a fan of all things Dame Christie, I must wave the 5-star flag at you! (If you are not, you haven't stopped here anyway, so away with you. . . .)

"There's a Chinese legend called Yue Lao, have you heard it? When we're born, the gods tie an invisible thread around our little finger, which connects us to our one true love. No matter what forces try to keep us apart."

It's been awhile since I read Christie or her biographers. I repent as of now, and my TBR list will grow thereby.

"There are more important things than finding the murderer."
-- Hercule Poirot

A Sincere Thanks to Nina de Gramont, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review. #stmartinspress #ninadegramont #netgalley

The Christie Affair is a fictional tale that postulates what happened in the 11 days that Agatha Christie actually went missing. The book is told from Nan O'Dea's perspective from beginning to end. I love the idea of weaving a story around what could have happened. The story itself was a 4 star but the formatting of it was a 2 star so I have landed in the middle. There were certain points in the book where it would switch from 3rd to 1st person and vise versa and that got very confusing. However, the story was great once you kept reading.

Fair warning here: if you don't like reading about affairs or infidelity, this may be a book that you want to steer clear of. I was very uncomfortable for a lot of the book and then you get to a certain point and the affair makes perfect sense. It is hard to explain but you don't hate the mistress, which to me was crazy. I still think about this book and what I would have done in both situations but, until I was 80% of the way through the book, I hated the mistress and had a hard time continuing to read.

I know this is a very mixed review but, overall, I liked the story and wish the formatting had been a little bit more clear!

I went into this book not knowing anything about the life of Agatha Christie. While I may enjoy her books, I didn't really enjoy reading this book about this time in her life. Maybe it was that the characters were fictionalized, or perhaps it was just the 'norm' for English society during those years, but I was not a fan of the characters as they were written, and due to that I wasn't a fan of this book. Others who know the real-life story may feel different. I am grateful to have read it and to have learned something new from a period of history I knew nothing about.

“In all the years since Agatha Christie disappeared, amid all the conjecture about her state of mind, and her activities, and her motives, not a single person has ever come to me for answers…”

THE CHRISTIE AFFAIR
Thank you, Nina de Gramont, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book. It was released on February 1st, 2022.

When I first saw the cover of The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont, I had to have it. The cover just screams 1920s glamor. Then I read the synopsis and I have even more desperate to get my hands on this book. In the year 1926, Archie Christie has told his wife, Agatha that he wants a divorce. He has been having an affair with Nan O’Dea. Upon hearing this news, Agatha is distraught. On December 3rd, 1926, Agatha Christie disappears for 11 days. The police are called out in full force, searching everywhere, and even dredging up lakes. When she turns up the only explanation she gives is “I can’t remember.” But everyone has their secrets, including Agatha and Nan.

Trigger Warnings: kidnapping, rape, birth trauma

What was I expecting? It has been almost 100 years since the 11-day disappearance of Agatha Christie, and Agatha nor the family ever discussed the matter. It has always been an intriguing moment, especially since Agatha Christie is legendary for her mystery books. I was intrigued that this book would cover the disappearance from the perspective of the mistress, who in real life is named Nancy Neele. I assumed there would be a little mystery inside the mysterious disappearance, maybe even some inspired by her works. To be fair, there is a little mystery but it comes 250 pages too late. The book starts strong and then it drags. It becomes the Nan Show and Agatha disappears just like in reality. When Nan’s true intentions come to light, I just didn’t care anymore.

Even so, the whole plot becomes so far-fetched. This is supposed to be historical fiction about a prominent woman who accomplished so much in her time, but it ends up completely erasing her. I can’t imagine that the Christie estate or even the family of Nancy Neele are pleased with how their family members were portrayed in this book. However, it was heartbreaking to see the treatment of women who found themselves pregnant and sent to the convent where their babies are stripped away from them.

Then there are the time-jumps and point-of-view changes. It will just switch without warning, giving rough transitions and slowing the pace. In fact, some transitions did not make sense to me, I would have to go back and reread to figure out why it switched or if I missed something. Needless to say, I was so disappointed in this book that was one of my most anticipated reads for this year. I rate this book 2 out of 5 stars.

I love reading a book based on actual events that makes me want to dig into articles and find out what actually happened. The Christie Affair tells the story of the 11 days that Agatha Christie disappeared and once she was found she said she didn’t remember anything. Christie disappears because she is upset that her husband is leaving her for Miss Nan O’Dea. While she is gone, a huge search party is sent to find her. Making it harder for her to hide without the help of people she met while gone.

I thought this was a really imaginative idea. There are several story lines to follow that might intersect at some point. How decisions and actions can affect so many lives. I really liked the characters…I might have ended up cheering on people that I shouldn’t have.

Thank you NetGalley for provide with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.75⭐️

A fresh take on the days Agatha Christie went missing - I'll be recommending it to library patrons, especially for those who enjoyed the Benedict book last year.

Agatha Christie has known for some time that her husband Archie has been having an affair and she finally confronts his mistress, Nan O'Dea. The same night Archie tells her that he is leaving her and wants a divorce. Distraught, Agatha packs a bag and disappears hoping to figure out how to win her husband back.

After her car is found abandoned in the middle of the street, a country-wide search is launched to bring Christie home. While she is thought to have taken her life, she has traveled to a far point of England and taken refuge with a stranger who believes he knows the reason Nan has taken an interest in Archie.

Nan O'Dea is a young woman who has gone through the worst tragedy possible, her child was placed for adoption without her consent and she now searches for her in the face of every little girl. She believes she has found her daughter…in the Christie household.

I enjoyed this alternate version of what happened during the eleven days that Agatha Christie went missing and the world wondered where she could be. The mystery within the story was interesting enough to keep me guessing. This version of Christie's missing days alternates a version that most people would not have thought to imagine.

I love the idea of this book. What happened to AC and why she left is a compelling storyline. However, this book focuses on Nan and her rationale for stealing Archie away from Agatha. Nan’s story is both interesting and horrifying; however, the two storylines don’t meld. The two parts are competing against one another.

It fell a little flat for me, but still love the unique premise!

This is a very interesting plot - what did Agatha Christie do when she went missing for days?
Nan O'Dea successfully ensnared Agatha's husband, Archie; after years of slowing catching his eye, building an easy and laid back relationship to an engagement, Nan insists Archie tell Agatha he is divorcing her.
Though Agatha is very aware of the affair and Nan's role as Archie's mistress, Agatha prefers to continue life - until Archie declares he is leaving her. Agatha just blanks - and must escape. This begins a massive manhunt - with so few clues, the entire country's police force involved and actively searching.
The story is told from multiple narrators - a retired police officer agrees to participate in the search; Nan vacations at a remote hotel, only to be reunited with her first love; a newly married couple is murdered; and where is Agatha?
Great read - the twists bringing all of the characters together was so well done, just revealed tidbit by tidbit.

I’ve read another fictional tale about the 11 days Agatha Christie went missing and enjoyed it. I was curious on how the Christie Affair would tackle this and was very pleasantly surprised by its unique spin.

Told by Nan, Archie Christie’s mistress an eventual second wife, we see a different side to the disappearance as well as what may have occurred during that time. I heard one review described this as a more character driven novel. I would agree with that until the last 1/3 of the story upon which some of Ms. Christie’s murder mystery style infuses the tale.

The book started out slow for me but once I got into it I really enjoyed it. There was one plot thread that drove me crazy but not enough to distract from the story. I listened to the audiobook and read the DRC thank you St. Martin’s press. The narrator did a fabulous job bringing the characters to life and I would highly recommend listening to this book.