Once you’ve been “swept in directions you never meant to go,” you need to take control, author your own story and find your own justice.
The Christie Affair is intriguing with life experiences and connecting themes not only of the characters, but of women since time immemorial.
“The age of disappearing women has been going on forever,”..unwed and exiled mothers, stolen children, revenge, justice, sisterhood and heartbreak, DeGramont covers it all. I found myself rooting for the nefarious acts and cheering for a justice that comes darkly, as it is representative of so many collective injustices that I couldn’t help myself! This one had me thinking long past its end.

Agatha Christie’s disappearance in 1926 is still a mystery to this day. This book follows a historical re-imagination of heartbreak, revenge, twisty plots and dark secrets during the 11-day disappearance of Agatha Christie, as told by herself and her husbands mistress, Nan O’Dea. Vulnerabilities are well established of Agatha grieving over her husbands affair and her marriage, and that of Nan’s past which was/is absolutely heartbreaking. Nan’s desperation is so unbelievably strong you can feel it. Several deaths (a double-murder to solve) bring more mystery into the plot. I did feel a disconnect at times trying to distinguish between the past and the present, and which character I was supposed to be following. But I absolutely loved how well Nan’s story was integrated into Agatha’s disappearance, as it kept me turning the pages.

This book just did not work for me. I didn't like the main character nor the way the story was told.

It appears the story of the short disappearance of Agatha Christie has been the hot topic in the last couple of years, with fiction and non-fiction books being written. This is another tale, but told from the point of view of Archie Christie’s mistress, Nan, which was intriguing to me.

From the start this book it was a little uneven to me on how it flips through different years, though it is was clearly laid out from the author in what time and place we were. Nan is a clever woman who clearly wants to marry Archie Christie, but has an ulterior motive, that is revealed through this story.

At times it was extremely slow and then the author would change directions quickly and it felt more like we reading a mystery and it could be quite gripping. I found myself at times looking up the biographies of both Agatha and Archie Christie and found this a completely fictional story. Somehow when I read these types of stories I want a little truth to the tale. The events did take place we know that, but the premise is 100% fiction.

I did give this a better than average rating, because I was into the story itself, but this might have been better to actually take the Christie name out of it. The story alone without the name can completely stand on it’s own. Please note the author does say that it is completely fiction in her Author’s note, but still I was searching for some truth. Still, it is a fun read, which I know many people will love.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow what a great read. What a interesting perspective from the narrator!!! Fast read I could not put the book down.

The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont

This book will be my next book club recommendation. Character and narrator Nan O’Dea tells her version of Agatha Christie’s famous mysterious 11 day disappearance. That is the historical part. The rest is delightful fiction.

Nan weaves in her story of young love which leads to a horrific time in an Irish convent. Eventually, Nan becomes the paramour of Archie Christie, author Agatha Christie’s husband. Agatha has had enough and disappears leaving no clues, as well as her young daughter behind.

O’Dea creates a wonderful tale for the reader which includes murder, making this a mystery within a mystery. Friendships are spawned, rules of proprietary are broken and Agatha remains missing.

With a perfect ending that could have been created by Agatha Christie herself, you’ll enjoy this book from start to finish.

#StMartinsPress#NetGalley

Nina de Gramont uses the famously unexplained mystery surrounding Agatha Christie’s disappearance in 1926 as her inspiration for this most delicious tale, spinning a uniquely fascinating imagination about what transpired during those eleven days and why. I absolutely devoured every bit of it!

Told from the voice of Nan O’Dea, a fictional character loosely based on Archie Christie’s mistress and second wife, the author masterfully intermingles fact with fiction in this seductively addicting tale, more than once I had to remind myself that this was in fact a piece of fiction.

I had the opportunity to read an eARC and listen to and advance copy audiobook. Much of the story is told in the first person perspective of Nan, but switches to a third person omnipotent narration, and with this format, I found the audio narration really enhanced the storytelling. Lucy Scott’s narration was phenomenal.

This one had it all, mystery, murder, mischief and love. Recommended for Christie fans, fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, bookclub groups and historical fiction lovers.

Thank you to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press and the author for the opportunity to read and listen to advanced copies of this fantastic story. #netgalley #macmillanaudio #thechristieaffair

This was an interesting fictional twist about the famous author Agatha Christie’s disappearance. The author, Nina de Garmont, creates her own story of the mistress of Agatha’s husband she named Nan O’Dea. The story is predominately written from the viewpoint of the mistress Nan, who wanted Agatha’s husband and child as her own. I liked how Nina portrayed classy Agatha, I like the character Detective Chilton, however, all characters rationalize revenge, murder, and skirting the law, plus self-serving behavior. True, deep love is given up to ruthlessly pursue getting what is wanted, no matter how many others will be hurt or destroyed to achieve that end. I wouldn't recommend this book, but if you want to find out for yourself, you may like it. I can't feel any empathy for a woman who would act like Nan O’Dea, no matter her history. There is a strong character flaw in her. It’s a fictional creation meant to entertain I just didn't find it gripping or even a page-turner. I appreciate St. Martin’s Press and NG for allowing me to read this eARC and give my opinion.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Christie Affair
I had a hard time getting into this novel, the story line was good, but I didn't connect with the characters at the beginning, making it hard to stick with the characters and the storyline
The story is told my Nan, in both the past and present. Nan is the mistress to Agatha Christie's husband, Archie. He plans to leave Agatha to be with Nan. We learn that as a young lady, Nan became pregnant and was sent to live with the nuns until she gives birth. She was hoping that Finbar, the babies father would come for her. Current day, mid 1900's, Nan meets up with Finbar after all this time, she still has feelings for him, but can't bring her self to follow her heart, she must be with Archie. when Agatha fins out about Nan and Archie, she decides to leave for a few days, no one can find her. She finds a cottage to stay in and not alone. 
Overall this was a good story, I wish I had been into it more, just as not my favorite writing style. I don't want to discourage others from reading this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley, Nina de Gramont and St Martin's Press for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled to get through this one, even though it was very interesting and I enjoyed the characters. Just the way it was written had me a bit confused more than I would have liked.

The Christie Affair is the first book I've read by Nina de Gramont, and it certainly won't be my last! The story is loosely based around the actual mysterious 11-day disappearance of beloved mystery writer Agatha Christie. That is one mystery that Ms. Christie took to her death. This story, however, is told by Miss Nan O’Dea, and it's a story of star-crossed lovers, infidelity, abuse, heartache, revenge and murder.

In London in 1925, Nan O' Dea is Archie Christie's mistress. Archie is married to Agatha Christie, who is quickly becoming one of the world's favorite mystery writers. Nan doesn't seem to love Archie, so why is she trying to lure him away from his devoted wife? As 1926 draws to an end, Agatha disappears after Archie tells her he is leaving her to marry Nan. During the missing 11 days, Nan reveals to us how she is tied to the Christies, and we also learn of her young love and excruciating loss. Finally, we come to understand murder, and how some can believe it is justified.

I admit it took me a while to get into this story. The timeline was nonlinear and at times I became very confused with the jumping storyline. Also, Nan was detailing her story, but sometimes was telling us what she believed Agatha was doing and thinking. You can see how my mind was sometimes spinning! I am glad I stuck with it, however. Nan led an idyllic early life, particularly when staying with her aunt and uncle in Ireland. Here she met and fell in love with Finbarr, who became the love of her life. Then came The Great War and later the flu epidemic, which tore apart young love and led to Nan's descent into hell at the Sisters of Mercy Convent. Suddenly Nan transforms from being the hated "other woman" to a sympathetic figure. I expected to learn more about Agatha's disappearance and the author's take on it, but it's mainly Nan's story here. There was an "I didn't see THAT coming!" reveal related to a murder that made it all worthwhile, however! There were some terrific supporting characters here, most particularly Finbarr and Inspector Frank Chilton, who was tasked with finding Agatha. I think Chilton may have been my favorite character, a policeman still dealing with PTSD and injuries from the war. This turned out to be an excellent historical mystery, so don't let the confusing nonlinear timeline turn you away.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Loved this book! Honestly I have never read anything written by Agatha Christie, but I am very interested now! This story is historical fiction with mystery, written with the husband's lover as the narrator. This in itself adds so much character to this story. Kept me interested to the last page.

"Why would the world's most famous mystery writer disappear for eleven days? What makes a woman desperate enough to destroy another woman's marriage? How deeply can a person crave revenge?"
This is my first book to read by Nina de Gramont but it will certainly not be my last. There has always been a great mystery surrounding the disappearance of legendary author Agatha Christie and this book definitely has you on the edge of your seat as the author explores the very complicated relationships of Agatha, her husband and Nan O' Dea, her husband's mistress.
Great character development and dialogue draws you in from page one and keeps you quickly reading. I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys historical fiction that includes mystery. Looking forward to the next book from Nina de Gramont.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for gifting this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such an interesting read. I have heard of Agatha Christie but never really knew anything about her life. This is a historical fiction story told through Agatha's husband's Archie's mistress and later second wife, Nan's point of view. This was such a great story that was full of mystery, revenge, secrets, and betrayal.

This story is about the 11 day disappearance of Agatha Christie in 1926. I didn't even know that this was a real fact and had to look it up. It would be certainly interesting to learn what the truth was about her disappearance. The premise of the book is fantastic and Nan as the narrator is very clever and makes for an intriguing story.

I think my very favorite part of this book is right at the end where Nan says, "A mystery should end with a killer revealed, and so it has. A quest should end with treasure restored. And so it has. A tragic love story must end with its lovers dead or parted. But a romance. That should end with lovers united. Beyond the confines of these pages life will go tumbling forward. But this is my story. I can make anything happen, unbeholden to a future that has by now become the past. I can leave you with a single image, and we can pretend it lasts forever...... Indulge yourself instead, and close this book on a happy ending." I find that so true, those who tell and narrate the story have all the power in how one is perceived in the story.

Great story that had me hooked from the beginning. I love that she wove a murder mystery into the story as well and explained why Nan met and pursued Archie from the beginning and was able to tell what her version may be.

Told from the point of view of Archie Christie’s mistress, The Christie Affair delves into 11 days that Agatha Christie was missing. While this is entirely a fictional account, deGramont tells a tale of love, loss, and trauma that you won’t soon forget.
deGramont weaves together the past and present in ways that are seemingly unconnected, but that come together over the course of the book. deGramont delves not only into the 11 days that Agatha was missing, but also into the impact of The Great War and abusive treatment of unwed mothers by the Church. The story is poignant on so many levels, and served as a reminder of the terrible ways that we treated (and sometimes still treat) our fellow humans. The characters were well-developed and it was easy to root for them to have their happy endings. And of course, a story about Agatha Christie wouldn’t be complete without some mystery thrown in for good measure 😊 This book dropped on 2.1.22, so it’s available for you to enjoy now!

A fascinating story based on true events told mostly from the point of view of the mistress. While no one knows for sure what happened to Agatha Christie for 11 days because she can't, or won't, tell anyone, there is much speculation and a few theories as to why she disappeared. This book, while a work of fiction in and of itself, explores one possibility. I rather enjoyed that it's told mostly from the point of view of her husband's mistress and while it's about Agatha Christie's disappearance, it also delves into the mistress' backstory which leads to them crossing paths.
I recieved this as an ARC. All opinions are my own.

The tale of Agatha Christie's disappearance and the circumstances leading up to it gets fictionalized. It adds a twist in The Christie Affair as the story is told through the eyes of Christie's husband's mistress. 

Honestly, I did not anticipate this perspective when I picked it up. While not necessarily within my genre wheelhouse, it wasn't a slog to get through with some characters standing out and a plot twist a little too late in the novel that will undoubtedly elicit a reaction from the reader. 

I'm usually a very emotional reader, in that the moment the character and story grabs me, I can easily empathize with everything that happens to them. Sadly, The Christie Affair did not manage it. However, I appreciated the deeper connection the two ladies had and felt that it played into the mystery really well.

Ultimately, if you love a murder mystery, unreliable narrators, and the world of what-ifs surrounding real-world events, The Christie Affair is for you.

This idea had so much potential and I wanted so badly to love it, but I just didn’t. I put this book down several times before picking it back up again and eventually finishing it. For something based on a true story it was a little bit unbelievable and not in a better than fiction kind of way.

I did like that this felt like a classic Christie mystery, and the POV being the mistress.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this book for review.

3.5 Stars I think, though that might be partially due to the fact that I don't often read historical fiction.

I have actually never read an Agatha Christie book but I saw this on Netgalley and the description seemed very interesting. The setup for the plot is very interesting. I enjoyed reading about this author's take on the real-life people and seeing her creation of characters. I think this is very well written. It definitely has a writing style that takes on the sadder themes of the book and I appreciated that. I have never heard of this author before but I would read more from her.

Ultimately, the reason why this book was just "good" to me and not higher was that I just could not get into the emotion of the story or connect to the characters. I don't mind that they make decisions I wouldn't or anything like that. There was just something keeping me from fully buying into their story. At times, I had trouble suspending my belief with some of the ways the plot lines intersected. I did feel for the characters. Almost all of them, but Nan especially, go through really horrible things and I think the author does a good job portraying the circumstances of women at this time and how they are used and abused by many different institutions. These parts of the story were well done but most of the stuff about the actual disappearance just didn't grab me.

At the end of this, I was still sort of left wondering why the author chose the frame to tell this story. As I said, I would definitely read more from this author in the future. I appreciated a lot of aspects of this story but there were a few things that left me feeling like I couldn't give this a higher rating than 3.5.

The 11 days Agatha Christie is missing is told through Nan O'Dea in 1925. Nan becomes Achie's mistress. Revenge, love, children, murder and tons of secrets are throughout this book. The last quarter of the book takes unexpected twists. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Thank you #NetGalley, #STMartin'sPress and #NinadeGarmont for the advance copy for my honest review.