Covering the days of Agatha Christie's disappearance, this story is told by Archie's mistress. Compiling a highly unlikely series of events, I found the story not only far-fetch Ed but depressing. However, the writing was very good.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read and review.

It is a well known fact that Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days in 1926. What happened in those 11 days has, for the most part, remained a mystery. This novel tells a story that could have happened. Or could not have. It reads like truth, and it reads like fiction, and it reads like an Agatha Christie novel.

I have fallen down an Agatha Christie rabbit hole thanks to this book.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of The Christie Affair.

While I've never read any Agatha Christie books, but she is fascinating and I've enjoyed reading books about her, unfortunately The Christie Affair missed the mark for me. While it sounded interesting to see her 11 day disappearance though the eyes of her husband's mistress Nan.

I had a really hard time getting into this. I wanted more of Agatha, but the story was mostly Nan. I was also disappointed that there was no author's note or historical note since this was a completely fictional account of the time she was missing.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

As the title suggests, this book has to do with famed mystery writer, Agatha Christie. However, the tale is not told entirely from her perspective. Instead, we meet Nan O’Dea, the woman who is actually having an affair with Arthur Christie. That’s right, the first husband of Agatha Christie. As the story begins, Arthur is promising Nan that he is finally going to tell his wife that he is leaving her. This is something that he does and soon after Agatha disappears. As the country mobilizes to find the authoress, Nan relishes readers with a tale of the present investigation and her very troubled past in Ireland.

Admittedly, I wasn’t quite sure of the novel as I began. As interested as I was in Agatha, I wasn’t quite sure where I stood on the subject of Nan. Was her story worth knowing? As I kept on turning the pages, I quickly realized that I was being baited on a hook and that I wouldn’t get any answers if I stopped now. By the end of the novel, I felt myself quite satisfied with the tale and eager to pass on my recommendations to other readers. Although the novel will not be out until February, I imagine it will still be a conversation piece for most of 2022.
Publication Date 01 /02/22
Goodreads review 08/01/22

I am a huge Agatha Christie fan and I am so glad that I read this amazing book! I couldn’t put it down and it grabbed my attention from the very beginning. I was aware that she had disappeared briefly in 1926 but I had never looked into the details of what happened. “The Christie Affair” is the perfect title for a book that has many underlying stories. We have the affair that Agatha’s husband had with Nan O’Dea and also the many social affairs that are part of the life of a famous author. I was in awe of Agatha Christie’s life and how she really felt about being an author, and what she considered most important in her life.

Nan was our narrator throughout this fascinating account and her actions surprised me at every turn. Her past in Ireland plays an important part in the present and how it relates to all the characters. In my opinion, she didn’t turn out to be the person who I thought she was. Nan was secretive, devious and had a vendetta against those who had harmed her. I never expected some of the revelations that occurred throughout the book. The author didn’t wait until the ending to shock the reader with out-of-nowhere surprises that changed the course of the book. I loved the twists and turns, the weaving of past and present and the way the author invites us into the lives of the characters. I was taken aback by the actions of some of the characters and surprised by things I never expected to happen. I love everything about this book and I am thrilled to have learned more about one of my favorite authors!

While the premise of this loosely-based-on-a-true-story novel is a brilliant concept…I think it misses the mark. Mainly, I have no interest in reading the story from the vantage point of the homewrecker. It dove so deep into the mistress’ back story. For what though? It did not endear me to her. It would have been far more interesting to hear the story from AC’s point of view. I will say that the author’s language/word choice is quite exquisite.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The Christie Affair is a fictional account of the real-life, temporary disappearance of Agatha Christie in 1925. As a big fan of Christie's work, I was intrigued by the premise, which is definitely unique. The perspective and mid-1920s setting initially grabbed me, as well as the obvious "mystery" element. However, I never felt entirely gripped by the plot or the characters.

This story grabbed me from the beginning but unfortunately it didn’t keep up the pace. I have to admit I did not finish, I got to about 65% then I started flipping thru to see if it would stay with one story and not veer off into so many different paths, it didn’t appear to.
The best way to describe this book is “rambling”. The concept was excellent, but the delivery of the story could have been reduced to about half. So much of it was inconsequential information or repetition of saying the same thing over and over. I’m sure it will appeal to other readers, but it did not keep my interest.
Received an ARC from St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my unbiased review – This one comes in with 3 stars.

This is the first novel I read by Nina de Gramont and it did not disappoint. Gorgeous cover, well developed characters, story lines in the past and present intertwined, and then, the big Agatha Christie ending. LOVED it. Nan’s storyline is heartbreaking and you root for things to go her way in the end. .

Great read, definitely recommending this one.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for this ARC, congrats to Nina de Gramont, and thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity.

Who doesn’t love a good Agatha Christie mystery, right? I came across The Christie Affair and was curious to see how the facts would be woven into this historical fiction novel about Agatha Christie’s disappearance in 1926.

Agatha Christie did in fact disappear from her home on December 3, 1926. As an established author, a country-wide manhunt was issued, enlisting police officers to search for her across all of England. She was ultimately found at a spa in Yorkshire eleven days later, and never fully divulged what happened or why she disappeared.

After reading The Christie Affair, I was pleasantly surprised by how much of the story was taken from factual accounts – including even Sherlock Holmes’ author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle enlisting spirit mediums to help find the missing author. Nina de Gramont did a fantastic job of weaving in all of these little details into an account that is both interesting and plausible.

The story is told from the perspective of Miss Nan O’Dea, who is Archie Christie’s mistress. Agatha’s husband Archie had just devastated Agatha by announcing that he wanted a divorce, planning to marry his mistress. While the story centered around Agatha and her disappearance, the true center of the novel was Nan, and it was surprising to find that I liked them both despite the typical wife-mistress dynamic that makes you want to choose a side.

I won’t get into too much detail so as not to spoil the story or give anything away, but Nan’s story and the chapters that alternated in telling her past were the ones that kept me most absorbed. It was a heartbreaking tale that made her actions and choices completely understandable.

Throughout the story, there were two themes that constantly caught my attention – disappearing women and how love changes and evolves.

While the story was centered on Agatha’s disappearance, it also emphasized how much police and media attention she received because of her high position in society and being a well-known author. Nan talked about so many other women who disappeared for various reasons and drew attention to how it’s been happening since the dawn of time. If we look at the headlines today, it’s still happening and certain women get a lot of attention because of their connections while hundreds of others simply disappear and no one cares to find out what happened to them.

The theme of love was expected since ultimately this is a tale of a mistress and a wife both vying for the love of the same man. What made this book different though was how and why each of them loved the men in their lives and how it changed as they changed as human beings. Love is constantly portrayed as this tangible thing that’s supposed to be unconditional and unchanging, but in reality, the love that we feel for someone changes and evolves consistently depending on how we each are changing as individuals. I absolutely loved reading about this in a way that was so natural and sensible.

Overall, this was an engaging novel and I absolutely loved it. While I don’t want to give away any spoilers, I do want to caution some sensitive material that caught me completely off-guard regarding sexual assault, homes for unwed mothers, and the realities of the world for those lost mothers and their children. Anyone who may have experienced this should proceed with caution.

3 or 3.5 stars. Over the course of this novel, more than one character says they prefer to read mysteries to romance. This has some mystery, and maybe technically some romance, but this book is too sad and melancholy for romance.

What this seems to be about is Agatha Christie, who famously went missing for 11 days. She was only a moderately successful author at the time, but apparently lots of English police officers were charged with looking for her. She disappeared after her husband, Archie, told her he was leaving her for another woman. We’re told all this from the perspective of the other woman, who obviously can only guess and imagine things she wasn’t present to witness herself or hear from the people who actually lived the experiences—and people lie all the time from omission or the way things get lost in translation—I don’t mean spoken language necessarily, but the way we can misinterpret body language or situations.

This is ultimately a downer of a book, which, in addition to a fictionalized account of Agatha Christie going missing, is also about the evils of the way some organized religions choose to control women, shaming them or using them for its own purpose.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel, which RELEASES FEBRUARY 8, 2022.

This is a historical fiction retelling of Agatha Christie’s disappearance in 1925. Told by her husbands mistress, Nan, which proved to be a very unique viewpoint. This was a good mix of historical fiction, romance and mystery. And while I did get confused often of what was going on and who was who, I enjoyed it overall.

THE CHRISTIE AFFAIR is full of surprises! And, if you're a fan of mystery and intrigue (as I am), they're wonderfully fun surprises.

This tale is told from the perspective of Nan O'Dea, the fictional mistress of Agatha Christie's husband, Archie. It happens in the span of time when Agatha Christie went missing, which in reality remains a mystery. Nina de Gramont places Nan front and center as the main character, and unfolds a sorrowful history that entwines the two women in ways more significant that wife and mistress, connected by the man they both love (or perhaps do not love).

The writing is beautiful, and I loved the twists I didn't see coming and the blend of genres. Also, the ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy.

The Christie Affair, by Nina de Gramont, is an imagining of the 11 day disappearance of renowned mystery author, Agatha Christie, after her separation from her husband. The story is told from the perspective of Agatha Christie’s husband‘s mistress. It’s definitely a bit of an odd perspective in that the narrator is telling Ms. Christie’s story, all while justifying her own nefarious actions. It’s overly dramatic and hard to take very seriously, but also wickedly fun.

The story offers an intriguing premise, but it’s a bit outlandish and there are plot holes that are never addressed. The Christie Affair is a story full of drama, secrets, supposition, allegations and revenge. It’s a fascinating topic with a complex plot, but the reader will definitely need to suspend disbelief while enjoying this wild narrative.

‘The Christie Affair’ is Nina de Gramont’s re-imagination of what took place leading up to the biggest manhunt in British history for a missing person – Agatha Christie.

It’s always difficult writing a review when there’s a gap between what you expect and what is delivered. Curious and wanting answers, I was expecting to read a book that explained Christie’s 11-day disappearance in December 1926. Perhaps I was hoping that new facts had been uncovered, or clues, even, that shed more light on this mystery. While true, I did get a book explaining this event, it was more focused on flashbacks of Archibald Christie’s mistress, Nan O’Dea’s, past and my beloved heroine’s disappearance took a back seat. For a big fan of Agatha Christie, this can come as a real let down. I understand that O’Dea’s backstory needed to be told to appreciate future motivations, but I really wanted this book to be more about my favourite mystery writer. In addition to my initial disappointment, I also struggled with what I felt was a lack of British flavour, timeline jumps and difficulty connecting to characters.

Regardless of any shortcomings I thought the book had, it was a good read and really did have aspects of an Agatha Christie mystery. The plot twists were well done and the historical information was well-researched and presented. I have no qualms about the author’s skill. The disappointment is mine.

This slow-burner mystery was narrated by Archibald Christie’s mistress, Nan O’Dea, and was a unique fusion of historical fiction, mystery and thriller. Gramont highlighted the plight of Irish unwed mothers, loss, grief, and the lasting effects of war in Ireland.

I was gifted this advance copy by Nina de Gramont, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Thank you St. Martins Press for the gifted book.

DNF @ 50% - partially due to TWs.

I was excited to pick this book up when I saw some very early rave reviews, but it was sadly not a win for me. The plot started feeling very meandering and the narration confusing. After a few too many coincidences I started losing interest. I probably would have continued as I heard it has a good ending, but the story just felt like such a downer to me. The scenes in the convent and knowing Nan's baby is taken away, were too much for me and I decided I needed to move on. I feel like this book was trying to parallel a Christie novel, but a slightly darker ones, and it seemed a bit overambitious.

The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont

This is a historical fiction retelling of Agatha Christie’s disappearance in 1925. Told by her husbands mistress, Nan, this is an interesting story filled with twists and surprises. I liked Nan’s backstory and perspective a lot more than Agatha’s story, but I loved how all the twists came together in the end. It did lose my interest a bit in the middle, but I’m grateful I also had the audiobook to listen to so it was easier for me to get through.

Anyone interested in historical fiction and memorable characters would enjoy this one! Thank you to @netgalley @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for my advanced copies! This story is out on February 1st.

What is your favourite decade to read about? I love the 1920s!

#netgalley #ninadegramont #thechristieaffair #books #ebooks #kindle #audiobooks #bookreview #bookrecommendations #mybooks #historicalfiction #reading #1920s #agathachristie #booked #canadianbookstagrammer

I really enjoyed The Christie Affair- another spin on what may of happened…. This story has it all- layers, anticipation and action. I would highly recommend putting this one on your to be read list!!! You will love it too!

Thank you so much for this early edition it is a story that will stay with me.

DNF

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I started this book with high hopes, as I am a lover of all things Christie. I had read other books on the subject of the 11 day disappearance and was excited to see how this author imagined those days.

I tried to get into the story, but I found it dragging. I stopped a few chapters in.
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A completely fictional account of Agatha Christie’s disappearance and the days directly before and after her disappearance, told from the point of view of Nan O’Dea, fictional mistress of Archie Christie. It covers several timelines, including when Nan was a young woman who travelled to Ireland and met her one true love. It also includes Nan’s activities and ultimate encounter and activities with Ms. Christie during the time of her disappearance. Finally, it includes an epilogue to wrap up each of the individual stories that are told within the book.

Some of the book is painful to read, particularly the description of the Catholic home for unwed mothers where Nan is taken when she becomes pregnant by Finn, the love of her life. She desperately tries to escape this place, and keeps sending notes to Finn via various people she encounters, but he doesn’t come to rescue her as she expects. This home is bleak, as the girl’s existence is, and has little to say that leaves the Catholic church in a positive light.

Ms. Christie’s disappearance is the catalyst to send Nan off to a hotel while the entire English countryside is searching for Ms. Christie. While she is there, she meets several individuals who appear to have nothing to do with the disappearance or Nan’s earlier life; but Nan befriends at least one of them. One of these couples dies while Nan is there and the coroner's report indicates both deaths are either murder or murder/suicide. There is not much time spent solving these crimes, but they are resolved within the story.

During the disappearance, a retired detective is called in to help with the search because so many resources are being thrown at the effort. He plays a significant role in Agatha’s life during her disappearance and there are some hints that continue after she returns to society. There is an epilogue that gives hints regarding the future of the main characters, including Ms. Christie, the detective, Nan, and Archie.

The book is intriguing, especially if the reader is an Agatha Christie fan. Her disappearance is one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the twentieth century, at least for devotees of her writing. This increases the fascination with this story, which sounds plausible on several levels, and completely fictional on others. It does serve to reenergize the question of what happened, where did Ms. Christie go, and why, after all this time, nothing is known about it.

Because of the multiple timelines and storylines featuring different individuals, the book is best read in large swaths of time. To try and read in short bursts can cause the reader to lose track and need some time to reorient themselves as to where they are in the story. While it is not a “feel good” story, it is engaging and one many people will enjoy.