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!

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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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This book makes Agatha Christie almost a joke of an individual. Since it is told from Nan's point of view she spends the majority speculating on what she thinks Agatha went through during her 11 days. This doesn't allow for the reader to become suspended into the story and makes light of an impactful situation. The premise of the book is phenomenal however the execution just wasn't there for me.

(rated 3/5 due to the GoodReads rating system but really rated 2.5)
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my DRC in exchange for my honest review!

"The Christie Affair" by Nina de Gramont is a fictional story about what transpired during Agatha Christie's eleven day disappearance. Gramont uses real life facts such as Archie Christie's real life affair and asking Agatha for divorce and later, Agatha's amnesia of the eleven days.

I was so excited to read this one. I love Agatha Christie's writing and her eleven day disappearance is one of my favorite mysteries. Unfortunately I found this to be a bit lacking. Gramont has obviously done her research about the event and about the Christies and I wouldn't fault her for that. Instead, I take issue with the heavy handed wokeism in this novel. Our main narrator is Nan, the other woman, and she often says how she does not care about Agatha's feelings really and will happily steal Archie. Without getting into spoilers, I found her just irritating and deplorable. As I read, I felt like Gramont gave Nan such a tearjearker of a backstory with a heavy hand of "feminism" and "womanly justice" because Nan is awful. I didn't feel anything anytime she waxed poetic about the convent, Finabarr, or her sisters; all of that next to lines of her saying that she didn't care who she had to hurt, etc. to get what she wanted...I just did not like her. I'm not one to root for cheaters and the other man/woman/person, so already the book was a pain to read. And while Gramont did a lot of research, this still felt very much like fanfiction especially with Nan's voice and the end (which I know the end was supposed to be fantastical but still). None of the novel really felt like a mystery to me even when the murders happened. It just fell so flat to me.

I will say that I enjoyed Agatha Christie's characterization and the negative way people spoke about/thought about Archie Christie but it just wasn't enough for me to really like this book. A small thing but I also felt like there were so many threads for such a short amount of pages and it never really felt any of the threads were necessary just weird little sojourns down paths that never fleshed out. And again, I HATE that the reader practically gets morally guilted into supporting Nan. It's super gross and manipulative.

This was a great combo of historical fiction, romance, and mystery. The author has taken the long unsolved mystery of Agatha Christie's disappearance and created a can't-put-down book from the perspective of her husband's mistress. I really enjoyed the twists and turns, how Nan's story was peeled back in layers with flashbacks, and the many ways it felt a bit like an AC mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC, in exchange for my honest review.

A fascinating fictional attempt at explaining the eleven-day disappearance of Agatha Christie. I was not informed of this historical event at all, so I enjoyed starting the book with a clean slate. A very creative spin on what could have happened, and the characters involved. Even if it is all speculation, it is a great romantic mystery to lose yourself in for a few hours. I don’t want to give any of it away, so instead, I encourage you to give it a try for yourself.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

The basic facts of a true life fascinating mystery are here - Agatha Christie, the famous author, disappeared for 11 days which spurred an international hunt. Apparently her husband had just told her he wanted a divorce to be with his mistress. With those basic facts, the author takes the reader on a wild ride of well written and developed possibility for those 11 days. And mystery, of course.

I want to start by admitting that I did not know much about the author Agatha Christie prior to reading this book. However, I was very intrigued by this book's premise and definitely did some research as I read. I thoroughly enjoyed the start of this book, but as it continued on the focus seemed to jump around. It felt like these should have been two different books: the story of Nan and her experiences and those of Agatha's. Overall, I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more by the author.

Mystery readers know that early in her career, Agatha Christie went missing for 11 days. The police scoured the country for her, and eventually she was found at a resort hotel, claiming amnesia. No definitive explanation for her disappearance has ever been given.

In this novel, de Gramont imagines a story of Christie’s disappearance. But the novel is told by Nan O’Dea, a fictional character based in part on the young woman Christie’s husband, the cad Archie, left her for. For most of the book, we read much more about Nan than Agatha. Nan tells the story of her childhood, a tragic happenstance in her young adulthood, and what she herself did while Agatha Christie was missing—which includes a Christie-style mystery.

When we do read about Agatha, it’s often Nan’s speculation as to what happened, since she wasn’t usually present and has nothing but what others (like Archie) has told her and her own imaginings to go on.

Like a lot of people, I was attracted to this novel because of the Agatha Christie connection. While Agatha is present, for much of the time she’s not much more than a framing device for Nan’s story. And when Agatha does make more of an appearance toward the end of the novel, what de Gramont gives as Christie’s story is unlikely, at best, and almost bizarre. As for Nan’s story, it’s depressing and not at all what I would have chosen to read had I known ahead of time what it would be about.

THE CHRISTIE AFFAIR is a clever reimagining of the mysterious disappearance of Agatha Christie. After learning of Archie's notorious affair, Agatha's whereabouts were unknown for 11 days sparking worldwide curiosity and concern.

The narrative is primarily told from Archie Christie's mistress, Nan O' Dea. Her character was well-drawn with complex motives. The pacing did slow a bit during the middle of the story as readers explored Nan's past growing up in Ireland. Overall, I appreciated the unexpected direction Nina de Gramont took the novel and how she incorporated true events with her imaginative vision.

This is an eloquently-written novel that historical fiction and Agatha Christie lovers will enjoy. I did a combination of print and audio which always adds to my reading experience. Beautifully narrated by Lucy Scott, her crisp British accent was a perfect fit.

RATING: 4/5 stars
PUB DATE: February 1, 2022

A big thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan for audio and print ARCs of this novel.

Review will be posted to www.instagram.com/kellyhook.readsbooks/ in advance of publication date with link to post provided via NetGalley.

This the first book by Nina de Gramont that I’ve read. I loved how the story point of was told by Nan the “ other” woman who was having an affair with Archie Christie. Agatha’s disappearance coincided with Nan taking a holiday at the Belforte Hotel. There is a murder of a newlywed couple (who you find out really deserved it) at the hotel that Detective Chilton is now having to solve along with finding out where Agatha Christie has disappeared to. I loved the back story on Nan and Finbarr. How they deeply loved each other and it didn’t work out but you were really hoping it would. How Agatha and Chilton were star crossed lovers that didn’t want the search to end. I would definitely recommend this title to anyone that likes a great mystery as well as historical fiction.

I am a huge Agatha Christie fan and am particularly fascinated by her eleven day disappearance in December 1926. I mean, who isn't, right?! The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont is an interesting take on what happened during those mysterious eleven days. The novel is told from the perspective of Nan O'Dea who is the mistress of Archie Christie, Agatha's husband. Events unfold along the eleven day timeline, but also flash back to different points in time from Nan's past as well as Agatha's. The book also contains an unexpected murder mystery that was rather interesting.

On the whole I feel like this subject is a huge undertaking and my judgment may be clouded by the fact that I read and loved The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict last year, but I had a hard time really getting into this storyline. The timeline jumps were abrupt and difficult to follow whose story I was reading. It would often take me several sentences before I knew what time and perspective was being conveyed. I also found the connections between Nan O'Dea, the murder mystery, and the rationale and goings on with Agatha Christie's disappearance to be convoluted and reaching. I"m sorry to say I didn't find this as compelling as I had hoped. Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

It may just be me, but I did not like Nan O’dea for many reasons. As narrator for Agatha Christie’s life and disappearance, Nan comes off whiny, pompous, and arrogant.

I’m a big fan of Agatha Christie and don’t like the light this painted her in.

Though this story wasn’t one of my favorites, I do recommend you read it for yourself because you may enjoy it.

This is an imagining of then cause and what happened during Ms.Christie’s disappearance.


Nan is a compelling narrator at first but the interjection of her past and her voice becomes grating.The writing style loses steam and had me flipping through the last half of the book.


This isn’t a bad book but it isn’t memorable.