This was not at all what I was expecting! I did find it phenomenally written. With fantastic character development! Unique, well written, and unputdownable! Highly recommend, especially to those whom enjoy historical fiction, which is realistic, and has some mystery entwined!

Will make sure to buzz around and use Top Amazon reviewer number on release!

Wow!! What an engaging and interesting look into the "what if" of Agatha Christie's notorious disappearance. Highly recommend.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

What would you do if you knew your husband was having an affair, and eventually stops bothering to hide it? What would you do if you didn't want this to be your life any more?

What would you do if your child was stolen from you before the love of your life had a chance to marry you? Who would you chase? Your baby, who is being raised as if they belonged to a new family, or the man who wants to marry you and have a family with you?
And what happens when you find your child?
What would you do if you ever found the people who took your child from you, and who did unspeakable things to so many other vulnerable women?

These are the questions that the women in the Christie Affair deal with as their lives are interwoven in unexpected ways.

Historical, witty, and complex. Fun read.

Another take on Agatha Christie’s 11 day disappearance. What makes this one fresh and interesting? This time we get the other woman’s point of view. It is a nice twist to focus this tale on the two women involved.
This would be a good choice for book discussion.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reader copy.

I tried with this novel! I wanted so badly to enjoy it, but I couldn't get into it. I may give it another shot again in the future. However, now just wasn't that time and I struggled. I honestly think it has more to do with me and what I'm wanting to read at the moment, though!

Hair pullin', name callin', smacks with the back of the hand, and cocktails thrown........

Now that's what you'd expect when the wife encounters the paramour. But ladies were ladies back then even if their backdoor antics spoke otherwise.

The Christie Affair introduces us to London in December of 1926 when Agatha Christie will run up against the truest of shocking storylines involving herself, her husband Archie, and Miss Nana O'Dea. Archie, the despicable cad, confronts Agatha that he is leaving her. Our Agatha never saw it coming. Agatha has sold more copies of her novels than anyone else on Earth........yet she should have had Hercule Poirot riding next to her for the reveal. Begging, pleading, and acts of desperation fill the room. Aggie......just cut the creep loose.

And just the day before, Agatha had lunch with Nan O'Dea. And Agatha picked up the tab.

Nina de Gramont takes quite the liberty in her telling. The Christie Affair should have been entitled The O'Dea Affair. De Gramont leads with Nan O'Dea as the voice of her novel. Yes, we are at the receiving end of the paramour's point of view in all things. And that voice leads to very treacherous behavior. We'll get a deeper understanding (though fictional) of what led to the disintegration of the Christie marriage. And De Gramont reveal a transformation of Agatha Christie in the process.

De Gramont takes us back to County Cork, Ireland in 1919 where the young Nan O'Dea will be residing with the Sisters of Mercy Convent. Nan will be among those "wayward girls" brought back into the fold by the so-called "kindly" nuns. I must tell you that De Gramont should have written an entire novel gleaned from this setting alone. Her descriptors are raw and revealing and give somewhat of an insight into the coming of age of Nana O'Dea. There's an abundance of happenings.

And then we are thrust into the mystery of Agatha Christie's disappearance in 1926 shortly after finding out her husband's affair. She went missing for eleven days. Her car was found on the side of the road with no Agatha. Later, Agatha claimed no memory of what happened to her during those lost days. She refused to speak of it thereafter. Now that would have been one of her best-selling novels had she considered writing her memoir.

Nina de Gramont is a splendid writer. No doubt whatsoever. She was adventurous to take on the point of view of "the other woman" in this famous affair. She must know that the vast majority of readers would be Team Agatha so there's not a lot of sympathy for Nan O'Dea. Other books have been written in regard to Agatha. The Christie Affair is an interesting take on a very intriguing mystery surrounding one of the most famous fictional writers of the time.

I received a copy of this novel through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to Nina de Gramont for the opportunity.

Nina de Gramont imagines Agatha Christie’s motivation for her mysterious disappearance in The Christie Affair. The now famous author caused a media sensation and a massive police search in 1926. She was discovered at a spa, signed in under a false name…the name of the women her husband later married.

According to a New York Times article, Christie was interviewed in 1928 interview by The Daily Mail, explaining,
That night I felt terribly miserable. I felt that I could go on no longer. I left home that night in a state of high nervous strain with the intention of doing something desperate. … When I reached a point on the road which I thought was near the quarry, I turned the car off the road down the hill toward it. I left the wheel and let the car run. The car struck something with a jerk and pulled up suddenly. I was flung against the steering wheel, and my head hit something. Up to this moment I was Mrs. Christie.
1928 interview with Agatha Christie

de Gramont tells the story through Archie Christie’s mistress, the fictional Nan O’Dea. Archie is in lust with Nan, and thinks it is love. Although he had pursued the engaged Agatha to be his wife, and they have a daughter together, he is ready give it up for Nan. Agatha is crushed, still in love with him. Desperate, she seduces him into bed, only to watch him leave her for a weekend away with Nan.

A stunned Agatha drives away in her car, and after a near accident, leaves her car behind. She later turns up at a spa where Nan O’Dea is hiding out because of the publicity around her lover’s wife. Over the next days, Nan’s backstory is revealed and her motivation for pursing Archie, even if it means giving up her true love. There are mysterious deaths at the spa. And a shell-shocked policeman, Chilton, sent to search for the missing Agatha, and staying at the spa, becomes involved in more ways than one!

In this story thus far I have described to you a variety of crimes. But none–none–is more heinous, more violent, more unconscionable, than this one. The theft of my baby. from The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont

I was surprised to find myself quite immersed in the book, especially Nan’s story which takes readers into Catholic Ireland, the Sisters of Mercy convent home for unwed mothers, and the brutal separation of mothers and babes.

I was struck by subtle details in scenes that made the characters come alive. Nan’s beloved childhood friend Finbarr returns from WWI altered, his inner light dimmed, and Chilton has one good arm and the ‘jitters.’

I did question Nan’s ability to know how characters behaved after she left the room, and her in depth understanding of character’s inner emotional life. Most readers will be too immersed in the world of the novel to care.

The Christie Affair is an enjoyable, haunting story.

Well now, that was a well-told story. The narrator told the story in something like a combination of 1st person and 3rd person. That narrative shouldn't have worked at all, but I really liked it, and it suited the story perfectly. This was a very plausible explanation for the week Agatha Christie disappeared, where she was, what she might have done. It is all twisted up with the mistress that Archie Christie wound up marrying in the end and rather believable.

It had red herrings. It had a very nice plot twist that mirrored one of Christie's most-loved books (not telling you which one or that would give away a major plot twist). It had a bit of a love story (or two or three).

I'll definitely watch for more from this author.

What an interesting story line, albeit sometimes a bit confusing because it jumped in time often. The most poignant portions were the chapters Here lies Sister Mary.. I just can’t imagine the pain and hurt some young mothers endured.

I enjoyed this story with its twists and turns.

The Christie Affair" by Nina De Gramont

I will say this, totally not what I expected it to be. But in a good way not bad.

Agatha Christie had gone missing in 1925 for 11 days. Where was she and what was she doing in that time period? When she reappeared Agatha claimed to not be able to remember anything about those 11 days. Not where she was, why she had disappeared, or what happened during the time she was gone. Now author Nina De Gramont offers us an explanation of her disappearance and folks, it is nowhere near anything I imagined the reason for it. But it is a wonderful, intriguing explanation that touches on issues affecting women in Agatha Christies' days. Social issues are brought up within this storyline along with secret trysts, scandals, betrayals plus friendships are formed and bonds made and broken. It has everything. And is beautifully written. I could not have enjoyed this more. I finished reading in a day, it is that good.❤❤❤

Thank you to the publishers at St. Martin's Press and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

#TheChristieAffair #NinaDeGramont #StMartinsPress #book review #bookblog #historicalfiction #readerofhistoricalfiction #booksofinsta #readmorebooks #Agatha Christie #christiemystery

I received an advance reader copy of The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont in exchange for an honest review.

At this point I have read several historical fiction novels about Agatha Christie and her disappearance. The Christie Affair provides a fresh perspective on the story, being told from the perspective of the other woman, Nan O’Dea. The title holds dual meanings: the events surrounding Christie, and the affair had by Archie Christie and Nan. It was fun delving deeper into the character of the mistress, because usually she’s no more than a side character in the life of Agatha Christie. Here she takes center stage. Despite it being from Nan’s perspective, it is still very much focused around Christie’s disappearance, suggesting that while she was missing the two women were on holiday together. I really loved this concept, taking two woman who, to an outside perspective, should hate each other, and have them join forces and become friends.

Initially it was a challenge to connect to the protagonist, since I thought of her as a homewrecker who destroyed the marriage of one of my favorite authors. Although, to be fair, Archie was obviously just as if not moreso responsible. As the story went on though I grew to find her much more well-rounded and engaging. I liked the backstory she was given and how it provided her motivation during the events of the story. The novel also contains elements of romance and murder mystery, and I liked how both of these genres was woven into the narrative.

One aspect of the novel which I struggled with was the fluctuating perspective. The entire thing is supposed to be written by Nan, however for scenes where she is not present she shifts to third-person omniscient, describing the thoughts of other characters and things they never would have disclosed to her even if given the opportunity, but somehow she knows all this? It was a strange bit of incongruity that would occasionally pull me out of the story, but then I would quickly get pulled back in.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the storyline it presents for the whereabouts of Agatha Christie during her disappearance. It is lighthearted and cozy. I think this is a book that any Christie fan would enjoy, and it’s one I would definitely recommend. Thank you NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

This is the second book I've read about the 11 days Agatha Christie went missing. This is a really creative take on this particular mystery and there's a lot to like in the novel. I do enjoy the 1920s as a setting and de Gramont does a wonderful job of setting the scenes for us.

This is a character-driven novel with an unreliable narrator, Nan, Mr. Christie's mistress. This is a bold choice and I did not always enjoy her imaginings, but I appreciated her backstory and she grew into a much more complex character than I first expected. It's rare that I change my mind about characters, so Bravo to de Gramont for turning my expectations on their head.

In addition to Agatha's disappearance, there's also a double murder that needs solving. The detective, Chilton, is my favorite character. He's easy to like and genuinely interesting and entertaining. I loved being able. to see glimpses of Agatha Christie, and wished we'd been able to see more of her.

The twists and turns are interesting, especially the 1926 part, which I loved. Fans of mysteries, interesting narration style, and historical fiction should check out this compelling novel. For now, I need to hang up my historical fiction hat.

I gave this book 4/5 stars. I loved the storyline, but sometimes I would get confused when the author would switch to a different character. This book is about Agatha Christie’s disappearance as told from her husbands mistresses perspective (for the most part). It took me a little bit to get into the book, but I really enjoyed it once I did!

This is the fictional story of Nan O'Dea, the mistress of Agatha Christie's husband Archie. Her story uses the real life disappearance of Agatha in 1926 for 11 days as a frame. This event still remains a bit of a mystery and the story is presented as what may have happened during that time. This story is narrated by Nan in two time lines, one covering her early life and one during the time of Agatha's disappearance. Although Nan is the narrator, the author takes some liberties with the narration and provides her with insight into other characters feeling and emotions. We are given Nan's backstory, which is tragic, in order to provide understanding for her actions as well. I enjoyed the added that included a Christie type murder mystery. I feel this really benefitted the story.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the arc. This is my honest review.

What makes a woman desperate enough to destroy another woman's marriage?
What makes someone vengeful enough to hatch a plot years in the making?
What drives someone to murder?

The Christie Affair reimages Agatha Christie's 11-day disappearance that captivated the world, as told by her husband's mistress. Its twists and turns had me glued, and Nina de Gramont's atmospheric storytelling made it the perfect book to cozy up by the fire with. If you love hist-fic thrillers, be sure to grab this one when it comes out February 1st, 2022!

This was a page turning book that focuses on the real life disappearance of author Agatha Christie and the authors interpretation of what may have happened.
In 1926 Agatha and her husband had an argument. Agatha's husband had a lover named Nan and apparently wanted a divorce. Agatha disappeared for over a week. Although she was ultimately found, she never discussed the details of her disappearance. Even when she died, the truth about her reasons and what happened never emerged.
This very creative story involves Nan, Agatha and several other characters and involves the authors perceptions of what may have happened. This was a real page turning and I definitely would recommend this mystery to others. I received an e-book from Netgally in exchange for a review.

For some reason the story of Agatha Christie's 11 day disappearance never made it to me until an article entitled "The Real Life Gone Girl" I enjoyed this outside in look, a reimagining of something that is completely ripe for interpretation and retelling. I'm not sure though why the author changed some details that were rooted in fact but overall a good book. It actually made me want to read others of the AC disappearance.

This is an intriguing take on Agatha Christie’s famous 11-day disappearance, although it’s really the story of Archie’s mistress, here named Nan O’Dea. Nan manipulates Archie to leave his wife so that she can step in, but her plans go further than that, and timing is everything. Interspersed between the timeline of Agatha’s disappearance (and a trip Nan planned for herself), is Nan’s retelling of her own tragic background, and as it unfolds, her true objective comes to light.

Nan is extremely clever, but she’s also laser-focused on getting what she believes is owed to her, regardless of how her actions affect others. Her tenacity and self-justification are fascinating. The story of what Agatha was up to at that time was satisfying, and de Gramont also gifted us a mystery subplot that is indeed Christie-esque.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for giving me an advanced copy of this book.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for a digital advance reader copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

Where and why did novelist Agatha Christie disappear, and what did she do while gone for eleven days in 1925? I can never get enough of Agatha Christie, so when I saw this novel I had to read it, even though in January 2021 I had read The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, a similar novel where another author also conjectured on the whereabouts and doings of the world famous mystery writer. As I was reading this one, I made a point not to compare the two books, so am reviewing this on its own merits - both good and not so good.

This novel was narrated by the character Nan O'Dea, Archie Christie's mistress. Told in two timelines, both the period during Agatha's disappearance and also going back in time to Nan's earlier years. It all comes together at the end, so I urge you to just read and you'll see how it all fits so cleverly. The author was obviously inspired by Christie's own novels as she created a mystery, and then a brilliant murder mystery with logical motive.

The part I thought was "not so good" was that since the story was told by Nan O'Dea, it was distracting and unbelievable that she could read the minds of many of the other main characters, and recounted their imagined conversations when she wasn't there. She broke one of the basic rules of writing with this blunder. She does explain this "technique" by saying they probably thought this or probably said that. So that's even worse that the author (via the character) admits she's doing this. The novel also changes point of view in the middle of chapters, which could cause some confusion as to who was thinking or acting. How could an editor allow these two unprofessional bungles?

Despite this colossal breach, the novel was a page-turner and the characters were well-developed and likable/sympathetic. Lots of clues sprinkled throughout enabled me to figure out motives, feel satisfied with explanations and outcomes, and appreciate the decisions that led to actions. Even with the problematic storytelling style, I really liked this and recommend reading it.

3.5 stars
This book really took me on a bit of a ride, I honestly was not sure what was going on early on in the book, it felt a little slow and disjointed. The second half of the book quickly started to put things together and I couldn’t put it down during the last quarter of the book.
Very interesting topic, I do not know much about Agatha Christie and with her & I sharing a name I was very intrigued with this story.

As with any good historical fiction, I’ll be spending the next hour googling about this story and Agatha Christie’s disappearance.

I enjoyed this book and would recommend. Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy for review.