There have multiple factionalized and investigative stories about Agatha Christie’s 11 day disappearance in 1926 (at least 6 books, 2 films, a fairly recent NY Times article) so it seems there are fewer ways to approach a nearly 100 year old mystery. I am still waiting for the one that will be told via Twitter, Reddit, Tik Tok and a true crime podcast. Nina de Gramont’s twist is a story told by Archie Christie’s mistress. It’s been generally surmised that Agatha took off in an emotional state, seething about her husband’s affair, and whether totally planned or falling into an amnesia-like “fugue” state, the premise that Archie’s callousness played a role isn’t usually disputed.

Yet, this is a story about Archie’s mistress and how she got to the point in time that played a significant highlight in one of the greatest mystery writers of all time’s biography.

In a way, the story is similar to the imaginings of hidden historical trivia (why is the Mona Lisa smiling and where did the Girl with a Pearl Earring get her jewelry?). Who was the femme fatale who lured Archie away from Agatha?And why?

Nan (who we know early on will be Mrs. Christie #2) is devious and seemingly self-aware of her cruelty to her lover’s wife, and she begs us to consider her past before she was a “home wrecker”. We do get a sympathetic portrayal of the life Nan led early on and what possibly led to her present motivations.

I was a tad bothered by the narration — it’s totally Nan’s story, but there are long stretches where she’s telling us what Agatha was doing and thinking, so you do wonder how can we know if those parts are true or wholly imagined? In the back of mind I always wondered if Nan was some unreliable narrator. The book is divided clearly into “Here Lies Sister Mary” (Nan’s backstory) and “The Disappearance” which is mostly Agatha’s story. I’m not sure how I would have restructured it. The author, in fact, tries to address why we should trust Nan’s intrepetation of Agatha’s story, but it felt weak. I eventually got used to it, but when Agatha’s solo thoughts and actions were mentioned, I would often be re-annoyed and questioning the narrator.

The plot was very original and had an unexpected twist that redeemed the narration structure somewhat for me. If not for that, I’d have rated the book higher. 3.5 stars.

So you want more takes on the disappearance of Agatha Christie? Consider any of these:
Film “Agatha” (with Dustin Hoffman, Vanessa Redgrave, and Timothy Dalton) 1979 based on the 1978 book “Agatha” by Kathleen Tynan
“Agatha Christie and the Eleven Missing Days” by Jared Cole 1998
“Agatha Christie: The Finished Portrait” by Andrew Norman 2006
“The Woman on the Orient Express” by Lindsay Jayne Ashford 2016
“A Talent for Murder” by Andrew Wilson 2017 (4 book series)
PBS series “Agatha and the Truth of Murder” 2018
NY Times article “When the World’s Most Famous Mystery Writer Vanished” by Tina Jordan 2019
“The Mystery of Mrs Christie” by Anna Benedict 2020

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES That’s the protaganist’s sister Colleenand Mum have green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO. Beyond describing green hills, no horticultural crimes were committed

Historical fiction that looks at what might have happened in the 11 days Agatha Christie disappeared. The story is told by Agatha’s husband’s mistress. The reader is confronted with post traumatic stress from the Great War, consequences of unwed mothers during this time, and the differences between the wealthy and the poor. Great characters and I enjoyed the special relationships between the characters. Surprises abound.

I have mixed feelings about The Christie Affair. I love the idea behind it, and the first few chapters really captivated me.

At first, the perspective of Archie Christie's mistress was very compelling. However, as the book continued, I started to lose interest. The additional narratives, including Nan's flashbacks, kept the plot from moving forward. The story and timeline started to feel muddled. While Nan's perspective was initially interesting, I wanted to hear more about Agatha.

There's a lot to love here, especially the vivid 1920s setting, but I wish the plot was more focused.

The reason for Agatha Christie’s real-life eleven day disappearance in 1926 has never been revealed. “The Christie Affair” by Nina de Gramont is a fictionalized account of what took place as told by Nan O’Dea, the mistress of Agatha’s husband, Archie Christie.

As Nan’s story unfolds, we come to understand her reasons for wanting to marry Archie and the many interesting twists and turns in her life. This is cleverly revealed and the reader finds themselves in an engaging mystery more complicated and intriguing than Agatha’s disappearance.

The book brought to life the emotional heartbreaks from a period of time during and after WWI, the hardships for those living in England and Ireland, and the long term trauma of war on all concerned.

I enjoyed this book and thank Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

The disappearance of Agatha Christie in December 1926 is brilliantly and creatively delivered in ‘The Christie Affair’. Told through the eyes of Nan O’Dea the lover of Agatha’s husband Archie. This is a well spun tale that provides a twist and turning plot and wonderful characters enveloped in a world of wealth and privilege.
The moment Archie tells his devoted wife that he is leaving her for Nan, who has been a part of the Christie’s lives, the fragility of the heart and the human emotion of his decision is palpable. Was this announcement the reason for Agatha’s eleven day disappearance? Did this cause Agatha’s amnesia?
The lives of each character charter a course throughout these pages. Agatha’s fame as a writer has yet to reach its height, we learn of Nan’s story and her want of Archie, the temptations of greed, the taste of murder and mixed with a sprinkle of cameo appearances by Dorothy Sayer and Arthur Conan Doyle add intrigue to a twisting and turning plot
There are several instances when the authors writing is so similar to that of Mrs. Christie that I felt as if she had ‘ghosted’ Nina de Gramont.
This was a wonderful read and highly recommended.

The author did a great job recreating an Agatha Christie type book to tell the tale of Agatha’s 11 day disappearance. I loved the voice of Agatha’s husband, Archie, narrating the details of this reimagined period in the author’s life. No one know for certain why Agatha vanished and what exactly was her state of mind. The author creates a storyline that keeps the reader engaged with many twists and turns. I thought it was well plotted and loved her use of the mistress as the storyteller. In this fiction recreation we are given glimpses of the time period before and after the Great War. Well done and a gorgeous cover! #TheChristieAffair #NinadeGramont #NetGalley

This felt like an Agatha Christie novel inside an Agatha Christie novel, and I loved it. Took me a minute to even realize a mystery was afoot.

The more I reflect on this book the more I like it. It was kind of a long read as most of the chapters were pretty lengthy so I found myself only reading one or two at a time which is unusual for me. I prefer a book that just starts at the beginning and moves along rather than jumping back and forth but I feel that the way it was written was completely necessary in this case. I was never really sure where the story was going. It did all wrap up very nicely at the end. I am afraid of giving anything away so I will just say that I did enjoy this book and would recommend it to others.

This was a very different kind of book. I enjoyed it! It begins with the actual incident of the famous author's psychological fugue where she disappeared for a time and had no recall of what happened before then or where she had been or why. We could say this is one of the greatest mysteries of her life. Then, the author Nina Delone Framing takes this premise and tells the story from Agatha's view, and from the view of the "other woman." It is a cleverly told tale of two tales really and there is murder too. Full of twists and surprises and i didnt see the end coming. I highly recommend it. I want to thank Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for giving the opportunity to read this book and voluntarily review it.

The Christie Affair tells the story of the missing days of Agatha Christie in a wildly imaginative and completely believable fashion. The narrator is Nan O’Dea, Agatha's husband mistress. Distaste and loathing set up immediately at the cold calculation of Nan's becoming the next Mrs. Christie. But as Agatha's missing days are uncovered so is Nan's empathy inducing own backstory, that will leave you feeling sorry for her even if you do not like her. Agatha's life is thrown into chaos when her husband, Archie tells her he's leaving her for Nan. The chemistry between Nan and Agatha runs somewhere between friends and rivals and the story really doubles down on that. Throw in a murder mystery at the hotel, Nan is staying in and you have a history mystery with a compelling story that has the pages flowing quickly for an easy all night read. The author throws in some twists that are played so low key I never saw them coming. This book hit me at just the right time with a unique story that just enthralled me and made me want to read everything by this author. I cannot recommend this book enough for someone looking for something clever and unique. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

A stylish, well written book that reads almost like a Christie novel, The Christie Affair is a gem that needs a little context. An Afterward that explains just how much of the story is based on fact and how much of it is pure fantasy, would have made this a much more satisfying read. Four Stars

I’m not sure how I feel about “The Christie Affair” - part of me was a bit disappointed the story wasn’t told from Agatha’s POV, maybe giving us more insight, albeit a fictionalized version, of the 11 days she was missing… but Nan’s actions and motivations was a WOW! moment, which definitely kept me reading.
I will admit it took me awhile to get invested in the book- at first, I think I let my disappointment get a hold of me that it wasn’t told from Agatha’s POV, but once I caught on to Nan’s plot, I couldn’t put it down. Plus, I loved Finnbarr. Good read.

The Christie Affair is a novel of heartbreak, revenge, and murder and a famous unsolved mystery. In 1925, in London, Nan O'Dea lured Archie Christie into an affair and made him fall in love with her. He had been a devoted husband to his well-know wife, Agatha Christie. Agatha Christie went missing and was believed to have been kidnaped or possibly killed which set off a huge search for her. After 11 days she was found but what happened during during those 11 days is a mystery. A big question to be answered is why did Nan destroy a marriage, hatch a plot years in the making and be involved in a murder? This is a compelling story with many secrets to discover. I recommend this book.

“The Christie Affair” by Nina de Gramont is a unique historical fiction that is centered around the strange disappearance of the late, great, Agatha Christie. What really happened when she disappeared? What was she thinking that led her to vanish seemingly into thin air only to reappear and live out the rest of her life? Not one to make a scene, her disappearance is of great interest to readers of all ages. This version of events leads us to on a journey of betrayals, manipulations, secrets, and murder, with a dash of romance for good measure.

This story is told via the perspective of Archie Christies mistress who played a much larger role in this game than one may suspect. To be honest I was a bit hesitant when I discovered the story was completely narrated by Nan. My fear led to reality as the story moves from a promising start to a rather boring history of Nan herself, her previous romance and the motives that drove her to purposely edge her way in to the life of the Christies. The disappearance is addressed of course but its more of a side story than the main focus, which is what I really wanted out of this story.

While failing to provide the type of narrative I had hoped for I must say that there is some wonderful world building taking place between these pages, created using decent prose. It's hard to deny this author is talented in her own right and I would like to see more of her work, something all her own. The atmosphere is well created and it's easy to believe that it is indeed the 1920's, and there is some obviously well researched information laced in with the fiction.

I really wanted to love this book. but it just came from an angle I wasn't interested in; however, it was not a terrible read. If you're not looking for anything specific from this story and approach it as if the characters were never real to begin with you may find yourself enjoying the story far more than I did.

I'd rate this about a 3.5 and encourage those who can separate the true mystery from this unexpected fictional account to pick it up and give it a try. It's not a complete waste of time and I don't regret taking the time to see it through to the end.

Thank you to netgalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to preview an advanced copy of this e=book in order for me to share my honest opinion.

Rare is the book that, once the final page is read, leaves one searching for words and only coming up with 'WOW".
The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont, which I was lucky enough to get an ARC of from NetGalley, is just such a book. There are moments that leave the reader astounded, staring into space and thinking that one word - wow. And those moments, as surprising as they are, completely make the entire tale come together, like a light being turned on an illuminating a vital aspect of the story.
From the very first page, The Christie Affair is an enthralling page turner. It is populated with sympathetic characters who have depth and relatable flaws. The reader cares what happens to them, even those cast in the role of 'villain'. But, as we learn, villains aren't always the ones that society teaches us to cast in that role.
The story is heart breaking as it gradually unravels, touching on how love sometimes doesn't overcome misfortune and how suffering can irrevocably define the path a person takes, for better or worse.
This is a book in which one should pay attention to every detail, because some of those intricate details combine to complete the story in a way that makes the reader want to read the book again, with a knowledge of the complete picture, just to fully appreciate the artistry involved in the crafting of the tale.
I have read a few of Agatha Christie's books, but had no idea of her history and the fact that she went missing until I read the synopsis for this book. At that time, I decided not to look into her history until after I'd read the book, and I'm happy with that decision.
I wish I could give this more than five stars, but alas I am limited. So I say "Bravo and thank you for the wonderful book" instead.

I hadn't heard much about Agatha Christie's disappearance, so this story got me so interested that I had to look it up to see which parts were fact and which were fiction! I love books that make me want to dig deeper into a subject! I'll definitely be looking for more from this author because it was very well written and kept my interest throughout.

This book is an excellent example of what it is that I want from historical fiction when I seek out historical fiction. Every page made me feel like I was a part of the story and totally immersed myself into the times. I had gone into this book unfamiliar with the author but now that I have read and enjoyed this book so much I plan to read as much as I can from them.

The book switches between Agatha Christie's perspective and the main character, Nan. I thought the book was well written, but I actually think it would have been better without the bits about Agatha. The main draw of the story is the backstory that is slowly drawn out relating to Nan's past in Ireland. I think the whole book could have just been written about Nan. I found myself skipping over the POV of Agatha Christie midway because it was so much less interesting. Overall it was a good quick read

The cover art for this novel is breathtaking. I could look at it all day.

The novel tells the fictional account of Agatha Christie's disappearance as told by her husband's mistress.

Though the book takes place during the 11 days that Agatha went missing, the story focuses on Nan and the history that brought her into the Christie's orbit. An interesting blend of historical fiction, thriller, and mystery, this novel is a unique imagining of the mystery author's time spent missing.

I would have liked for the book to focus more on Agatha and less on Nan. I find Agatha's claim of amnesia and the persisting mystery to be so fascinating. However, Nan's character added a unique depth and perspective.

This was an enjoyable read, even though I hate ebooks. Thank you to #Netgalley for the opportunity to read this early release in exchange for an honest review.

#TheChristieAffair is an enjoyable novel that speaks to the strength of women and the bonds that tie all strong women together.

Agatha Christie's disappearance told from Mr. Christie's mistress's point of view. A fascinating fictional acount that engages the reader with every page. A novel that is hard to put down for that "quick bite"or that "soothing cup of tea". Full of surprises and leads one to believe the story may have even happened as written. The story makes one think that someone found the mistress's journal in a locked box in an attic and after all this time has been able to put to rest the long ago mystery.