CW- pregnancy, death, physical and emotional abuse, infidelity, war, murder
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The Christie Affair seeks to answer this age old question from the perspective of Agatha’s husband’s mistress- Where did Agatha Christie go for those missing 11 days?
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Before going into this book, I had really never heard of the disappearance of Agatha Christie. That subject is so fascinating, and I definitely am planning to read more about this and learning more about it in general.
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That said, I did have some issues with it. This book is very heavy, and if you are not expecting that it can be really rather shocking. Please please check the content warnings for this one.
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I also thought it was really slow. Even though there was stuff happening, I just really couldn’t get invested in the story. Part of that, however, was because I didn’t find the reason that Agatha disappeared very strong.
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Overall, this was a solid historical fiction book, but not anything to write home about.
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

It turns out the least interesting thing about this book was the affair between Nan and Archie. I liked the past stories and explanations of why things happened in the present in the story. There were some parts that dragged a bit though.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second historical fiction account I've read about Agatha Christies' disappearance. This version is told by her husband's mistress, Nan O'Dea. The story in itself is a mystery and could easily have been written by Christie herself. Adding to the scene we come upon the wonderful world of the wealthy. Set in 1926 there are London townhouses, country homes, tennis parties, all so very la-de-da. In the midst of this are the Christies...Archie having an affair and wanting a divorce, Agatha in complete denial and in love with her husband. Was this the straw to break the camel's back...is that why she disappeared.? The mystery was never solved and the author of this book gives us a great deal to contemplate. In any event, the book was enjoyable. My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

The story is told from Nan O'Shea's point of view, who was Archie Christie's mistress. He was Agatha Christie's first husband. O'Shea tells the story of the time when Agatha went missing for eleven days. Peppered throughout the novel is her story before she met Archie, when she lived in Ireland with her father's brother's family during summers, and in England with her family in the rest of the year.

I liked the memories of her life before she became involved with Archie. That plot was the most interesting to me, especially as I like learning about characters through memories or flashbacks. The two plots overlap as the story progresses, and we learn how she came to be Christie's mistress and what prompted all her decisions. As a reader, you're offered more and more information as you read, until you can't help but let yourself be reeled in. The story is gripping and it kept me interested to the end. However, I didn't like the ending, specifically the tone at the end. It was as if she brushed everything under the rug, and it didn't match the Agatha throughout the novel with the Agatha she portrayed at the end. Nor, does it match the narrator with the Nan O'Shea in the end. I also didn't like when the author addressed the reader directly; it didn't suit the story.

I liked the author's style. I can tell she studied her sentences, and worked over and polished. There are quotable sentences, some of them good and smart, some slightly cliche, but we know how cliches are actually just truth plainly stated. I did like the narrative voice - Nan is a good story teller. Offering bit of the future early and thoughout the novel made me see it a rather sad novel, but not so as to stop me from reading and enjoying the novel.

Although I learned through my Wikipedia search (just call me scholar!) that most of the characters don't have the names of the real-life people, nor is what happened in the novel true for the most part, there is the lingering question of "what if...?" I like stories that exploit the mystery, no matter how far-fetched it seems. From a story point of view, it's a good story, starting from little bits known for sure, and spinning a tale. I got to learn more about Ireland*, about young women taken to nunneries to have their illicit babies, all thanks to Nan's story. As I read an advanced copy of the novel, there wasn't any note from the author saying how she came to write this particular story, about this particular happening in history. I do hope in the final version some explanation is included, as it'd be very interesting for history and historical fiction lovers.

Now I really want to read Agatha Christie's Autobiography, in which, by the way, she says nothing about her 11-days disappearance. So intriguing!

Wow! This book is phenomenal. It is gripping, intriguing, haunting, and so much more! Whenever I picked up "The Christie Affair", I was whisked back in time, and went on such a journey with this story.

This is the first book I have read by Nina de Gramont, and it certainly will not be my last. Her writing style is incredibly engaging, visceral, and atmospheric. She pulls the reader into the world of her story from the very first page, and I was hooked from the beginning. Furthermore, I could truly envision each and every moment throughout this novel. This book explores much about human nature, even though at times it may be difficult to read due to what occurs in the story. Ms. de Gramont brilliantly weaves historical fiction with fiction. Full of twists and turns, this book will hook you from the first page to the last.

This story is told mostly from the perspective of Nan O'Dea, the mistress of Archie Christie, who is Agatha Christie's husband. Surrounding many of her decisions, as well as the 11-day disappearance of Agatha Christie, this book explores many themes. I do not want to say too much in this review as I do not want to spoil anything. I will simply say, this book will keep you on the edge of your seat turning the pages as you wait to see what happens next. Full of mystery, and much more, you won't want to put this book down.

Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book, it is incredible. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The scores and scores of Agatha Christie fans (like myself) will enjoy this fictional "unveiling" of the story behind Ms. Christie's very mysterious disappearance during the mid nineteen twenties.

Nina de Gramont weaves a very complex tale that meanders a bit before completely absorbing the reader in its mystery, vendetta, and romance. There were aspects of this book that totally beguiled me. . . . and others that befuddled me. . . but the author manages to draw her stories and characters together too a very satisfying conclusion.

Fans and scholars have questioned the veracity of Christie's tale of "amnesia" for almost 100 years now--to no avail. It is an unsolved mystery unless we accept the standard account as factual. Ms. de Gramont has chosen to create an interesting back-story for Archie Christie and his mistress that adds interest to this historical mystery.
Netgalley provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in return for a candid review.

This book was altogether not what I had expected! What I HAD expected was simply another spin at Agatha Christie's disappearance. Her reasons, if she had any, or her mental condition re-explained; the 'fugue', she experienced. What I got was the turbulent, captivating, and heart-wrenching story of a wholly reinvented mistress (Nan O'Dea) and later second Mrs. Christie. A story, that treated Agatha's disappearance as almost coincidental, merely a framework in which Nan's lifework could come to fruition. That is not to say that Agatha's secret was not explored and dealt with - not at all - she was just not the main protagonist in this tale. What a delightful surprise!

The author takes us gradually through Nan's traumatic past, her happiness, suffering, and despair. Emotions that will churn for a lifetime, develop into obsessions, and eventually shape her actions. I found myself deeply sorry for Nan, although the rational actions she devised based on deluded imaginings evoked little sympathy from me. Nevertheless, I was wholly sucked in by her character: she was so alive, so determined, so prepared to sacrifice in order to succeed with what she felt needed to be done that I couldn't but understand her position.

There is love and abuse, birth and murder, sleuthing and ignoring and, of course, we know the ending in stark colour and meagre facts: the mistress becomes the wife, the former wife leaves the scene - at least the Christie marriage, if not the name and the fame. But that, too, might be different at the emotional level...

I was totally drawn in by this book, even though the plot became increasingly fictional, and at times somewhat absurd. It almost seemed to me as if the author wanted to establish her story firmly in the realm of fiction, not a serious treatment of a factual occurrence. This supposition is reinforced by the author's speaking to the reader directly towards the end as if to say: don't take all this for real; this is MY story, and it goes where I directed it, and will end where I feel is the right point.

This is a great book, part psychological thriller, part romance, part historical fiction, told in lively, intelligent prose, and comes wholly recommended by me.

My sincere thanks to St. Martin's Press for this riveting eARC!

This was such a fun read. I recently read another historical fiction account of Agatha Christie’s disappearance, but I found this version more entertaining. Told from the perspective of Nan O’Dea, we follow along as Agatha is found, discover Nan’s secret reason for pursuing the married Colonel Christie, and become entwined in a murder mystery to boot.

A wonderful twist on true events that blew my mind at the end.

I've read Agatha Christie's books, but never heard of when she went missing for a short while. The rumors around that time are incredible within itself, but this story takes what was a strange event and molds it into a wonderful fictional story that kept me guessing the whole time.

Nan is a wonderfully complex character, with dark secrets and a painful past. We hear her story of heartache mixed throughout the main plotline, but it wasn't until the end that its purpose was truly revealed. A mystery within a mystery, and such a glorious one at that.

A must read for fans of Christie, or a good historical mystery.

My review will be live on my blog Book Confessions on 8-18-21.

What a captivating story! This book twists your emotions up in knots as the story captures you and takes you on an ever involving set of mysteries, leaving you unsure if what you think is happening is actually what is happening, since it is being told from the point of view of "the other woman". Amazing and difficult to put down.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this enjoyable book.

“The Christie Affair” by Nina de Gramont is a captivating historical fiction tale that offers its own spin on the famous writer Agatha Christie’s disappearance. Told from the perspective of the mistress that drives Mr. and Mrs. Christie apart, comes a harrowing tale of murder, mischief, and romance that will shock and stun readers.

Finding out this story was going to be told from the mistress’s perspective was a bit disappointing. The fascination with the Christie Affair has to do with Agatha’s disappearance and where she went for those eleven days. What can “the other woman” offer in this story that will stand out amongst all the other tales of infidelity? What can she offer that will possibly be of interest? As it turns out, “the other woman,” “the homewrecker,” “the seductress,” has a lot to say. Gramont flips the stereotype of temptress on its head and presents a woman with a complicated and tragic backstory that readers will immediately be taken with.

This character-driven novel shows the fragility and cruelty of human nature. This novel touches on a lot of tough subjects that may be triggering in an attempt to reveal human suffering in its intimate form, but also on a larger scale with the war that occurred around this time period. Gramont creates characters that are morally grey, who do terrible things because they feel it’s their only option … or maybe because they’re desperate. While some characters are easy to hate, readers will sympathize and root for most of them.

Toss in a bit of a murder mystery in a true Agatha Christie fashion and this is a tale with an unstoppable pace that will be easily devoured. “The Christie Affair” by Nina de Gramont comes highly recommended for its sympathetic characters, the unexpected twists and turns, a bit of murder-mystery, and an original tale inspired by Agatha’s eleven-day disappearance and the woman responsible for it. This is definitely a novel to be on the lookout for on its expected publication date of February 1st, 2021.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press for inviting me to read this e-arc and giving me the opportunity to share my honest thoughts and opinions in this review!

The disappearance of Agatha Christie has been a hot topic for many years. I really wanted to like this book because I am a huge Christie fan, but the narration was so off-putting I struggled to keep up with the story. The timeline was also confusing. I think two better books that covered the Christie Disappearance are The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict and A Talent for Murder by Andrew Wilson offered much better theories about what could have happened.

Let me start out by saying that Agatha Christie is my all-time favorite author and her personal life is just as intriguing as her books. This book was absolutely fantastic. We begin with the other woman. It's all right, clench your teeth, It's the reaction most of us get when we hear that phrase right. The author gives us the other woman in the form of Nan, competing for Agatha's husband Archie Christie. The interesting thing is, she gives us a back story as to why man is so set on getting Archie Christie.

The heartbreaking thing is that Agatha is truly a lovely woman and her mother has recently passed away. Suddenly to add to all the drama, Agatha Christie disappears. She is just beginning to reach the heights of her career, not as successful as she will become, not the household name she will achieve, however a nationwide search begins. Will they find her? Is she truly dead?

This is a fantastic page-turning book with several deaths in it. It is a fiction so don't take it as the gospel truth. (The real Other Woman was Nancy Neele but has been renamed Nan O'Dea.)

I had a difficult time putting this book down and I think it would make an excellent movie. I definitely recommend this book.

The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont is an excellent historical fiction novel that is so unique, gripping, and engaging. I highly recommend it.

This is a wonderfully suspenseful story that depicts what could have happened during the short time frame Agatha Christie was missing not from the author’s perspective, nor from her questionable husband’s perspective, but in the voice of the “other woman” Nan O’Dea.

This is fresh, fascinating, includes twists, turns, suspense, mystery, and truly was enjoyable from beginning to end. I dare anyone read this and not be completely drawn in!

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and St. Martin’s Press for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

A true page turner a book that kept me reading late into the night.Agatha Christie disappears and the story is told through the eyes of her husbands lover.The characters come alive the mystery the questions that need to be answered of Agatha Christie’s marriage.Will be recommending.#netgalley #st.Martins press

I wanted to LOVE this book--really really. The writing is elegant. The pacing flows, carrying you seamlessly from one scene and one point of view to the next. The characters are complex, believable, and interesting. Each gets his/her time in the spotlight. The plot is dynamite--I mean, who doesn't want to speculate on AC's missing eleven days!
There will be no spoilers in this review. I will say only that a plot twist 2/3 of the way through was too much for me to swallow. It remains a beautifully-written novel, and others may feel differently. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

The other woman: Grr. That's the usual and understandable reaction, isn't it? In The Christie Affair, Nina de Gramont has Nan, the other woman competing for Agatha Christie's husband, act as the omniscient narrator. As the story continues, we learn why Nan is so keen on Archie Christie.

Archie is so keen on Nan that he adds to his wife's misery at just having lost her mother. He tells her he wants a divorce.

And Agatha Christie disappears. She was at the beginning of her career and, although successful, had not achieved the household name status we associate with her today. Despite a nationwide search, and pictures plastered in newspapers throughout the country, no one can find her.

Until someone does.

This book is a real page-turner, and just when you think things couldn't get stranger, two suspicious deaths pop up. Much of the book is fictional and it was fun to see what the search engines could prove or disprove. Nancy Neele has been renamed Nan O'Dea in The Christie Affair.

But Agatha, Archie, and Nancy were real people, caught in their own tragic love triangle. Archie did marry Nancy and they remained married until her death 30 years later.

Nina de Gramont has written a book that is hard to put down.

Absolutely loved this hist-fic mystery about the disappearance of Agatha Christie, as told by her husband’s lover. The deftly written tale grips with twists and turns that keep you pinned to the last page. Highly recommended for Christie fans and lovers of thrilling historical fiction!

5 of 5 Stars

Pub Date 01 Feb 2022
#TheChristieAffair #NetGalley

Thanks to the author, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the ARC; opinions are mine.