I knew I had to request this book the moment I read the description. I find Agatha Christie so fascinating, including the time she disappeared into basically thin air. Unfortunately, I didn't love this book.

It was really hard for me to get through this book. I was so bored, and would find myself having to reread pages because I kept zoning out. It was nothing like I thought this book would be. It was impossible to follow and I just couldn't connect or like any of the plot details or the other characters.

I don't know, give this a shot if you're interested. Maybe I had my hopes up too high? This one just wasn't for me.

I adore Agatha Christie books so was incredibly intrigued with this one. Despite loving Agatha's books, I had no idea she famously disappeared! I loved the narrator choice, it was unexpected and added a unique perspective to the story. The book was a bit slow for me and I had a hard time getting into it. I think it's a great book for a cozy reading marathon vs. the start and stop car line pickup reading I was doing with it.

In this take on the disappearance of Agatha Christie but is told by Nan O'Dea, Archie Christie's mistress. It tells of all that happened from Nan's point-of-view, how police were called in, a nationwide search and Archie being suspected of murder. It also has Nan reliving her past, the boy she loved, Finbarr, the child that was taken from her at the convent and her escape from that existence.
All the pieces of the puzzle, all the characters and their motives are slowly revealed and come together when Nan neatly ties up the mysteries at the end.
An interesting version of the time Agatha Christie disappeared with it being as feasible as any other version.
Thank you NetGalley and St.Martins for this e-galley of "The Christie Affair".

Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into this book. I was very intrigued due to the story being centered around Agatha Christie, but historical fiction isn't my favorite genre. I really liked the perspective being from "the other woman" - that was a cool touch. I think a lot of people will love this one, but it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the copy of this book.

This book read like two different stories. One story was about Agatha Christie’s disappearance on December 3, 1926 after her husband told her he was leaving her for another woman. Agatha’s car was found abandoned. Eleven days later she was discovered.

The stories are narrated by Miss Nan O’dea, the mistress of Agatha’s husband, Archie. Nan spent the summers at her aunt and uncles as a young girl to help on the farm. She met Finabarr, an Irish boy the summer she turned 15. She enjoyed playing tennis with him but he had to teach his dog not to get the tennis ball. She enjoyed the few times they got to see each other. Later in August, Finnabarr came to see Nan and the aunt said it was ok to go out and talk to him. Finnabar told Nan that he was going to the Great War. He gave her a small token and asked her if he could write to her.

Dark secrets and the war kept Nan and Finabarr apart. I like how the two stories were brought together. This book keeps you turning the pages with many plot twists.

An interesting tale of the famous disappearance of Agatha Christie for eleven days in 1925. It is a mystery within a mystery. It is told by Mr. Christie's mistress, Nan O'Day. It is quite a brilliantly written what if of a tale of those missing eleven days until Agatha is found again.

I did enjoy reading the story and I would recommend it.

A book that has a little bit of everything. Love. Death. Mystery. The Christie Affair is a page turner that will definitely be a hit. Seeing it was from the mistresses point of view I was very skeptical, but it turned into a great read for me. 4.5 stars

The Christie Affair explores what could have happened when mystery author Agatha Christie disappeared for eleven days after her husband Archie has decided to leave her for his mistress Nan O’Dea.

Presented through the eyes of Ms. O’Dea, the story reveals what has driven Ms. O’Dea and the result those motivations have had on her life, becoming the “other woman,” the “homewrecker” and stepmother to Agatha Christie’s daughter. Her drive to become Archie’s mistress and wife began with a plan.

I found the point-of-view in this novel was a bit disconcerting sometimes. We see things events unfold through Nan’s perspective, but there are personal moments between Agatha and Archie and also when Agatha interacts with other characters when she is missing of which Nan can’t really have first-hand knowledge.

Overall, this was an intriguing tale that kept my interest. Not just historical fiction, there was certainly an element of mystery as well, which is perfect with the involvement of Agatha Christie.

The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont is a 2022 St. Martin’s Press publication.

The eleven days that Agatha Christie went missing is one of the most debated 'unsolved' mysteries of all time.

While the frantic search was on for Christie, the possible catalyst for her disappearance was her husband Archie’s infidelities. Archie had apparently fallen in love and asked Agatha for a divorce, not long after the passing of her mother. Who had Archie fallen so hard for that he was willing to break up his marriage? Who was ‘Nan O’Dea’ and why did she set out to lure Archie away from his wife?

This novel is a very crafty imagining of what might have happened during the eleven days, in 1926, when Agatha Christie vanished. Here, Agatha must share the spotlight with 'Nan', who recounts her life leading up to Agatha’s disappearance, her upbringing, her life in Ireland, and the sad circumstances of war that disrupted her life and future, which has led her to this point.

This narrative will take readers by surprise as one goes from disliking the calculating femme fatale who had the audacity to steal Agatha’s husband, to becoming a sympathetic character one is tempted to root for- but only cautiously.

The mystery of Agatha Christie’s disappearance is endlessly fascinating to me. I admit, though, that I have never found myself all that curious about Archie’s second wife and have never considered what her personal circumstances might have been.

This story reveals ‘Nan’s' motive for going after Archie- and it's one you might not suspect- though the clues are there all along. The mystery within a mystery, and the drama surrounding Agatha’s lengthy disappearance, combined with Nan’s personal story meshes together to make a fascinating and compelling, and simply fabulous story.

I got all wrapped up in this story. It is very well written, though one will have to stay focused to keep up with the timelines and narratives. The characters are well-drawn, with police inspector Chilton being a personal favorite.

I knew this was going to be a good book before I even read the first page. I just had a good feeling about it. But I had no idea I would step into a world this rich and luxurious. Wow!

I was absolutely riveted to the drama, so entrenched in Nan and Agatha’s competition that it took me by surprise when I found myself mired in a novel of suspense. Well, duh! We are talking about Agatha Christie here. How very diabolically clever!

The author did a fantastic job of approaching this age-old mystery from a fresh perspective and handled the material with much respect, while ending the story in a slightly bittersweet, but appealingly pleasant way.

I couldn’t help but love every single delicious page of it!!

4.5 stars

Whatever happened to Agatha Christie when she disappeared for eleven days? This is a fictional telling of that time from her husband's mistress. This book will keep you guessing until the end!

My aim in 2022 has been to branch out and read books by authors that I am not familiar with. This was my first Nina de Gramont book, and I can say it will not be my last! Plus, it was bonus points to find out she is in my native state of North Carolina! My old soul loves books set in the late 1800s/early 1900s. The story of Archie and Agatha seemed to be that of a typical tender family raising their child together. Both were settled in careers and living the family life--along comes Nan to change things dramatically! I really wanted Finbarr and Nan to be together at the end of the book, as well as Agatha and Teddy. I would have been fine with Archie disappearing never to be heard from again. I will definitely be recommending this book to my reader friends!

I couldn't get into this one! I know tons of people loved it, but I wasn't feeling the voice of the narrator. Historical fiction isn't always my favorite, so perhaps it wasn't the right time for me to try to get into this one. I"ll give it another try another time!

I’m a huge Agatha Christie fan so anything related to the Queen of Crime immediate intrigues me. In The Christie Affair author Nina de Gramont writes a fictional tale of Agatha Christie’s famous 11 day disappearance in the 1920’s, told from the perspective of Christie’s husband’s mistress. This book is purely fiction but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment.

Although the famous crime novelist plays an important part in the story I couldn’t help but think of her as more of a secondary character as this story is not hers, it’s Nan O’Dea’s story. I really loved Nan’s character and thought her story was just heartbreaking.

Not what I was expecting at all from this historical fiction but I thought it was a fantastic read.

On December 3, 1926 famed mystery writer Agatha Christie is told by her husband Archie that he is in love with another woman. The couple quarrels after he makes this devastating announcement and leaves to spend the weekend with his mistress, not his wife. Later that evening Agatha, devastated by the news, packs a few things and leaves their estate in her precious sports car. She is not seen or heard from again for 11 days. During this time Archie appears shocked while the household staff points fingers at him. His girlfriend quietly leaves town. The police are called as the entire country begins a massive search for the famed author, mother and wife. Was this news story fodder for her latest book release? A public relations scandal to hold onto a crumbling marriage? The Christie Affair is cleverly narrated by Nan O’Dea, Archie’s mistress. Nan has her own agenda and personal history that has been well hidden. When Nan’s backstory crosses paths with the present search party she can no longer deny her unexpected role in the Christie’s life. This fictionalized account of what could have been, might have been - of one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of all time is positively mesmerizing. A novel not unlike one of Agatha’s own creations.

What really happened during Agatha Christie's disappearance in 1926? This story uncovers the mystery from the POV of the woman having an affair with Christie's husband. I am fascinated with Christie's disappearance, so this book was right up my alley. If you are intrigued with Christie's disappearance, this book provides a plausible explanation and as an added benefit, includes an Agatha Christie type murder investigation, as well. A mystery within a mystery!

I really liked this book. I love historical fiction to begin with and its always interesting to find a book based on a real person or event and see what sort of spin an author can take on it. It begins in 1926 when Agatha Christie disappeared for about 11 days and never provided any explanation for where she was. We are told the story byNan O'Dea who is Agatha's husband's mistress. We learn about Nan and Agatha as two intersecting stories throughout the book. I loved that there was also a bit of intrigue with a murder mystery.

The Christie Affair is about the famous author Agatha Christie 's mystery missing event. The day after Agatha's husband Archie tells her he is divorcing Agatha and leaving her for his mistress, Agatha Christie disappeared without a trace for 11 days. She was later found at a hotel in Yorkshire, England, registered under a different name and with no memory of her last 11 days. Nobody know what is really happened.
I have across some works about this topic, recently, Movie and books, this is one of them.
The book has been told by Nan - Agatha's husband's mistress - point of review. It's different but I don't like it. Nan is the lease interested figure that I cared of the whole mystery. it make me lost interest from the beginning.
There are also unsolved questions. this book is not for me. I should DNF it.
generous 2.5 stars

"The Christie Affair" is, by title alone, a story about Agatha Christie's famous short-term disappearance. The twist here is that the book is from the point of view of Agatha Christie's husband's affair partner (here, Nan O'Dea.) The book interweaves a fictionalized take on Nan's life with the lead-up to, and process of, the infamous disappearance.

What's good: I found myself more interested in Nan's backstory than the story of the disappearance. That's the sign of a compelling character.

What's iffier: The book takes some hard plot turns. I can't say they're without any foreshadowing, in fairness, but following them is a bit of a challenge. In addition, the ending is a struggle; as the narrator admits, there's no tidy way to depart this story. Finally, I felt some of the language, some of the saga related to a dreamlike moment in the story, was a bit of overkill (if one can use that word in anything involving Agatha Christie!)

With thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for granting me an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Where did Agatha Christie go when she disappeared for eleven days in 1926? What books have you read recently with Irish characters or settings?

The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont is the Brenda Novak Book Group selection for March. I am looking forward to the meeting and interview with the author next week.

The Christie Affair takes place during the eleven days that Agatha Christie disappeared in 1926. I thought this book was about Agatha Christie, but it is actually about Nan O’Dea. Nan O’Dea is Archie Christie’s mistress, and she narrates the novel. Why would Nan want to marry an already married man? The novel goes back and forth between the past that brought Nan to this point and where Agatha and Nan end up during the disappearance.

This ended up being a good book for March as much of Nan’s past story was set in Ireland. She had a great love, Finbarr who fought in the first World War. She became pregnant with his child after his return from war. As he is struck down with the flu epidemic, his parents take the unwed Nan to a convent to have her baby. It is a traumatic experience.

The story was very engaging, especially once I let go of my preconceived notions that this was a book about Agatha Christie. It is historical fiction, but it is about real people. It fictionalizes the lives of two real women, which I don’t know how I feel about. I’m used to the story being true and the fiction part filling in the details. In this book, fiction is made up about both characters and Agatha’s daughter. I also wondered why everyone wanted Archie Christie. He had no redeeming qualities.

The best parts of the book were unraveling the mystery of Nan, why she would want Archie Christie, and the romance between her and Finbarr. The mysterious deaths at the spa and how it tied into everything were like an Agatha Christie novel.

Overall, The Christie Affair was a good historical mystery about Archie Christie’s mistress.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

✨ The Christie Affair - Nina de Gramont

i can see why this is a @reesesbookclub pick & @bookofthemonth add on! this book was fast paced, entertaining & gripping! i must confess, i knew nothing about agatha christie prior to this book yet i really, really enjoyed this one. i need to know everything about AC & her life now!! 🤯

👍🏼: both nan & agatha’s stories were FASCINATING. i love how they were told in past & present, as well as, separately & intertwined. there were a lot of storylines, dates, places, etc. going on but it was very easy to follow. there was a plot but it was also v character driven. with that, the character development & surprises were very well done

👎🏼: honestly nan’s story was so gripping i think it should be a book in & of itself. i think this could have been 2-3 books (nan’s story, agatha’s story & how they overlap) & the reader would leave much more satisfied! a minor squabble but i was left with wanting more - more information, more on where the characters end up, more on their past & just more detail

RECOMMEND?: yes! if you’re in the mood for a historical fiction with a side of mystery - this would be a perfect book for you 🕵️‍♀️

SYNOPSIS: go in blind!