Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Mantle (2022), Edition: Main Market, 368 pages
Description
"Nina de Gramont's The Christie Affair is a beguiling novel of star-crossed lovers, heartbreak, revenge, and murder-and a brilliant re-imagination of one of the most talked-about unsolved mysteries of the twentieth century. Every story has its secrets. Every mystery has its motives. "A long time ago, in another country, I nearly killed a woman. It's a particular feeling, the urge to murder. It takes over your body so completely, it's like a divine force, grabbing hold of your will, your limbs, your psyche. There's a joy to it. In retrospect, it's frightening, but I daresay in the moment it feels sweet. The way justice feels sweet." The greatest mystery wasn't Agatha Christie's disappearance in those eleven infamous days, it's what she discovered. London, 1925: In a world of townhomes and tennis matches, socialites and shooting parties, Miss Nan O'Dea became Archie Christie's mistress, luring him away from his devoted and well-known wife, Agatha Christie. The question is, why? Why destroy another woman's marriage, why hatch a plot years in the making, and why murder? How was Nan O'Dea so intricately tied to those eleven mysterious days that Agatha Christie went missing?"--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Cariola
This novel is based on Agatha Christie's 11-day disappearance in 1926. At the time, she was just becoming popular for her mystery novels, and many thought her disappearance was a publicity stunt. She had quarreled with her husband after he told her that he wanted a divorce so that he could marry
Nina de Gramont takes this as the jumping-off point for The Christie Affair's rather convoluted plot. Many of the chapters are narrated by Nan O'Dea, the name the author ascribes to Archibald Christie's mistress. De Gramont imagines her to be an Irish woman who had cultivated a highbrow London accent and adapted her personal style for the purpose of seducing Christie and convincing him to marry her. The author creates a lot of background for Nan, both to add romantic interest and to give her a reason for pursuing Archie--a reason I won't give away here, but let's just say that all this is highly imaginative. At 19, Nan had fallen in love with a young man named Finnbar Mahoney while on one of her summer visits to her aunt and uncle's farm in Ireland. Alas, World War I breaks out, and the lovers are separated. By chance, they meet again in London on Armistice Day, their encounter leaving Nan pregnant. When she returns to Ireland, sure that Finnbar will marry her, she learns that he is deathly ill from having inhaled mustard gas. His father drops her off at a home for pregnant women run by the Catholic Church.
That's the backstory on Nan (with more details about her time in the home), and if you are guessing that this novel is more her story than Agatha's, you would be correct. The two women know each other, and surprise! They meet again while Agatha is in hiding. De Gramont throws in some more romance for both of them--and that is when I started to get a bit annoyed with this novel turning into a rather cliché bit of "women's fiction." And of course, she has to include a few murders, since this is, after all, supposed to be a book about Agatha Christie. It was all just a little too ingenious and too "girly" for my personal taste.
Be forewarned that the only "facts" behind this novel are that Archie Christie had a mistress and wanted a divorce; that Agatha left for 11 days, during which time the press had a field day; and that Agatha was discovered in a spa in Yorkshire. The rest is based more on romantic imagination than on logical speculation.
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his mistress, and she drove off in her beloved Morris Cowley. The next morning, the car was found parked near an abandoned chalk pit with clothing and an expired driver's license inside.Nina de Gramont takes this as the jumping-off point for The Christie Affair's rather convoluted plot. Many of the chapters are narrated by Nan O'Dea, the name the author ascribes to Archibald Christie's mistress. De Gramont imagines her to be an Irish woman who had cultivated a highbrow London accent and adapted her personal style for the purpose of seducing Christie and convincing him to marry her. The author creates a lot of background for Nan, both to add romantic interest and to give her a reason for pursuing Archie--a reason I won't give away here, but let's just say that all this is highly imaginative. At 19, Nan had fallen in love with a young man named Finnbar Mahoney while on one of her summer visits to her aunt and uncle's farm in Ireland. Alas, World War I breaks out, and the lovers are separated. By chance, they meet again in London on Armistice Day, their encounter leaving Nan pregnant. When she returns to Ireland, sure that Finnbar will marry her, she learns that he is deathly ill from having inhaled mustard gas. His father drops her off at a home for pregnant women run by the Catholic Church.
That's the backstory on Nan (with more details about her time in the home), and if you are guessing that this novel is more her story than Agatha's, you would be correct. The two women know each other, and surprise! They meet again while Agatha is in hiding. De Gramont throws in some more romance for both of them--and that is when I started to get a bit annoyed with this novel turning into a rather cliché bit of "women's fiction." And of course, she has to include a few murders, since this is, after all, supposed to be a book about Agatha Christie. It was all just a little too ingenious and too "girly" for my personal taste.
Be forewarned that the only "facts" behind this novel are that Archie Christie had a mistress and wanted a divorce; that Agatha left for 11 days, during which time the press had a field day; and that Agatha was discovered in a spa in Yorkshire. The rest is based more on romantic imagination than on logical speculation.
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LibraryThing member hobbitprincess
I found the story itself, minus the famous characters that really lived, ok. The mystery and twist at the end was interesting. The use of the Christie name was disturbing and disrespectful to Agatha Christie and her memory. I imagine that the author used that name to garner sales. I also found the
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narration to be a bit strange. It's told in first person by Agatha's husband's lover, yet there is no way she could know all that went on in the story. It just wasn't believable. At times it was hard to figure out what was going on and who was in a particular section. It did prompt me to read more about her and consider reading Agatha Christie's mysteries that I haven't already read. Show Less
LibraryThing member SilversReviews
Nan O’Dea already had a history when she met and had an affair with Archie Christie, husband of Agatha Christie.
The infidelity on Archie’s part caused his wife to disappear for 11 days with everyone thinking Agatha had killed herself.
The story of Agatha Christie's disappearance was very
Agatha’s story was enjoyable. Nan’s story was not enjoyable at first but became better especially when secrets about her emerged. She wasn’t a nice person or should I say she was a calculating person.
As the story unfolds, we get to know Agatha through the author’s detailed, fluid writing style. We also learn about Nan and her plans.
There are a few twists and surprises, and overall THE CHRISTIE AFFAIR was good.
The way Ms. de Gramont wrapped up the book was clever.
Historical fiction fans and Agatha Christie fans will enjoy this book very much. It will also be enjoyable for those who didn’t know the facts about Agatha Christie's disappearance and her husband’s infidelity. I only knew her as a terrific author. 4/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The infidelity on Archie’s part caused his wife to disappear for 11 days with everyone thinking Agatha had killed herself.
The story of Agatha Christie's disappearance was very
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interesting, and I wasn’t aware this happened.Agatha’s story was enjoyable. Nan’s story was not enjoyable at first but became better especially when secrets about her emerged. She wasn’t a nice person or should I say she was a calculating person.
As the story unfolds, we get to know Agatha through the author’s detailed, fluid writing style. We also learn about Nan and her plans.
There are a few twists and surprises, and overall THE CHRISTIE AFFAIR was good.
The way Ms. de Gramont wrapped up the book was clever.
Historical fiction fans and Agatha Christie fans will enjoy this book very much. It will also be enjoyable for those who didn’t know the facts about Agatha Christie's disappearance and her husband’s infidelity. I only knew her as a terrific author. 4/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member ozzer
Agatha Christie once disappeared for 11 days. She never gave a satisfactory explanation for it. The facts are few. I’m sure that if she ever would have disclosed the details, they would have come wrapped in a twisty plot with plenty of mystery, detectives and, of course, murders. Well, Nina de
The historical facts are few. In December 1926, Agatha’s husband, Archie, announced he would divorce her and promptly left to spend the weekend with his mistress. Then Agatha decided to abandon their home and child. The only evidence left from her departure was her car containing her clothes, but not her typewriter, teetering on the edge of a quarry. Clearly, Agatha was not so despondent to consider abandoning her writing career. Suspecting suicide or foul play, the authorities launched a nationwide search. Eventually, Agatha was found at a spa in the rural village of Harrowgate. The story ends with Archie marrying his mistress, becoming their daughter’s custodial parent, and with Agatha continuing her successful writing career. With these meager facts as her framework, de Gramont crafted a devilishly clever Christie-esque story narrated, not by Agatha, but by Archie’s mistress, Nan O’Dea. While Archie’s real mistress was also named Nancy, she bears no resemblance to this Nan. The fictional Nan is lively, determined, conniving and, at her core, quite ruthless. Clearly, she is an unreliable narrator. A supremely unreliable narrator is not necessarily a serious flaw in today’s version of literary fiction. However, Nan’s uncanny ability to describe in detail events that she could never have witnessed can be unsettling.
Nan’s backstory is the novel’s primary plot driver. Most of the action that occurs during Agatha’s hiatus in Harrowgate stems from these events. These include idyllic summers in Ireland where she becomes romantically involved with a young neighbor called Finbarr; and the Great War removing Finbarr from the scene, but not before Nan becomes pregnant. Finbarr returns a damaged man and promptly gets the deadly Spanish flu. More of Nan’s turbulent history cannot be revealed without risking spoilers. Suffice it to say, it is indeed woeful.
Most of the action takes place at the Bellefort Hotel & Spa, a vacation resort in Harrowgate, also the scene of two murders. The characters converge here for a classical who-done-it reveal rivaling Christie’s best. De Gramont even folds in a romance for the spurned Agatha in the form of retired detective Clinton, a man tasked with finding her.
The narrative is cleverly structured notwithstanding occasional lapses into absurdity. It has multiple plot twists, well controlled pacing and a satisfying denouement. De Gramont also captures the times well including physical and psychological war injuries, the flu pandemic, and class issues extant in GB and Ireland. THE CHRISTIE AFFAIR should be a satisfying historical thriller for anyone, especially Christie fans.
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Gramont stepped up to give us just such a tale.The historical facts are few. In December 1926, Agatha’s husband, Archie, announced he would divorce her and promptly left to spend the weekend with his mistress. Then Agatha decided to abandon their home and child. The only evidence left from her departure was her car containing her clothes, but not her typewriter, teetering on the edge of a quarry. Clearly, Agatha was not so despondent to consider abandoning her writing career. Suspecting suicide or foul play, the authorities launched a nationwide search. Eventually, Agatha was found at a spa in the rural village of Harrowgate. The story ends with Archie marrying his mistress, becoming their daughter’s custodial parent, and with Agatha continuing her successful writing career. With these meager facts as her framework, de Gramont crafted a devilishly clever Christie-esque story narrated, not by Agatha, but by Archie’s mistress, Nan O’Dea. While Archie’s real mistress was also named Nancy, she bears no resemblance to this Nan. The fictional Nan is lively, determined, conniving and, at her core, quite ruthless. Clearly, she is an unreliable narrator. A supremely unreliable narrator is not necessarily a serious flaw in today’s version of literary fiction. However, Nan’s uncanny ability to describe in detail events that she could never have witnessed can be unsettling.
Nan’s backstory is the novel’s primary plot driver. Most of the action that occurs during Agatha’s hiatus in Harrowgate stems from these events. These include idyllic summers in Ireland where she becomes romantically involved with a young neighbor called Finbarr; and the Great War removing Finbarr from the scene, but not before Nan becomes pregnant. Finbarr returns a damaged man and promptly gets the deadly Spanish flu. More of Nan’s turbulent history cannot be revealed without risking spoilers. Suffice it to say, it is indeed woeful.
Most of the action takes place at the Bellefort Hotel & Spa, a vacation resort in Harrowgate, also the scene of two murders. The characters converge here for a classical who-done-it reveal rivaling Christie’s best. De Gramont even folds in a romance for the spurned Agatha in the form of retired detective Clinton, a man tasked with finding her.
The narrative is cleverly structured notwithstanding occasional lapses into absurdity. It has multiple plot twists, well controlled pacing and a satisfying denouement. De Gramont also captures the times well including physical and psychological war injuries, the flu pandemic, and class issues extant in GB and Ireland. THE CHRISTIE AFFAIR should be a satisfying historical thriller for anyone, especially Christie fans.
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LibraryThing member kmartin802
This book was an intriguing reimagining of the days Agatha Christie disappeared in 1926. It is told from the viewpoint of Nan O'Dea - the Other Woman - who was Archie Christie's mistress and second wife.
As the story develops, we learn about Nan's past and her reasons for pursuing Archie. Along the
The story was not fast paced but unfolded in a leisurely manner that still managed to be intensely gripping. Revelation after revelation build a strong picture of Nan and, peripherally, Agatha Christie and Archie Christie who doesn't fare well in this story.
The story also illuminates the time period between the first and second world wars when mores are changing and there is more than a social revolution going on. Nan's history includes horrific details about the fates of unwed mothers and their babies during that time period and in that place. Agatha's own growth, as depicted in this story, is also an example of social change.
This story was an interesting imagining of those missing days in Agatha's life told by a woman who is just a footnote in Agatha's story but a strong main character here.
As the story develops, we learn about Nan's past and her reasons for pursuing Archie. Along the
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way there is romance and murder and revenge for a great wrong. The murders were not center stage and seemed to be almost a throw away detail in the bigger picture when they were first described. I liked the echoes to some of Agatha's stories - very MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS. The story was not fast paced but unfolded in a leisurely manner that still managed to be intensely gripping. Revelation after revelation build a strong picture of Nan and, peripherally, Agatha Christie and Archie Christie who doesn't fare well in this story.
The story also illuminates the time period between the first and second world wars when mores are changing and there is more than a social revolution going on. Nan's history includes horrific details about the fates of unwed mothers and their babies during that time period and in that place. Agatha's own growth, as depicted in this story, is also an example of social change.
This story was an interesting imagining of those missing days in Agatha's life told by a woman who is just a footnote in Agatha's story but a strong main character here.
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LibraryThing member Cats57
This book was just not my glass of wine.
What should have been a 5-star book only rated 3 stars with me. However, the idea behind this book was brilliant. Take the true-life disappearance of Agatha (Dec 3, 1926 – Dec 14, 1926) and make a part true (the husband) and a mostly fictional story about
Unfortunately, it just did not work for me. Instead, the book focused on the mistress and her very tragic upbringing.
The whole book is told from the mistress's point of view, and in some ways, it is disconcerting. For example, you will be reading passages that have nothing to do with the mistress (Nan), and all of a sudden, Nan will be 'talking'.
There are many, many hot-button issues in this novel- the Catholic Church, rape, forced adoption, cheating, etc.
*ARC was supplied by NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and the author.
What should have been a 5-star book only rated 3 stars with me. However, the idea behind this book was brilliant. Take the true-life disappearance of Agatha (Dec 3, 1926 – Dec 14, 1926) and make a part true (the husband) and a mostly fictional story about
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it.Unfortunately, it just did not work for me. Instead, the book focused on the mistress and her very tragic upbringing.
The whole book is told from the mistress's point of view, and in some ways, it is disconcerting. For example, you will be reading passages that have nothing to do with the mistress (Nan), and all of a sudden, Nan will be 'talking'.
There are many, many hot-button issues in this novel- the Catholic Church, rape, forced adoption, cheating, etc.
*ARC was supplied by NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and the author.
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LibraryThing member nicx27
In 1926 Agatha Christie disappeared for eleven days. She turned up in a spa hotel in Harrogate, a long way from her home in Berkshire. Christie always maintained she couldn't remember anything about her unexplained disappearance but this novel offers a fantastic fictional version of the events that
One of the things that may have in part led to the disappearance was the fact that Christie's husband, Archie, was having an affair with a woman named Nancy Neele. In The Christie Affair, Nancy is renamed Nan O'Dea and the whole story is seen from her viewpoint, both at the time of the disappearance and looking back over what had happened in her own life up to that point which is of great relevance to the story.
This was a most unexpected book for me. I suppose I was expecting something that revolved solely around Christie's missing eleven days but that is only half the story and Nan's past puts a really fascinating slant on why it happened. I really don't want to say too much as I think a reader must let it unfold as they read but there are lots of surprises and the author's expert plotting offers an explanation that I could never have guessed at.
Although this is essentially a mystery tale, it's also a sad and moving consideration of the effects of the First World War and some of the things that happen to Nan were sadly common but completely tragic. Whilst this book has some elements of the truth to it, it's very much fictionalised and the author has imagined quite a past for Nan. There's a darkness to it, and a compelling narrative along with a romantic element that added a frisson of forbidden pleasure, made for a gripping reading experience.. I found I wanted to read in larger chunks to fully immerse myself in all that was happening and when I did so I was utterly engrossed. This is such an innovative and spellbinding book which hooked me from beginning to end.
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occurred over those eleven days.One of the things that may have in part led to the disappearance was the fact that Christie's husband, Archie, was having an affair with a woman named Nancy Neele. In The Christie Affair, Nancy is renamed Nan O'Dea and the whole story is seen from her viewpoint, both at the time of the disappearance and looking back over what had happened in her own life up to that point which is of great relevance to the story.
This was a most unexpected book for me. I suppose I was expecting something that revolved solely around Christie's missing eleven days but that is only half the story and Nan's past puts a really fascinating slant on why it happened. I really don't want to say too much as I think a reader must let it unfold as they read but there are lots of surprises and the author's expert plotting offers an explanation that I could never have guessed at.
Although this is essentially a mystery tale, it's also a sad and moving consideration of the effects of the First World War and some of the things that happen to Nan were sadly common but completely tragic. Whilst this book has some elements of the truth to it, it's very much fictionalised and the author has imagined quite a past for Nan. There's a darkness to it, and a compelling narrative along with a romantic element that added a frisson of forbidden pleasure, made for a gripping reading experience.. I found I wanted to read in larger chunks to fully immerse myself in all that was happening and when I did so I was utterly engrossed. This is such an innovative and spellbinding book which hooked me from beginning to end.
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LibraryThing member kimkimkim
Having read Marie Benedict’s book “The Mystery of Mrs. Christie” I was interested to see how Nina De Gramont would handle the story from the viewpoint of the “Mistress”, Nan O’Dea. Point and counterpoint - not so much. This is mostly Nan O’Dea’s story with fairly shallow digging
The writing is beautiful, soft and rich. De Gramont captures the time, period and mood perfectly. The story is well conceived if not what I was expecting. The depiction of Nan O’Dea is drawn allowing the reader to attach subjective praise or criticism and either would be valid. While the havoc Nan O’Dea wreaked upon the Christie relationship was despicable, sympathy for O’Dea’s situation was not unreasonable either. De Gramont leaves room for this dichotomy of emotions as to what is fair given the historical circumstances. And there is the rub - to make sense of this story you now have to set aside Agatha Christie as a main character and see her as a mere foil in the telling of Nan O’Dea’s tragic history and what she perceived as her necessary insertion into the Christie’s relationship.
I wonder … if the final few pages had been incorporated into the first few pages …would the telling be truer and alert the reader to be prepared for a good story but not the story we thought we had been promised. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy.
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into the mystery of Agatha Christie’s disappearance in December, 1926. Which is not to say that this isn’t an interesting story, it just isn’t going to move any understanding of the actual disappearing act further along.The writing is beautiful, soft and rich. De Gramont captures the time, period and mood perfectly. The story is well conceived if not what I was expecting. The depiction of Nan O’Dea is drawn allowing the reader to attach subjective praise or criticism and either would be valid. While the havoc Nan O’Dea wreaked upon the Christie relationship was despicable, sympathy for O’Dea’s situation was not unreasonable either. De Gramont leaves room for this dichotomy of emotions as to what is fair given the historical circumstances. And there is the rub - to make sense of this story you now have to set aside Agatha Christie as a main character and see her as a mere foil in the telling of Nan O’Dea’s tragic history and what she perceived as her necessary insertion into the Christie’s relationship.
I wonder … if the final few pages had been incorporated into the first few pages …would the telling be truer and alert the reader to be prepared for a good story but not the story we thought we had been promised. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy.
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LibraryThing member carole888fort
There was hesitation on my part as to whether or not I wanted to read The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont. Like many, I was familiar with the reporting of Agatha Christie’s eleven day disappearance, which remains a mystery to this day. To say that I was surprised by this novel is an
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understatement. The author tells a fictional story surrounding the Christie mystery by using subjects such as the sexual mores of the early twentieth century, love affairs gone wrong, the First World War, unwed motherhood, murders, extra-marital affairs, and so much more. This is such a convoluted, mysterious blend of several characters’ lives that the reader is treated to an original and mesmerizing tale. It becomes difficult to remember that this is a work of fiction. Giving more details about this novel would give away information that readers will enjoy discovering for themselves. This is a book for those readers who like their mysteries with a slice of personal drama. Nina de Gramont has taken an actual event and written a fascinating book of fiction around it. I look forward to reading more by this author. Highly recommended. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Show Less
LibraryThing member fredreeca
Agatha Christie went missing for 11 days in December of 1926. Her disappearance led to one of the largest man hunts in history. Where was she? What happened? This is a novel of what might have occurred and why.
Archie, Agatha’s husband, has a mistress. Her name is Nan. She has a particular past
There is a lot of history in this book but I wanted more. I actually expected more. I do not know much about Agatha. This is just a “want” from this reader. I felt like the novel was missing something. Maybe more of a connection with Agatha. But, it still a good book not to be missed.
Need a unique take on a historical mystery…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Archie, Agatha’s husband, has a mistress. Her name is Nan. She has a particular past
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which she is trying to keep hidden. However, as usual, things tend to come to light. But, it does not stop her from working her way into the lives of the Christie’s. Why? Why is Nan so determined to be a part of their lives? You must read this to find out!There is a lot of history in this book but I wanted more. I actually expected more. I do not know much about Agatha. This is just a “want” from this reader. I felt like the novel was missing something. Maybe more of a connection with Agatha. But, it still a good book not to be missed.
Need a unique take on a historical mystery…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
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LibraryThing member mchwest
I read this book for our book group pick for April. I'm really tired of historical fiction, and not a real Agatha Christie fan, but the story line moved along at a great clip. The author threw in a couple twisty turns in the plot and although parts at the end are a bit out there it made for a great
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read! Show Less
LibraryThing member bearette24
I loved this book and stayed up late to finish it. I had heard about Agatha Christie's disappearance in 1926, when she stayed at an inn under her husband's mistress's name while the police force of England searched for her. This novel fills in the gaps about her disappearance, while giving the
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mistress a fully developed backstory as well. I would be curious to know how much of this version is true, but I didn't see an author's note at the end. Recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member lbswiener
The Christie Affair is an interesting book about the writer Agatha Christie who for one week had an adventure and disappeared. At least that is one of the stories in this book. It is a historical novel. It is a good story. The book received four stars in this review and is recommended.
LibraryThing member gpangel
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
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 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
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
Show More
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 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
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LibraryThing member bobbieharv
A very interesting plot device ruined by the terrible writing. I'm sorry, but you just can't begin a paragraph in omniscient third person and end it with the protagonist's voice. Had to skim the whole thing on an airplane because it was so irritating.
LibraryThing member ethel55
I thought this would be more about the famous Christie disappearance than the life of the mistress that helped cause it. So, while different than what I thought, not necessarily bad. Peripherally, the disappearance is covered, the book's heroine is really Nan O'Dea, mistress of Archie. The story
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goes into her past, some quite sad with several twists and turns. I was struck at how the author drew so many similarities between Agatha and Nan. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookworm12
I just kept waiting for this one to click and it never did. It’s not a bad story, and the ending is satisfying, but it’s not really about Agatha Christie. She is a peripheral character. Marge my expectations were too high, but I kept dreading picking this one up and just wanted to be done with
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it. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookbutterfly
This wasn't a bad book - just slow. I didn't find it exceptionally intriguing, but it kept me entertained enough while I worked (audio).
LibraryThing member wagner.sarah35
Not that long ago I read Marie Benedict's The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, and this novel, also focused on Agatha Christie's 1926 disappearance, makes for an interesting comparison. What this book offered was the perspective of Nan O'Dea, the mistress of Agatha's husband Archie. This perspective
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allows the book to challenge some conceptions of the events and to create a new story and interpretation of why Agatha Christie famously disappeared for a few days in 1926. Overall, an interesting book and highly recommended for Christie fans. Show Less
LibraryThing member AKBouterse
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this book for review.
3.5 Stars I think, though that might be partially due to the fact that I don't often read historical fiction.
I have actually never read an Agatha Christie book but I saw this on Netgalley and the description seemed very
Ultimately, the reason why this book was just "good" to me and not higher was that I just could not get into the emotion of the story or connect to the characters. I don't mind that they make decisions I wouldn't or anything like that. There was just something keeping me from fully buying into their story. At times, I had trouble suspending my belief with some of the ways the plot lines intersected. I did feel for the characters. Almost all of them, but Nan especially, go through really horrible things and I think the author does a good job portraying the circumstances of women at this time and how they are used and abused by many different institutions. These parts of the story were well done but most of the stuff about the actual disappearance just didn't grab me.
At the end of this, I was still sort of left wondering why the author chose the frame to tell this story. As I said, I would definitely read more from this author in the future. I appreciated a lot of aspects of this story but there were a few things that left me feeling like I couldn't give this a higher rating than 3.5.
3.5 Stars I think, though that might be partially due to the fact that I don't often read historical fiction.
I have actually never read an Agatha Christie book but I saw this on Netgalley and the description seemed very
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interesting. The setup for the plot is very interesting. I enjoyed reading about this author's take on the real-life people and seeing her creation of characters. I think this is very well written. It definitely has a writing style that takes on the sadder themes of the book and I appreciated that. I have never heard of this author before but I would read more from her.Ultimately, the reason why this book was just "good" to me and not higher was that I just could not get into the emotion of the story or connect to the characters. I don't mind that they make decisions I wouldn't or anything like that. There was just something keeping me from fully buying into their story. At times, I had trouble suspending my belief with some of the ways the plot lines intersected. I did feel for the characters. Almost all of them, but Nan especially, go through really horrible things and I think the author does a good job portraying the circumstances of women at this time and how they are used and abused by many different institutions. These parts of the story were well done but most of the stuff about the actual disappearance just didn't grab me.
At the end of this, I was still sort of left wondering why the author chose the frame to tell this story. As I said, I would definitely read more from this author in the future. I appreciated a lot of aspects of this story but there were a few things that left me feeling like I couldn't give this a higher rating than 3.5.
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LibraryThing member nancyadair
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
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.
I recieved a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.
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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.
I recieved a free egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.
Show Less
LibraryThing member AdonisGuilfoyle
I have only read one Agatha Christie novel - The Hollow - but was still drawn in by the hype for this reimagining of the author's 'disappearance' in 1926. However, the story isn't really about Christie but a fictionalisation of Nancy Neele, the 'other woman' who later married Colonel Christie. Nina
Renamed and reinvented, the second Mrs Christie becomes Nan O'Dea, the daughter of an impoverished Irish father and his English wife living in the East End of London (which sounds more romantic than an English middle class engineer and his wife from Hertfordshire, I guess). She feels a connection to Agatha, even while seducing her husband, but is desperate for the Colonel to leave his wife and marry her - although not for the obvious reason, she claims: "I had no patience for such girls, who preyed on husbands – or even available men – simply to better their own circumstances." When Agatha is told that her husband wants a divorce, she seemingly takes leave of her senses and goes AWOL, her car found abandoned nearby. A full scale manhunt is launched and the author's husband is suddenly beside himself with guilt, which would seem a strange time for Nan to also disappear - but she is the only one who knows where Agatha Christie is hiding, and why.
My main problem with the novel, apart from the usual 'Oirish' clichés and American fantasies, full of Claddagh rings and four leaf clovers, not to mention men named Finbarr - 'My sisters belonged to my mother and England, but Ireland was where I belonged. I had an ancestral memory of those green hills' - is the narration. Nan is narrator, but she is somehow able to tell everyone else's story as well as her own, even when she can have no idea of what people said and did when she wasn't there. De Gramont attempts to lampshade this lapse in logic by addressing the narrative quirk directly - 'You may well wonder if you can believe what I tell you about things that occurred when I myself was not present' - but the switch between the first person and another character's perspective in the same chapter is still jarring. Literary devices which interrupt the flow of the story can be too cute to carry off.
Also, Nan is not a pleasant character - if I was a descendant of the real Nancy Christie, I would be offended on her behalf. Please save us poor readers from obnoxious narrators and the authors who think we should like them anyway just because they are women! With her half Oirish roots and loving yet poor background, Nan resents Agatha Christie just for being a different class - 'For the sake of a woman like her a hundred more always suffered' - while simultaneously trying to usurp the author's husband and lifestyle. But not for money, obviously, which would taint her pure soul or something. The actual reason for Nan seducing the Colonel and dispatching Agatha to Harrogate is bonkers, to coin a phrase. The author is suitably ambiguous about the 'truth' but I would err on the side of believability and suggest that Nan's experience in Ireland clearly sent her over the edge.
I wasn't really moved by Nan's tale of woe, which is a problem when her backstory takes up most of the book, and would have preferred a better (or less romanticised) account of Agatha Christie's lost ten days instead. Nor did I get a sense of mixed trauma and prosperity of the 1920s - Charles Todd's Ian Rutledge mysteries are more evocative of the post-WW1 era. I learned a lot about Agatha Christie - mainly from Wikipedia - and want to read some of her books now, but otherwise I think I got what I paid for (99p on Kindle!)
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de Gramont turns the break up of a marriage and a brief breakdown, never explained by the famous author, into an altogether different scandal about Magdalene Laundries, or a variation thereof, in Ireland, and the fate of women who had babies out of wedlock in the early twentieth century.Renamed and reinvented, the second Mrs Christie becomes Nan O'Dea, the daughter of an impoverished Irish father and his English wife living in the East End of London (which sounds more romantic than an English middle class engineer and his wife from Hertfordshire, I guess). She feels a connection to Agatha, even while seducing her husband, but is desperate for the Colonel to leave his wife and marry her - although not for the obvious reason, she claims: "I had no patience for such girls, who preyed on husbands – or even available men – simply to better their own circumstances." When Agatha is told that her husband wants a divorce, she seemingly takes leave of her senses and goes AWOL, her car found abandoned nearby. A full scale manhunt is launched and the author's husband is suddenly beside himself with guilt, which would seem a strange time for Nan to also disappear - but she is the only one who knows where Agatha Christie is hiding, and why.
My main problem with the novel, apart from the usual 'Oirish' clichés and American fantasies, full of Claddagh rings and four leaf clovers, not to mention men named Finbarr - 'My sisters belonged to my mother and England, but Ireland was where I belonged. I had an ancestral memory of those green hills' - is the narration. Nan is narrator, but she is somehow able to tell everyone else's story as well as her own, even when she can have no idea of what people said and did when she wasn't there. De Gramont attempts to lampshade this lapse in logic by addressing the narrative quirk directly - 'You may well wonder if you can believe what I tell you about things that occurred when I myself was not present' - but the switch between the first person and another character's perspective in the same chapter is still jarring. Literary devices which interrupt the flow of the story can be too cute to carry off.
Also, Nan is not a pleasant character - if I was a descendant of the real Nancy Christie, I would be offended on her behalf. Please save us poor readers from obnoxious narrators and the authors who think we should like them anyway just because they are women! With her half Oirish roots and loving yet poor background, Nan resents Agatha Christie just for being a different class - 'For the sake of a woman like her a hundred more always suffered' - while simultaneously trying to usurp the author's husband and lifestyle. But not for money, obviously, which would taint her pure soul or something. The actual reason for Nan seducing the Colonel and dispatching Agatha to Harrogate is bonkers, to coin a phrase. The author is suitably ambiguous about the 'truth' but I would err on the side of believability and suggest that Nan's experience in Ireland clearly sent her over the edge.
I wasn't really moved by Nan's tale of woe, which is a problem when her backstory takes up most of the book, and would have preferred a better (or less romanticised) account of Agatha Christie's lost ten days instead. Nor did I get a sense of mixed trauma and prosperity of the 1920s - Charles Todd's Ian Rutledge mysteries are more evocative of the post-WW1 era. I learned a lot about Agatha Christie - mainly from Wikipedia - and want to read some of her books now, but otherwise I think I got what I paid for (99p on Kindle!)
Show Less
LibraryThing member Anniik
TW/CW: Adultery, sexual assault, sex, death, illness, suicide, murder, PTSD
RATING: 3/5
REVIEW: The Christie Affair is a fictionalized version of what happened during the period when Agatha Christie went missing. Narrated by her husband’s mistress, the book is far more about her than it actually is
I think my biggest problem with this book is that I couldn’t stand the narrator. Yes, yes, she goes through terrible things and we’re supposed to feel sorry for her, but having terrible things done to you doesn’t give you the right to do terrible things to others. It just doesn’t work that way. And it seems all that the narrator does, through the whole book, is hurt people and it doesn’t really matter if they’re good people or bad people.
The book is pretty well written, and it goes fast, but my dislike of the narrator just really made this book fall flat for me.
RATING: 3/5
REVIEW: The Christie Affair is a fictionalized version of what happened during the period when Agatha Christie went missing. Narrated by her husband’s mistress, the book is far more about her than it actually is
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about Christie.I think my biggest problem with this book is that I couldn’t stand the narrator. Yes, yes, she goes through terrible things and we’re supposed to feel sorry for her, but having terrible things done to you doesn’t give you the right to do terrible things to others. It just doesn’t work that way. And it seems all that the narrator does, through the whole book, is hurt people and it doesn’t really matter if they’re good people or bad people.
The book is pretty well written, and it goes fast, but my dislike of the narrator just really made this book fall flat for me.
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LibraryThing member cyderry
I was very disappointed with this book. I thought it would be more about Agatha Christie but it turned out to be centered around the fictional story of a mistress of Dame Agatha's husband.
Not what I was looking for. Repetitive and slow paced.
Not what I was looking for. Repetitive and slow paced.
LibraryThing member melaniehope
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
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.
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
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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.
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Awards
LibraryReads (Monthly Pick — February 2022)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2022-01-20
ISBN
2928377078904
Local notes
A reimagining of Agatha Christie's 11 day disappearance from the viewpoint of Nan O’Dea, her husband Archie’s mistress.
Waterstones exclusive edition with red checkered sprayed page edges.
Waterstones exclusive edition with red checkered sprayed page edges.