The Christie Affair

This book is part historical fiction, part murder mystery and I really enjoyed it – much more than I thought I would, if I am being honest. In case you weren’t familiar with the backstory, Agatha Christie disappeared for twelve days back in 1925 (just after her husband had requested a divorce). Upon being found in a hotel, she simply stated that she didn’t remember what happened. This is an imaginative (fictional!) look at what could have happened during those twelve days. It is clever and smart and told (interestingly enough) from the perspective of her husband Archie’s mistress: Nan O’Dea.  The clincher is that Nan does not seem to love Archie. So why destroy his marriage? I absolutely loved this. Alternating back and forth between Nan’s (incredibly dark, heartbreaking) past and the time of the disappearance, we come to understand why Nan did what she did. And, how she was connected to Agatha’s disappearance. It’s such an interesting and clever take on a real-life event, I wanted it to be real! It was also a reminder that I need to read more historical fiction… I always enjoy it once I’m reading, but tend to pick up thrillers or contemporary fiction instead. I will add that it starts a little slowly but it builds. Pay attention to all the tiny details, they will be important later on. Order on Bookshop.org or Amazon!