The Christie Affair by Nina De Gramont

Synopsis
In 1926, Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days. Only I know the truth of her disappearance.
I’m no Hercule Poirot.
I’m her husband’s mistress.

Agatha Christie’s world is one of glamorous society parties, country house weekends, and growing literary fame.

Nan O’Dea’s world is something very different. Her attempts to escape a tough London upbringing during the Great War led to a life in Ireland marred by a hidden tragedy.

After fighting her way back to England, she’s set her sights on Agatha. Because Agatha Christie has something Nan wants. And it’s not just her husband.

Despite their differences, the two women will become the most unlikely of allies. And during the mysterious eleven days that Agatha goes missing, they will unravel a dark secret that only Nan holds the key to . . .

Review
Agatha Christie is one of the most famous crime authors ever, but in 1926 she was part of a real mystery, not one from her books. Agatha disappeared for eleven days, no one knows where she went and all she would say is that she didn’t remember anything about it; she was in a type of fugue state. This mystery was one that followed her throughout her life and in The Christie Affair Nina De Gramont reimagines this period of Agatha’s life with a fictious account of her whereabouts and the reasons behind it. Woven into to Agatha’s story is that of Nan O Dea, the mistress of Agatha’s husband, a woman with her own agenda and tragic story.

The Christie Affair is not narrated by Agatha, but by Nan. As the mistress of Agatha’s husband she is not a character I expected to like, but after learning more about her life I really warmed to her. As a narrator she is not wholly reliable; there are conversations and situations that she was not privy to. However she gives great detail and insight in to Agatha as a person and to her own life. Nan may have been brought up in London, but her heart was in Ireland where she spent her summers helping on her uncle’s farm where she met Finbarr the love of her life. It is there she has a sense of freedom until the start of World War I, that leaves marks on both their lives. What I admired most about Nan as a character was her strength and determination, mixed with her huge heart. It is strange that Nan and Agatha form an alliance, but Agatha sees her vunerability and they share a reason to be friends rather than enemies.

At this period Agatha wasn’t at the hight of her fame so it wasn’t too hard to simply disappear. Nina De Gramot portrays Agatha as a woman struggling with the idea that her husband wants a divorce to marry his mistress; this being the catalyst for her disappearance. However, as the plot progresses we see Agatha grow and realise that there is life after divorce, where she can grow and as we all know she became an amazing author.

Nina De Gramont’s reimagining of this period in Agatha Christie’s life is fantastic, and the addition of Nan’s story make this a compelling and emotional read. The historical context of 1926, eight years after war, gives insight into the effects of the war on those who served, both the physical and the mental; Finbarr has damaged lungs from mustard gas and
Inspector Frank Chilton, tasked with finding Agatha, has a damaged arm and has thought of suicide. Through Nan’s story, Nina brings the horror of the Irish Convents, where unmarried mothers were sent to give birth before their babies were adopted to those who had money. There is also a reference to the Magdalene Laundries for girls who were felt to be promiscuous, too pretty or seen as fallen and the horrors we now know they faced.

Nina De Gramont also brings in a murder to solve at the hotel where Inspector Frank Chilton, and Nan are staying, one that would make Agatha Christie proud. I did love that some of the guests at the hotel had names that appeared in some of Agatha’s books; it was a clever touch. The book is cleverly plotted by Nina De Gramont, with several different strands that only came together at the end of the book after taking many twists and turns along the way. She really brought the characters to life so that you become involved in their lives and really care what happens to them. There is definitely a sense of repentance in this book, from the girls in the convent, to Archie Christie and his affair with Nan, Nan’s relationship with Finbar and their child and with the soldiers from the war.

The Christie Affair is a stylish and compelling read that I became lost in. The materful storytelling combined with affable characters drew me into the book making me feel that I was involved with the character’s lives, feeling their very different emotions as the plot progressed. With it’s mix of the mystery over the disappearance of Agatha Christie, romance, and murder this is a book Agatha herself would be proud of. An intelligent and fascinating debut from Nina De Gramont, I look forward to her next novel.

I would like to thank Rosie Wilson from Mantle/Pan Macmillan for my copy of this book in return for my honest review.