Review: The Christie Affair

The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book.
This was a very interesting book. Fair warning: this is not a "thrilling mystery." I have read other books about the mysterious disappearance of Mrs. Christie, but I liked this one best. While it surprisingly focuses more on "the other woman" in the relationship between Agatha Christie and her estranged husband Archie, it nevertheless offers a fascinating insight into what might have happened during those days that Agatha just "forgot."
At first I was surprised that the whole story was "told" by Nan, Archie's mistress. But as the story unfolded it was a bit fascinating to see how Nan shared her "perspective" on the events leading up to Agatha's disappearance, as well as what exactly happened while Agatha was missing. I was also completely drawn into the book as Nan revealed how she ended up on the verge of marriage with Archie and why she felt the need to marry him.
In the beginning the book felt like it would be a mystery about Agatha's disappearance. Then, about 1/3 of the way through, the book became more about Nan and her history. The "mystery" aspect of the book fell by the wayside a bit, but the threads of Nan's story kept me very interested in the book. Then, after finishing 2/3 of the book, everything fell completely in place, and I said, "Ahhhh! Wow." The mystery part of the book picked back up a little, and all of the threads came together to really weave a compelling tale. The twists and turns which had in the beginning of the story seemed random or off-hand were actually terribly important.
If you are looking for a thrilling take on what happened to Agatha Christie when she disappeared, or a suspense-filled mystery, this probably isn't the book for you. But if you enjoy Mrs. Christie's books, like a slow-burning mystery, and want to read more about what could have happened in her life, I would recommend this book. I did enjoy it.

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