Every mystery has a purpose.

The biggest enigma wasn't Agatha Christie's whereabouts during those eleven memorable days; rather, it was what she found.

London, 1925: Miss Nan O'Dea became Archie Christie's mistress, drawing him away from his loyal and well known wife, Agatha Christie, in a world of townhouses and tennis matches, socialites and shooting parties.

Why is the issue at hand? Why kill, why plan a scheme that has been years in the making, why destroy another woman's marriage? How was Nan O'Dea so closely associated with the eleven enigmatic days that Agatha Christie vanished?

A captivating story of star-crossed lovers, heartache, retaliation, and murder as well as a masterful reimagining of one of the most talked-about unsolved mysteries of the 20th century.

My Review

I was aware this book was historical fiction before starting it. As I read it, I became accustomed to the idea that it is much more fiction than historical, which I thought was okay. The unusual and scandalous set of circumstances that led to Agatha Christie going missing for 11 days in 1926 is the core of the mystery known as The Christie Affair. Through the perspective of Agatha Christie's husband's mistress, a story of secrets, revenge, and love that ends in a terrible murder is revealed.

Despite the book's multiple locations and timelines, I had no issue keeping up with them. There are a lot of levels, unexpected twists, and interesting characters as the tale unfolds. This book has a grand idea at its core. The destiny of Agatha Christie and the motivations for her departure are central to a compelling plot.

However, Nan is the main character of this book, along with her defense for stealing Archie from Agatha, who is depicted more as a supporting character. It is obvious from Nan's portrayal of her experiences that she has gone through a great deal of loss and sadness in the past. She believes she comprehends Christie's silent disappearance. It might not be in the best interests of those who want to read more about Agatha Christie.

The book is somewhat lackluster. Although it starts to feel excessively drawn out and lengthy, it still has some interesting chapters, a murder mystery, of course, and the dialogue is quite realistic for the time. The Christie Affair is a novel concept that has promise, yet I found myself wanting more.

However, it was still entertaining and engaging to read. If you're looking for an alternative viewpoint on what transpired in Harrogate over the course of those eleven days, this book might be for you.

My ratings score:

★★★★★ Fantastic! Made me go through a lot of emotions & the entire book is incredibly beautifully done! 

★★★★ Memorable! Despite its shortcomings, this book was incredible and taught us a lot. 

★★★ Good work! Nothing particularly remarkable, but still nice.

★★ Meh... Mediocre with great room for improvement.

★ Extremely Poor.