The Christie Affair

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Pub Date 20 Jan 2022 | Archive Date 20 Jan 2022

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Description

A Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick and an instant New York Times bestseller.

Nina de Gramont's The Christie Affair is a stunning novel which reimagines the unexplained eleven-day disappearance of Agatha Christie in 1926 that captivated the world.

'A novel that literally out-Christies Agatha.' - Janice Hallett, author of The Appeal

'Scintillating' - Daily Mail

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 . . .

Romance, enigma and wit in bucketloads’ - Elizabeth Macneal, author of The Doll Factory
‘A genuine marvel’ - Kristin Hannah, author of Firefly Lane
‘Ingenious’ - AJ Pearce, author of Dear Mrs Bird

A Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick and an instant New York Times bestseller.

Nina de Gramont's The Christie Affair is a stunning novel which reimagines the unexplained eleven-day disappearance of...


A Note From the Publisher

Follow Nina de Gramont on Twitter @NinadeGramont.

Follow Nina de Gramont on Twitter @NinadeGramont.


Advance Praise

'The Christie Affair is a genuine marvel. An astonishingly clever novel that manages to be both a deeply satisfying mystery and a profoundly moving story about lost love and the many ways in which grief can shape one’s character. Full of unexpected twists and written in beautiful prose . . . Nina de Gramont takes this thread of a story and weaves it into a rich and vibrant tapestry'

- Kristin Hannah, bestselling author of Firefly Lane and The Four Winds

'The Christie Affair is a pitch-perfect hat-trick of a novel, delivering a fascinating glimpse into history, with the sensational and unexplained disappearance of Agatha Christie, a layered and completely satisfying murder mystery, and a moving, emotional rendering of love, loss, revenge and redemption – all with effortlessly stunning prose. I loved every page, and will be recommending this to everyone I know!'

- Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife and When the Stars Go Dark

'A delight: intriguing, fast-paced, and elegantly written. Nina de Gramont takes you on an adventure through the English countryside with as many twists and turns as, well, an Agatha Christie novel. The unlikely alliances, complex motivations and jaw-dropping surprises will keep you riveted until the very last page'

- Christina Baker Kline, author of Orphan Train and The Exiles

'Nina de Gramont’s skillful storytelling is exceeded only by her tenderness for her characters, and I was swept up, turning the pages and savoring them, too. This is a cracking good read'

- Therese Fowler, author of A Good Neighborhood

'Immersive, reflexive and propulsive, The Christie Affair is an extremely impressive literary debut which reveals its hidden themes and secrets through a narrative dance brilliantly done. This tale of two very different women who want the very same things in life forges surprising bonds both with its characters and the reader, deliciously subverting our notions of what makes a heroine, mother, writer and wife'

- Natalie Jenner, author of The Jane Austen Society 

Nina de Gramont’s novel shines on so many levels, it’s hard to keep count: as an ode to Agatha Christie’s legacy, as a dashing love story, and as a tribute to complicated, determined women. Magnificent'

- Fiona Davis, author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue 

'I read [The Christie Affair] in a single sitting . . . The story combines dark pasts, dangerous liaisons and unforeseen twists into a masterful work reminiscent of one of Christie’s enigmatic works. The Christie Affair is both enthralling and beguiling, and will keep readers guessing until the very last page'

- Pam Jenoff, author of The Lost Girls of Paris

'The Christie Affair is a genuine marvel. An astonishingly clever novel that manages to be both a deeply satisfying mystery and a profoundly moving story about lost love and the many ways in which...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781529054170
PRICE £16.99 (GBP)
PAGES 368

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Average rating from 341 members


Featured Reviews

I've spent the weekend reading this wonderful story of murder, mystery, revenge, love and loss. I really enjoyed it from beginning to end. The disappearance of Agatha Christie is a mystery on it's own but add in a mistress named Nan O'dea and the story rockets to a whole new level. Agatha and Nan are two very different women who want the same man being Agatha's husband Archie. It's emotionally moving and some parts are very sad, especially what Nan and her friends went through at the Convent. It's full of secrets, lost loves, murder and redemption. When all the secrets are revealed at the end and the story reaches it conclusion I could finally take a breath and savour the amazing ending. I loved getting to know all the characters and the mystery surrounding Agatha and where she went was told beautifully. .To be honest I did not want it to end, I could of carried on reading because the plot and characters were phenomenal. This will be a bestseller without a shadow of a doubt.

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What better mystery to investigate than the disappearance of the Queen of Crime herself, Agatha Christie? The Christie Affair is one of the most charming and absorbing books I’ve read this year, I heartily recommend it! The year is 1926, when in real life, Agatha Christie really did go missing for 11 days, and to this day, no one knows why. De Gramont uses this as the inspiration for her own novel, a kind of ‘historical imagination’, as she puts it, to great effect. Initially we find ourselves reading from the point of view of Agatha’s husband’s mistress, Nan; the way in which Nan is closely embroiled herself in Agatha’s disappearance took many surprising twists and turns and I found Nan’s backstory to be really interesting. It’s a heart of the novel which I won’t spoil here but it goes much deeper than a simple mystery. This isn’t really a detective novel, although it has elements of one - however there is also a double murder to solve at the same time as Agatha’s disappearance, which isn’t even the main part of the story but cleverly inserts parallels with Christie novels. I don’t even really know how else to explain it except to say that I still feel giddy by how good it was :D

My thanks to #NetGalley and Pan Macmillan/Mantle for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

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