#BookReview: The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont @NinadeGramont @MantleBooks @midaspr @amberachoudhary #TheChristieAffair #AgathaChristie #booktwitter

Release date - 20th January 2022
Book length - 368 pages
Publisher - Mantle Books
BUY LINKS:
Worldwide - www.bookdepository.com
UK - www.amazon.co.uk
US - www.amazon.com
Independent - www.kennys.ie

I want to thank Amber from www.midaspr.co.uk for providing me with a copy of this book for review and for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour.


ABOUT THIS BOOK

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 . . .



MY REVIEW

During the pandemic, I rediscovered my love of all things Agatha Christie so when THE CHRISTIE AFFAIR by Nina de Gramont arrived in my letterbox, I couldn't wait to sit down and start reading. The only problem I encountered was that I didn't want to put the book down!!!

In 1926, after a shocking conversation with her husband where he demands a divorce because he wants to marry his mistress, Agatha Christie drives away from her home and disappears without a trace for eleven days. As police begin to search and Agatha's husband becomes concerned, it is the unlikely combination of a war-injured policeman and Nan O'Dea, the mistress, who will begin to unravel this mystery. Where did she disappear to and why? And as some questions get answered, new, darker mysteries will surface and unlikely alliances will form so that the truth can be uncovered. 

THE CHRISTIE AFFAIR by Nina de Gramont is superb in every way. The story is told from Nan's point of view and although it is not always reliable, I felt very connected to and cared for this character, which is unusual considering her role in Agatha's life. Nan suffered greatly in her young life and when her heart was bruised and broken in Ireland and again at times in England, we get to see and feel the harshness of that time - from the after effects of the war on soldiers and their families, to the despicable cruelty of the mother and baby homes in Ireland. But through it all, Nan remains strong and determined and you cannot help but admire her courage and spirit. 
Agatha is only beginning to become famous and cannot fathom her husband leaving her after dedicating her life to him. But watching her and Nan begin to connect on a different level was inspiring, and Agatha show herself to be another strong and capable woman who is undervalued in many ways.
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 While this isn't exactly an Agatha Christie novel, the mysteries, secrets, and betrayals involved all live up to what one would expect from Agatha herself, and I cannot wait to see this story transform onto our screens someday soon. 

An excellent story in every way!


AUTHOR INFO

Nina de Gramont lives with her husband and daughter in coastal North Carolina, where she teaches Creative Writing at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Her interest in writing about Agatha Christie began in 2015 when she first learned about the famous author's eleven-day disappearance. Christie's refusal to ever speak about this episode particularly intrigued Nina, who loves the fact that someone who unravelled mysteries for a living managed to keep her own intact. The Christie Affair is her fourth novel.

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Website - ninadegramont.com
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