Author: Nina de Gramont
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: February 1, 2022
Book Description: Why would the world’s most famous mystery writer disappear for eleven days? What makes a woman desperate enough to destroy another woman’s marriage? How deeply can a person crave revenge?
In 1925, Miss Nan O’Dea infiltrated the wealthy, rarefied world of author Agatha Christie and her husband, Archie. In every way, she became a part of their life––first, both Christies. Then, just Archie. Soon, Nan became Archie’s mistress, luring him away from his devoted wife, desperate to marry him. Nan’s plot didn’t begin the day she met Archie and Agatha.
It began decades before, in Ireland, when Nan was a young girl. She and the man she loved were a star-crossed couple who were destined to be together––until the Great War, a pandemic, and shameful secrets tore them apart. Then acts of unspeakable cruelty kept them separated.
What drives someone to murder? What will someone do in the name of love? What kind of crime can someone never forgive? Nina de Gramont’s brilliant, unforgettable novel explores these questions and more.
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Review: It appears the story of the short disappearance of Agatha Christie has been the hot topic in the last couple of years, with fiction and non-fiction books being written. This is another tale, but told from the point of view of Archie Christie’s mistress, Nan, which was intriguing to me.
From the start this book it was a little uneven to me on how it flips through different years, though it is was clearly laid out from the author in what time and place we were. Nan is a clever woman who clearly wants to marry Archie Christie, but has an ulterior motive, that is revealed through this story.
At times it was extremely slow and then the author would change directions quickly and it felt more like we reading a mystery and it could be quite gripping. I found myself at times looking up the biographies of both Agatha and Archie Christie and found this a completely fictional story. Somehow when I read these types of stories I want a little truth to the tale. The events did take place we know that, but the premise is 100% fiction.
I did give this a better than average rating, because I was into the story itself, but this might have been better to actually take the Christie name out of it. The story alone without the name can completely stand on it’s own. Please note the author does say that it is completely fiction in her Author’s note, but still I was searching for some truth. Still, it is a fun read, which I know many people will love.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Obsessed Bookaholic 