Author: Nina De Gramont
Publisher: Mantle Books/ Pan McMillan
Publishing Date: 20th January 2022
Many thanks to the publishing team for my physical copy and a spot on the blog tour
Blurb
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 Thoughts
This book reached beyond my expectations and I loved it. A page turner with with lots of clues to come to a conclusion and reveal the motives behind the characters and their actions.
The story unfolds in two distinct timelines but both reflecting on the disappearance of Agatha. The narration is told my Nan O'Dea who is the mistress of Archie. But it was really interesting to read how moth the women's lives were almost parallel and the commonalities that they had. The story shifted from WWI Ireland and Britain and Harrogate.
It's hard to not give away any spoilers. The marriage or demise of the Christie's had 3 people in it, Agatha, Archie and Nana. The couple also have a 7 year old daughter together called Teddy. Nan's initial plan was to wait for the divorce of the famous author and her husband but they made any announcements yet Archie could not wait. Agatha discovers that Archie has made plans to end their marriage and leave her for Nan. So as the couple quarrel they part ways; Agatha takes her belongings and leaves but later her car is found abandoned, yet all her belongings remain in the car. Archie heads off to party and Nan had already anticipated the backlash and booked time away inYorkshire also as she needed time to grieve her mother.
As Agatha disappeared for 11 days, Nan is the only person knows what is happening to Agatha. However we begin to learn more about Nan too and her life and the dramatic changes that are happening to her and she becomes the focus of the story. I somewhat changed my opinion of Nan but it would have been interesting to have the viewpoints of Agatha and Archie too. Nonetheless the story intertwines with pregnancy, single parenthood and coming face to face with long held grudges.
Character development was really good and you have sympathy towards them.
I really liked how this book embodied a bit of a mystery, secrets, romance, history and fiction and it wasn't overwhelming.
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