Book Review
The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict
It’s December 1926 and Agatha Christie has disappeared. For eleven days, England unleashes an unprecedented manhunt. And then, just as mysteriously as she disappeared, she reappears — claiming amnesia.
Was it an elaborate stunt to promote her newest book? A hoax? A “fugue” state? Or something more? While we may never know the truth of those missing eleven days, Marie Benedict explores one of the many possibilities in this carefully crafted work of historical fiction.
A master storyteller whose clever mind may never be matched, Agatha Christie’s untold history offers perhaps her greatest mystery of all.
This post contains affiliate links; as an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks to the publisher, Sourcebooks, for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Reader’s Thoughts
If you’ve been hanging around The 52 Book Club for a while, you’ll know that I am obsessed with all things Agatha Christie related. As soon as I heard about Marie Benedict’s new novel featuring the prolific author, I knew that this book was going to be right up my alley.
Benedict writes in a way that is easy to dive into. The story flows smoothly, transitioning back and forth between Agatha’s perspective throughout her years of marriage, and her husband’s perspective over the 11 days she was missing. The Mystery of Mrs. Christie touches not only upon their relationship but also on how Agatha created her own path in life as a woman and author.
There are so many challenges in writing a novel about a well-known historical figure. And yet, Benedict tackled them with ease. I loved the little tidbits of true-to-life facts and felt that Benedict’s version of what could have happened was entirely plausible.
Some of the interactions in the scenes between Archibald Christie and the main police detective even had a very Christie-like essence to the dialogue. It felt natural and was the sort of book that you don’t want to rush. You simply want to sit and immerse yourself in the story, letting it slowly reveal itself page by page.
(And we can’t forget to mention how gorgeous that cover is too!)
In my mind, this is another success by Marie Benedict. I will be housing this book next to my collection of Christies. For long-time long Agatha fans or for those just looking for a good historical fiction read, I highly recommend this one!
