A review by chelsaat
The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont

emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Not to be confused with The Mystery of Mrs. Christie or that episode of Doctor Who, this trend of exploring what happened during Agatha Christie’s mysterious 10-day disappearance in 1926 nonetheless continues with Nina de Gramont’s The Christie Affair.

I really enjoyed the characters in this. Despite my initial skepticism of having this story told from the POV of Archie’s mistress (and I’m still skeptical of the moments where she’s telling us what certain characters are thinking and feeling), I did really come to sympathize with Nan. Her own tragic love story was quite sad, as is the general commentary on how unwed pregnant women were treated back then. I also enjoyed the murder mystery here, with all its little nods to Christie’s famous stories.

That said, this book messed with history a bit too much for me. I know you have to spin a yarn when writing historical fiction, but I don’t like when authors change the hard-set facts to fit their own narrative. Saying what major facts get changed here spoils the twist of the book, so I won’t reveal it, but I wasn’t a fan.

In my opinion, a successful historical fiction uses the facts as a starting point and then fills in the gaps. Otherwise, just create a whole new story that is “inspired by” true events. 
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