The Mystery of Mrs. Christie - Marie Benedict

We stopped in the library one day and as I always do, I was looking at the new books. The Mystery of Mrs. Christie popped out at me and of course I brought it home.

I have never read an Agatha Christie book and knew nothing about her life. So I started the book without any back story. I quickly learned that near the beginning of her career, she disappeared for eleven days without a trace. Years later, the disappearance is still a mystery with many theories on what happened.

This historical fiction makes the assumption that Agatha planned everything. The story is told in both Agatha and her husband Archie's perspectives as it flips from their past during the war to the present disappearance.

In Agatha's sections we learn about her close relationship with her mother and their financial struggles. During the beginning of the war Agatha is at a dance and meets Archie. She feels an instant connection to him and they begin a courtship. Her mother doesn't like Archie and his parents feel the same about Agatha. But the couple is determined to get married. Unfortunately, after the war Archie's real personality becomes clear and despite Agatha's attempts to make him happy, he becomes more distant, eventually having an affair and asking for a divorce.

In Archie's section we learn about the letters Agatha left prior to her disappearance and watch as the police start the search and slowly turn their suspicions to him. The letter from Agatha was very detailed and explained what he was and was not allowed to do while she was gone. He followed it nearly to the letter while he tried to keep his frustrations to himself and shelter his daughter.

By the end of the book we finally see Agatha's plan work out almost exactly as she planned and the media attention may have helped her career more too.

The book was a good read, though I didn't love it. It did however make me want to read some of Agatha Christie's books. Stay tuned for a review of one of those in the future!