The Mystery of Mrs. Christie

I appreciate and applaud how author Marie Benedict uses her novels to bring the stories of perhaps lesser-known women of history to her readers. From Clementine Churchill and Hedy Lamarr to Mileva Marić Einstein, Benedict helps highlight their stories and contributions to history, which were often relegated to the background of history books. I have only read one of her earlier books (The Other Einstein) so I thought to give her another try. In her latest book, The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, Benedict takes on a more well-known woman - the popular mystery novelist, Agatha Christie.

When I heard Marie Benedict speak at the Ontario Library Association Conference in January 2021, I immediately put a hold on this title because I was intrigued by a fact about Agatha Christie that I knew nothing about. That in 1926, she disappeared for 11 days. Poof. Gone. No one could find her and then she suddenly shows up and never speaks of where she was. Intriguing indeed.

This book clearly had a fabulous premise, and it was a quick read with very short chapters. The story is told in two eras - one during the investigation of Agatha's disappearance through the POV of Agatha's obnoxious husband Archie. What a totally irritating doofus. The other part of the story focuses on Agatha and Archie's early relationship and marriage.

I'm sad to say that this book fell flat for me. While I liked seeing how Agatha Christie came up with a few of her plot devices and I appreciated Benedict's own conjecture about what happened to Christie (since she always remained mum about her whereabouts), the plot was simplistic, repetitive and could have been whittled down substantially because not a lot happens. And I was more than a little miffed when a big twist from one of Christie's books (The Murder of Roger Ackroyd) was unnecessarily divulged to the reader. Yes, the book has been in print forever, but it's still not cool.

Overall, this was a quick read but underwhelming read for me. While I love her subject matter and female focus of her books, I find I finish Benedict's books hoping for more tension and depth.

My Rating: 3 stars

Author: Marie Benedict

Genre: Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery

Type and Source: Hardcover from public library

Pages: 272

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark

First Published: December 29, 2020

Opening Line: The letter flutters on the desk, almost keeping 

time with the footsteps thundering across the floor.

Book Description from GoodReads: Marie Benedict, the beloved New York Times bestselling author of The Only Woman in the Room, uncovers the untold story of Agatha Christie’s mysterious eleven day disappearance.

In December 1926, Agatha Christie goes missing. Investigators find her empty car on the edge of a deep, gloomy pond, the only clues some tire tracks nearby and a fur coat left in the car—strange for a frigid night. Her husband and daughter have no knowledge of her whereabouts, and England unleashes an unprecedented manhunt to find the up-and-coming mystery author. Eleven days later, she reappears, just as mysteriously as she disappeared, claiming amnesia and providing no explanations for her time away.

The puzzle of those missing eleven days has persisted. With her trademark exploration into the shadows of history, acclaimed author Marie Benedict brings us into the world of Agatha Christie, imagining why such a brilliant woman would find herself at the center of such a murky story.

What is real, and what is mystery? What role did her unfaithful husband play, and what was he not telling investigators?

A master storyteller whose clever mind may never be matched, Agatha Christie’s untold history offers perhaps her greatest mystery of all.