‘I wanted my novel to be purely speculative’

On the 11-day disappearance of English crime novelist Agatha Christie in 1926

1 Where did the idea for the novel come from?

I first learned about Agatha Christie’s disappearance in 2015, from an article by Matthew Thompson on The Lineup. The detail that most fascinated me was that she had registered under the last name of her husband’s mistress at the spa hotel where she was found after 11 days.

2 What research did you do ahead of writing about her disappearance?

There’s an excellent book by Jared Cade called Agatha Christie and the Eleven Missing Days. I read one-third of this but decided not to read his theory of what might have happened. I wanted my novel to be purely speculative and fictional, without anyone else’s ideas interfering.

3 Why did you choose to narrate the book from the point of view of Agatha Christie’s husband’s mistress?

It goes back to my first answer — the overlap of names. Archie Christie would go on to marry his mistress, so the two women would actually share a last name for the rest of their lives. It speaks to an unintended intimacy between rivals. The mistress herself felt like the best conduit through which to explore that.

4 As an American author, how difficult was it to create English characters and set the novel in 1926 England?

It was daunting! But great fun too. I have been to England, and in the course of writing the novel I used lots of maps. And I read lots of British novels from the time period.

5 Why do you write some books under a pseudonym, Marina Gessner?

I wrote one novel under this name. It was a story I was hired to write so I wanted to differentiate it from my other work. Marina actually is my given name; Nina is a nickname. And although I don’t use it, Gessner is my husband’s last name. So it feels like an accurate version of an alternate self.

6 Nan and Agatha are strong women who love the same man. What made you shape their bond the way you have?

I think they forge a bond in spite of, rather than because of, this connection — though it is in ways a catalyst for them ending up on an adventure together.

7 What do you think Agatha’s relationship with Archie was like?

I don’t think they were right for each other. I don’t think Archie wanted to be eclipsed by his wife. She went on to even greater things after the marriage ended, which suggests she was better off without him.

8 What is your favourite Agatha Christie book?

I think Murder on the Orient Express is her masterpiece.