Fiction The Christie Affair

Nina de Gramont: Pan Macmillan, $33

The author creates this historical fiction by turning her mind to the mysterious 11-day disappearance of Agatha Christie in 1926. In a twist worthy of Christie herself, the narrator is her husband’s mistress, Nan O’dea. The glamorous and entitled world of Agatha and Archie Christie stands in stark contrast to Nan’s impoverished background and tragic history. I was hohum about another Irish Magdalene Laundries trope, but the storyline is justified by the explosive twists it sets up. Nan finds her way back to England and sets her sights on Agatha who has something Nan wants – and it’s not just her husband. The pair become unlikely allies during those 11 days and work together to unravel a dark mystery. MAUREEN SHERLOCK