by Lorie Lewis Ham

Details at the end of the post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to order it from Amazon and an indie bookstore.

Agatha Christie’s greatest mystery was one she lived herself. She disappeared for two weeks in December of 1926, and to this day, no one knows what happened. In The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, Marie Benedict provides a unique twist in a fictional version of what happened.

When Agatha Christie, now the most famous mystery novelist ever, disappeared, her car was found at the edge of a pond, with the only clues left behind being tire tracks nearby and her fur coat left in the car. It was a cold night so the coat seemed especially odd. Could she have possibly killed herself? Her husband Archie, a World War I veteran, had not been home when she went missing and had no idea what might have happened. Her disappearance unleashed an unprecedented manhunt to find her. Even Arthur Conan Doyle got involved. When she is finally found, she claims to have amnesia and provides no explanation for her disappearance.

In The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, the story is told in dual timelines, alternating chapters. One follows her husband throughout her disappearance and is told in present tense. The other chapters start when Agatha and Archie first meet and follows their rocky relationship. These chapters are told in past tense and are labeled, “The Manuscript.” Both timelines come together in the end with a marvelous twist that would do Agatha Christie proud.

For an Agatha Christie fan this was a must read! The format Marie has used in telling this story was unique and kept me turning the pages, wondering how much of this was based on facts that Marie had researched, and how much was pure fiction. It also made me want to find out more for myself. I highly recommend this book to any Agatha Christie fan, and other mystery readers will enjoy it as well as it is a good mystery all on its own. But be warned, if you are new to Agatha Christie there are a few spoilers to some of her most famous books.

To enter to win a copy of The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “christie,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen February 13, 2021. U.S. residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. If you are entering via email please include you mailing address in case you win, it will be deleted after the contest. You can read our privacy statement here if you like. BE AWARE THAT IT WILL TAKE LONGER THAN USUAL FOR WINNERS TO GET THEIR BOOKS DUE TO THE CURRENT CRISIS.

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You can use this link to purchase this book from indie bookstore Mysterious Galaxy, and KRL gets a portion of the sale:

Mystery of Mrs. Christie

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Lorie Lewis Ham is our Editor-in-Chief and a contributor to various sections, coupling her journalism experience with her connection to the literary and entertainment worlds. Explore Lorie’s mystery writing at Mysteryrat’s Closet.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.