The Mystery of Mrs. Christie - by Marie Benedict (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER!

A stunning story... The ending is ingenious, and it's possible that Benedict has brought to life the most plausible explanation for why Christie disappeared for 11 days in 1926.--The Washington Post

The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Only Woman in the Room returns with a thrilling reconstruction of one of the most notorious events in literary history: Agatha Christie's mysterious 11-day disappearance in 1926.

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 World War I veteran husband and her 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 historical fiction exploration into the shadows of the past, 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 murky historical mysteries.

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

Agatha Christie novels have withstood the test of time, due in no small part to Christie's masterful storytelling and clever mind that may never be matched, but Agatha Christie's untold history offers perhaps her greatest mystery of all.

Fans of The Secrets We Kept, The Lions of Fifth Avenue, and The Alice Network will enjoy this riveting saga of literary history, suspense, and love gone wrong.

Other Bestselling Historical Fiction from Marie Benedict:
Lady Clementine
The Only Woman in the Room
Carnegie's Maid
The Other Einstein

Review Quotes

[A] clever reconstruction of Agatha Christie's mysterious 11-day disappearance in 1926. - E! News

[A] gripping historical fiction tale of true mystery. - Good Morning America

[Marie Benedict] keeps the reader guessing: Which narrator is reliable? Who is the real villain? A compelling portrait of a marriage gone desperately sour. - Kirkus Reviews

Benedict shines as a suspense writer. - Christian Science Monitor

Brilliantly constructed and richly detailed, THE MYSTERY OF MRS. CHRISTIE is both a twisty mystery and immersive portrait of the domestic and professional life of the legendary Agatha Christie. This is a must-read for fans of Agatha Christie. - Chanel Cleeton, New York Times & USA Today bestselling Author of The Last Train to Key West and Next Year in Havana

Girl power advocates will find satisfaction in the solution she crafts to her man problem. - Booklist

If you're an ardent Agatha Christie fan, don't miss The Mystery of Mrs. Christie. - HuffPost

It's an empowering and wonderful tribute... The Mystery of Mrs. Christie reads like a modern domestic thriller in the vein of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train. It's also a nod to classic whodunits that channels Christie's talent for writing unsolvable mysteries packed with puzzles, red herrings and, most especially, unreliable narrators. Until the closing chapters, Benedict forces us to ask who is more credible: Agatha or Archie? - The Washington Post

It's not a whodunit or even a whydunit, but a sort of how-the-hell-did-he-do-it? As Christie's first and best-known detective, Hercule Poirot, might say: Patience. All will be revealed. - The Los Angeles Times

Mystery lovers, especially fans of Christie's works, as well as those who enjoy period pieces, will find this an engrossing fictional answer to a real historical mystery. - Library Journal

The clever premise here is that Christie vanished deliberately so as to ensnare Archie in a trap as payback for his infidelities... the story makes for good fun. - Publishers Weekly

With elements of a classic mystery novel, The Mystery of Mrs. Christie is gripping, making it possible to believe that, with her real-life disappearance, Agatha Christie surpassed herself and pulled off the perfect, unsolvable mystery. - Foreword Reviews

With twists, surprises, and an ending that packs a punch in more ways than one, THE MYSTERY OF MRS. CHRISTIE is a whodunit infinitely worthy of its famous heroine. Benedict's exploration of Agatha Christie's life and mysterious disappearance will have book club discussions running overtime. Quite simply, I loved it! - Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours and The Book of Lost Friends