The Christie Affair, written by Nina de Gramont and published by Pan Macmillan South Africa in January this year, is an enchanting fictional tale of one of the most talked-about unsolved mysteries of the 20th century. Though based on real historical characters, it is necessary, at the outset, to emphasise that this is an imagined account of what happened in 1926, when renowned murder mystery writer Agatha Christie disappeared without trace for 11 days.
Christie really did vanish for 11 days, which sparked a country-wide police search at the time, but the circumstances of the disappearance were never revealed. The famous author also never said a word about it, neither at the time, nor later in her autobiography; she simply claimed that she didn’t remember…
All of which is fertile ground for an imaginative writer such as de Gramont, who had no scruples in taking significant liberties and concocting a wild narrative of her own. The result is The Christie Affair, a tale of mystery, lovers’ intrigue, suspense, dark secrets and murder.
The narrator is Nancy Neele, referred to in the novel as Ms Nan O’Dea, mistress of Agatha Christie’s husband Archie, whom he eventually runs off with in 1926. The affair begins in 1925, when Nan O’Dea infiltrates the wealthy world of the Christies. It is also around this time when Christie’s literary career kicks off and she starts garnering fame. O’Dea penetrates this social circle, where lawn tennis, glamorous soirees and hunting parties are the norm, and proceeds to seduce Archie.
What readers should keep in mind is that this is not Agatha Christie’s story, but that of Nan. A tale that begins much earlier, when a young Nan escapes her tough London upbringing and flees to Ireland. Here, she falls in love with a young Irishman, but their plans to marry are derailed by the outbreak of the First World War, a pandemic, and several shameful secrets. Nan then finds herself alone in Ireland where she is exposed to unspeakable cruelty that leaves her with indelible scars.
I’ll admit she is not the most likeable protagonist, but given her past, one still tends to sympathise and side with her, and forgive her poor behaviour, various crimes and vengeful nature. Nan’s ordeal is a profoundly moving example of how grief and lost love can bend and sculpt and corrupt one’s life.
Naturally, The Christie Affair might provoke the ire of some die-hard Christie fans the world over. It would not be the first time that a writer’s fabrications about famous historical characters cause controversy and it certainly won’t be the last.
Salman Rushdie was banned in multiple countries and had attempts on his life for his audacious fictitious reimagining of the Prophet Mohammad and the Quran in The Satanic Verses. To a lesser extent, Dan Brown’s inexplicably popular The Da Vinci Code sparked outrage among Christians for daring to fictionalise aspects of Jesus’s life. Hillary Mantel dreamed up large portions of Oliver Cromwell’s life, which had historians up in arms. Surely authors are permitted some artistic license? Why are we as readers so triggered when historical characters, particularly well-loved ones such as Agatha Christie, are weaved into fiction?
Regardless of any controversy it might stir up, I thoroughly enjoyed the read. It is a delightful tale by a talented author, with excellent prose and an Agatha Christy-worthy maze of twists and turns. De Gramont picked her characters carefully and deliberately, and the character development is thoughtful and authentic. Give it a whirl, you won’t be disappointed.
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