Most of my free reading in January this year was decidedly light and uncomplicated, with a focus away from the disappointing political happenings that occurred at the beginning of the month.
Even if it felt as though 2021 was not off to a positive start, thank goodness for the reading life! I had several new titles on hold through the Libby digital library app and I was looking forward to reading them one at a time, a delicious escape from too much negative news in the previous few weeks.
One of the new books I requested was The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict. It sparked a lot of interest when I first read the book blurb, and I couldn’t wait to read it!
I have had a fascination with Agatha Christie in the past two years, especially after watching documentaries about her life. There was such writing genius in the way her clever mind worked: devising fascinating characters, suspenseful plots, twisted endings, and of course, a lot of murder. I don’t believe there is any writer who doesn’t have some sort of reverence for Agatha Christie.
It was because of the documentaries that I had a desire to read this book. I was certainly interested to see how the author would plot out Christie’s famous disappearance for 11 days in December 1926.
No spoilers here, but I can tell you that for me, this book was . . . satisfying. There was no disappointment in the author’s portrayal of what led up to and the reason for Christie’s disappearance. It was just as I would have wanted it to play out — with Christie’s brilliant mind, she would have had a specifically created reason for her disappearance. She, of course, would have planned it as one of her books: setting up a compelling plot, placing clues, and providing a surprise ending no one would know but her.
Using the details that are already known about Agatha and her first marriage to Archie, her daughter’s birth, her growing up, and later her divorce, this book puts together a believable way in which the story would have unfolded.
If you would like more background on Agatha Christie, I can recommend these well-done documentaries available on PBS and Amazon Prime (some are free as of this writing):
Disclosure: As an Amazon Affiliate, there may be links in this post, which if you click through and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission that helps support this blog. You are in no way obligated to use these links. Other links are provided for the reader’s convenience.
4 responses to “Book Review: “The Mystery of Mrs. Christie” by Marie Benedict”
Oh, yes, I know that story! I think it's one of her creepiest!!
Overdrive is available from your local library. They will help you with a login to Overdrive (also called Libby). It's been a lifesaver during the pandemic! A whole, free library at your finger tips . . . . or Kindle. 🙂
Angie, I share your love of and fascination with Agatha Christie. I just saw another documentary on her and the environments that she lived in, which became the environments of her stories. I don't have a favorite among her books. But the one that haunts me the most is “And Then There Was One”. Don't read it if you're sensitive! 🙂 Now, what is a hope*writer? Thanks for a fun piece.
I will look at the website you had this book on hold at as a resource for us to use in Homeschool. As well as the book for my son and I to read in his reading class.