The Mystery of Mrs. Christie: A Novel by Marie Benedict

 

 The Mystery of Mrs. Christie: A Novel by Marie Benedict. Sourcebooks Landmark, 2021. Adult historical fiction and mystery.

In December, 1926, Agatha Christie disappeared for eleven days. That is true. But, the world's most famous mystery writer never spoke or wrote about that time. Marie Benedict has come up with her own theory about what happened to Mrs. Christie and it is quite plausible. The novel is divided between  "manuscript" chapters that tell about Agatha's life and chapters that tell of Day 1 After the Disappearance, etc. up to the time she is found safe at a spa hotel in the country. The writing is smooth. The appeal of the story is obvious. A very short author's note and conversation with the author in the back share some resources, but there is no comprehensive bibliography as this is a fiction book after all. Readers may be inspired to do some additional research on newspaper articles and photos of the time. The cover is appealing, but the pages in both front and back of the book that advertise Benedict's other novels do little to advance the reader's enjoyment.