I struggled to read this book. The humiliation and minimizing of Agatha Christie through the years at the hand of her husband Archie was difficult to witness. She was so desperate to please him that she agreed, at his insistence, to prioritize his needs above those of her baby when she told him of her pregnancy. That's just one example of the emotional abuse he inflicted. Benedict offers an interesting answer to why and how Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days in 1926. But she did not convince me that her personality would take such a drastic turn.

A mystery about Agatha Christie, as I commented to a friend, seems very meta. But it is also very intriguing. I had heard about Christie's disappearance before, but I didn't remember many of the details. So, a mystery novel filling in the gaps seemed just the ticket.

Obviously, there is some fictionalization and no one knows exactly why Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days or what happened to her during that time, but Marie Benedict presents a very plausible possible explanation.

This is more about Christie's reclamation of herself than her disappearance, but it does read very much like a mystery. We see her become a shell of herself in her (what I would call) emotionally abusive marriage, all the while becoming a successful novelist.

This is a well-plotted novel that will keep you engaged. My only warning is that there are some spoilers for some of Agatha Christie's novels tucked in these pages. Obviously, this book would appeal to mystery readers, but I feel like the appeal could be much wider than that and would have no qualms recommending it to readers for whom mystery is not their preferred genre.

Amazing thriller of a book

Another accomplishment for Marie Benedict who has become the champion of many formidable women whose emotional lives have been crushed and sacrificed by misogynistic and selfish partners ( Hedy Lamarr, Mitza Einstein , Clementine Churchill). Mrs Christie used her brilliant mind to outdo her despicable husband as Mrs Benedict so revitingly reveals in this novel.

What a compelling story. I have watched several films about Agatha Christie's disappearance, but this book had the best concept by far. I can't wait to read the rest of Marie Benedict's books.

Interesting hypothesis as to why Christie disappeared as well as an engaging plot.

The lasting mystery of an 11 day disappearance has been much discussed by everyone except the author herself. Real-life mystery endures: nearly a century later, there’s a new take on the decidedly unheroic Archibald Christie. And it’s long overdue.

Costco Pennie's pick for January 2021. "Riveting" scenario for what might have happened.

This was an intriguing story based on the real-life, 11-day disappearance of mystery writer Agatha Christie. The two timelines - before and during the disappearance - were woven well. You could really feel how hurt Agatha was at her husband's infidelity. And at the same time you get the feeling of her utter, unprecedented genius.

Fascinating! I couldn't put it down! A whodunit without a murder, but with twists and a surprise reveal that kept me turning the pages.

Agatha Christie was one of the first mystery authors whose books I was hooked on reading as a kid (along with Nancy Drew), so of course I was intrigued by this novel based on a true incident in Agatha Christie's life. I've read her memoir Agatha Christie: An Autobiography, and like so many others was curious how she could omit any mention of the eleven days she went missing. Her disappearance prompted one of the largest manhunts of the time. She never referred to it and no one has ever discovered where she was or what was her motivation.

Author Marie Benedict focused on this episode for her novel and has done an amazing amount of research, recreating the time period and especially the emotions and behaviors of the main characters. In addition, the plot and timeline are meticulously constructed to blend fact and fiction. Her brilliant novel provides readers with a story as captivating as any mystery written by Christie herself, "the best-selling author of all time."