The Mystery of Mrs. Christie: A Riddle Made For Book Clubs To Solve

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

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Published Oct 5, 2021

336 pages

Average rating: 7.23

193 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

K Olson
Jan 14, 2025
8/10 stars
So Agatha Christie disappeared for 11 days and there was no conclusive explanation. Several theories have emerged over time including that she struck her head and had amnesia. This is a cleverly written novel. Marie Benedict weaves all the facts of the case and gives her own take on what really happened. Highly recommend.
Denise Lauron
May 19, 2024
10/10 stars
I loved this book! I knew that Mrs. Christie had disappeared for 11 days in 1926, and that we still don't know what happened at that time. I knew it was speculative fiction, but I wasn't expecting it to read so realistically.

Another thing I loved... and I am repeating LOVED... is that there were discussion questions at the end, which makes this perfect for a book club discussion.

Wonderful work, Ms. Benedict! I've enjoyed your other books, and I look forward to reading more of them in the future.
Ann Bredemeier
Oct 18, 2025
8/10 stars
This was interesting to read. I didn't know that she had disappeared in real life so this was new to me. It revealed how truly fascinating her mind worked.
stackedlibrarian
Dec 11, 2024
8/10 stars
3.5
AlexMathisen
Jan 08, 2024
8/10 stars
A great book about something that none of us knew much about.

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