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meezan's review against another edition
emotional
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, by Marie Benedict, is a work of fiction, but it is based on the real-life 11-day disappearance of Agatha Christie. The chapters alternate between two time periods. The first time period begins when Agatha first meets Archibold Christie, the man she later married. The second time period begins on the first day of Agatha's disappearance. The two time periods eventually come together. Part one is the bulk of the book, with part two providing a possible explanation for her disappearance.
I had never heard of Agatha Christie's mysterious disappearance until I heard people talking about this book. It sounded interesting, so I decided to read it. It took me a few chapters to really get into it, but once I did, I was fully invested and curious to know how it would all unfold. I enjoyed the format with the two alternating time periods eventually coming together. The explanation in part 2 was intriguing and it made sense as one possible explanation for her disappearance.
If you are planning to read this book, I highly recommend you read The Murder of Roger Ackroyd first. The reason for this is that in chapter 31 of The Mystery of Mrs. Christie there is a major spoiler for The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. This simply wasn't necessary. The book would have been fine without this spoiler. I have not read The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, but I've seen a movie adaptation and I was thankfully already familiar with the spoiler.
Overall, though, this is an enjoyable read. Knowing how it ended, I can easily see myself re-reading it with a different perspective. I don't often re-read books, so the fact that The Mystery of Mrs. Christie is worthy of a second read is saying something. I will also be checking out some other books written by Marie Benedict because I really enjoyed her writing style in this one.
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
silver_valkyrie_reads's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
It's a rough read, watching a relationship slowly fall apart. It's also a fascinating theory about Agatha Christie's disappearance, and that part was quite enjoyable.
I was a bit annoyed by the implication that advice to Agatha to put her husband first and let her life revolve around him contributed to the problem. If her husband hadn't been a jerk, and had reciprocated by putting her first in his life, they could have had a perfectly lovely life following this advice. (Well, assuming they'd figured out how to be good parents AND good spouses at the same time, at least.)
I was a bit annoyed by the implication that advice to Agatha to put her husband first and let her life revolve around him contributed to the problem. If her husband hadn't been a jerk, and had reciprocated by putting her first in his life, they could have had a perfectly lovely life following this advice. (Well, assuming they'd figured out how to be good parents AND good spouses at the same time, at least.)
Graphic: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Moderate: Mental illness and Death of parent
Minor: Death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Car accident, and Pregnancy
giraffestickers's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Physical abuse, Violence, and Car accident