‘I wouldn’t scream if I were you. Unless you want the whole world to learn about your husband and his mistress.’ Agatha Christie, in London to visit her literary agent, boards a train, preoccupied and flustered in the knowledge that her husband Archie is having an affair. She feels a light touch on her back, causing her to lose her balance, then a sense of someone pulling her to safety from the … pulling her to safety from the rush of the incoming train. So begins a terrifying sequence of events. Her rescuer is no guardian angel; rather, he is a blackmailer of the most insidious, manipulative kind. Agatha must use every ounce of her cleverness and resourcefulness to thwart an adversary determined to exploit her genius for murder to kill on his behalf.
‘Wilson not only knows his subject but he deftly moves the tale away from mere literary ventriloquism and into darker territory. Great fun, too’ Observer
‘The queen of crime is the central character in this audacious mystery, which reinvents the story of her mysterious disappearance with thrilling results’ Guardian
What readers are saying about A Talent for Murder:
‘The initial premise of the story is pure genius, and when the reader realises by the end of chapter one whose head they are inside, goose bumps are guaranteed to occur’ Greg, Goodreads, 4 stars
‘A darkly twisting tale of murder and manipulation’ Erin Britton, NetGalley, 4 stars
‘This is a must-read for crime fiction fans, and Agatha Christie fans especially who will discover a new side to the Queen of Crime herself!’ Vincent, Goodreads, 5 stars
‘I enjoy Agatha Christie and this book did not disappoint. I devoured this book in two days’ Annie, Goodreads, 4 stars
‘Great mystery and action novel featuring Agatha Christie as you’ve never seen her before. Part biography/part thrill ride this is one novel I didn’t want to end’ Nikkia Neil, NetGalley, 5 stars
‘An intriguing homage that stirs the imagination of the amateur sleuth in all of us … A Talent for Murder is one novel that definitely deserves attention and praise’ Elspeth G. Perkin, Goodreads, 4 stars
‘This was a really good read especially for fans of Agatha Christie and even those who have never read her books’ Teresa, Goodreads, 4 stars
‘So, so enjoyable! Great for book club discussion due to the “real” mystery behind it’ Kaylee Mitchell, Goodreads, 5 stars
‘A fun read for Christie fans’Roman Clodia, NetGalley, 4 stars
‘I’ll admit to being totally drawn along by this novel; I couldn’t wait to keep reading and find out how it would all turn out. I really would recommend this book as an interesting account of Christie’s missing eleven days; you will be entertained’ Kate Baty, 4 stars, NetGalley
‘An exciting novel, a must for all Christie fans! Did you see what was happening? Did you spot the red herrings? The obvious clues. No? I didn’t and that is probably what makes this a very clever novel’ Joanne D’arcy, NetGalley, 5 stars
‘A very enjoyable read, in the tradition of Christie herself, well researched and inventive … plenty of unexpected plot twists to keep you on your toes. What fun!’ Lisa Friel, NetGalley, 4 stars
‘Unusual and entertaining’ Tina Stringer, NetGalley 4 stars
‘Entertaining, feasible plotting and an authentic narrative make this a highly enjoyable read’ J Graham, NetGalley, 4 stars
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I found this in an airport bookstore by chance–and had never heard of it! But I took a chance and wow. What was Agatha Christie really doing during those mysterious weeks when she “disappeared”? The incredibly talented Wilson takes some facts and some possibilities and a lot of imagination–and weaves them in to a delightful and actually moving story. Agatha Christie and Golden Age mystery fans–this is a treasure!
This is the first novel in a series starring the author Agatha Christie as the main character. Biographer Andrew Wilson spins several well-researched events of 1926 into a gripping tale of why Agatha Christie disappeared for several days, and what happened during that time. He’s not the first person to do so – the movie Agatha springs to mind – but Wilson’s version grabbed me from early in the book and wouldn’t let go.
The book opens with Agatha’s despair. Her husband, Archie (played in the film by the swoonworthy Timothy Dalton) has fallen in love with a younger woman and doesn’t understand why his wife isn’t being reasonable about giving him a divorce. Wilson must have suffered a broken heart at least once; he describes Agatha’s pain in convincing detail. Her misery is interrupted when she is pushed into the path of a train, and then ‘saved’ by a man who is no hero. Dr. Patrick Kurs has been following her exploits for some time, and he believes she should perform a service for him. In exchange for not releasing love letters between her husband and his mistress, he wants Agatha to kill his wife. He will arrange to be elsewhere, and she can put her knowledge of murder to good use. When she balks at his demands, he threatens to harm her family, specifically her daughter. Convince of his ability to hurt them, she agrees.
Kurs only allows her to decide how to commit the murder; the rest of her actions follow a plan he has already devised. First, Agatha disappears into the countryside, abandoning her car and her fur coat for the police to find. She is allowed to keep her purse, which contains a pouch of poisons. He forces her to check into the Swan Hydropathic Hotel under the last name Neele (the name of Archie’s mistress) and, later that evening, to dance the Charleston at his command. These have little to do with the crime he wants her to commit; they are designed to humiliate her and reveal how much she is under his control.
We are occasionally given a glimpse into the police investigation of Agatha’s disappearance and a separate investigation by a young woman who is also determined to find her, but never for long. The focus always returns to the mental battle between the fiendish Kurs and Agatha Christie, one of the world’s cleverest plotters. He humbles her again and again, but she finds an interesting way to give him what he wants.
This book is very well written and researched. Wilson shows us true details of Agatha Christie’s life, and uses what is known about her disappearance as the framework for a powerful conflict between two very clever and determined people. I recommend it.