Hey, everyone. It’s time for the last Mystery Monday post of 2021. This month’s story is about one of my favorite authors.
Agatha Christie is known for her sixty-six detective novels, fourteen short-story collections, and the world’s longest-running play, The Mousetrap. Her books have sold over a billion copies, making her the best-selling novelist of all time.
Several of her books were made into movies, including Murder on The Orient Express. I enjoyed the 1974 film with its all-star cast including Ingrid Bergman, Sean Connery, Lauren Bacall, Albert Finney, and Jacqueline Bisset. (I was highly disappointed in the 2017 remake. The only positive thing I can say about it is Johnny Depp’s portrayal of the murderer Ratchett.) But enough about that.
Agatha Christie was born Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller in 1890 in Torquay, Devon United Kingdom into a wealthy upper-middle-class family. Her American-born father home schooled her, something highly unusual at that time. Agatha’s mother was an excellent storyteller and didn’t want her daughter to learn to read until she was eight. Being the only child at home (and bored) Agatha taught herself to read at the age of five.
Agatha married British military officer and businessman Col. Archibald Christie in 1914. But after twelve years together, their marriage began to fall apart. Archie Christie was involved with another woman, Nancy Neal. He asked Agatha for a divorce.
On December 3, 1926, Archie left their home saying he was going to a weekend house party, most likely a rendezvous with his mistress. Between 9:30 and 11:00 that night, Agatha left the house. According to maids, she was visibly upset and carried a small travel bag and her fur coat. She left a note for her secretary asking that all her weekend appointments be canceled.
The following morning, Agatha’s car was located an hour’s drive from her home. It had gone off the side of the road, but there was no sign of the famous author. Several eyewitnesses said they encountered Agatha before she disappeared. One man, Earnest Cross, said she seemed upset and wore only a thin dress despite the cold weather. He claimed she drove in the opposite direction from Newlands Corner, the village where her car was found.
Two railroad porters also spoke with Agatha outside the station and thought that she had boarded a train.
Eleven days after Agatha Christie was reported missing, she was located at an elegant spa, two-hundred miles from her home. She had registered under the last name Neal, the same name as Archie’s mistress. The chief inspector notified Archie and brought him to the spa.
Archie and Agatha soon left. They never commented about her mysterious disappearance. The press concluded Agatha had suffered from amnesia.
Others, including author Gillian Gill, think otherwise. “I believe that Christie had a definitive and terrible fight with her husband. It drove her over the edge. She had been depressed, now she becomes on some level psychotic. She is not herself. She takes on another identity. She wanders off. She gets on the train. She takes another name. She goes into this hotel and she lives another life. That’s very, very, very rare, but it’s known. It’s documented in the annals of psychology. And we know that Agatha Christie was an unusual woman.”
Still others, including author Gwen Robyns believe it was a publicity stunt. “I think she plotted and planned it from the start. She would use the media to push the only thing she knew, which was revenge, mystery, and the possibility of murder. She checked in to this hotel under the name Neal, her husband’s girlfriend’s name. I think it’s just madly funny. I think she took endless delight in the fact that the police shadowed Archie. He couldn’t go anywhere because they suspected him of murdering her. And I think she took marvelous delight in reading this in the papers. Again, I think in a sort of revenge and twisted up sort of way, she was thinking it was very funny.”
Not long afterward Agatha and Archie separated and divorced. He married Nancy Neal in 1928. Two years later, Agatha married archaeologist Max Mallowan. They remained married until her death in 1976. Agatha, a 1979 movie starring Vanessa Redgrave, Dustin Hoffman, and Timothy Dalton was based on the famous author’s mysterious disappearance.
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39 Responses
I have heard this disappearance story before, but I hadn’t heard the revenge angle. You may be on to something, Joan!
Revenge certainly seems plausible, Priscilla. I guess we’ll never know the real reason.
I so love the idea of Agatha getting a kick out of the police and press hounding Archie. Great share, Joan 💕🙂
He deserved to be hounded! LOL. Thanks for stopping by, Harmony.
I’d like to think she plotted it all for revenge. But I do love a good revenge story. Great post, Joan.
I’d like to think that as well, Staci. And I agree about a good revenge story. 🙂
Reblogged this on Jeanne Owens, author and commented:
An interesting post on one of my favorite authors.
Thank you for the reblog, Jeanne!
You’re welcome. Thanks for the interesting post. I’d not heard the revenge theory before but it sounds very plausible.
I think so too.
Fascinating, Joan. I didn’t know any of this. Like others have mentioned, revenge through the disappearing act is both intriguing and appealing. I’ve got to dig into this further. 😊
Yes, I like the thought of her wanting revenge. It’s certainly an interesting story.
She probably wanted Archie to worry about her and maybe change his mind about leaving? Anyway, it sounds as though she had a nice break at the hotel and enjoyed the fact that her husband might have been suspected of her murder.
I hope he was worried! LOL. Who knows? Maybe she just wanted to get away for a few days. It’s certainly a mystery. Thanks for visiting, Stevie.
As a teenager, I devoured every Agatha Christie book I could find. I enjoyed reading this real life story, Jan. Thanks for sharing!
I loved her books as well, Jill. The real-life story certainly intrigued me.
I’ve read about her disappearance a few times, but I never came across the revenge angle before. She worried a lot of people, but I do like to think of her sitting back at the spa with a glass of wine, reading the paper, and laughing about it!
I hadn’t heard about the revenge angle before I began to research this story. I’m like you, Mae. I hope she enjoyed her time and got a good laugh at Archie’s expense.
What a fascinating story. I had never read this and of course, immediately formed my own conclusions. 🙂 The only thing that would have made it more Agatha Christie-like would have been if Nancy Neal had turned up dead. Thanks for sharing, Joan!
That certainly sounds like an Agatha story. Throw in several suspects and Hercule Poirot and there you go! Thanks for stopping by, Jan.
I think Gwen Robyns had it right. She was acting out her fury and probably enjoyed Archie’s being suspected of murder. I’d be inclined toward that too! That she had a psychotic melt down and amnesia just doesn’t ring true to me (mental health clinician). Great tidbut, Joan, that I didn’t know. Thanks!
I’d like to think Gwen’s theory is correct. It’s been a while since I saw the movie, but I don’t believe they touched on the revenge angle. I agree Diana. Amnesia and a melt-down don’t seem right.
😀
I’ve known a little about this, but nothing with your detail. Makes me want to find the movie.
It’s been years since I saw it. Probably should check to see if it’s available on Prime or somewhere. I’d watch it again, that’s for sure.
I loved this, Joan. Thank you for this fascinating piece on Agatha Christie. 😁
Glad you enjoyed reading it, John. The mystery writer was part of a big mystery herself.
Great story.
I never knew about this, but I’d sure like to think Robyns theory was the correct one. Sure wouldn’t blame Christie for having a little bit of revenge.
I wouldn’t blame her either, Teri. I think everyone here agrees about wanting the Robyns theory to be correct.
I recently read & reviewed a book based on Agatha Christie’s true story called The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont. I guess it was the first time they ever incorporated airplanes into a search for a missing person. After the way her husband treated her, I don’t blame her for leaving!
Ooh, I’d like to read that book, Jaquie. I’ll have to check it out.
It was excellent!
I am also a fan of Agatha Christie, so thank you for sharing about her disappearance, Joan. A great post for sure! It’s always been an interesting story to me. I like to think Gwen Robyns was more accurate with her thoughts on it.
That seems to be the consensus, Mar. I do hope that’s what happened. I’d hate to think of the other possibilities.
This has always intrigued me!
Me too, Becky!
I like to think she created a mystery, a clever revenge. Newlands Corner is a lovely spot in Surrey, a hill with beautiful views and a favourite outing spot in my family. I like to think her second marriage was much happier. One of my favourite outings a few years back was to their beautiful home in Devon looking down on the river. You can arrive by steam train and walk through the woods or go by boat.
That sounds like a fabulous place to visit. I’d also like to believe her second marriage was much happier. Thanks for sharing that, Janet.