We mustn’t be seen together, whoever you are!
Agatha Christie’s 11 day disappearance in 1926 may never be publicly resolved as to its true nature, but it does offer one thing: a gap in the famed murder mystery writer’s life into which speculation may descend, and that is the basis of Agatha And The Truth Of Murder (2018). The author, distraught over her husband’s repeated requests for a divorce, takes on a murder mystery brought to her by a fan: the brutal murder of Florence Nightingale Shore, the goddaughter of Florence Nightingale, to whom the fan, Mabel Rogers, was a companion.
A real life murder, this story is less about the resolution of the murder itself, and more about how the process of solving the murder brings more maturity to Christie. From a better perspective on life and how other people’s lives are lived, and the importance of misleading appearances, to the salience of apparently trivial loose ends, what may have been an emotional breakdown becomes a pivot for Christie to take the next step on her extraordinary life’s journey.
There’s nothing weighty or amazing in this story, but there’s no denying that it is fun, with competent acting and story-telling. You’ll enjoy it if you give it a chance – and like murder mysteries.
