The Second week of Nonfiction November is hosted by Frances at volatilerune.blog. The brief invites us to:
This week choose a book that reflects a journey for its author or for the reader or both. This can be a physical journey, an emotional, psychological or spiritual journey or a combination of these. Any nonfiction title that leaves its author/protagonist and/or reader in a different place at the end from the start point is good for this challenge.
The book I’ve just finished reading fits that bill perfectly.
The Agatha Christie Cure by Cathy Rentzenbrink
Last week, I went to a Mostly Books event to see Cathy in conversation with John Mitchinson about her new book The Agatha Christie Cure. The book is a brave and honest account of the breakdown of her marriage, her son Matt’s troubles with school, and the book project that helped her through a tough time in life.
I’ve read several of Cathy’s other books, beginning with her first one, The Last Act of Love, published in 2016, which recounted the tragic story of her brother who was knocked down one evening and was then in a coma for several years as the family gradually came to terms with the awful truth that it may be better to let him go. Cathy’s memoir was so heart-breaking, yet told with her Yorkshire wit and ultimately, positivity. It was shortlisted for that year’s Wellcome Book Prize, and I was privileged to be invited to a Blogger’s Brunch where Cathy and three of the other nominated authors talked about their books. It was a memorable event, and when she signed my copy of her new book, I asked her if she remembered it – she did! Obviously, she didn’t remember me, but kindly wrote in my book ‘What a pleasure to see you again in Abingdon’.
Her second volume of memoir, Dear Reader, which recounts her years as a bookseller, was a real treat. I’ve also read her first novel Everyone is Still Alive, a portrait of middle-class suburbia in Everyone Is Still Alive which was a super read, warm-hearted and full of the wisdom I’d hoped for from her.
In the Agatha Christie Cure, she combines elements of all three of these: memoir, bookselling and storytelling with some serious research on the side. So as you can see I’ve already been taken on a journey by Cathy and – let’s call her Agatha – is the next stop for us both.
When Cathy’s husband asks for a divorce, it was both earth-shattering and expected; she realises that she’d contemplated a split herself but didn’t have the courage to do it, thinking of its effect on their son. But her husband got in first, so to speak, and it put Cathy into a state of limbo. I feel I know exactly how she felt, as the same happened to me, and combined with the death of my mum the year before and dealing with probate, it took me what felt like forever to pull myself back into being me. Throughout that time, I largely put my head in the sand to blot things out, but for the distraction of reading and blogging which kept me going – and still does.
Struggling with severe writer’s block, Cathy realised that she needed a project as her self-help distraction, and she turned to Agatha, a childhood favourite. The plan was to re-read all her novels in publication order to get to know and understand Agatha and her development as a writer and human, and maybe to find clues in her novels and autobiography as to what happened during those eleven days when she went missing in December 1926.
One of the early chapters is titled ‘Things I Have in Common with Agatha’, and goes on make a list, followed by how they differ too. I think Cathy will have been delighted to discover:
–We both have one child and they share a birthday. (In her autobiography Agatha says that she suggested another child to Archie, but he wanted to buy a faster car instead!)
And what was particularly lovely about this book was Matt’s engagement with the whole project. Despite being dyslexic, he’d become a big Christie fan too, and he and Cathy would endlessly discuss the books as she re-read them, often reading aloud to him. He’d pick up on different things too which were invaluable to her research into relating the novels to the stages in Agatha’s life.
Meanwhile, poor Matt was really struggling at school without any support for his dyslexia, kindly teachers being hampered by the system. This leads to many days off school, and drives in the Cornish countryside where they live discussing Agatha. Mother and son have developed a close bond, and it was lovely to see him at her talk in Abingdon, slightly sheepishly hiding at the back of the audience, perhaps a little embarrassed at being pointed out by his straight-talking mum, but not minding being in her book at all it seems.
Then, throughout the novel we visit Agatha’s novels – many discussed at length, be they good or bad ones. Yes, there are spoilers, which are highlighted, but Agatha’s books have rarely been about surprise whodunnits, they’re about how and why (even if some of the plots don’t really quite stand up to deep analysis). They’re also full of social mores, and chock full of details from Agatha’s own life put to use – particularly in the recurring character Ariadne Oliver, a crime novelist and friend of Poirot. These details help Cathy to date when the novels were written – as typically Agatha had several on the go at once and they were not necessarily published in order. All this analysis also allows Cathy to put forward her own hypothesis of what happened to Agatha in 1926 when she went missing – and I found that completely plausible.
The book ends with a list of the 66 novels, with brief notes on each to provide the reader with guidance on picking a Christie read. This is where Cathy’s bookseller self comes to the fore.
I hadn’t read a novel by Agatha for decades – with the exception of one of her psychological romances written under her Mary Westmacott pseudonym for book group, which I’d not read before but rather adored. Since then, I definitely wanted to read more and revisit some of her classics. So, inspired by this book I immediately ordered several box sets totalling 17 novels, plus some more Westmacotts – a variety including Poirot, Miss Marple and standalones. Look what you’ve done, Cathy Rentzenbrink! I jest of course, and I’m really looking forward to injecting some Agatha amongst my onward reading, Maigret (which I have been reading mainly in order) may have to make way for a bit.
I can thoroughly recommend the Agatha Christie Cure whether you know and love Agatha’s books, or come to them as a newbie. Whichever camp you fall into, you’ll come out of this book feeling you know Agatha Christie and the author better. Cathy’s engaging blend of memoir, detective work and bookselling nous told in her trademark humorous but wise and honest style is an absolute winner. I loved it – what a journey!
Source: Own copy. Cathy Rentzenbrink – The Agatha Christie Cure – Canongate hardback, Nov 2026, 337 pages.
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