The Agatha Christie Cure
What Reading the Queen of Crime Taught Me About Life

Quotes

“Christie turns out to be the ultimate life coach in this joyous amalgam of a read. An easy book to befriend.”
—Matt Haig, New York Times bestselling author of The Midnight Train

“One of those books that felt like an old friend, from the very first page. So honest, and funny and somehow . . . kind. It made me want to read a little Christie. It made me want to read all of Rentzenbrink. I’ll return to it again and again.”
—Meg Mason, author of Sorrow and Bliss

“The Agatha Christie Cure reaches back across a century to find light in the darkest times and reconnect with the redemptive power of love, hope and the imagination. I loved it.”
—Clare Clark, author of The Great Stink

“Original, brilliant, moving and powerful. It shows us how even in our hardest moments, we can find hope—in other people's stories, in the writers we love, and in ourselves.”
—Julia Samuel, author of Grief Works

“Very human, full of brilliant writing that is honest and funny while not veering away from the hard stuff. A book for all readers, whether they consider themselves Christie aficionados or not.”
—Louise Hare, author of A Canary Club mysteries

“Come for the greatest crime writer in history, stay for Cathy’s beautiful writing.”
—Jennie Godfrey, bestselling author of The List of Suspicious Things

“Wise, brave and beautifully written, an education not just in Christie, but in life.”
—David Whitehouse, author of Bed

“Beautiful, moving, surprising. Feels like an intimate friend; the sort of book you want to reread because it is such good company.”
—Philippa Perry, author of Shrink Solves Murder

“A wonderfully warm, generous, wise and comforting book about getting through dark times and the mystery of life with a bit of help from Agatha Christie. Full of insights on Christie, on divorce, on parenting, on midlife, it’s just a gorgeous, immersive read.”
—Samantha Ellis, author of Always Carry Salt

“In this bold, brave and beautiful memoir, Cathy skillfully charts Agatha Christie’s timeline and with deft skill, weaves her own path of recovery from burnout and a loss of self.”
—Manni Coe, author of Little Ruins

“Cathy Rentzenbrink is the ideal guide to the queen of cozy crime. Agatha Christie emerges as a flawed and formidable heroine, whilst Cathy's charming, convivial voice makes the darkness slip down like sparkling cyanide.”
—Clare Pollard, author of The Modern Fairies

“Tender, candid and deeply intelligent. I found myself rooting for both Agatha and Cathy throughout this remarkable book.”
—Hannah Lowe, author of Long Time No See

“Cathy makes an intelligent, sharp-eyed detective as she investigates both Agatha’s world and her own. Both women are fabulous company and Cathy’s honesty and ability to draw parallels makes The Agatha Christie Cure a compelling companion on a journey through Agatha’s literature and Cathy’s life.”
—Julia Wheeler

“Rentzenbrink investigates Agatha Christie’s life and work with the rigor of Poirot or Marple. She is a first-class literary detective. But this is also a deeply personal and moving memoir—mother and son out to challenge the world, with the 20th century’s most prolific thriller writer as their sturdy shield. Like Rentzenbrink, I devoured Christie’s novels as a teenager, but then moved on. This book sent me straight back to the crime section of my local bookshop to buy them once again.”
—Petroc Trelawny, author of Trelwany’s Cornwall

“I inhaled The Agatha Christie Cure. It’s beautiful, warm, generous, kind and clever. And makes readers feel clever too. I want to press it into the hands of everyone I love.”
—Daisy Buchanan, author of Careering