Agatha Christie is best known for being one of the best mystery writers in history, but on December 3, 1926, she disappeared. For 11 days, the authorities could no longer find the mystery writer. Her car was abandoned on the side of the road and she was nowhere to be seen. The public feared the worst until 11 days later she appeared just as quickly as she disappeared. So where did Agatha Christie go and why did she leave?
Agatha Christie Had Personal Family Issues Before She Disappeared
In 1926 Agatha Christie was 36 years old, and she was having issues with her husband Archie. That same year, her mother passed away, and she lost her emotional support system. Instead of comforting her, Archie left Agatha alone to grieve while he went on a business trip. Despite having a successful career in mystery writing, Agatha Christie was no longer happy with her life. In fact, making a lot of money only made her relationship worse, because Archie wanted to take some of her earnings, and Agatha did not want him to take the money she worked so hard for, especially when she knew he was unfaithful to their marriage.
Agatha Christie was right to not trust her husband, because he cheated on her behind her back with a woman named Nancy Neele. Agatha learned about the affair on December 3rd. They argued and he stormed out, saying he would go to live with his lover. She was in shock – and he left her alone in the house with their daughter. During this tumultuous time, she packed a suitcase and disappeared from her home in the middle of the night. Before she left, she kissed her sleeping daughter Rosalind goodbye, and told her maid that she would be back soon.
The next day, the police found her vehicle sitting on the side of the road, but Agatha was nowhere to be found. Her expensive fur coat, along with her driver’s license and a few pieces of clothing were left behind in the vehicle. The car was sitting at the bottom of a hill, as if someone had put the car in “drive” and jumped out, allowing it to coast down the slope until it came to a stop. There was no blood in the car, and no evidence to indicate where she had gone.
Keep in mind this was in 1926, so there was no option for her to call an Uber or to flag down someone to help her on the side of the road. It would have been pitch black and, for a woman all alone, it would not have been a safe environment for her to find shelter. Authorities feared the worst, and they believed that she could have been murdered or kidnapped. Considering that she disappeared on the moment her husband announced his affair, he became the prime suspect.
After she disappeared, Archie Christie was ordered to return to his home for police questioning. There was a letter sitting on the kitchen table addressed to him from Agatha. The maids witnessed him reading the letter before tossing it into the fireplace. This made him look even more suspicious.