The Agatha Christie Cure

Following the end of her marriage, Rentzenbrink sought comfort and escapism - so why not turn to Agatha Christie, her first literary love? Challenging herself to read each of her novels in order, while delving into the ups and downs of Christie's own life, she discovered there is much we can all learn from the consummate crime writer -- The Best New Books to Read in September 2026 * * The iPaper * *
Agatha turns out to be the ultimate life coach in this joyous amalgam of a read. An easy book to befriend -- MATT HAIG
Beautiful, warm and clever. I want to press it into the hands of everyone I love -- DAISY BUCHANAN
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
Beautiful, moving, surprising. Feels like an intimate friend; the sort of book you want to reread because it is such good company -- PHILIPPA PERRY
[Cathy Rentzenbrink] writes about the human soul with remarkable insight, and I know this book will resonate with many readers -- NINA POTTELL * * Prima * *
A hugely readable and illuminating memoir that's ultimately about something we could all benefit from, these days: the power of the imagination to help us navigate tumultuous times -- OLIVER BURKEMAN
Part memoir, part meditation on the life and work of Agatha Christie, The Agatha Christie Cure is moving, enlightening, hopeful and a joy to read. -- PAULA HAWKINS
A beautiful exploration - written with grace and overwhelming honesty - of two women's despair and how one helps the other -- GREG WISE
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
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
When Cathy Rentzenbrink found herself drained by life's upheavals, she turned to her first literary love - Agatha Christie - and unearthed the secrets of how the troubled writer survived personal crises and started life again * * The iPaper * *
What a wonderful book! So 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. I loved it -- LOUISE HARE
Cathy Rentzenbrink is the ideal guide to the queen of cosy 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
A warm, funny, touchingly honest exploration of loss, grief and the damage we do when we get in a muddle. The book 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
Wise, brave and beautifully written, an education not just in Agatha, but in life -- DAVID WHITEHOUSE
Tender, candid and deeply intelligent. I found myself rooting for both Agatha and Cathy throughout this remarkable book -- HANNAH LOWE
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 rigour 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
Come for the greatest crime writer in history, stay for Cathy's beautiful writing. -- JENNIE GODFREY