The Agatha Christie Mystery at Newlands Corner

On December 3, 1926, Agatha Christie, already a successful mystery writer, disappeared from her home in Berkshire. Her car was found abandoned at Newlands Corner in Surrey. What happened during her eleven-day disappearance has never been fully explained.

The Disappearance

Christie left her home late at night after a confrontation with her husband about his affair. Her car was found the next morning at Newlands Corner, a beauty spot on the North Downs, crashed into a hedge with the headlights on. Christie was gone.

The Search

The largest manhunt in British history ensued. Over a thousand police officers and 15,000 volunteers searched for Christie. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle consulted a psychic. Dorothy L. Sayers joined the search. The Silent Pool, near where the car was found, was drained.

The Discovery

On December 14, Christie was found alive at a hotel in Harrogate, Yorkshire, registered under the name of her husband’s mistress. She claimed amnesia and never publicly explained what happened during those eleven days.

Newlands Corner

The location where Christie’s car was found has become part of the mystery’s mystique. Visitors still come to see the spot where one of literature’s greatest puzzles began. Some report an unusual atmosphere in the area.

The Theories

Explanations have ranged from genuine amnesia to publicity stunt to elaborate revenge on her unfaithful husband. Christie maintained silence about the episode for the rest of her life, taking the truth with her when she died in 1976.

Assessment

The Christie disappearance remains unexplained. Newlands Corner, where her abandoned car was found, has become a place of pilgrimage for mystery enthusiasts. Whether anything supernatural occurred there is unknown, but the mystery endures.