This book was a big surprise winner for me. The author did a great job of depicting what the early stages of dementia might be like for the affected person, and I thought the dual timelines were done exceptionally well. I felt so emotionally invested that I'm still thinking about this one for quite a few days after finishing - highly recommend!

In Emily Critchley’s “One Puzzling Afternoon,” an octogenarian named Edie Havercroft, who lives in Ludthorpe, England, is suffering from dementia. She has part-time household help and her son and granddaughter look in on her periodically. Edie, who is trying to fend off the encroaching darkness that is clouding her mind, resents being treated like a helpless toddler. She is particularly troubled by the knowledge that one of her former schoolmates, sixteen-year-old Lucy Theddle, vanished in 1951 and was never seen or heard from again. Edie believes that somewhere in her subconscious is the key to finding out what happened to Lucy.

Critchley’s tale moves back and forth in time between 1951 and 2018. We observe Edie as a shy and insecure youngster whose capricious mother, Nancy, holds seances at night to make a little extra cash. Edie is lonely and is mocked by her peers. Lucy, on the other hand. is a privileged, beautiful, and popular young lady who, unfortunately, makes terrible mistakes. Edie becomes Lucy’s confidante and promises never to speak to anyone about her friend’s reckless behavior.

This is an engrossing and heartrending novel in which Critchley evokes the atmosphere of the fifties, when many women married in haste because of their desire for social status, emotional support, and financial security. The author movingly describes the weight of deep-seated guilt, the fragility of memory, and the ways in which dysfunctional relationships destroy lives. Edie tortures herself, wracking her brain to remember events that occurred more than six decades earlier. We sympathize with this tortured soul who believes that, if she can somehow recollect what she once saw, she might finally solve the mystery of Lucy's disappearance.

Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Landmark @bookmarked and @netgalley for the ARC of One Puzzling Afternoon by Emily Critchley @emily.critchley. This beautiful novel was published yesterday and I encourage you to get your hands on a copy.

Using a dual-timeline, readers meet 84 year old Edie Green in 2018 and also 15 year old Edie in 1951 England. In 1951 Edie is lonely. Her father passed away and her eccentric mother remarries Reg, a very unlikable character. Then Edie learns a secret about popular Lucy Theddle. Lucy befriends Edie, at first to make sure Edie keeps her secret, but the two grow closer. Edie, though, is nagged by this secret and knows in her heart she shouldn’t be keeping it. Then, Lucy goes missing.

More than sixty years later, Edie is suffering from “muddled spells” (the beginnings of dementia), but swears she sees Lucy in town, looking the same as she did at 15. Something nags at Edie’s memory–she must figure out what really happened to Lucy.

I don’t think I’ve ever read something told from the perspective of a person suffering from the beginnings of dementia. As a reader, to be experiencing Edie’s fading memory along with her is incredibly powerful and hard, but also had me feeling such empathy for Edie. I rooted for her the entire time and found her to be such a wonderful character. My eyes were misty several times and I wanted to hug Edie and help her solve the long-ago mystery. The mystery was well done, especially as it flipped from past to present. This would be an excellent book club choice as well.

This book was so beautifully written, going back and forth between 1951 and 2018. Edie is suffering from dementia in 2018 and trying desperately to remember what happened to her friend Lucy in 1951, when Lucy disappeared. The way that Edie gets so often confused is heartbreaking, and so well written, and the mystery of Lucy in 1951 is so suspenseful, making this one very hard to put down! I changed my mind about my suspicions as to Lucy’s fate over and over, and I was never truly correct! Such a beautiful read, it had me in tears! highly recommend!

I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher for review.

So I think this book has its audience. I just don't think I'm the correct one. While I like mysteries, and books that deal with solving them from the past with new (ish) evidence I think this one struggled to get going and keep my attention. I got about 20% in and then decided to just skip and read the ending and I was right. As soon as Reg was introduced it was like the future opened up and I knew exactly what was going to happen.

While the story wasn't groundbreaking by any means, I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style and characters. I always love a good dual timeline mystery. One Puzzling Afternoon is a great cozy mystery to read on a rainy day!

One Puzzling Afternoon by Emily Critchley is a beautifully evoative dual timeline story set in an English village. In 1951 teenager Edie lives with her mother in lower class environment. She is in an unlikely friendship with Lucy, the same age. Their lives are unlike in almost every way. Lucy is from a privileged home and in the throes of a forbidden romance with a married man with whom she is smitten. Edie's mother marries which completely changes the family dynamic. Meanwhile, Lucy has trials of her own and disappears without a trace leaving many heartbroken.

Six decades later in 2018, Edie is now in the early stages of dementia and is consequently forgetful. When out of of the blue she spots her old friend Lucy looking as the teenager she knew she is shocked but is convinced she knows what she saw. She feels compelled to research her story. Her faculties may be failing in ways but she is sharp in others. She is bound and determined to discover the truth as she is running out of time.

The 1950s era always interests me and the historical details here really made me feel as though I was there. The story zipped by quickly as the writing is bright, beautiful and emotive and in ways is a social commentary on life in a man's world.

My sincere thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this poignant and riveting novel.

A dual narrative from when Edie was 15 and now when she is 84. Her friend Lucy disappeared when they were 15. Now Edie thinks she has seen Lucy, still as a 15 year old. Her memory isn't as good, but she is determined to find the truth of what happened with her friend.

The writing style here wasn't really for me. That's a super personal preference so others might enjoy it more. I do think the dual timeline worked well here.

One Puzzling Afternoon follows Edie, an elderly woman in the beginning stages of dementia, and her quest to discover the hidden truth behind the disappearance of her best friend Lucy back in 1951. This is told in dual timeline, switching back and forth between their unlikely friendship in 1951 and the present day as Edie believes she sees Lucy. There was a lot to like about this book-the mystery is well done and leaving you guessing until the end. The author does a good job at keeping you invested and bringing the young girls to life. Overall though, I was just left feeling kind of sorry for everyone. Lucy's story is heartbreaking, and Edie's present day life really makes you confront your own mortality. I was just left with a sense of pity-there's no redemption for anyone involved. I did like the ending with Edie and her son but thought the epilogue was pointless.



Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the eARC.

Not exactly what I thought going in but an enjoyable read all the same. The different time line pov’s were very interesting but I have to say all in all it was a very predictable story in the end. I did love the main character and the confusion written in as her pov with having dementia was very good. Overall I would recommend this book for anyone who loves a good mystery.

I am so very glad to have received a digital ARC from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark. This review was written without coercion or bias in my very own words. The book is written in two time lines. In 1951 Edie is still in school but planning to move to London in a couple of years to receive her teaching certificate. Edie feels like she is an outcast in both school and out. She is ashamed of her mother's career choice and feels responsible for the death of her father. She has no friends and no outside interests. When she accidentally discovers Lucy's secret, Lucy befriends her. By the time that Lucy disappears I had many likely suspects in her disappearance and could not settle on just one. It was One Puzzling Afternoon for me as I tried to figure it out. The second timeline is set approximately 70 years later. Edie is now 84 years old, living on her own with the onset of dementia. Her family is bringing her into their home and Edie has begun to be obsessed with Lucy's disappearance. Edie feels that she needs to figure out what happened to Lucy before she moves and before the dementia gets worse. The transitions between the timelines is smooth and very easy to follow. The story is well-written. Edie had a very difficult childhood and I was drawn to her and her difficult up-bringing. In the later years, the author shows an intelligent woman and her mind as it would sink in and out of dementia. The author also gives a good picture of the effects of dementia on the family who want to care for her. I totally recommend this book as family, drama, secrets and mystery. Five stars from me.

I truly enjoyed this story. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I write this review voluntarily.
One Puzzling Afternoon was very well written. It describes the experiences of someone with dementia in an insightful and compassionate manner. A fog or feeling muddled, an inability to find the right word for everyday objects that can be unsettling for the person with dementia. Also, unsettling for those around them but the person still notices the expressions and gestures which demonstrate frustration of the loved ones. The dual timeline slowly reveals memories that have long been buried to achieve a resolution about what really happened to Lucy. Highly recommend.

What an emotional and thoughtful read this is! Told in dual time line of 1951 and 2018, it's the story of Edie and Lucy, two unlikely friends separated when Lucy goes missing. Now, in 2018, Edie is struggling with dementia but she's determined to figure out what happened to Lucy, not only as salve for her soul but also to prove to her son that she's more with it than he believes. Unfortunately she's not but she's determined. These two came from very different economic circumstances but they bonded and when Lucy had a secret- Edie kept it. I felt for Edie, for her fight against the fog and her commitment to finally outing the truth. This is beautifully written and it did keep me guessing. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

I’m not sure why I was expecting something more lighthearted given the premise but found this to be very grim and sad. The dual timelines were a bit jarring and I was disappointed when the central mystery was solved. I don’t think Edie was a very good friend to Lucy.

I enjoyed reading One Puzzling Afternoon, and it was a very quick read. However, this is a very sad book. So, if you don't like sad books this may not be the pick for you.

Edie has become an elderly woman with dementia, and she is on the brink of having to leave her home so she can live with assistance. During this process she has very foggy memories of her friend Lucy who disappeared 50 years earlier while they were in high school. Lucy was never found.

Edie believes that if she can help find Lucy she may be able to prove that she can continue living on her own. Because of this Edie embarks on a journey to improve her memory of that time period, despite her on set of dementia.

Edie's narrative of her foggy memories is extremely compelling and certainly made me very sad for my grandmother who experienced dementia.

Booksellers this would be a great hand sell with books like A Man Called Ove and The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett

trigger warning: child abuse, and inappropriate relationships with children

This review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Huge thanks to #netgalley and #sourcebooks for my review copy

I didn’t care about the characters. Their personalities didn’t make me root for them. The time jumps were constantly taking me out of the story. I found the end result to be predictable. Overall not a read I would personally recommend.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC

This is a beautifully written story that is just unfortunately a bit too slow for my reading tastes right now. I have read some of the great reviews and I’m so glad that this book is getting lots of love.

This unique and innovative mystery was a huge hit for me. I loved the dual timeline between Edie’s story in 1951 and 2018, and the author really built the tension between Edie’s involvement with her friend’s disappearance and what she remembers as an elderly woman suffering from dementia. As someone who has had several close family members go through the horrors of Alzheimer’s, I appreciated the perspective of Edie as the memories slip through her fingers. It gave me a better understanding of what my loved ones may have gone through and was very emotional for me. The author does a fantastic job of portraying the family members as well and the seesaw of embarrassment and concern they have for Edie. The mystery was well plotted and suspenseful with Edie’s faulty memory lying at its heart. I highly recommend it for mystery lovers and anyone who has experienced the ravaging effects dementia can take on a person.

What made this book compelling had nothing to do with the mystery itself.

We get present-day Edie, who has been diagnosed with dementia that seems to be progressing very quickly, and flashbacks to Edie in 1951. In the present day, Edie suddenly thinks she's seen a friend, Lucy, who disappeared back in 1951 and sets out to find out what happened to her.

The flashbacks that lead to the truth of the mystery were fine. I found it largely predictable. However, I did very much enjoy the present-day storyline. Watching Edie try to remember, find ways to remind herself of what she's discovered, and overall fight against the constraints that her family has put in place for her safety made for a compelling read.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

🧩 One Puzzling Afternoon - Emily Critchley

4.5 ⭐️ - I had to sit with this one for a few days. I really enjoyed this book and was pleasantly surprised by it. I felt so many different emotions while reading this book, it’s hard to describe. You might say I was puzzled. It’s sad, hopefully, mysterious, and unexpected. The fact that this book is a debut, blew me away.

I had grandmothers that suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and it’s very tough emotionally to see our elders lose their memories. I could identify with Amy as a granddaughter and how she felt watching the disease take over. I admired Edie and her drive to prove she remembered important facts and events. The way this story was written to expose the disease without making it scientifically heavy was awesome. You’re able to see how hard it can be on the person experiencing the memory loss AND the loved ones around them. I was sad but also hopeful while reading. I definitely recommend this book as it has so many amazing qualities; heartwarming family storylines, a mystery, and a nice bow at the end. I look forward to what else Emily Critchley writes in the future.