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One Puzzling Afternoon
A mystery she can't remember. A friend she can't forget.
I kept your secret Lucy. I've kept it for more than sixty years . . .
It is 1951, and at number six Sycamore Street fifteen-year-old Edie Green is lonely. Living alone with her eccentric mother - who conducts seances for the local Ludthorpe community - she is desperate for something to shake her from her dull, isolated life.
When the popular, pretty Lucy Theddle befriends Edie, she thinks all her troubles are over. But Lucy has a secret, one Edie is not certain she should keep . . .
Then Lucy goes missing.
2018. Edie is eighty-four and still living in Ludthorpe. When one day she glimpses Lucy Theddle, still looking the same as she did at fifteen, her family write it off as one of her many mix ups. There's a lot Edie gets confused about these days. A lot she finds difficult to remember. But what she does know is this: she must find out what happened to Lucy, all those years ago . . .
I kept your secret Lucy. I've kept it for more than sixty years . . .
It is 1951, and at number six Sycamore Street fifteen-year-old Edie Green is lonely. Living alone with her eccentric mother - who conducts seances for the local Ludthorpe community - she is desperate for something to shake her from her dull, isolated life.
When the popular, pretty Lucy Theddle befriends Edie, she thinks all her troubles are over. But Lucy has a secret, one Edie is not certain she should keep . . .
Then Lucy goes missing.
2018. Edie is eighty-four and still living in Ludthorpe. When one day she glimpses Lucy Theddle, still looking the same as she did at fifteen, her family write it off as one of her many mix ups. There's a lot Edie gets confused about these days. A lot she finds difficult to remember. But what she does know is this: she must find out what happened to Lucy, all those years ago . . .
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First published May 11, 2023
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About the author
Emily Critchley
5 books257 followersAuthor of The Undoing of Violet Claybourne, One Puzzling Afternoon, Notes on My Family, The Bear Who Sailed the Ocean on an Iceberg and The Tiny Gestures of Small flowers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,118 reviews
November 12, 2024
All my book reviews are posted on Goodreads and Amazon.com. However, on the rare occasion that a brilliant book passes my way, I feel it needs to be lauded and promoted wherever possible.
Here is my review of One Puzzling Afternoon by Emily Critchley.
I read this through my online book club, Pigeonhole, and 50% in, declared it to be my best book club book this year! Upon finishing the book, I changed my mind. It is the best book I have read this year overall, and given that I've just finished my 65th book for 2023, is testament to how good it is!
Some authors write well. Some tell great stories. Emily Critchley does both! This poignant story is told in two timelines. We meet main character Edie in 2018, suffering from the debilitating disease of dementia. She believes that she sees her friend Lucy from nearly 70 years earlier, one puzzling afternoon, and struggles to form a coherent memory of what happened in the early 1950s when Lucy disappeared.
Beautifully written, we then get snippets of then and now, and the reader is taken on Edie's journey of pain and secrets and loss of memory. Compelling, sad, gripping, and all too realistic, this story kept me glued and guessing. I'll definitely look out for this author's work again. A resounding 5 stars.
Here is my review of One Puzzling Afternoon by Emily Critchley.
I read this through my online book club, Pigeonhole, and 50% in, declared it to be my best book club book this year! Upon finishing the book, I changed my mind. It is the best book I have read this year overall, and given that I've just finished my 65th book for 2023, is testament to how good it is!
Some authors write well. Some tell great stories. Emily Critchley does both! This poignant story is told in two timelines. We meet main character Edie in 2018, suffering from the debilitating disease of dementia. She believes that she sees her friend Lucy from nearly 70 years earlier, one puzzling afternoon, and struggles to form a coherent memory of what happened in the early 1950s when Lucy disappeared.
Beautifully written, we then get snippets of then and now, and the reader is taken on Edie's journey of pain and secrets and loss of memory. Compelling, sad, gripping, and all too realistic, this story kept me glued and guessing. I'll definitely look out for this author's work again. A resounding 5 stars.
April 23, 2024
Book Club read for April.
This book was different than I was anticipating. I thought it was going to be a missing person mystery, but in reality it was more along the line of Elizabeth Is Missing.
Set in two timelines, 1951 and 2018.
In 1951, by pure chance, teenagers Edie and Lucy become friends. Edie is somewhat of an outcast due to her mother's side job as a psychic who conducts seances. When Edie sees something she shouldn't, she and Lucy become friends. Then something happens and Lucy disappears.
In 2018, Edie is now 84 years old and still living in the same small town. She thinks she sees Lucy one day, and goes on a mission to discover what exactly happened to Lucy all those years ago.
The book did keep my interest, but the dementia storyline was exhausting after a while. There were a few things in the end that bugged me about the story. I'll cover them up because they are spoilers.
All in all this was an okay read, but not what I was expecting. There are some heartbreaking parts to this story and it had more of an overall melancholy feel than what the cover would imply. I never really warmed to Edie or any of the other characters enough to make me care about them.
This book was different than I was anticipating. I thought it was going to be a missing person mystery, but in reality it was more along the line of Elizabeth Is Missing.
Set in two timelines, 1951 and 2018.
In 1951, by pure chance, teenagers Edie and Lucy become friends. Edie is somewhat of an outcast due to her mother's side job as a psychic who conducts seances. When Edie sees something she shouldn't, she and Lucy become friends. Then something happens and Lucy disappears.
In 2018, Edie is now 84 years old and still living in the same small town. She thinks she sees Lucy one day, and goes on a mission to discover what exactly happened to Lucy all those years ago.
The book did keep my interest, but the dementia storyline was exhausting after a while. There were a few things in the end that bugged me about the story. I'll cover them up because they are spoilers.
All in all this was an okay read, but not what I was expecting. There are some heartbreaking parts to this story and it had more of an overall melancholy feel than what the cover would imply. I never really warmed to Edie or any of the other characters enough to make me care about them.
January 21, 2024
Edie is 84 years old now and she still wonders how her friend Lucy went missing. She lives in a suburban street that she thinks are holding secrets. Could she be right?
But at 84 years old her memory is not so good. All she recalls is that she’s kept Lucy’s secret for more than sixty years.
What is that secret?
Evie’s mom was known by all as an eccentric woman who preforms seances for the community. But Edie is lonely and doesn’t want this life. Her loneliness fades when Lucy befriends her.
Trouble is……Lucy has a secret which Edie stumbled upon, facing Lucy with what she knows she’s asked Edie not to tell. Edie doesn’t feel comfortable with keeping this secret.
Lucy goes missing…..
That all happened in 1951 and now it’s 2018 and Edie is eighty two.
But then……Edie spots Lucy. She’s still fifteen and looks the same!
Yet no one will listen to her, she’s eighty two and her mind plays tricks.
This was such a good story as we know when we age our minds dull and this is portrayed very much in this story. What can people around her dismiss? Is any of it true?
I listened to this on audio and was pleasantly surprised how much this sucked me in.
But at 84 years old her memory is not so good. All she recalls is that she’s kept Lucy’s secret for more than sixty years.
What is that secret?
Evie’s mom was known by all as an eccentric woman who preforms seances for the community. But Edie is lonely and doesn’t want this life. Her loneliness fades when Lucy befriends her.
Trouble is……Lucy has a secret which Edie stumbled upon, facing Lucy with what she knows she’s asked Edie not to tell. Edie doesn’t feel comfortable with keeping this secret.
Lucy goes missing…..
That all happened in 1951 and now it’s 2018 and Edie is eighty two.
But then……Edie spots Lucy. She’s still fifteen and looks the same!
Yet no one will listen to her, she’s eighty two and her mind plays tricks.
This was such a good story as we know when we age our minds dull and this is portrayed very much in this story. What can people around her dismiss? Is any of it true?
I listened to this on audio and was pleasantly surprised how much this sucked me in.
May 18, 2023
82 year old Edie has kept a secret for 67 years. The problem now is that she has forgotten that secret and needs to remember. As a 15 year old she had a friend, Lucy Threddle. Eddie has had a fleeting glance of Lucy outside the Post Office. But Lucy disappeared in 1951 and her whereabouts has remained a mystery ever since. Edie knows she must find out what happened to Lucy but with a failing memory, this is no easy task. Edie is determined to retain her independence and feels that if she can successfully solve the mystery, she will show that she is capable of remaining to live in her family home.
Emily Critchley’s debut adult novel moves effortlessly between two timelines – 1951 and 2018. We meet the two schoolgirls in 1951 at the beginning of their unlikely friendship which initially began as a result of a secret – Mayor’s daughter Lucy and Edie, the daughter of a seemingly fraudulent medium whose seances make Edie the butt of cruel bullying at school. The ups and downs of their friendship together with the family and personal dramas that both girls have to deal with make for such an engrossing story. The story is also a social commentary on life and choices, especially for women, in the 1950s.
One Puzzling Afternoon was such an engrossing read, especially the historical part where the lives and friendship of these two schoolgirls has a coming of age undercurrent combined with an intriguing mystery. Edie and Lucy were very different in personality but both so compelling on the page. I had my own theories about Lucy’s disappearance however I was blindsided by the final unexpected conclusion.
Edie’s distress over her memory issues are sensitively written as are the concerns of her family at her increasingly unpredictable behaviour. Having experience of a loved one with dementia I thought Edie’s first person voice extremely moving as she moves between lucidity and confusion.
It sounds wrong to say I enjoyed a story that focuses on such a devastating illness but the superb tender characterisation together with the intriguing mystery element just makes for a fantastic read. Beautifully written, this is one to recommend.
Emily Critchley’s debut adult novel moves effortlessly between two timelines – 1951 and 2018. We meet the two schoolgirls in 1951 at the beginning of their unlikely friendship which initially began as a result of a secret – Mayor’s daughter Lucy and Edie, the daughter of a seemingly fraudulent medium whose seances make Edie the butt of cruel bullying at school. The ups and downs of their friendship together with the family and personal dramas that both girls have to deal with make for such an engrossing story. The story is also a social commentary on life and choices, especially for women, in the 1950s.
One Puzzling Afternoon was such an engrossing read, especially the historical part where the lives and friendship of these two schoolgirls has a coming of age undercurrent combined with an intriguing mystery. Edie and Lucy were very different in personality but both so compelling on the page. I had my own theories about Lucy’s disappearance however I was blindsided by the final unexpected conclusion.
Edie’s distress over her memory issues are sensitively written as are the concerns of her family at her increasingly unpredictable behaviour. Having experience of a loved one with dementia I thought Edie’s first person voice extremely moving as she moves between lucidity and confusion.
It sounds wrong to say I enjoyed a story that focuses on such a devastating illness but the superb tender characterisation together with the intriguing mystery element just makes for a fantastic read. Beautifully written, this is one to recommend.
June 30, 2023
This was really enjoyable!
A mystery done in a dual timeline, as you try to unravel what happened to Edie's school friend Lucy. The dual timeline was really well done, each chapter gives you another clue.
Some scenes made my heart clench- the seances and the ending!
Really powerful read.
A mystery done in a dual timeline, as you try to unravel what happened to Edie's school friend Lucy. The dual timeline was really well done, each chapter gives you another clue.
Some scenes made my heart clench- the seances and the ending!
Really powerful read.
May 25, 2023
What a wonderful storyteller debut author Emily Critchley is!
“One Puzzling Afternoon” is beautifully written with endearing characters and a heartwarming, sentimental storyline. I was drawn into the book instantly and fell immediately in love with Edie. The tenderness Emily portrayed eighty-four year old Edie as she described the fog that often descends on her and the confusion that follows, was just perfect and gave a first hand insight into how early dementia effects a person’s emotions and actions.
There’s a dual timeline, which I always enjoy, Edie ‘now’ in 2018 and Edie back in 1951. As Edie’s confusion threatens to take over permanently, she is adamant that finding her friend Lucy who went missing in 1951, will prove to her family that she can remember things on her own and doesn’t need help. However, as she starts to recall the events leading up to Lucy’s disappearance, she realises things might not be as simple as just Lucy going missing and she may have had more involvement than she could have imagined. When the truth is finally revealed, it is heartbreaking for Edie to realise she forgot such an integral part of the events and finally comes to terms with her family’s recommendation to move away with them.
Sensitively written involving important and emotional topics but a delightfully entertaining read, despite the sad themes. Highly recommend and look forward to reading more from Emily Critchley in the future.
#OnePuzzlingAfternoon - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“One Puzzling Afternoon” is beautifully written with endearing characters and a heartwarming, sentimental storyline. I was drawn into the book instantly and fell immediately in love with Edie. The tenderness Emily portrayed eighty-four year old Edie as she described the fog that often descends on her and the confusion that follows, was just perfect and gave a first hand insight into how early dementia effects a person’s emotions and actions.
There’s a dual timeline, which I always enjoy, Edie ‘now’ in 2018 and Edie back in 1951. As Edie’s confusion threatens to take over permanently, she is adamant that finding her friend Lucy who went missing in 1951, will prove to her family that she can remember things on her own and doesn’t need help. However, as she starts to recall the events leading up to Lucy’s disappearance, she realises things might not be as simple as just Lucy going missing and she may have had more involvement than she could have imagined. When the truth is finally revealed, it is heartbreaking for Edie to realise she forgot such an integral part of the events and finally comes to terms with her family’s recommendation to move away with them.
Sensitively written involving important and emotional topics but a delightfully entertaining read, despite the sad themes. Highly recommend and look forward to reading more from Emily Critchley in the future.
#OnePuzzlingAfternoon - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
July 12, 2023
Quick read. Was fairly easy to see where things were headed. We found out what happened with Edie as she remembered the past. There didn't seem to be a logical (strong) reaspn why the main character kept what had happened a secret for so long or was so determined now after forgetting what happened to tell people.
November 5, 2023
2018 - Edie has started losing bits of memory, a word here, a name there, why she is in the kitchen and did she eat breakfast. But even as she loses more and more of these moments, her memories of the day her best friend, Lucy, disappeared 67 years ago begin to return after she is sure she sees her on the street although still young. Now, as so much of her life is fading, she is determined to find Lucy.
1951 - Edie is fifteen years old. She is a shy girl without friends, often bullied by the other girls. One day, she accidentally witnesses another girl’s secret. The girl. Lucy, is very popular so just knowing her secret makes Edie feel closer to her. She usually eats her lunch alone but, when she arrives at her usual spot, she finds Lucy there. They strike up a conversation and the pair become unlikely best friends. Soon, Edie becomes the keeper of all Lucy’s secrets right up until the day of Lucy’s disappearance.
One Puzzling Afternoon by Emily Critchley is a quiet, compelling, and often heartbreaking story told in the two alternating timelines. Edie is a very likeable but unreliable narrator due to her developing dementia which Critchley describes with deep compassion and empathy. The mystery, itself, was well-constructed and kept me guessing until the satisfying ending.
I received an arc of this book from Negalley and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review.
1951 - Edie is fifteen years old. She is a shy girl without friends, often bullied by the other girls. One day, she accidentally witnesses another girl’s secret. The girl. Lucy, is very popular so just knowing her secret makes Edie feel closer to her. She usually eats her lunch alone but, when she arrives at her usual spot, she finds Lucy there. They strike up a conversation and the pair become unlikely best friends. Soon, Edie becomes the keeper of all Lucy’s secrets right up until the day of Lucy’s disappearance.
One Puzzling Afternoon by Emily Critchley is a quiet, compelling, and often heartbreaking story told in the two alternating timelines. Edie is a very likeable but unreliable narrator due to her developing dementia which Critchley describes with deep compassion and empathy. The mystery, itself, was well-constructed and kept me guessing until the satisfying ending.
I received an arc of this book from Negalley and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review.
June 19, 2024
A quick, linear - in two timelines: 1951 and 2018 - and satisfying mystery, written in a completely readable, brisk manner. No wasted words here, folks!
And not a cozy-cozy either, though it has those cozy elements: elderly woman as MC, mystery involving her past, relatives which are caring yet frustrated. Yep. cozy-ish...
But also quite dark, and complex, as the reader has no idea what's (really) up because Edie, early 80's, has dementia. (This should be a familiar topic to so many these days as we older folk keep hanging on...)
Quick aside, and I almost add a personal reflection, so skip this paragraph if you're tired of me. But I had my first 'does-she-have-dementia-test' a year go. Anyhow, I flunked a major part of it because my (then) doctor had an accent which I sometimes found hard to understand. When she said 'remember this,' and said three quick words, I thought she was talking about her receptionist. (She had also just said I was to see the receptionist before I leave.) So when she later said, repeat those three words I was like: 'What three words?' Yep, failed that. But when a new doctor ALSO gave me a test - due to my age I was told - I got an A+, perfect. I even drew my clock using Roman numerals and asked the doctor: wanna see me write it in binary? The point is, I can identify with MUCH of this book.
But Edie? She's flummoxed, keeps seeing a friend from her teenage years, a girl who disappeared in 1951. She's struggling to remember what happened when, while also juggling caregivers, adult children and an environment which keeps constantly changing. It's poignant in places and darn exasperating in others. You just want to reach into the pages and kick-start poor Edie...
But she also has moments of startling clarity - and yep, that's dementia for you. One minute you can do the multiplication tables up into the 14's and the next you're struggling to understand what a nickel is. (Five cents in the US for Europeans.) At any rate, it was a quick and interesting read.
I'd pick up the next book by Ms. Critchley, for sure.
Five stars.
And not a cozy-cozy either, though it has those cozy elements: elderly woman as MC, mystery involving her past, relatives which are caring yet frustrated. Yep. cozy-ish...
But also quite dark, and complex, as the reader has no idea what's (really) up because Edie, early 80's, has dementia. (This should be a familiar topic to so many these days as we older folk keep hanging on...)
Quick aside, and I almost add a personal reflection, so skip this paragraph if you're tired of me. But I had my first 'does-she-have-dementia-test' a year go. Anyhow, I flunked a major part of it because my (then) doctor had an accent which I sometimes found hard to understand. When she said 'remember this,' and said three quick words, I thought she was talking about her receptionist. (She had also just said I was to see the receptionist before I leave.) So when she later said, repeat those three words I was like: 'What three words?' Yep, failed that. But when a new doctor ALSO gave me a test - due to my age I was told - I got an A+, perfect. I even drew my clock using Roman numerals and asked the doctor: wanna see me write it in binary? The point is, I can identify with MUCH of this book.
But Edie? She's flummoxed, keeps seeing a friend from her teenage years, a girl who disappeared in 1951. She's struggling to remember what happened when, while also juggling caregivers, adult children and an environment which keeps constantly changing. It's poignant in places and darn exasperating in others. You just want to reach into the pages and kick-start poor Edie...
But she also has moments of startling clarity - and yep, that's dementia for you. One minute you can do the multiplication tables up into the 14's and the next you're struggling to understand what a nickel is. (Five cents in the US for Europeans.) At any rate, it was a quick and interesting read.
I'd pick up the next book by Ms. Critchley, for sure.
Five stars.
September 25, 2023
I picked up this book because I was in the mood for a mystery and the description sounded interesting.
Description:
A mystery she can't remember. A friend she can't forget.
I kept your secret Lucy. I've kept it for more than sixty years . . .
It is 1951, and at number six Sycamore Street fifteen-year-old Edie Green is lonely. Living alone with her eccentric mother - who conducts seances for the local Ludthorpe community - she is desperate for something to shake her from her dull, isolated life.
When the popular, pretty Lucy Theddle befriends Edie, she thinks all her troubles are over. But Lucy has a secret, one Edie is not certain she should keep . . .
Then Lucy goes missing.
2018. Edie is eighty-four and still living in Ludthorpe. When one day she glimpses Lucy Theddle, still looking the same as she did at fifteen, her family write it off as one of her many mix ups. There's a lot Edie gets confused about these days. A lot she finds difficult to remember. But what she does know is this: she must find out what happened to Lucy, all those years ago . . .
My Thoughts:
It's funny how when you get older you look back at things that happened in the past and try to make them right. That's what Edie was trying to do as she slipped into losing her memory to dementia. She needed to remember what happened to her friend Lucy and find her. It was sad to see her attempts to start something and then forget what she was doing and why. I lost my husband to Alzheimer's and aspects of Edie's plight hit home. The author treated Edie's affiction with sensitivity while still showing both how Edie was feeling as well as other people's perceptions of her. I liked Edie's character and my heart went out to her. The book is well-written and well plotted.
Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on October 3, 2023.
Description:
A mystery she can't remember. A friend she can't forget.
I kept your secret Lucy. I've kept it for more than sixty years . . .
It is 1951, and at number six Sycamore Street fifteen-year-old Edie Green is lonely. Living alone with her eccentric mother - who conducts seances for the local Ludthorpe community - she is desperate for something to shake her from her dull, isolated life.
When the popular, pretty Lucy Theddle befriends Edie, she thinks all her troubles are over. But Lucy has a secret, one Edie is not certain she should keep . . .
Then Lucy goes missing.
2018. Edie is eighty-four and still living in Ludthorpe. When one day she glimpses Lucy Theddle, still looking the same as she did at fifteen, her family write it off as one of her many mix ups. There's a lot Edie gets confused about these days. A lot she finds difficult to remember. But what she does know is this: she must find out what happened to Lucy, all those years ago . . .
My Thoughts:
It's funny how when you get older you look back at things that happened in the past and try to make them right. That's what Edie was trying to do as she slipped into losing her memory to dementia. She needed to remember what happened to her friend Lucy and find her. It was sad to see her attempts to start something and then forget what she was doing and why. I lost my husband to Alzheimer's and aspects of Edie's plight hit home. The author treated Edie's affiction with sensitivity while still showing both how Edie was feeling as well as other people's perceptions of her. I liked Edie's character and my heart went out to her. The book is well-written and well plotted.
Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on October 3, 2023.
October 6, 2023
Absorbing, mysterious, and heartfelt!
One Puzzling Afternoon is a heartwarming, captivating tale that takes you into the life of Edie Green, an eighty-two-year-old woman who, although struggling with a mind that is quickly losing the present while scattering the past, is determined to do whatever she can to piece those memories together before they’re gone for good to find her beloved friend whom she glimpsed only the other day but who actually hasn’t been seen since she disappeared almost seventy years ago.
The prose is evocative and warm. The characters are troubled, genuine, and endearing. And the plot, told in a past/present style, is a delightfully affecting tale about life, love, loss, family, friendship, deception, tragedy, community, dementia, and secrets.
Overall, One Puzzling Afternoon is a compelling, tender, lovely tale by Critchley that I absolutely adored and which did a beautiful job of reminding us that sharing, capturing, and remembering all those special moments in time, good or bad, is truly what life is all about.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
One Puzzling Afternoon is a heartwarming, captivating tale that takes you into the life of Edie Green, an eighty-two-year-old woman who, although struggling with a mind that is quickly losing the present while scattering the past, is determined to do whatever she can to piece those memories together before they’re gone for good to find her beloved friend whom she glimpsed only the other day but who actually hasn’t been seen since she disappeared almost seventy years ago.
The prose is evocative and warm. The characters are troubled, genuine, and endearing. And the plot, told in a past/present style, is a delightfully affecting tale about life, love, loss, family, friendship, deception, tragedy, community, dementia, and secrets.
Overall, One Puzzling Afternoon is a compelling, tender, lovely tale by Critchley that I absolutely adored and which did a beautiful job of reminding us that sharing, capturing, and remembering all those special moments in time, good or bad, is truly what life is all about.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 18, 2023
One Puzzling Afternoon is a wonderfully, sensitive, beautifully told story in which the main character, Edie, in the early stages of dementia tries to remember something she knows was very important which happened to her best friend Lucy back in 1951. This riveting read which flashes back to that mysterious day, and what led up to it, to the present day which in this case is 2018, follows Edie’s desperate journey as she tries to put the pieces of the puzzle together as to what happened to Lucy before her crumbling memory makes it impossible.
As 84-year-old Edie walks down the street, she suddenly sees a young girl who looks exactly like her best friend from when they were teenagers. She knows it’s her! But her best friend Lucy would be the same age as Edie, so she is confused. But that sighting sets Edie on an incredibly difficult adventure.
Edie realizes she knows something about Lucy which no one else knows. But for the life of her she can’t remember what it is. Lucy disappeared one afternoon back in 1951 and was never seen again. There were so many theories on what happened to her, but Edie for some reason feels they are all wrong.
So, Edie tells her family about Lucy, although she knows she’s confused while explaining the story. Her family feels Edie is just confused as she has just been diagnosed with dementia and is forgetting quite a great deal. So much so she can’t really live alone anymore, and they are selling her house and buying one so she can live with them.
Growing up in 1951 Edie was a teased teenage girl with no friends whose father had died and whose mother did the best she could to make money. She worked as a psychic with Edie’s help and that was frowned upon back in the day. And then when her mother remarried, Edie’s life was made even more miserable by this overbearing man who had such distain for her.
And then for some reason Lucy Theddle, a popular, beautiful, rich girl became her friend…and her world changed! They were inseparable and told each other all their secrets. Well Lucy told Edie. And then something happened. And Lucy was just gone.
And now it’s up to Edie to figure out what happened that day. She remembers parts, but not all and what she remembers is jumbled. One thing for sure, she knows she promised Lucy she would never tell. But what was it she was not supposed to tell? What does Edie know?
For Edie, she knows it’s a race against time to figure this out and without the support of her family she just hopes she’ll be able to do this for Lucy before all is forgotten.
One Puzzling Afternoon is a unique story which looks at what happens when someone’s brain begins to fail them, and the despair of their family as they try and navigate a situation which will never get better, only worse.
Thank you #NetGalley #Sourcebooks/Landmark #OnePuzzingAfternoon #EmilyCritchley for the advanced copy.
As 84-year-old Edie walks down the street, she suddenly sees a young girl who looks exactly like her best friend from when they were teenagers. She knows it’s her! But her best friend Lucy would be the same age as Edie, so she is confused. But that sighting sets Edie on an incredibly difficult adventure.
Edie realizes she knows something about Lucy which no one else knows. But for the life of her she can’t remember what it is. Lucy disappeared one afternoon back in 1951 and was never seen again. There were so many theories on what happened to her, but Edie for some reason feels they are all wrong.
So, Edie tells her family about Lucy, although she knows she’s confused while explaining the story. Her family feels Edie is just confused as she has just been diagnosed with dementia and is forgetting quite a great deal. So much so she can’t really live alone anymore, and they are selling her house and buying one so she can live with them.
Growing up in 1951 Edie was a teased teenage girl with no friends whose father had died and whose mother did the best she could to make money. She worked as a psychic with Edie’s help and that was frowned upon back in the day. And then when her mother remarried, Edie’s life was made even more miserable by this overbearing man who had such distain for her.
And then for some reason Lucy Theddle, a popular, beautiful, rich girl became her friend…and her world changed! They were inseparable and told each other all their secrets. Well Lucy told Edie. And then something happened. And Lucy was just gone.
And now it’s up to Edie to figure out what happened that day. She remembers parts, but not all and what she remembers is jumbled. One thing for sure, she knows she promised Lucy she would never tell. But what was it she was not supposed to tell? What does Edie know?
For Edie, she knows it’s a race against time to figure this out and without the support of her family she just hopes she’ll be able to do this for Lucy before all is forgotten.
One Puzzling Afternoon is a unique story which looks at what happens when someone’s brain begins to fail them, and the despair of their family as they try and navigate a situation which will never get better, only worse.
Thank you #NetGalley #Sourcebooks/Landmark #OnePuzzingAfternoon #EmilyCritchley for the advanced copy.
June 10, 2023
This book by Emily Critchley has a dual timeline, looking to the past of 1951 and the "present" of 2018, when the protagonist--Edie--is in her 80s. In addition, she is suffering from a progressively worsening dementia, which I have to say I don't think I've ever read a book where the protagonist is in such mental decline. It's definitely an interesting premise! My grandfather had Alzheimer's, and the constant worry and fretting of the family when Edie would get out and go to random places and would have sudden outbursts of temper were certainly very familiar to me. Kudos to the author for portraying that so well.
The plot of the novel is that Edie has seen her friend Lucy one day while in town--but that can't be possible, as she disappeared 60 years ago. Worse still, Lucy looked precisely as she did all those decades ago. Now Edie has recalled the horrible occurrence and is on a mission to piece together what happened to Lucy and bring peace to her before she has forgotten her entirely.
It is a quick read, but I only really found Lucy as well as Edie and her immediate family of any real interest or possessing great depth in the story. People who enjoy reading about the (fairly recent) past as well as crime/mystery would probably enjoy this book.
NOTE: I didn't want to post this bit here on NetGalley because I don't think they want me to do spoilers, but I guessed basically from the jump that Edie was either involved in Lucy's murder or at least had something to do with it. The realisation that it was her stepfather Reg in an "accident" (shoving her so she hit her head on the stove) who NOT ONLY covered it up BUT ALSO charged her GRIEVING, DISTRAUGHT MOTHER for a seance is sickening and revolting, but in a good way to further underline how self-serving and reprehensible he was. Also I really love medium/seance-y stuff in stories, and was surprised with it in this book, so that was a fun little extra I didn't know I'd get!!
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The plot of the novel is that Edie has seen her friend Lucy one day while in town--but that can't be possible, as she disappeared 60 years ago. Worse still, Lucy looked precisely as she did all those decades ago. Now Edie has recalled the horrible occurrence and is on a mission to piece together what happened to Lucy and bring peace to her before she has forgotten her entirely.
It is a quick read, but I only really found Lucy as well as Edie and her immediate family of any real interest or possessing great depth in the story. People who enjoy reading about the (fairly recent) past as well as crime/mystery would probably enjoy this book.
NOTE: I didn't want to post this bit here on NetGalley because I don't think they want me to do spoilers, but I guessed basically from the jump that Edie was either involved in Lucy's murder or at least had something to do with it. The realisation that it was her stepfather Reg in an "accident" (shoving her so she hit her head on the stove) who NOT ONLY covered it up BUT ALSO charged her GRIEVING, DISTRAUGHT MOTHER for a seance is sickening and revolting, but in a good way to further underline how self-serving and reprehensible he was. Also I really love medium/seance-y stuff in stories, and was surprised with it in this book, so that was a fun little extra I didn't know I'd get!!
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2023
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
One Puzzling Afternoon by Emily Critchley
Narrated by Elizabeth Sastre
I really enjoyed this suspenseful novel that skillfully weaves together two timelines: one in 1951, where lonely 15-year-old Edie Green forms an unlikely friendship with the popular and secretive Lucy Threddle, and another in 2018, where an 82-year-old Edie grapples with memory challenges while attempting to unravel a long-standing mystery from her past.
I don’t want to reveal too much because this was such a compelling story. The narration was very well done but I’m sure the physical book would be great too. If you enjoy a well-crafted mystery, I highly recommend this book.
One Puzzling Afternoon by Emily Critchley
Narrated by Elizabeth Sastre
I really enjoyed this suspenseful novel that skillfully weaves together two timelines: one in 1951, where lonely 15-year-old Edie Green forms an unlikely friendship with the popular and secretive Lucy Threddle, and another in 2018, where an 82-year-old Edie grapples with memory challenges while attempting to unravel a long-standing mystery from her past.
I don’t want to reveal too much because this was such a compelling story. The narration was very well done but I’m sure the physical book would be great too. If you enjoy a well-crafted mystery, I highly recommend this book.
September 9, 2023
Poignant and bittersweet, this is a beautifully told story about Edie, a woman in her 80s who is living with dementia and who starts having visions of her friend, Lucy, who went missing over more than 60 years ago and was never found. With the help of her granddaughter, Edie is determined to find out what happened to Lucy.
Told in two timeframes (2018 and early 1950s), we see the story through Edie’s eyes as an old woman who is struggling to piece together what happened to her friend all those years ago and as an awkward, lonely teenager when she and Lucy met and became friends in the time leading up to her disappearance.
Edie is a wonderful, likeable character and the reader is easily pulled into her life. The descriptions of Edie’s state of mind, the moments of confusion and lucidity as the dementia progresses are well done and there is a solid resolution to the mystery of what happened to Lucy. This will be one of my favourite reads this year. Beautifully done story and a debut to boot! I’ll be looking forward to reading more from this author!
Told in two timeframes (2018 and early 1950s), we see the story through Edie’s eyes as an old woman who is struggling to piece together what happened to her friend all those years ago and as an awkward, lonely teenager when she and Lucy met and became friends in the time leading up to her disappearance.
Edie is a wonderful, likeable character and the reader is easily pulled into her life. The descriptions of Edie’s state of mind, the moments of confusion and lucidity as the dementia progresses are well done and there is a solid resolution to the mystery of what happened to Lucy. This will be one of my favourite reads this year. Beautifully done story and a debut to boot! I’ll be looking forward to reading more from this author!
October 18, 2023
A novel told in dual timelines (1951 and 2018) as Edie Green, who is suffering from dementia, has flashbacks to her youth and the events around the time her friend went missing.
This was an okay read. The portrayal of dementia was generally well handled however, aspects of the plot were predictable.
This was an okay read. The portrayal of dementia was generally well handled however, aspects of the plot were predictable.
January 1, 2024
"One Puzzling Afternoon" is a bittersweet tale of the lasting impact of early friendship across decades. There are two timelines, 1951 post-World War II and 2018. It begins with an unlikely friendship between two young girls. There is an affair between a schoolgirl and a married teacher with unseen repercussions, a girl gone missing and never found, and her best friend, now an old woman with dementia, who is convinced that the answers are buried in her somewhere. I recommend "One Puzzling Afternoon" to readers who enjoy mysteries and family dramas.
I received a drc from the publisher via NetGalley. Many thanks.
I received a drc from the publisher via NetGalley. Many thanks.
February 3, 2024
Did not finish this depressing tale of a woman with dementia trying to remember what happened 60 years ago. I really enjoyed Elizabeth is missing on a similar subject but this was so dreary and depressing, I gave up
October 6, 2023
Memories can sustain us, or alternately they can injure our psyche to such an extent that we can bury them deep. Such was the case with Edie Green. At the tender age of sixteen Edie's friend goes missing. Edie knows what happened, yet she cannot divulge the circumstances. She MUST keep Lucy's secret.
Now, Edie is eighty-two and suffering from the early stages of dementia. She is frustrated daily by the loss of her memories and laments her loss of independence. A former English teacher, Edie now forgets how to spell certain words - even forgets the words for everyday objects. Her son, daughter-in-law, and beloved granddaughter want her to move with them to Devon where she will live in a 'granny annex'. Edie doesn't want to leave the town where she grew up and the house where she has spent her entire married life. Now widowed and alone, Edie's grasp on everyday routines is slipping. One day she 'sees' her friend Lucy in town. Lucy has not aged at all... Edie's mind is playing tricks. It is this sighting that spurs Edie to try to discover what happened to Lucy all those years ago. Does she know? Has her mind hidden the truth from her all this time?
Written in dual timelines, this novel was poignant and I felt for Edie's plight. Her tenuous grasp on her memories, and her confusion about how her life is playing out, seemed very real. Let's face it, we all know of someone who is suffering from this terrible disease and it is an eye-opener to experience it from the perspective of one who is coping with it from the 'inside' as it were.
It was interesting to note just what can spur memories to return. A certain smell? A word? A taste?
In the 1950s timeline, we come to realize that Edie's early life was traumatic. She lost her beloved father in a drowning accident right after the war. Her mother was eccentric, had a history of mental illness, and had aspirations of a higher social class. Meanwhile she held seances as a way of earning some much needed income. Then, Edie's mother remarried. Reg, Edie's new step-father, was an odious man.
Part mystery (what happened to Lucy?), part family drama, this novel vividly captured the conflicting emotions of a person suffering from dementia. The story was slow-paced, empathically rendered, and the dual time line plot was well done. I can confidently recommend this book as a novel that will remain in your memory for some time.
Now, Edie is eighty-two and suffering from the early stages of dementia. She is frustrated daily by the loss of her memories and laments her loss of independence. A former English teacher, Edie now forgets how to spell certain words - even forgets the words for everyday objects. Her son, daughter-in-law, and beloved granddaughter want her to move with them to Devon where she will live in a 'granny annex'. Edie doesn't want to leave the town where she grew up and the house where she has spent her entire married life. Now widowed and alone, Edie's grasp on everyday routines is slipping. One day she 'sees' her friend Lucy in town. Lucy has not aged at all... Edie's mind is playing tricks. It is this sighting that spurs Edie to try to discover what happened to Lucy all those years ago. Does she know? Has her mind hidden the truth from her all this time?
Written in dual timelines, this novel was poignant and I felt for Edie's plight. Her tenuous grasp on her memories, and her confusion about how her life is playing out, seemed very real. Let's face it, we all know of someone who is suffering from this terrible disease and it is an eye-opener to experience it from the perspective of one who is coping with it from the 'inside' as it were.
It was interesting to note just what can spur memories to return. A certain smell? A word? A taste?
In the 1950s timeline, we come to realize that Edie's early life was traumatic. She lost her beloved father in a drowning accident right after the war. Her mother was eccentric, had a history of mental illness, and had aspirations of a higher social class. Meanwhile she held seances as a way of earning some much needed income. Then, Edie's mother remarried. Reg, Edie's new step-father, was an odious man.
Part mystery (what happened to Lucy?), part family drama, this novel vividly captured the conflicting emotions of a person suffering from dementia. The story was slow-paced, empathically rendered, and the dual time line plot was well done. I can confidently recommend this book as a novel that will remain in your memory for some time.
February 21, 2024
I started this book with minimal expectations, having never heard of the book or the author, and I can now say this book wasn't for me. Overall it was paced too slow and the book was too long for me to find it enjoyable or gripping, but it wasn't so bad that I stopped outright (plus, it was for a book club and I tend to see book club picks through to the end).
The subject matter of this book is heavy and for me there was a personal connection. In this book, the main character is begging a mental decline from dementia. The action of the book takes place in the present-ish of 2018 as she is struggling to maintain her grip on the present, but she also jumps back to 1951 where she is desperate to remember what happened to her friend that went missing in high school. It is a sad and bleak book. Also, there is a history of dementia in my family, so I started this book with my teeth clenched and stayed that way throughout.
Suffice it to say, I found it a difficult read. Watching a person struggle with dementia + watching said person's family struggle with their dementia + teenage girl in a small town with limited options + unsupportive mother = A real bummer. And I don't want to spoil it, but there are two other plot points that are even bigger bummers than what I've already mentioned. I appreciate what the author did with the POV so that the reader could understand what this illness does both to a person experiencing it and their family members, but it was a toil for me to make it through.
All that to say, since I already said this book isn't something I would have picked up, and it was chosen by someone else in my book club, it's not surprising that it wasn't my favorite, but I do think it'll make for good book club conversation.
In somewhat related news, needing this book lead me to an amazing discovery. My library didn't have it but I learned I could take my library card and go to an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT LIBRARY OUTSIDE OF MY OWN BRANCH and use the card and get a book. REVOLUTIONARY. I'm only mad I've been living here for 7 years and didn't know. So, don't be like me. See if the same is possible for you where you live!
The subject matter of this book is heavy and for me there was a personal connection. In this book, the main character is begging a mental decline from dementia. The action of the book takes place in the present-ish of 2018 as she is struggling to maintain her grip on the present, but she also jumps back to 1951 where she is desperate to remember what happened to her friend that went missing in high school. It is a sad and bleak book. Also, there is a history of dementia in my family, so I started this book with my teeth clenched and stayed that way throughout.
Suffice it to say, I found it a difficult read. Watching a person struggle with dementia + watching said person's family struggle with their dementia + teenage girl in a small town with limited options + unsupportive mother = A real bummer. And I don't want to spoil it, but there are two other plot points that are even bigger bummers than what I've already mentioned. I appreciate what the author did with the POV so that the reader could understand what this illness does both to a person experiencing it and their family members, but it was a toil for me to make it through.
All that to say, since I already said this book isn't something I would have picked up, and it was chosen by someone else in my book club, it's not surprising that it wasn't my favorite, but I do think it'll make for good book club conversation.
In somewhat related news, needing this book lead me to an amazing discovery. My library didn't have it but I learned I could take my library card and go to an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT LIBRARY OUTSIDE OF MY OWN BRANCH and use the card and get a book. REVOLUTIONARY. I'm only mad I've been living here for 7 years and didn't know. So, don't be like me. See if the same is possible for you where you live!
August 28, 2023
Edie Green is 84 years old and living in a small village in England. She is a widow with a comfortable home and a devoted son and grand-daughter. Ever since 1951, Edie has kept a secret for her friend Lucy Theddle. Lucy and Edie had been good friends until one day in 1951 Lucy went missing and has never been found. It is now 2018 and out in the village one day, Edie sees Lucy, looking exactly as she did in 1951. Edie desperately wants to figure out the mystery of Lucy’s disappearance, if only she could remember.
This is a fascinating and quick read, with a likeable character in the strong-willed and sensitive Edie. The story unfolds in flashbacks to a young Edie in 1951, growing up with the tragedy of her father’s death overshadowing her life and the embarrassment of her mother’s evening seances being the talk of the village. The author provides a sadly realistic portrayal of a woman trying to cope with her decline in cognitive function and maintain her independence.
The mystery aspect of the storyline could have been fleshed out a little more however. There are compelling motives for both Max Wheaton and his wife, as well as Rupert Mayhew, which could have richly expanded the mystery narrative and turned into a real whodunnit. This didn’t appear to be the author’s intent for the story as she focused on Edie’s internal struggle to overcome the gaping holes in her memory due to trauma, time and illness.
Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for the copy to read and review.
This is a fascinating and quick read, with a likeable character in the strong-willed and sensitive Edie. The story unfolds in flashbacks to a young Edie in 1951, growing up with the tragedy of her father’s death overshadowing her life and the embarrassment of her mother’s evening seances being the talk of the village. The author provides a sadly realistic portrayal of a woman trying to cope with her decline in cognitive function and maintain her independence.
The mystery aspect of the storyline could have been fleshed out a little more however. There are compelling motives for both Max Wheaton and his wife, as well as Rupert Mayhew, which could have richly expanded the mystery narrative and turned into a real whodunnit. This didn’t appear to be the author’s intent for the story as she focused on Edie’s internal struggle to overcome the gaping holes in her memory due to trauma, time and illness.
Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for the copy to read and review.
January 16, 2023
Wow what a beautifully and sensitively written novel that I feel sure will be one of my books of the year.
In 2018 84 year old Edie lives alone, she is becoming increasingly confused and forgetful and her son is planning to move her to Devon with him and his family. To prove to her son that her memory is still intact Edie is trying to find out what happened to her childhood friend Lucy who disappeared in 1951.
The novel is told in a dual timeframe and I adored both the 1950s and present day settings. In 1951 lonely Edie is thrilled when she's befriended by wealthy Lucy Theddle and becomes the keeper of Lucy's secrets. I loved the portrayal of 1950s England, the attitudes, the post war hardship and the characters. Edie is a wonderful creation and the author portrays her with sensitivity and empathy.
This is a gentle and immersive read that deals with important subjects, the writing is beautiful and the characterisation insightful. It reminded me of the writing of Joanna Cannon , an author whose work I adore.
A gorgeous novel that I highly recommend and aim to share with all my friends on publication.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.
In 2018 84 year old Edie lives alone, she is becoming increasingly confused and forgetful and her son is planning to move her to Devon with him and his family. To prove to her son that her memory is still intact Edie is trying to find out what happened to her childhood friend Lucy who disappeared in 1951.
The novel is told in a dual timeframe and I adored both the 1950s and present day settings. In 1951 lonely Edie is thrilled when she's befriended by wealthy Lucy Theddle and becomes the keeper of Lucy's secrets. I loved the portrayal of 1950s England, the attitudes, the post war hardship and the characters. Edie is a wonderful creation and the author portrays her with sensitivity and empathy.
This is a gentle and immersive read that deals with important subjects, the writing is beautiful and the characterisation insightful. It reminded me of the writing of Joanna Cannon , an author whose work I adore.
A gorgeous novel that I highly recommend and aim to share with all my friends on publication.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.
September 29, 2023
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
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
May 8, 2023
You cannot help but compare One Puzzling Afternoon to Elizabeth is Missing.
They both have a similar set up: a woman with dementia who is trying to solve a past mystery where they may have the vital clues if only they can remember.
The narrative jumps between the 1950s in the lead up to Lucy Theddle’s disappearance and 2018 where an increasingly disoriented Edie is trying to solve the mystery before she is moved to Devon by her struggling but caring son.
The characters were well realised and the plot never lagged. I would like to read a story where dementia is treated as just something that people get rather than as a plot device, however.
They both have a similar set up: a woman with dementia who is trying to solve a past mystery where they may have the vital clues if only they can remember.
The narrative jumps between the 1950s in the lead up to Lucy Theddle’s disappearance and 2018 where an increasingly disoriented Edie is trying to solve the mystery before she is moved to Devon by her struggling but caring son.
The characters were well realised and the plot never lagged. I would like to read a story where dementia is treated as just something that people get rather than as a plot device, however.
September 30, 2023
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.
May 8, 2024
This is a slow meandering read. About 75% of the way through it picks up but then fizzles out again in the ending. Is the epilogue supposed to leave you in suspense? Something is missing here.
June 18, 2025
I was a little unsure about this book when I had first picked it up but I am glad I did as this turned out to be an excellent story. It's one of those tales that jumps up and back from two different timelines: one in 1951 and then in 2018. Back in 1951 young Edie was only 16 years old and then in 2018 she is suffering from dementia. But dementia or not she is determined to solve the disappearance of her friend, Lucy.
I have never known anyone who had a memory problem but this book makes it very clear what that is like. You can't remember the names of common daily items like "bed" or "bus". You start to go somewhere but you forget where you are halfway there and everything looks strange. You try to jot things down on paper while they are in your thoughts but then you may lose the paper. And you make other mistakes too. Poor Edie makes so many in here and her frustration seems so very real. You would be upset too if you can no longer do the things you used to do easily...
I have to admit I never heard of anyone with dementia solving a mystery like this so I was very curious how that would even work! But somehow the author pulled it off very magnificently! I found myself liking both of the Edies in here, in both timelines. Some may think the older version suffers larger problems but the younger one also faces some very serious issues. For one she was not popular until one day Lucy starts to talk to her. Lucy changes her life in major ways but it's both good and bad.
The bits in 1951 have great details: food rationing, putting blackout curtains over the windows, someone got in trouble because they let light show through at night... It makes it all seem so real.
And some of the characters in here I hated!! They were just awful!! But it makes it more realistic too. And without these scummy people there would be no story.
The plot was fast moving too.. Never was bored reading this at all...and it has a huge unexpected plot twist too!
Great book and I do recommend it.
I have never known anyone who had a memory problem but this book makes it very clear what that is like. You can't remember the names of common daily items like "bed" or "bus". You start to go somewhere but you forget where you are halfway there and everything looks strange. You try to jot things down on paper while they are in your thoughts but then you may lose the paper. And you make other mistakes too. Poor Edie makes so many in here and her frustration seems so very real. You would be upset too if you can no longer do the things you used to do easily...
I have to admit I never heard of anyone with dementia solving a mystery like this so I was very curious how that would even work! But somehow the author pulled it off very magnificently! I found myself liking both of the Edies in here, in both timelines. Some may think the older version suffers larger problems but the younger one also faces some very serious issues. For one she was not popular until one day Lucy starts to talk to her. Lucy changes her life in major ways but it's both good and bad.
The bits in 1951 have great details: food rationing, putting blackout curtains over the windows, someone got in trouble because they let light show through at night... It makes it all seem so real.
And some of the characters in here I hated!! They were just awful!! But it makes it more realistic too. And without these scummy people there would be no story.
The plot was fast moving too.. Never was bored reading this at all...and it has a huge unexpected plot twist too!
Great book and I do recommend it.
December 5, 2023
Edie is in her 80’s, and one afternoon while in town she thinks she sees her childhood friend Lucy. The problem is, she sees Lucy as she was at 16 when she mysteriously disappeared. As the story continues, we see that Edie suffers from memory issues, and she sees this visit from Lucy as a challenge to prove that she still has her wits, and she decides to solve the mystery of her disappearance.
The book is written with dual timelines, so that we slowly discover Edie & Lucy’s friendship, and Edie’s past. Alternatively, we see how Edie and her family are dealing with her new reality, which is well written. Lucy has secrets which leads to multiple suspects as the story evolves. The book is gently paced, but does not drag at all… I found myself captured by Edie’s race against her brain and time to solve this mystery before her memories disappeared forever.
The book is written with dual timelines, so that we slowly discover Edie & Lucy’s friendship, and Edie’s past. Alternatively, we see how Edie and her family are dealing with her new reality, which is well written. Lucy has secrets which leads to multiple suspects as the story evolves. The book is gently paced, but does not drag at all… I found myself captured by Edie’s race against her brain and time to solve this mystery before her memories disappeared forever.
May 11, 2023
Super debut novel worth 5 star rating easily.
Written so astutely and with such sensitivity, One Puzzling Afternoon is a dual timeline story narrated by Edie, elderly and suffering from dementia in the present day and a schoolgirl in1951 when friend Lucy disappeared.
Edie is troubled by her fading memory, as is her son Daniel and granddaughter Amy. Some vital information is tugging at Edie's mind and heart and she is determined to solve the mystery of her missing friend all those decades ago.
There is so much detail and attention paid to an array of conflicting emotions experienced by the characters, that the reader is drawn in and further in, following the events of past and present until the two versions collide in a devastating way.
I was fortunate enough to read the book as a serialisation with Pigeonhole, the bookclub in your pocket. So many fellow readers on Pigeonhole have made a wealth of very positive comments, all celebrating the book and awarding it 5 star reviews.
If you like wriggling under the skin of characters and living alongside them as events play out, then you will pick up this novel and fly through as it is a dream to read.
Sad but also entertaining.
Thank you Emily Critchley for sharing your work and thank you to Pigeonhole for hosting.
I am now missing having another bit of the book to read now we have reached the end!
Written so astutely and with such sensitivity, One Puzzling Afternoon is a dual timeline story narrated by Edie, elderly and suffering from dementia in the present day and a schoolgirl in1951 when friend Lucy disappeared.
Edie is troubled by her fading memory, as is her son Daniel and granddaughter Amy. Some vital information is tugging at Edie's mind and heart and she is determined to solve the mystery of her missing friend all those decades ago.
There is so much detail and attention paid to an array of conflicting emotions experienced by the characters, that the reader is drawn in and further in, following the events of past and present until the two versions collide in a devastating way.
I was fortunate enough to read the book as a serialisation with Pigeonhole, the bookclub in your pocket. So many fellow readers on Pigeonhole have made a wealth of very positive comments, all celebrating the book and awarding it 5 star reviews.
If you like wriggling under the skin of characters and living alongside them as events play out, then you will pick up this novel and fly through as it is a dream to read.
Sad but also entertaining.
Thank you Emily Critchley for sharing your work and thank you to Pigeonhole for hosting.
I am now missing having another bit of the book to read now we have reached the end!
September 2, 2023
One Puzzling Afternoon is a sad story about a woman suffering from dementia while trying to find out what happened to her friend who went missing in 1951. This book was not what I expected. It's labeled on Goodreads as thriller and suspense when it is really more women's fiction. It was not the mysterious whodunnit I imagined it to be. When the truth was revealed, it wasn't much of a shock. I found it a little odd that Edie would forget so much of her past. Dementia patients often have no trouble remembering their youth, so it was strange to me that she forgot so much of what happened when she was fifteen. My dad had dementia and it was heart-breaking and horrific. I realize not everyone is the same, but Edie's experience was so different from my dad's that it didn't ring true to me. I'm sorry to say that this book just never drew me in, and I never warmed up to the characters other than Amy. I'm clearly in the minority and I think other readers will love it as long as they know what genre to expect.
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC. Publication date is October 3, 2023.
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC. Publication date is October 3, 2023.
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