Such an adorable but sometimes sad read. Based on a dual timeline following Edie and Lucy. I fell in love with the story from the beginning and can’t wait to read more from this author.

This was a first for me by this author and I was hooked.

As I read this story I found myself in familiar territory having watched two of my grandparents battle as Edie does within this book with the demise of all they know, particularly the moments she shares with Amy.

The story is told in two time lines Edie as a 15 year old and Edie as an 84 year old present day Edie catches sight of her best friend Lucy and knows that she must find her and unravel the mystery of Lucy's disappearance.

A thought provoking emotive read which portrays the devastation and heartbreak of dementia to the sufferer and their nearest and dearest, written with clarity and understanding deserves everyone of its five stars.

New author for me so wasn’t sure what to expect. Loved it from the first page to the last page, great storyline and such lovely characters. Looking forward to reading the authors other books.
As always my thanks to NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK Zaffre for the early read for an honest review

A very poignant, sad and thought provoking read as I followed Edie in this story which is so well written. The characters are all excellent and this story just flowed and it was a great book from the very beginning.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier Books for this ARC which I can thoroughly recommend.

"One Puzzling Afternoon" by Emily Critchley is a sweet little read about Edie and Lucy. Edie is 84 and suddenly sees her friend Lucy who disappeared back in 1951, but how can this be? We follow Edie through flashbacks and the misremembered present. It is very reminiscent of "Elizabeth is Missing". Some parts could be easily dismissed, but don't, as even though this book is deceptively light, it has big heart and a lot going for it.

FROM THE COVER📖

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 . . .

REVIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a beautiful, emotional, intriguing, touching novel with well written real to life characters a book with a mystery at the heart of it but also book full of heart.

This for me is a twist on the ever popular plot of a older person on a life changing journey, think Elizabeth Is Missing and Away With The Penguins. The twist adds an extra dimension and gives the novel something more. This book is a great take on the genre. I LOVED IT

Told from Edie’s POV spanning over time we hear Edie’s story and the story she is trying her very hardest to remember. I loved Edie as character both now and the past she is whip smart and full of intelligent observations. She is lovely. I found all the characters in book were elegantly written and seemed real to life. I will admit I wasn’t a fan of Lucy while she is victim she is very horrible to Edie. I adored Edie and Amy’s relationship it was beautiful portrayal of gran and granddaughter relationship. Made me think of my own lovely Gran.

I loved the writing style it seamlessly move though time perfectly, the author creates the right balance of suspense and intrigue with real heart. The plot is well paced and creates a real sense of mystery. The author handles the delicate subject matter with care and understanding, at times Edie’s story is truly heartbreaking.

This isn’t your usual mystery, coming of old age and uplifting feel good book it’s something much more along with all these things. Fantastic read with a great satisfying ending.

Thank you so much for the ARC it was truly one of the best books I’ve read in a while.

PS craving Parma Violets sweets something awful after reading this

A beautifully written book about trying to hold on to all that is important, including memories of a much-missed best friend. Told in two timelines, the story of Edie and her initially unlikely friendship with the more sophisticated Lucy is sensitively unravelled. I loved how the gentle, inexorable slipping into dementia was observed, counterbalanced by the quickening pace as the mystery of what happened to Lucy all those years ago becomes clearer. The style reminded me a little of of Clare Chambers, with its poise and time-specific feel. It's the perfect book for lovers of Elizabeth Is Missing, but has its own distinct voice and charm. A lovely combination of a cracking story and a host of characters you want to reach out and hug. Recommended.

I had previously read Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey and love the story. This book was in a similar vein and I forgot how much emotion Elizabeth is Missing evoked in me. The story is told from Edie Green’s memory about the murder of her friend Lucy Theddle. Edie has dementia and her memory of recent things is going, but she has remembered about how Lucy disappeared and her memory is try to piece together the events around her disappearance to solve the mystery before she loses her memories.

The story kept me engrossed, reading about the past story and how a patient with dementia sees life now is heart-breaking. There is not enough of stories from the patients view. It was a great story inter woven from 2018 to 1951. Absolute brilliant book. Needs to be read so families and friends can understand how hard the person with dementia is feeling. Great to read a book set back in the 50’s without modern appliances and shows how communities used to be.

A superb read.

How I so much wanted to give Edie a hug and hold her hands. The writing brought across how vulnerable you can be at different stages of your life. Memories fade so they say, but it really does not take a lot to get them activated again. Patience and love came across in this book.

After having first-hand experience with dementia, it is so easy to relate to the son's impatience. The frustration of seeing one's steady rock of the past slowly disappearing in front of your eyes. Funny at first, but then reality kicks in, this is the new norm.

Well written and an author I now am going to follow.

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.

Thank you for advanced copy.

I loved this and finished it in one sitting, it was so well written and just beautiful. The characters are bought to life so beautifully by the author. It truly is glorious.

This is Edie' s story which starts in 1951 concerning a friendship with Lucy, who vanishes one afternoon. We are then in 2018 and Edie is an elderly lady with onset of dementia and she can see Lucy. The mystery unravels of what happened in 1951.

Highly recommended

One Puzzling Afternoon by Emily Critchley

This is a little treat of a book. I would describe it as a delicate book, a book written with its vulnerability on display. I loved it.. I loved it.. I loved it.

In 1951 Edie is 15 years old and is a lonely when she is befriended for the wrong reasons by the rich glamourous 15-year-old Lucy, the become close and the Lucy disappears...

Flash forward 51 years and Edie is suffering from early onset Dementia, and she keeps seeing a 15-year-old Lucy and she knows that she has to find out what happened to Lucy all those years ago before she can't.

This book is lovely, it jumps back and to from Edie as a 15-year-old to Edie as an older vulnerable lady. It takes you on the journey with her and you know how important it is to Edie to solve what happened to Lucy.

This is a hidden gem, and I loved the story and i loved Edie and I desperately wanted to give both young and older Edie a hug. The dementia story line was told delicately and added an urgency to the story.

#OnePuzzlingAfternoon #NetGalley #Eggsandrabbits #thepast

I really enjoyed Edie’s story, told through two different years - 1951 and 2018. In 1951 we learn of her unlikely friendship with Lucy and how she mysteriously vanished one summer afternoon, leaving behind no clues as to where she is or what happened to her. Fast forward to 2018 and Edie is now in her 80’s and suffering with confusion - she keeps seeing Lucy, exactly as she looked in 1951 and thinks that if she could find her friend after all these years, she could settle her confusion and be allowed to continue to live independently.
Beautifully written with believable characters. Edie’s confusion is brought to life through Emily Critchley’s writing and I felt myself willing Edie to solve the mystery that has haunted her for over 60 years, along with the help of her granddaughter. As the story is told secrets, lies and the shocking truth is revealed. Fabulous ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Edie has kept her best friend Lucy's secret for over 60 years but the only problem is she now doesn't remember what it is and feels like it could be the clue to unlocking Lucy's where abouta. Because Lucy has gone missing. This happened more than 60 years ago. Now it is 2018 and Edie is an 84 year old lady. On a walk to the shop Edie spots Lucy. However Lucy is looking exactly the same as she did when she went missing at 16 years of age. Edie tries to open up about this to her cleaner. But it is just written off as the ramblings of a confused old lady. So it is up to Edie to try and search her mind and find the figments of the past to try and piece together the puzzle.

A very well written and well constructed book. The author does really well writing as Edie and how the confusion is annoying, unsettling and frightening. I really liked the character of Edie and cheered her on along the way wanting her desperately to piece everything together and prove everyone who doubted her wrong.

Possible spoilers

Quite the emotional read, as we follow Edie as she tries to remember what happened to her friend Lucy.
Yet the more she tries to remember, the more she forgets
It's very well done how her famy cope with this situation, and indeed how Edie does.
Whilst there is a mystery at the heart of this book, what did happen to Lucy?, there's also a lot of heart to it in general.