What if the only person who knows the truth about a missing girl is now an elderly woman with Alzheimer’s? That is the interesting premise of this novel, where the protagonist is trying to not only prove she is still capable to everyone,, with her faculties about her, by remembering the details of the day her friend disappeared as a teen, but also is in a race against herself to remember these details before they are lost in her mind to the disease forever. This dual timeline storyline jumping between pats and present is part mystery thriller and part exploration into the ravages and detritus that Alzheimer’s leaves behind in its wake of lost memories.

There were some definite hard topics in this book. Dementia was the main one but adult minor relationship as well. Dual timeline about a cold case and a secret that must be remembered.

1951: Fifteen-year-old Edie Green's life changes forever when she becomes friends with the popular Lucy Theddle. Suddenly her loneliness dulls, and the weight of her father's death and her eccentric mother's seances for the local community becomes more manageable. However, friendship comes with secrets. And the secret Edie is keeping for Lucy might do more harm than good.
2018: Edie is now eighty-four, and she's kept her promise all these years. That is, until she glimpses her best friend just as she was at fifteen while popping out to the shops. Edie's family has long grown used to Edie's mix ups, her moments of confusion, and the memories that have started to bleed. Everyone else may write off Edie's glimpse of Lucy, but Edie herself refuses to do so. In fact, she is determined to find out what actually happened to Lucy back in 1951...

I was so impressed by the dual timeline in this cold case mystery. I entered the book blindly without much investment, but by the book's close, my heart went out to Edie and her family in the present while my brain puzzled away at the mystery piecing itself together in 1951. For full transparency, I do my best to avoid books with heavy depictions of alzheimer's or dementia because those topics bring on the waterworks. Did I cry a few times? Yes. Was it worth it? Also yes. In my opinion, the author did an excellent job balancing the intrigue of the mystery while tastefully and artfully giving her readers a full view into Edie's day-to-day struggle and the terrifying reality of one's past memories and present life becoming ever more warped and blurred.

If this author decides to write more mysteries, I want to read them.

Content Warning: dementia, abortion, death of a parent, SA, and adult/minor relationship

Actual Rating: 4.0 stars 
Original Pub Date: 3 October 2023 
Reading Format: ebook paired with the audio 

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an E-ARC copy in exchange for this honest review!

Review is posted to social link here on Goodreads, includes content warnings: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5424304435

In 1951, Edie and Lucy become friends. They are 15 and lives in small town Ludthorpe. But Lucy has a secret and she disappears. The book jumps to 2018 and Edie still lives in Ludthorpe but has some memory issues. One day she sees Lucy, still 15 walking down the road. Nobody will believe her. 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 . . .

Didn't finish this, was not at all what I expected from the synopsis. Certainly not bad, but don't feel that we need this in our collection.

Extremely well done. One Puzzling Afternoon takes the story of Edie, told in two timelines, and makes it a one woman show. One storyline is when Lucy is a teenager in high school, the other when she is in her eighties and showing signs of dementia.

The story was a little bit of a slow start for me but by halfway through I was invested. Edie simply refuses to give up her search for answers about Lucy’s disappearance despite everyone around her dismissing her because of her condition.

I think the author did a great job and handled dementia with care. She showed how hard it can be to have the condition and to love someone who has it.

I don’t always gravitate to mysteries but I will absolutely be recommending this story to others—it’s a gem. Absorbing and absolutely underrated.

A unique take on the elderly sleuth cozy mystery trope, with thoughtful things to say about memory and how the past interacts with the present.

As publisher, I requested One Puzzling Afternoon for background reading for a review on BookBrowse. See link to the review

I really enjoyed this bit of a unique spin on the dual timelines and unreliable narrator. I found it clever that the narrative moved fluidly through the timelines as it was playing out in Edie's mind - and the juxtaposition of her reliability in each timeline. I was sympathetic to Edie's character and appreciated her determination to "solve" the mystery of Lucy's disappearance amidst her growing awareness of her worsening dementia. Some twists and turns I didn't see coming for sure - and it held my attention right up to the final reveal.

Have you ever had a memory so vivid you swear it just happened? That's the heart of One Puzzling Afternoon by Emily Critchley!

Edie, an octogenarian grappling with dementia, is haunted by a sighting of her childhood friend Lucy who vanished decades ago. But no one believes her, attributing it to her fading mind.

Determined to uncover the truth, Edie embarks on a journey through past and present, piecing together fragments of a long-buried secret. Is Lucy truly alive? What happened all those years ago? Can Edie solve the puzzle before it's too late?

This captivating novel is a mix of:

Mystery: Unravel the layers of suspense as Edie chases the truth amidst doubt and disbelief. ️‍♀️
Family drama: Explore the complex dynamics of family secrets and the impact they have across generations.
Coming-of-age: Witness Edie's personal growth as she confronts her past and rediscovers her strength.
Emotional journey: Prepare to be touched by Edie's resilience, vulnerability, and the bittersweet nature of memory.
If you enjoy:

Stories that twist and turn, keeping you guessing
Exploring the complexities of aging and memory
Characters who defy expectations and find new purpose
Heartfelt explorations of family and friendship
Then "One Puzzling Afternoon" is a must-read!

Super dark, so you need to be in the right mood for this, but it works if you are! I love reading about forbidden relationships but could be a trigger for others!

When your 84 year old memory is failing, how do you find a friend that went missing when you were 15?

One of the best books I have had the pleasure of reading. This move between the past and the present but does so flawlessly. Highly recommend this beautiful and at times heartbreaking debut book to anyone wanting a good story. Great selection for bookclubs.

I sincerely hope to see more by Emily Critchley as she has a gift.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the E-book advanced edition in exchange for my honest review.

"Perhaps it's enough to be in this moment.”

My thoughts: This book was a great intriguing mystery with all the secrets close to bring completely forgotton, with the only person alive who knows them suffering with memory loss! This book had a different setting to it and characters you love and love to hate! I definitely suggest to check this one out! Please check for trigger warnings!

I give One puzzling afternoon by Emily Critchley ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In 1951, Edie Green lives in a small English town with her widowed mother, who conducts seances in the evenings to make ends meet. Edie is unpopular and lonely. When she sees something forbidden involving wealthy, pretty and popular Lucy, she mentions it to the girl. Immediately, Lucy brings Edie into her confidence. Edie is pleased to have a new friend, but the secret she knows starts to get out of hand. And then Lucy disappears.

In 2018, Edie is still living in the same small town. One day, she thinks she sees her old friend Lucy, and she can’t shake her worry about her. Whatever happened to her? The mystery has never been solved. While Edie is getting confused about a lot in her life, she knows this: she has to figure out what happened. She owes it to Lucy.

One Puzzling Afternoon is a mystery as well as a window into the mind of a woman with ever-worsening dementia. Edie is frustrating her family and befuddling strangers, and she is determined that her life is fine; they are all wrong about her memory. She is also very determined to make sure everyone listens to what she has to say about a 60-year-old case of a missing friend. If she could just remember…

The story alternates between the present and the past, as pieces of Edie’s memory are dislodged and float to the surface. This novel is billed as similar to Elizabeth Is Missing, which it is, but the difference is that in this book there’s no question that a character is missing, and in the other, it’s only the unreliable narrator who thinks the friend is missing. Both are good. I feel this was somewhat more straightforward, as it led toward a solid resolution of a mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the eGalley to review!

I must warn readers first and foremost that a huge plot point for this story is a full-grown, married teacher having an "affair" with his 15-year-old student. Aside from the grooming and statutory rape, he's also emotionally abusive. There is also multiple kinds of abuse happening to Edie's mother by her stepfather, a section about abortion, and other traumas.

Other than that, this was an interesting read. It goes back and forth between 2018 with "present day" Edie and 1951 with fifteen-year-old Edie. 2018 Edie is an unreliable narrator, her dementia making her forget things immediately after telling them to us. Like I said, it's an interesting read, as it gives us a look into how this disease can affect the thought process. 1951 Edie remembers everything, telling us as though transcribed directly from her diary. She tells the events that happened up to Lucy's disappearance and afterwards straight and in a matter-of-fact way, while 2018 Edie is all over the place as she struggles to remember not just her attempts to remember what happened to Lucy nearly 70 years ago, but what happened literally a minute ago. She's trying desperately to solve her disappearance so she can prove that she's capable of continuing to live independently.

I had many theories as to what happened to Lucy, and while two of them turned out to be correct at the same time, the actual series of events is different than I had thought they'd go! It was actually quite surprising. I must admit, the first half of the book was quite slow and hard to get myself motivated to continue, but the second half I read all in one sitting. I just had to know if any of my theories were correct! As for the ending, I felt not upset, per se, but maybe sad. It's supposed to be an ending and epilogue with a happier note, but I just feel sad for Lucy.

So tl;dr, an interesting read, yes, but also a sad one. I'm glad to have read it, though.

The day Edie saw Lucie Theddle, she started remembering the things she had forgotten. Lucie disappeared years ago when the girls were young, and now, at 82, Edie's dementia riddled brain sees Lucie and vows to tell the truth of what happens. If she can remember the secret she was keeping. As Edie's family begins making the painful decision to move Edie into their home and relocate, Edie is more determined than ever to maintain her independence and avenge her friend.

Told in the present with 82-year-old Edie suffering from dementia and in the past when teenage Edie was befriended by popular Lucie until her disappearance, the puzzle-piece flashes Edie remembers slowly come together and the whole truth is finally revealed regarding Lucie's untimely disappearance.

This was a fun, unique read. My heart broke for poor Edie and her family with the difficult decisions they are being forced to make, and for the burden of the secret she kept for all these years. Great read and an engaging story line.

When Edie sees her friend Lucy Theddle outside the post office, confusion threatens to overwhelm her. The last time the 82 year old Edie saw her friend was when they were teenagers and yet, Lucy looks exactly the same as she did the day she disappeared. Determined to solve her friend’s disappearance before dementia strips away her remaining memories, Edie confides in her family, but quickly realizes she must uncover the mystery on her own.
One Puzzling Afternoon is told in a dual timeline between present day and the 1950s when Edie & Lucy’s friendship begins. Overall, I enjoyed the story and found Edie’s present-day plight against an unseen disease absolutely heart-wrenching, although Emily Critchley handled the topic well. This novel is perfect for those who enjoy a true mystery, a story that feels authentic from page one and a novel examining the bonds of friendship.
*Thank you to Sourcebooks and Netgalley for providing this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

**Review also posted to Barnesandnoble.com

In 1951, fifteen-year-old Edie Green discovers a secret that initiates a tenuous friendship with popular Lucy Theddle. However, Lucy goes missing, and in 2018, eighty-four-year-old Edie spots her on the streets, unchanged since 67 years ago, prompting her to reopen the cold case despite her faltering memory.

The book's vibe captivated me from the start, with the dual timeline working seamlessly. The '50s atmosphere, viewed through Edie's innocent eyes, was perfectly captured. Edie's role as an unreliable narrator in 2018 added an intriguing layer.

All characters were uniquely crafted, displaying complex motivations and emotions, surrounded by a hint of mysticism that gave the narrative a fairytale quality. While the plot wasn't mind-blowing and the story's direction was predictable, it didn't diminish my enjoyment. The 1951 timeline held the most allure, although I anticipated the reveal in 2018 and looked forward to their convergence.

The pacing could have been adjusted slightly, offering more insight into Edie's home life and extending both timelines for a more comprehensive conclusion. Nevertheless, the characters and immersive setting made it an engaging read. I'd recommend it, especially to fans of historical young adult mysteries.

"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.