This was definitely a hard one to read - not because of the prose, but the subject matter.
We're living through our protagonist, Edie in two different times. 2018, where she's an older woman with dementia, and 1951, when she's a young girl and her friend has gone missing.

As the clock ticks down in 2018, as Edie's dementia becomes worse and her family is going to move her out of her hometown, Edie is running out of time to remember what happened to her friend, Lucy. The author did a beautiful job of showing us how Edie's dementia was worsening, blending her confusion of the current world with the past that the reader just read about.

Honestly, this one did bring tears a few times here and there, in Edie's present day as she was losing her memories. A solid read if you don't mind shedding a few tears.

I really enjoyed this story. The present day and past were easy to tell the difference and understand. The characters were all likable and easy to understand their point of view (even if I didn't agree with them all the time.)
When it all came together at the end, it was a bit sad. But overall an enjoyable story to follow along !

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.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author's voice is captivating from the beginning and makes it easy to read. The mystery keeps you interested as you wonder until the very end what happened to Lucy. I very rarely am surprised by the reveal of a mystery in a book, but I didn't know what had happened until the very end. I loved the main character Edie and her journey as she tries to prove that she can take care of herself by figuring out what happened to her friend Lucy. The duel timeline is always a favorite of mine, and the author seamlessly transitions between each timeline. The author also does an amazing job of showing the confusion that Edie experiences as her memory is fading and getting jumbled up with the present. I enjoyed this book immensely.

Unfortunately I could not get into this book. The writing is great, I just can't seem to stay interested.

I appreciate the chance to have an ARC. Thank you!

This story has everything - emotion, mystery, suspense, great characters. I enjoyed it so much and appreciated that it was unlike most books that I've read before. In some ways it reminded me of Fried Green Tomatoes (it's not exactly the same by any means, but there are some similar things that I really loved). I especially loved that it gave me a wide range of emotional reactions!

Thank you for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

Very enjoyable read. Will be easy to recommend to many different kinds of readers. I’d like to read more from this author.

This dual novel is told from the perspective of Edie Green, a widow in her eighties who suffers from dementia. She's lived in the same English village for most of her life and now her son is selling her house so she can move in with him as she is getting to the point where she can no longer care for herself.

Edie starts having visions of her childhood friend, Lucy Theedle, a girl who disappeared when they were in school. Edie believes if she can figure out what happened to Lucy, she can prove to her son that sh'e's still perfectly capable of living on her own.

The current timeline shows Edie investigating as best she can with the help of her adult granddaughter, someone who understands computers and how to look things up on their phone. But the dementia makes it difficult, sometimes she forgets where she's going, who her granddaughter is, and even if her husband is still alive. She knows the key to Lucy's disappearance is locked inside her brain - if only she can find a way to recall it.

The second timeline takes us back to 1951 when she and Lucy becames friends at 17 and the events leading up to her disappearance. England is still suffering in the aftermath of WWII and Edie's mother moonlights as a fake psychic, urged on by Edie's stepfather, and much to Edie's embarrasment. She is hopeful that her friendship with Lucy, the child of a wealthy family, will lead her to a better life.

This book is not only a compelling mystery, but it's also a moving story about a dementia sufferer, and what it means for a strong, self-sufficient woman to come to the realization that her mind is failing and she is no longer the person she used to be.

The story will stay with you long after you've finished reading it.

This is a wonderfully engrossing mystery. It’s from two timelines, 1950’s when Edie was a young girl & 2018. She’s not a senior with obvious memory issues. I found the mystery of Lucy’s disappearance to be very intriguing. The conclusion is heartbreaking, the author did a wonderful job conveying it. I think a lot of people could like this book. Feels like it would make a wonderful, lazy Sunday British movie.

An interesting concept. An older woman suddenly thinks she sees her friend who has been missing for 70 years which starts her on an investigation. I didn’t get drawn to the characters too much, but it was fine.

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley, but all opinions are my own.

This I absolutely loved this. The dual time line was done to perfection. It was so good. I am still thinking about it days later!
I just reviewed One Puzzling Afternoon by Emily Critchley. #NetGalley
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This story uses a dual timeline (1951/2018) to tell the story of Edie. In 2018 she is in her eighties and she is getting flashes of memories making her believe that she knows something about the disappearance of her close friend that went missing when they were teens. She is adamant that she must find out what happened to Lucy before she forgets about her again. My heart broke for Edie and her family as they all cope with Edie’s worsening dementia.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review which is not affiliated with any brand.

I'm glad that I had the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. It reminded me of the books Elizabeth is Missing and Still Alice. The author did a great job depicting what it must be like to be in the early stages of dementia from the point of view of the afflicted person. In this case, Edie wants to solve the mystery of what happened to her friend who went missing when they were teenagers, so she could show her family that she was competent to continue to live independently. The book alternated between her time when she was a teenager and now as an 80-something woman. She had a very unconventional upbringing, which made that part of the book interesting and unusual. I appreciated seeing what life was like during the Fifties in England. Despite her difficult childhood, she raised a wonderful family who stepped up to help Edie as her mental state declined. I particularly loved seeing her relationship with her granddaughter and the patience shown to her by various people in the community. I found this book a nice combination of a mystery and a sympathetic view of life with dementia. I recommend this book and think it would be a good choice for a book discussion.

I was intrigued by the storyline’s premise. Unfortunately, For some reason, this book never drew me in. I found myself skimming in some parts as I found the story to be very slow and I was not drawn to the characters. I know I’m likely in the minority in my opinions and that other readers will surely love this book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is such an interesting mystery and I loved the idea of dual timelines whilst the main character, Edie, is struggling with dementia and her memory in the present. I thought this was a really unique way to see things unravel and for secrets to be revealed. This was truly a great book with an original idea.

A great novel! I enjoyed the multiple timelines and the story was so well written. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Five stars!

Edie is out walking when she spies a school friend, Lucy, looking as young and beautiful as ever. But how is that possible, when Edie is in her 80’s, and Lucy disappeared in 1951? Set in the past and present, Edie, struggling with dementia keeps revisiting that early time wondering what really happened with Lucy. Well written, and original, this is a great read.