One Puzzling Afternoon: The most compelling, heartbreaking debut mystery

(Paperback)

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A captivating mystery perfect for fans of The List of Suspicious Things and Elizabeth is Missing.

On a suburban street filled with secrets, 84 year old Edie Green must look back into the past to discover what happened to her friend Lucy, who went missing years before . . .

*Selected as an Indie Book of the Month*

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-two 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 . . .

'A captivating and poignant book, I was completely hooked. You can't help but fall for Edie' Marianne Cronin, author of 100 Years of Lenni and Margot

'This is such a delicate web of a book, a mystery deftly woven with tension and compassion. Edie is a heartbreaking figure, struggling to catch her last memories before they're blown away forever - her quest/plight is absorbing and extremely poignant' Beth Morrey, author of Saving Missy

'Completely captivating. A real page-turner' Louise Hare

'Marvellous . . . a special gem of a book, a perfectly executed double timeline mystery with a twist you don't see coming' Inga Vesper, author of The Long, Long Afternoon

'Beautifully written . . . the perfect book for lovers of Elizabeth Is Missing, but has its own distinct voice and charm' Jo Leevers, author of Tell Me How This Ends

'An uplifting, bittersweet story with a page-turning mystery at its heart . . . I was drawn in to Edie's world from the very first page. Beautifully atmospheric and endearing'' Freya Sampson

'An intriguing, unsettling mystery told over a dual timeframe by one of the most endearing lead characters you'll come across this year. Utterly compelling, darkly unnerving and a joyful masterclass in storytelling, Emily Critchley's debut adult novel hits the mark on so many levels' LoveReading Debut of the Month

'This truly unique story blends past and present in a way that feels real. Great atmosphere and even better characters' Lucy Gilmore, author of The Lonely Hearts Book Club

Readers LOVE One Puzzling Afternoon:

'I loved it. I loved it. I loved it'

'Wow . . . one of my books of the year'

'A beautiful and touching novel that will completely grab you'

'Edie Green is one special character & I think I'll remember her for a long time yet'

'What a beautiful, emotional, intriguing, touching novel'

'I loved this and finished it in one sitting. It truly is glorious'

Reviews

'A captivating and poignant book, I was completely hooked. You can't help but fall for Edie.' - Marianne Cronin, author of 100 Years of Lenni and Margot

'Beguiling . . . Beautifully written, this dual-timeline mystery draws you in and keeps a tight hold.' - Heat Magazine

'Gripping . . . heartbreaking.' - The Sun

'A mystery deftly woven with tension and compassion. Edie is a heartbreaking figure, struggling to catch her last memories before they're blown away forever - her quest/plight is absorbing and extremely poignant.' - Beth Morrey, bestselling author of Saving Missy

'Full of depth and humanity, One Puzzling Afternoon is a beautifully written novel that really tugs at the heartstrings.' - Culture Fly

Author Bio

Emily Critchley grew up in Essex and has lived in Brighton and London, where she worked as a bookseller in one of London's largest bookshops. She has an MA in Creative Writing from Birkbeck, University of London. Her young adult crossover debut Notes on my Family was nominated for the Carnegie Medal, longlisted for the Branford Boase and Book of the Week in the Sunday Times. One Puzzling Afternoon, her debut adult novel, was selected as an Indie Fiction Book of the Month. The Undoing of Violet Claybourne is her second novel.