One puzzling afternoon

Edie Green was a plain, friendless, working-class girl living in a small town in England. Her father died, and her mother had to work as a shop clerk and--embarrassingly for Edie--hold séances to make ends meet. One fateful afternoon, Edie sees Lucy Theddle, the mayor's daughter, kissing a teacher, and Lucy begs Edie not to reveal her secret. But things take a tragic turn, and Lucy disappears. Despite an extensive search, no trace of Lucy is ever found. Edie is now an octogenarian with dementia, but she still remembers Lucy as clearly as if she were standing in front of her. Edie's dementia is worsening, but when she is sure she sees Lucy outside the town post office one afternoon, she decides she must find out what happened to her friend. Critchley's U.S. debut is a clever, keep-'em-guessing murder mystery, an empathetic yet realistic portrayal of the toll dementia takes, and a meditation on how the brain can bury the most tragic memories. Despite shocking, painful, sad moments, this is also an uplifting, sometimes humorous portrait of a feisty, admirable octogenarian who's determined to do the right thing. An outstanding must-read.

Edie Green was a lonely teen until Lucy Treddle, daughter of the mayor, befriended her in 1951. While Edie was glad that their friendship meant Lucy's friends wouldn't taunt her, Lucy had her own reasons to seek out Edie. She had secrets, and she needed Edie to keep them--which Edie did for 67 years, even after Lucy vanished and the police opened an investigation. In 2018, Edie, now dealing with dementia, thinks she sees Lucy on the street, looking just as she did in 1951. When she claims to have seen her friend, family members think Edie's just muddled again. Her granddaughter tries to help her, but she doesn't realize how desperate Edie feels. She is convinced that all the clues to finding her friend are buried in her memory and feels that if she can find Lucy, her confusion and memory loss will disappear. In dual timelines, 1951 and 2018, Edie slowly reveals the truth about Lucy and her secrets. VERDICT This beautifully written suspense novel, the U.S. debut from British poet and middle-grade author Critchley, is heartbreaking as it depicts a woman sinking deeper into dementia.--Lesa Holstine