Emily Critchley Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Emily Critchley is a successful published author. She started her literary career with the publication of her debut novel, Notes on My Family.

She attended Birkbeck, University of London where she graduated with an MA in the subject of creative writing. She also studied at London Metropolitan University where she was awarded the 2014 Sandra Ashman prize for Creative Writing.

Her books have often garnered quite a bit of attention, nominations for awards, features in publications, and positive reviews. Her debut Young Adult/crossover novel Notes on My Family received quite a bit of attention. It was shortlisted for the Bristol Teen Book Award, longlisted for the Brandford Boase Award, nominated for the Carnegie medal, and was even featured as a book of the week by The Sunday Times.

Her book One Puzzling Afternoon was named an Indie Book of the Month and People Magazine even propped it up to its audience by naming it a must-read book. Her 2024 novel The Undoing of Violet Claybourne was reviewed in Good Housekeeping magazine, longlisted for the Crime Writers’ Association Historical Dagger, was featured in The Daily Mail, and was picked as Heat magazine’s book of the week.

Emily has also written a book for children titled The Bear Who Sailed the Ocean on an Iceberg.

She was born in Essex and has resided in London and Brighton. She currently works and writes in Hertfordshire.

One Puzzling Afternoon is a 2023 novel by Emily Critchley. Check out one of the more unique mysteries and see what you think of this author’s fourth book! Great if you’re a big fan of reading cozy mystery stories or murder mysteries and want to find out what’s next.

There’s a mystery that she cannot even remember, and a friend that she cannot forget. Someone’s kept Lucy’s secret and has done so for over sixty years.

The year is 1951, and Edie Green is a fifteen year old young lady who is plenty lonely living at number six Sycamore Street. She lived alone with her quite eccentric mother, who puts on seances for the community in their local Ludthorpe area.

Edie would love nothing more than to shake something up and have something change up the dullness in her life, which is quite isolated. Then something happens that Edie can’t believe. A popular and pretty young girl named Ludy Theddle makes friends with her.

It seems so amazing and Edie can’t help but think that all of her troubles must be over. However, Lucy has a secret, and Edie is not at all sure that she should keep it to herself once she’s heard it. But then Lucy goes missing.

The next few lines contain a bit of spoilers so don’t read if you want to discover the ending on your own! In 2018, Edie is 84 years old and she is still residing in Ludthorpe. One day she catches a glimpse of someone that looks identical to Lucy back in the day, a young girl with a striking resemblance to looking just as Lucy looked all those years ago at fifteen years old.

Edie tells her family about it but they just end up writing it off as one of the many mix-ups that she or someone else her age might make. This makes sense since Edie gets confused about things in her life these days, and has a tough time trying to remember different things.

But the one thing that she does know is that she wants to find out what happened to Lucy all those years in the past. Could that really have been a stranger on the street, or is she onto some strange explanation as to what happened to her all those years ago? Read this fascinating novel from Emily Critchley to find out!

The Undoing of Violet Claybourne is a 2024 novel by Emily Critchley. If you loved any of her novels or just want to read an intriguing new mystery from this author, check this book out.

The year is 1938. Main character Gillian Larkin is the type of person who is used to going unnoticed. Then she is sent away to school and meets her roommate. This is none other than a young girl named Violet Claybourne, a girl who is visibly vibrant and spirited.

As the Christmas holidays come closer, Gilly cannot believe how lucky she is when Violet extends an invitation to her to celebrate together. Violet wants her to come spend the holiday season at her home, the grand but crumbling Thornleigh Hall.

Once she gets to Thornleigh Hall, she is impressed by the grandeur of the family, faded though it may be. She is also charmed by Violet’s older sisters who take her in and appear to accept the roommate as being one of them.

However, after a terrible accident that takes place on the grounds of the house, Gilly starts to become aware that the Claybourne sisters might not be the type that she thought they were. And if she is going to make it in their world, she may have to adapt and start becoming just like them.

What will happen next, and will Gillian start to realize that she has made a horrible mistake? Are there more secrets in the family that are yet to be revealed? Read this novel to find out!