Uncle Paul

by Celia Fremlin

Meg and Isabel were just girls when "Uncle Paul" married their older half-sister, Mildred, and he soon vanished from their lives upon his exposure as a bigamist and a murderer. Fifteen years later, Uncle Paul is about to be released from prison, and all three sisters are seized with dread at the prospect of his return. Their family holiday at the seaside village where Mildred and Uncle Paul once honeymooned becomes the setting for a tense drama of suspicion, betrayal, and revenge.


Author Celia Fremlin received an Edgar Award for her suspenseful debut novel, The Hours Before Dawn. Her second thriller, Uncle Paul, evokes a similar atmosphere of menace as the paranoia of her characters — and readers — combine to form a mood of increasing tension. Rich in psychological insight and dark humor, the elegant, razor-sharp quality of Fremlin's writing provides page-turning excitement.

Genres: Thriller, Crime, Mystery, Fiction, Classics, Audiobook, British Literature

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1959

About the author

Celia was born in Kingsbury, now part of London, England. She was the daughter of Heaver Fremlin and Margaret Addiscott. Her older brother, John H. Fremlin, later became a nuclear physicist. Celia studied at Somerville College, Oxford University. From 1942 to 2000 she lived in Hampstead, London. In 1942 she married Elia Goller, with whom she had three children; he died in 1968. In 1985, Celia married Leslie Minchin, who died in 1999. Her many crime novels and stories helped modernize the sensation novel tradition by introducing criminal and (rarely) supernatural elements into domestic settings. Her 1958 novel The Hours Before Dawn won the Edgar Award in 1960.

With Jeffrey Barnard, she was co-presenter of a BBC2 documentary “Night and Day” describing diurnal and nocturnal London, broadcast 23 January 1987.

Fremlin was an advocate of assisted suicide and euthanasia. In a newspaper interview she admitted to assisting four people to die.[1] In 1983 civil proceedings were brought against her as one of the five members of the EXIT Executive committee which had published “A Guide to Self Deliverance” , but the court refused to declare the booklet unlawful.

[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celia...]

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know if I liked this at all. I've recently read her debut novel The Hours Before Dawn, published in 1958. This one, her second novel is also a "domestic noir," published 1959. There are similar elements, the focus on women, very often the drudgery of domestic work; and women's roles as wife and mother. In the 50s there was the fairly rigid separation by gender: men in the work-place and women at home. It was generally younger, un-married women who had jobs - and this is Meg's situation, in her early 20s

It has a similar feel to some of Elizabeth Taylor's novels, set in the 50s. I was reminded of The Sleeping Beauty (1953) which also has a south coast seaside setting. There is an odd referral to - The Sleeping Beauty, in Fremlin's novel which happens to be a sort of peep-show on the pier - a sleeping snake!

And as with Taylor's novels that sense of the Victorian era - how else to explain the several anecdotes from an elderly lady in her button-up boots. She's a guest in the Sea View Private Hotel, where a fair amount of the action takes place.

Yes, this book is entertaining, there are some funny moments and it's clever, but still I ask myself - the point? Fremlin's point - is there a purpose beyond the entertainment value?

I loathed the characters of Isabel and Mildred, the elder sisters of Meg, our narrator, who is calm, rational and stable in contrast to the silly-willy, dithering, blethering, can't ever decide on anything Isabel, 10 years senior to Meg, and then Mildred is stubborn, rich, spoilt, purposeless and worse, as the plot develops. I can understand perhaps, that Isabel and Mildred are stereotypes of house-wifey, no career, no degree, middle-class women, who probably got on Fremlin's nerves; but really where is this going?

For myself the entertainment rested on Fremlin's children - a classic 50s child, Cedric, who manages on most occasions to outsmart the adults, and Isabel's two small boys, doing precisely child-like things, with a vivid sense of children's self-focus.

Meg learns to be more accepting of the perspective of others; to not dismiss the silliness of women, who don't have good vocabs and rational faculties. And, then, she falls prey to the most demeaning of horrors. One night at the cottage, she screams herself hoarse, calling for her sister's help, who is an arm's length away in the other bedroom. But, Meg's door has been bolted from the outside - and there is no response from Mildred.

I suppose you could say the story's focus is on the way we construct our realities, and how easy it is to lose the thread of our own truth, especially when danger threatens. All three sisters succumb to wild speculations about their partners. Isabel has married Phillip in some haste and seems to know little about him and Meg is the same, her fancy man, Freddy is fun to be with, but she has no clue who "his people" are. These two sisters confront the fact that in the past they had feelings for a certain Uncle Paul - who was sent to prison for bigamy and the murder of his first wife - it's on the back cover! And Mildred, apparently, is still in love with Paul. She's been a-waiting his release for the last 15 years.

Nope - I don't like it. It's weird. It grated. It wasn't fun - mildly entertaining at best - and rather predictable in its plot lines - and revelations - although I didn't imagine that Mildred could be as mean as she turned out to be - warped in her mind apparently by her long lost love for - Uncle Paul.

[Annelies · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a surprise this book was! I didn't know what to expect because the writer was unknown to me. But what a remarkable read. It's set as a novel of suspence but whit a lot of laughable parts in it. The characterisation is sublime, from the worrying sister Isabel to Cedric, who is not a main character. Their characters make most of them laughable figures which lightens the atmosphere. The storytelling is marvellous. Fremlin knows how to build up and decline suspense with a not expected twist at the end. She's really a master in it. As said, the end is unexpected but she got a good explanation of it. I think Celia Fremlin will still be seen on my reading list.

[Roman Clodia · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You know, you can't ever really understand a man until you've thought he's a murderer!"

This has unexpectedly shot to one of my top ranking for the wonderful Celia Fremlin, an author seemingly being rediscovered thanks to Faber. The setting is slightly atypical as Fremlin usually specialises in suburban unease - here the families are just as dysfunctional but there is the added fun and hilarity of taking them out of their usual habitat and dumping them down at the seaside complete with 1950s inconveniences (the caravan door that won't open unless you hurl your body at it), unpredictable British weather (rain one minute, hot sunshine the next), sand in the sandwiches... and the hovering spectre of a potential murderer out from a prison sentence and seeking revenge.

Fremlin is always wonderful for her acute observations and for the social history embedded in her books and, for the first half, the creepy element felt like an add on to me that rather distracted from all the delights of awkward children (Cedric, the boy who knows everything; Peter and 'sharkie' who lives under the caravan steps), squabbling with fellow guests at a nearby hotel over when to light a fire, and the inevitable colonel who wants to run everything.

But, gradually, the ominous and sinister start to encroach further eek, the cobra in Meg's bedroom! though we're kept hovering between knowing whether there is material danger stalking the sisters or whether it's just paranoia. It all comes to a glorious climax which is, arguably, more 'psychological' than some of Fremlin's later books.

However it's labelled, I loved this.

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think Celia Fremlin is an excellent, and very under-appreciated author. She seems largely unknown, but maybe this will be another hit for Faber, and bring her some of the recognition she deserves. I must admit however, that this was my least favourite of the few books I've read by her; The Hours Before Dawn is the best one I've read so far, and I plan to read more sooner rather than later.

In this one, Meg, who is the youngest but most sensible of three sisters is summoned to a seaside resort by Isobel, who is worried about their older sister Mildred. Years ago, Mildred was on honeymoon at the same resort with her husband, the eponymous Uncle Paul, when she discovered that he had attempted to murder his first wife. Mildred betrayed him to the police, and now he is due to be released and may be seeking revenge By coincidence, Mildred is staying in the same cottage they honeymooners in all those years ago. The tension managed to build almost imperceptibly as the characters go about their seaside holiday with trip to the beach, fairground and hotels, all the whole the sisters start to worry about the people they are spending time with, could one of them be Uncle Paul in disguise? Reading it, I had a growing sense of unease, and the ending took me completely by surprise.

*Many thanks to Netgalley and Faber and Faber for a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.*

[Kate O'Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I loved this. I'd read a review saying it was old fashioned and dated but I didn't find it so at all, certainly no more so than any mid century Agatha Christie. There's maybe one or two references to women being hysterical or not being able to "hang onto" a man (rather than the man simply being a womanizer) but they are few and far between.

What you do get is the story of three sisters- Mildred who has returned to stay at a cottage she once rented with her husband (the eponymous Uncle Paul) who, it turned out, had murdered his first wife. Next we have Isabel who seems to get overwrought at the drop of a hat because she senses her husband may not love her and their two boys quite as much as she'd like him to. Finally we have Meg, sensible to the core (except perhaps when it comes to her love life as she has settled on the feckless Freddy for a lover).

The story follows a call from Isabel to Meg begging her to come and talk sense into Mildred who is intent on staying in the same cottage where Uncle Paul was arrested fifteen years before. Both Mildred and Isabel seem to think that Paul is now out of prison and coming for revenge on one or all of the sisters who caused his incarceration.

What follows is a wonderfully slow burn thriller with the tension ratcheting up by degrees until everyone is at screaming pitch.

Excellent book. Highly recommended for anyone who loves a Christie or a psychological slow burn thriller.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

[Iain · Rating 3 out of 5]

A diverting, if slight, summer crime read. Well written, with an interesting premise and well set up cast of characters. Unfortunately after that encouraging start, very little happens. There's a sense of foreboding, but when the reveal comes it feels rushed. Its not really the Agatha Christie cosy crime story that its sold as - even the tagline on the cover 'Welcome to the Nightmare Summer Holiday' rings false - marketing spin rather than accurate. Originally written in 1959 and reissued now, it's hard to fathom why exactly this is a Waterstones Crime Pick of the Month, given the abundance of new crime writing that arrives every week. Its certainly of no benefit to the author who passed away 14 years ago. I guess someone, somewhere is making money from it. A curiosity all round really, but enjoyable enough for a quick read.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read, “The Hours Before Dawn,” Celia Fremlin’s debut, I was keen to read more by her. This, her second novel, was published in 1959 and how glad I am that I have discovered her. Definitely, Celia Fremlin is my discovery of the year and I am so pleased that her work has been reissued by Faber Finds.

This novel begins with Meg receiving a telegram for her sister, asking her to come and help. Meg has a sister, Isabel, plus an older, half-sister, Mildred, who looked after her, after her mother’s death. Mildred has a difficult relationship with husband, Hubert, and has done one of her flits, rushing off to Isabel. The problem is that Isabel, who has two young sons, is currently on a caravan holiday at the seaside, with second husband, Philip. With two sisters full of neuroses and issues, Meg sees no other option but to go and sort out their problems.

Before she goes, she tells her boyfriend; the irresponsible, irrepressible, Freddy, that she is leaving. Then she embarks on a trip to the seaside. Now, Fremlin is often labelled the British Patricia Highsmith, and I have never really clicked with Highsmith, so I can’t make the comparison. She is, though, very British. When she steps into that caravan, I knew exactly where I was – the caravan holidays of my childhood, with the rickety tables, lack of amenities and cold, windswept beaches that people feel obliged to try to enjoy (the scene where those in a local hotel try to talk themselves into the fact that it is about to rain; settling happily down for a warm afternoon of reading and knitting, before one hardy soul decides such laziness is not allowed and humiliates them all into going out, made me laugh aloud).

Once reunited with the nervous, jumpy, Isabel, Meg finds it is a worse situation than she imagined. Fifteen years ago, Mildred discovered that her husband, Meg and Isabel’s, ‘Uncle Paul,’ was not who he seemed and he went to prison. Now, Mildred is convinced that he is out and about to extract his revenge….

Meg is willing to laugh off these fears. However, when she has nowhere to stay and ends up at the remote, isolated cottage, which Mildred had booked for herself, it doesn’t seem so funny. Whose footsteps did Mildred hear beneath her window and are they coming back? This novel unfolds slowly and, like her debut novel, this is much more about the characters than anything else. Fear is contagious and, before long, the nervous tension is palpable and beyond reason. This was a truly creepy read and I enjoyed the dry humour, which released a little of the tension. Love both of the Fremlin’s I have read so far and look forward to reading more.

[Elizabeth (Alaska) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is rare for any catastrophe to seem like a catastrophe right at the very beginning. Nearly always, in the early stages, it seems more like a nuisance; just one more of those tiresome interruptions which come so provokingly just when life is going smoothly and pleasantly.

Such a wonderful opening paragraph, full of foreboding. Unfortunately, for me, this failed to fulfill what looked so promising.

Fremlin builds a bit of suspense and then almost immediately lets the air out. It just seems that perhaps it would be better to let things build. I also quibbled with some inconsistencies. Meg, the only sensible sister and main narrator, is confused about the time of day upon waking to bright sunshine. Several pages later (and a different day, I think) she consults her watch. Then again, many pages later, waking to a gray dawn, she wonders what time it is. Does she or does she not have a watch, and if so, why are mornings such a problem?

But mostly I was unable to suspend disbelief. I simply didn't understand all the hysteria. I did so enjoy Fremlin's debut, The Hours Before Dawn so I'm not ready to give up on her, but neither am I anxious to read another soon. Even with a bit of eye-rolling, this was a quick read and comes in toward the bottom of the 3-star group.

[Blair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately, the cover of Uncle Paul – the ‘nightmare summer holiday’ tagline and a cherry-picked quote branding the author ‘Britain’s Patricia Highsmith’ – oversells the book. I could describe it as an old-fashioned domestic thriller, but even that might be a bit of an overstatement: the emphasis is firmly on the domestic. It’s a curious combination of wry humour (which I enjoyed), gentle suspense and an ending that rings rather hollow and melancholy. It’s all very dated too – which, duh, this is a novel originally published in the 1950s, but I found it unpleasant, especially Meg’s boyfriend Freddy (presented as a charming cad, reads as a bully) and the laid-on-thick ageism towards Mildred (who can’t be more than 40!). I haven’t read anything else by Fremlin – except for one short ghost story – and have a strong feeling this isn’t her best. It’s most effective as a satirical portrait of Brits at the seaside, with little tension to be found.

[Veronique · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, that cover art totally caught my eye :O) That and the fact that Waterstone’s Books of the Month can sometimes have some lovely gems. That’s how I discovered The Enchanted April.

Uncle Paul turned out to be a 1959 slow-burn, psychological thriller. Throughout the narrative, you keep wondering if anything is indeed happening or if our characters are ‘just’ somehow paranoiac, imagining threat where there is none. I think it delivered - well, I was satisfied - but I wouldn’t say this is to the level of Patricia Highsmith. Pretty decent nonetheless. What I did really like was the voice and writing style. The descriptions as indeed all the asides the characters made were fascinating, like a painting made of words. I giggled several times, re-read certain sentences often, savouring the “slice of life” depicted. A good weekend read :O)

"I’ve always felt like that, you know, about the Cinderella story. We have Cinderella, so sweet, so obliging, so beautiful - why, naturally she gets the prince. Why shouldn’t she? It’s dull. It’s obvious. It’s like water running down a drain pipe - it couldn’t go any other way, But the Ugly Sisters - Ah, that’s the challenge! Ugly, selfish, thoroughly dislikeable - yet they still almost get the prince. They come within a hair’s breadth of it. That was the achievement; that was the real core of the story. A glorious failure, beside which Cinderella’s success is limp and insipid. Don’t you think so?”

[SueLucie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Celia Fremlin was recommended to me by a good friend (Lynn) on here ages ago and I've only just got round to reading my first of her novels. What a treat, I absolutely loved her wit and pithy insights into human behaviour and relationships. Can't wait to read more.

This one first published in 1960 but her books are being republished by Faber now. I'd love to see her rediscovered for a 21st century readership.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Celia Fremlin knows the art of subtle terror. We are told on the first page (or technically page nine in this edition) that there is going to be a “catastrophe,” but there is a whole series of events that must play out first, starting with the main character Meg receiving a simple telegram. The message sounds serious, but not yet frightening. In the beginning, it all seems like a serious case of overreaction, especially once we learn that Meg, despite being the youngest sister, is the one who always finds herself having to solve her sisters’ problems. The backdrop of the seaside holiday adds to the incongruity; you’re not supposed to be scared while on vacation in August at the beach where it is warm and sunny, except it’s England, so half the time it’s cold and rainy. All the little clues – some real, some misleading – gradually fall into place. I made the mistake of reading into the wee hours, and I decided to go to bed after finishing chapter 18. This was a mistake because this was where the book gets the most terrifying, and so I was scared to death to turn out the lights and go upstairs. Not wanting to repeat that experience, I made sure to finish the last 50ish pages the next day during the daylight hours. I was very satisfied with the ending, which I guessed, but not until I was a good way in, and other possibilities seemed to be exhausted. Uncle Paul seemed to take longer to get going than The Hours Before Dawn, but once it did, it was definitely worth it.

[Austen to Zafón · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been on a mission to read all of Fremlin's books. I liked this one, but it definitely wasn't her best. It was a bit slow and I didn't identify with any of the main characters in the way that I did in her other books. I found them all rather silly. Or maybe that's the wrong word. Their motivations and views on the world seemed immature and more naive than I expect from women that of that age and experience, even in that era. Whereas I find her main character's in other books more believable.

Still, as with many authors I like, even a so-so Fremlin is better than a lot of books. I didn't figure out who the culprit was, which was nice, but I also wasn't driven to keep reading as I was withe The Hours Before Dawn and The Jealous One, which is why it took me 2 months to read. Still, nice evocation of a seaside holiday, one much darker than R. C. Sherriff's lovely book, The Fortnight in September!

If you love Fremlin, read this. If you're new to her, read the other two books I listed.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fifteen years ago, Mildred’s husband Paul was exposed as a bigamist and a murderer, and has been in prison since. Now he’s about to be released, and the idea of him coming to seek them out fills Mildred’s two younger half-sisters with a mixture of dread and curiosity. Meg and Isabel had been children when ‘Uncle Paul’ was around and their knowledge of what actually happened is sketchy. They are spending a holiday in a caravan at the seaside while Mildred has taken herself to a cottage nearby. And then odd things begin to happen…

This could be my shortest review ever. I read this months ago and failed to take notes, so pretty much all I can tell you now is that I loved it. I thought Fremlin captured the joys and miseries of a British seaside holiday in the 1950s perfectly – sunshine and rain, nothing much to do in the evenings, pretending to enjoy damp picnics on the beach, sand in everything including the food, too many children running around! The book has a lot of humour and some true creepiness in the plot, and some great family dynamics between the ill-assorted sisters, and it encouraged me to seek out more from Fremlin.

www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com

[Lisa - OwlBeSatReading 🦉📚]

Yikes! 50 pages in and I am so bored of this! Long-winded descriptions and characters I’m not remotely interested in! 😂

[Paul Fulcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Isabel's blundering attempts to defend him against their tiresomeness, and to defend them against his half irritable, half conscientious attempts at discipline, had only made matters worse. And then had come this disastrous caravan holiday, culminating in Mildred's dramatic resurrection of the ghost of Uncle Paul.

Discovered in the Phone Box Library in my native Ashill in Norfolk - the title grabbed me obviously, and that one of my favourite Goodreaders, Roman Clodia, had given it a 5 star review clinched the deal.

Published in 1959, a wonderfully sketched portrayal of English life at the time, and of psychological dynamics ranging from how to deal with a murderous bigamist post seeking revenge after his release from prison, to how to deal with yet another game of Ludo with a young nephew in a cramped caravan on a wet afternoon at the seaside. And the plot cleverly leaves the reader in suspense until the last pages as to which the novel is - murder thriller, or domestic sketch ... or both?

For one second Captain Cockerill seemed a little at a loss. Then, with renewed sprightliness, he turned to consult his rather depressed entourage about where they would like to go? A good tramp over the cliffs, perhaps? Or round the point to Whitesands Bay, if the tide wasn't too high?
"What about the Pier?" suggested Mildred, her whole soul expanding as she contemplated its nearness, its roofed-in parts, and the cafe at the end of it.

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uncle Paul was the last remaining novel by Celia Fremlin which I had on my Kindle. I decided to start reading it on the way to Munich, and was gripped all the way through. I loved the opening of this, Fremlin's second novel, and found the plot intriguing. The humour here worked well, and I found the dialogue to be both sharp and wonderfully controlled. I guessed the denouement from quite a way off, although it did not seem as though it had been well hidden. A great novel which certainly kept me guessing.

[Ellay · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have never rated a book so low, but I never DNF books, so I have had to be true.

Its classed as a "Thriller" and on the cover "Welcome to the nightmare summer holiday." I can say it's far from a thriller, nor a nightmare... The "twist" and the intensity doesn't really happen until the last 15 pages of the book, and until then, it is dragged out by pointless characters and scenarios.

I wouldn't recommend unfortunately.

[Dan Rowley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really a thriller. Was roped in by the great cover, and having seen Ian Rankin, an author who I really like, was reading it.
Characters are all irritating, there's not much thrilling going on within it. Would have been made slightly more entertaining if the snake was Uncle Paul.
Despite this, Fremlin's writing style is very good, and gets the 2nd star, this just wasn't for me.

[Clea · Rating 2 out of 5]

1 is really unfair but I was just SO BORED

Okay I upped it to 2

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book from the brilliant Celia Fremlin.

[Fiona MacDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scary and unsettling!! she's such a good writer and wonderful at building up tension.

[Alison Bentley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sadly this book failed to engage me, despite coming on recommendation. Old fashioned and slow, I felt I was reading fiction from a woman’s magazine from decades ago.

[Rosa Paps · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book put me in a slump

[Girl with her Head in a Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

For my full review: https://girlwithherheadinabook.co.uk/...

Several months ago, I read The Hours Before Dawn, one of the most electrifying thrillers that I can ever remember reading. It was compact, compelling and it captured an aspect of the human experience - maternal sleep deprivation.- which has been unfairly neglected in fiction. When I spotted that several other Celia Fremlin novels have also been reissued, I was immediately keen to discover more. And so I landed up on Uncle Paul, which has the spine-chilling tag-line 'Welcome to the Nightmare Summer Holiday'. I tried reading it a couple of months ago during my own holiday to Whitby but given that the book is set around a young woman going to help out her frazzled sister who is taking her two young children on a seaside break, it felt a little much at the time. Flash forward to autumn and it was a fine hair-raising tale for a chilly evening.

The novel opens as Meg receives a telegram from her sister Isabel explaining that their older sister Mildred needs help. Isabel is attempting to cobble together a pleasant family holiday and allow her new husband to settle in to his stepfather role with her young children, if only every single step of the process did not send her into paroxysms of anxiety. Unfortunately, Mildred has also landed up in the area, smarting from a fall-out from her husband and renting a coastal cottage of her own. In a spooky coincidence - or is it - said cottage turns out to be the same one that Mildred rented during a holiday fifteen years before, her ill-fated honeymoon to the titular Paul, a man who was shortly afterwards arrested for the attempted murder of his first wife. Could Paul be back? If so, would it be for revenge? And would they even recognise him if they saw him?

In contrast to the suburban unease of The Hours Before Dawn, Fremlin's second novel takes these dysfunctional families out of their natural habitat. Still, very similar buttons are being pressed. Truly, there are few things more stressful than a family holiday. All the organisation, the packing, the high expectations and then the panic that after all that effort, nobody seems to be having fun. And as in Fremlin's debut, the burden of so much of this preparation tends to fall on the women.

There are some fantastically well-drawn observations, particularly around the child characters. There is Cedric the know-it-all, Peter who insists on everyone who goes up and down the caravan steps paying tribute to 'Sharkey' and Johnny, cheerily oblivious to the tension around him. Even the desperately unravelling Isabel is beautifully caught. As before, some of the dialogue and characters still feel eerily relevant. Still, there are other moments which prove that the past truly is another country where things are done differently.

With the greater emphasis on personal rather than parental relationships, this is perhaps why Uncle Paul failed to resonate with me quite so much as The Hours Before Dawn. The tension was still sky high, particularly during the isolation at the cottage, and I still found the book difficult to put down at bedtime. However, the ultimate denouement lacked the same electricity. Perhaps this is unsurprising - I identified strongly with the first novel's sleep-deprived protagonist and never felt the same sense of kinship with any of the characters here. Uncle Paul delivered on spine-chilling thrills but does not feel like a novel destined to live long in the memory.

[Andy Weston · Rating 4 out of 5]

First published in 1959, this is a slow-burning psychological mystery that blends relationships in the family with suspense, highlighting the complexity of human relationships.

The unflappable Meg is summoned from London by telegram by her older sister, Isabel, to a typically English seaside town where she is on holiday with her family. It isn't help with the two young boys Isabel is after though, rather an issue with their much older sister, Mildred, who is also on holiday, and renting a nearby cottage. Mildred is concerned that her first husband, Paul, is loose and after her, having spent the last 15 years in prison for bigamy and plotting to murder Mildred.

Its an interesting story of burgeoning paranoia, growing to a crescendo that the reader knows will end badly. The telling of the tale seems laboured at times, but in the end is justified by a terrific last few pages.

I've read four books by Fremlin now, and enjoyed them all, Appointment With Yesterday the most. I read that she is compared to Patricia Highsmith, which I think is unfair. Highsmith's writing is much darker; Fremlin's style is much more English, with manners and etiquette playing a key role. Its a sort of domestic noir.

[Hannah Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a strange book

[Chrystal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Silly plot along with silly characters. Not good.

[Selena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to. First published in 1959, this is now in a nice retro Faber & Faber edition. It starts with sensible Meg receiving a message from older sister (and often overwrought), Isabel about a problem with their half-sister, Mildred. Meg joins them on holiday by the sea, where Mildred is staying in the cottage where she found out her husband, Paul, had tried to murder his first wife over fifteen years ago. With Paul possibly released from prison, could increasingly spooky happenings indicate his presence and increasing danger for the trio? Or is it just hysteria and paranoia?

I'd not heard of Celia Fremlin before but she's an excellent writer. Like Shirley Jackson, she can easily slip between the domestic every day and an air of unease and foreboding. Her observations are great and the sometimes unglamorous context of caravan parks to disappointing British seaside holidays are perfectly captured. There's gentle humour too, with character types and scenarios you'd expect to see in any Fawlty Towers or Agatha Christie. Of course, the unreliable weather is a constant as well. The tension builds nicely with odd occurrences being explained away by the mundane so even no-nonsense Meg starts to wonder if she's just becoming obsessed with Uncle Paul. Her potentially cad of a boyfriend, Freddy - why's he turned up and what's his role??? I ended up finishing this at 3 am as I needed to see how it concluded. How the thriller is resolved is as questionable as any crime novel but I thought the atmosphere, scene-setting, and characters well done. An unexpected delight. I'd read more Celia Fremlin.

[Verity Halliday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uncle Paul is a 1950’s suspense novel about a horrible summer holiday, suffered by three sisters. Isabel is struggling in a seaside caravan with two small boys and (intermittently) a rather strict new husband. Mildred is staying in a nearby clifftop cottage where she honeymooned years ago with her first husband Paul and is not enjoying the eerie atmosphere and lack of creature comforts. Their capable younger sister Meg is summoned from London by telegram to resolve all their problems and manage things, but is there more to the situation than meets the eye? Is Mildred just being silly or is there a real sinister threat hanging over the holiday?

There’s a good cast of supporting characters in this book - I particularly liked Cedric, the annoying know-it-all child who kept contradicting the adult characters. There are plenty of laughs along with a suspenseful plot.

A fun book for those who like Golden Age crime fiction and similar novels.