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The Long Shadow
"You see, Mrs Barnicott, it just happens that I know rather a lot about your husband and about the circumstances of his death. And one of the things I know is that his death wasn't an accident. And you know it, too...because you killed him."
She could hardly believe she was actually hearing what the voice on the telephone was saying. While life as the third wife of a celebrated, cruel, and egocentric Classics professor had hardly been a bed of roses, murder had never entered her head. Now, it seemed that to the indignities of widowhood fear was to be added. There were times, for instance, when it looked as though her husband, who was indisputably dead, simply wouldn't die—what with messages lying about in his handwriting, work obviously continuing on an unfinished manuscript, to say nothing of disturbed files, and a macabre figure occasionally glimpsed in the attic or the study. Then there was the time when she knew, beyond a doubt, that her life was in danger...
She could hardly believe she was actually hearing what the voice on the telephone was saying. While life as the third wife of a celebrated, cruel, and egocentric Classics professor had hardly been a bed of roses, murder had never entered her head. Now, it seemed that to the indignities of widowhood fear was to be added. There were times, for instance, when it looked as though her husband, who was indisputably dead, simply wouldn't die—what with messages lying about in his handwriting, work obviously continuing on an unfinished manuscript, to say nothing of disturbed files, and a macabre figure occasionally glimpsed in the attic or the study. Then there was the time when she knew, beyond a doubt, that her life was in danger...
177 pages, Hardcover
First published July 3, 1975
64 people are currently reading
885 people want to read
About the author
Celia Fremlin
78 books88 followersCelia 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...]
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...]
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 195 reviews
January 24, 2025
A very weird mystery about a new widow who is accused of the murder of her husband by a complete stranger. She also has a lot of odd, funny encounters with family members and others encroaching on her and moving into her house after the funeral. There's many wise thoughts included about what others expect of you after your loved one dies. It's wonderfully eccentric and not at all what I thought it would be.
December 12, 2020
Imogen is the third wife, and new widow, of academic Ivor. His loss, and her new status as bereaved - to be pitied, watched over and kept company, has led to Christmas with a house suddenly full of guests. These include her adult step-son, Robin, step-daughter Dot, plus husband and two young sons, Ivor's second wife (who has come to share her grieving) and, to complete the set, a young girl allegedly thrown out of her flat and gleefully given refuge by the mischief-making Robin.
Having hoped for a time of peace, reflection and recovery, it seems to Imogen that she is being judged for not mourning strongly enough. The problem is, the more she thinks of Ivor, the more she sees him as he really was and not the idealised version that death seems to warrant. While neighbour Edith pats her eyes and assures her she is still missing her beloved husband, Imogen can't help thinking, 'how Ivor would have loved being dead!' Always wanting to be the centre of attention, she feels he is missing out and, besides, her grief is constantly being interrupted...
First, there are the visitors and then there are the odd happenings. The phone call accusing her of being involved in Ivor's death, the missing twenty four hours after she was told of his accident, the odd sightings around the house. Is Ivor really dead and why is a young man attempting, rather blatantly, to blackmail her?
Without doubt, Celia Fremlin has been my discovery of the year. I am delighted I have found her books. So far, I have read three and loved them all. I enjoyed Imogen's sharp, realistic and slightly caustic nature. This is not a Christmas mystery wrapped up in nostalgia. It is having to entertain small children, who invariably get tired and grumpy; of having to interact with people who outstay their welcome, of sympathy wrapped up in judgement. In reality and Fremlin - apparently not averse to a little gossip herself - gets it spot on. A wonderful read and I look forward to discovering more of her work in 2021.
Having hoped for a time of peace, reflection and recovery, it seems to Imogen that she is being judged for not mourning strongly enough. The problem is, the more she thinks of Ivor, the more she sees him as he really was and not the idealised version that death seems to warrant. While neighbour Edith pats her eyes and assures her she is still missing her beloved husband, Imogen can't help thinking, 'how Ivor would have loved being dead!' Always wanting to be the centre of attention, she feels he is missing out and, besides, her grief is constantly being interrupted...
First, there are the visitors and then there are the odd happenings. The phone call accusing her of being involved in Ivor's death, the missing twenty four hours after she was told of his accident, the odd sightings around the house. Is Ivor really dead and why is a young man attempting, rather blatantly, to blackmail her?
Without doubt, Celia Fremlin has been my discovery of the year. I am delighted I have found her books. So far, I have read three and loved them all. I enjoyed Imogen's sharp, realistic and slightly caustic nature. This is not a Christmas mystery wrapped up in nostalgia. It is having to entertain small children, who invariably get tired and grumpy; of having to interact with people who outstay their welcome, of sympathy wrapped up in judgement. In reality and Fremlin - apparently not averse to a little gossip herself - gets it spot on. A wonderful read and I look forward to discovering more of her work in 2021.
October 24, 2021
As a recent convert to Fremlin's domestic noir style, I was expecting to like this a little more than I did. I think that's partly because the blurb is a bit misleading and while there is a strand where a stranger accuses Imogen of having murdered her recently deceased husband, that's a very small part of the story which is mostly taken up a whole host of relations and hangers-on descending on poor Imogen and essentially moving into her house: step-daughter with husband and two kids, step-son with friend, husband's ex-wives, plus neighbours and Imogen's own friends still bustling around. As such, the claustrophobic domestic atmosphere dissipates and though there are some creepy goings-on (the kids are having nightmares, who's continuing hubby's abandoned manuscript?) they don't really have room to breathe.
That said, Fremlin is still spot on with her sly observations, and she adds some of her subversion of the domestic ideal by having Imogen grieving for her husband while also acknowledging how unpleasant he could also be. I still love the way she is writing a page-turning commercial piece of fiction while slipping in a transgressive approach to hegemonic ideas of 'domestic bliss', but this felt more diffuse and diluted to me than the concentrated energy of her first book, The Hours Before Dawn.
That said, Fremlin is still spot on with her sly observations, and she adds some of her subversion of the domestic ideal by having Imogen grieving for her husband while also acknowledging how unpleasant he could also be. I still love the way she is writing a page-turning commercial piece of fiction while slipping in a transgressive approach to hegemonic ideas of 'domestic bliss', but this felt more diffuse and diluted to me than the concentrated energy of her first book, The Hours Before Dawn.
January 13, 2019
3.75/5. Domestic suspense about a recent widow, her chaotic, tangled (step-)family and a mysterious accident/murder. There are many funny and poignant observations on the intricacies of family relations and I loved the way this played with perspective, but I thought the ending was a bit of a letdown.
December 26, 2018
Originally published in 1975 Celia Fremlin’s novel is a perfect Christmas read.
Imogen is grieving for her husband, and at the same time getting used to her new life, when family descend on her house, self-invited, for the Christmas holiday, including his previous wife.
As with the best mysteries, it’s difficult for the reader to predict where the story is heading; are there any suspicious circumstances about the death? As the guests outstay their welcome, Imogen is at her wits’ end, struggling to cope, and unable to come to any logical explanations for all the apparently supernatural events that are terrifying everyone in the house.
It’s very British in the traditional writing, a classic thriller, and typical of the 1960s, in which it is set. The suspense builds, the tensions cause arguments, and there is a rewarding climax with a couple of clever twists.
Imogen is grieving for her husband, and at the same time getting used to her new life, when family descend on her house, self-invited, for the Christmas holiday, including his previous wife.
As with the best mysteries, it’s difficult for the reader to predict where the story is heading; are there any suspicious circumstances about the death? As the guests outstay their welcome, Imogen is at her wits’ end, struggling to cope, and unable to come to any logical explanations for all the apparently supernatural events that are terrifying everyone in the house.
It’s very British in the traditional writing, a classic thriller, and typical of the 1960s, in which it is set. The suspense builds, the tensions cause arguments, and there is a rewarding climax with a couple of clever twists.
December 22, 2020
Having recently read and enjoyed The Hours Before Dawn (1958), I was keen to read another book by Celia Fremlin aka the grandmother of British psycho-domestic noir.
The Long Shadow (1975) is another recent Faber reissue. Imogen, newly widowed from a popular, successful and controlling academic, is trying to coming to terms with her mixed emotions about the death of her husband. This is complicated by having to contend with a houseful of unwanted guests during the festive season and accusations by a man who claims that it was she who killed her husband.
Once again Celia Fremlin perfectly nails the English suburban milieu with The Long Shadow which is well observed, compelling, insightful, chilling, funny, and clever.
4/5
Jolted from sleep by the ringing of the telephone, Imogen stumbles through the dark, empty house to answer it. At first, she can't quite understand the man on the other end of the line. Surely he can't honestly be accusing her of killing her husband, Ivor, who died in a car crash barely two months ago.
As the nights draw in, Imogen finds her home filling up with unexpected Christmas guests, who may be looking for more than simple festive cheer. Has someone been rifling through Ivor's papers? Who left the half-drunk whiskey bottle beside his favourite chair? And why won't that man stop phoning, insisting he can prove Imogen's guilt.
The Long Shadow (1975) is another recent Faber reissue. Imogen, newly widowed from a popular, successful and controlling academic, is trying to coming to terms with her mixed emotions about the death of her husband. This is complicated by having to contend with a houseful of unwanted guests during the festive season and accusations by a man who claims that it was she who killed her husband.
Once again Celia Fremlin perfectly nails the English suburban milieu with The Long Shadow which is well observed, compelling, insightful, chilling, funny, and clever.
4/5
Jolted from sleep by the ringing of the telephone, Imogen stumbles through the dark, empty house to answer it. At first, she can't quite understand the man on the other end of the line. Surely he can't honestly be accusing her of killing her husband, Ivor, who died in a car crash barely two months ago.
As the nights draw in, Imogen finds her home filling up with unexpected Christmas guests, who may be looking for more than simple festive cheer. Has someone been rifling through Ivor's papers? Who left the half-drunk whiskey bottle beside his favourite chair? And why won't that man stop phoning, insisting he can prove Imogen's guilt.
November 28, 2025
Eine originelle, irgendwie lebensnahe, mysteriöse Geschichte, erstmals erschienen 1975. Hat jetzt zufälligerweise gut in die Zeit gepasst - es ist die Zeit um Weihnachten. Ich habe viel gerätselt und bin nicht darauf gekommen, was da wirklich los ist. Teilweise war es schon over the top, aber auch unglaublich lustig. Buntes verrücktes Familienleben eben und noch so viel mehr..
January 3, 2025
Ya llevaba tiempo queriendo leer a Celia Fremlin. Concretamente desde que leí que Claire Chambers la describía como „Barbara Pym con arsénico“ 😂. Así que cuando estuve de viaje en Londres este Octubre pasado y vi esta preciosa edición de una de sus novelas ni me lo pensé. Y estoy feliz de confirmar que acerté de lleno y he descubierto una autora de la que quiero leer más.
Celia Fremlin nos presenta a Imogen, una mujer que ha quedado viuda hace dos meses porque su marido muere en un accidente de tráfico. Una madrugada, se despierta al sonar el teléfono y cuando contesta no reconoce a la persona al otro lado de la línea. Aún dormida como está, le cuesta entender lo que esta persona le está diciendo… no puede estar acusándola de matar a su marido ¿no?. Con la Navidad a la vuelta de la esquina, la casa de Imogen empieza a llenarse de gente y todo se descontrola. ¿Quién ha estado revolviendo entre los papeles de Ivor? ¿Quién ha dejado esa botella de whisky ahí? Y sobre todo… ¿porqué no para de llamar esa persona insistiendo en que ha matado a su marido?
La escritura de Celia Fremlin me ha ganado. Es capaz de narrar situaciones cotidianas con un punto irónico y ácido que me ha encantado además de sacarme la carcajada en más de una ocasión. No se trata de un libro ágil, si no que es uno de estos que aumenta de intensidad según vas leyendo y confieso que me lo he pasado demasiado bien viendo como en casa de Imogen las cosas iban cada vez peor. Es difícil no sentir frustración, tensión y enfado por Imogen mientras tiene que lidiar con familiares y conocidos impertinentes, desagradecidos y dominantes que se plantan en su casa junto a sus pertenencias sin invitación ni aviso, usando las fiestas y la reciente pérdida de Imogen como excusa. Toda una reunión familiar en la que por mucho que los comensales luzcan sus mejores sonrisas, los motivos ocultos no tardan en salir a relucir.
Definitivamente ha sido una lectura muy entretenida con una narración llena de sarcasmo que he disfrutado muchísimo. Celia Fremlin domina el domestic noir, y yo ya tengo más libros suyos en la estantería preparados para el 2025.
4,0⭐️
Celia Fremlin nos presenta a Imogen, una mujer que ha quedado viuda hace dos meses porque su marido muere en un accidente de tráfico. Una madrugada, se despierta al sonar el teléfono y cuando contesta no reconoce a la persona al otro lado de la línea. Aún dormida como está, le cuesta entender lo que esta persona le está diciendo… no puede estar acusándola de matar a su marido ¿no?. Con la Navidad a la vuelta de la esquina, la casa de Imogen empieza a llenarse de gente y todo se descontrola. ¿Quién ha estado revolviendo entre los papeles de Ivor? ¿Quién ha dejado esa botella de whisky ahí? Y sobre todo… ¿porqué no para de llamar esa persona insistiendo en que ha matado a su marido?
La escritura de Celia Fremlin me ha ganado. Es capaz de narrar situaciones cotidianas con un punto irónico y ácido que me ha encantado además de sacarme la carcajada en más de una ocasión. No se trata de un libro ágil, si no que es uno de estos que aumenta de intensidad según vas leyendo y confieso que me lo he pasado demasiado bien viendo como en casa de Imogen las cosas iban cada vez peor. Es difícil no sentir frustración, tensión y enfado por Imogen mientras tiene que lidiar con familiares y conocidos impertinentes, desagradecidos y dominantes que se plantan en su casa junto a sus pertenencias sin invitación ni aviso, usando las fiestas y la reciente pérdida de Imogen como excusa. Toda una reunión familiar en la que por mucho que los comensales luzcan sus mejores sonrisas, los motivos ocultos no tardan en salir a relucir.
Definitivamente ha sido una lectura muy entretenida con una narración llena de sarcasmo que he disfrutado muchísimo. Celia Fremlin domina el domestic noir, y yo ya tengo más libros suyos en la estantería preparados para el 2025.
4,0⭐️
January 1, 2019
"Forgotten" thriller writer, whose works are being re-issued, prompting some positive reviews. The problem with randomly selecting one out of a life-time's work to sample is that I don't know if this is the best she could do, and a good example of her style and tone, or the runt of the litter. But based on this single, unscientific sample, I'm not sure that I'll be rushing out to get my hands on more of her work.
My problem with Fremlin was entirely with tone and pacing -- first, she seemed to be unable to decide what she was writing. Ghost story? Comedy of manners? Psychological thriller? A bit of all of the above? And the tone shifted wildly, depending on which novel she was writing -- "humor" in the desperately unfunny episodes of the worst family Christmas ever, desperately unscary when she was trying to convince us that the strange goings on might just be supernatural. And the lamest blackmailer ever. Characters were trooped out to do their bit -- funny, scary, threatening -- and then forgotten about for long chapters.
Too bad, because Fremlin could clearly write, and the central concept -- a recent widow, whose husband's sudden death has left her saddled with his obnoxious adult children, ex-wives and lovers, and a persistent (if ridiculous) accusation that she was responsible for his death --- and decidedly mixed feelings about how she feels about her sudden release from this charming monster. But Imogen, wife #3 and the one who has drawn the short straw as Chief Mourner at this overly prolonged funeral, is too unbelievably a doormat to make her situation interesting.
Perhaps if she had settled on what novel she really wanted to write, it might have turned out to be something really worthwhile.
My problem with Fremlin was entirely with tone and pacing -- first, she seemed to be unable to decide what she was writing. Ghost story? Comedy of manners? Psychological thriller? A bit of all of the above? And the tone shifted wildly, depending on which novel she was writing -- "humor" in the desperately unfunny episodes of the worst family Christmas ever, desperately unscary when she was trying to convince us that the strange goings on might just be supernatural. And the lamest blackmailer ever. Characters were trooped out to do their bit -- funny, scary, threatening -- and then forgotten about for long chapters.
Too bad, because Fremlin could clearly write, and the central concept -- a recent widow, whose husband's sudden death has left her saddled with his obnoxious adult children, ex-wives and lovers, and a persistent (if ridiculous) accusation that she was responsible for his death --- and decidedly mixed feelings about how she feels about her sudden release from this charming monster. But Imogen, wife #3 and the one who has drawn the short straw as Chief Mourner at this overly prolonged funeral, is too unbelievably a doormat to make her situation interesting.
Perhaps if she had settled on what novel she really wanted to write, it might have turned out to be something really worthwhile.
November 26, 2018
This is a Christmas story with a difference for sure. I enjoyed the quirky, engaging and fluid writing style, the well drawn characters with a 'ghost' thrown into their midst and a surprising reveal for the end. All in all a quick entertaining read that cleverly ties its sparkly ribbon around a well-packaged story line!
December 19, 2024
Only good thing about this book is the cover that alone gets 3 stars, waste of time reading it not Christmassy at all only thing Christmassy is it’s around Christmas time 🤦♂️
November 29, 2024
I started reading Celia Fremlin's The Long Shadow on the plane back from Lithuania. Her books are generally excellent, and it is a real shame that nobody really seems to read her work anymore. I did not remind myself of the plot before beginning this, and found its lack of intensity a little surprising, particularly when compared to her other work.
There are a lot of interesting elements to be found here, and the mystery was done well, but there was an element of predictability to it; I guessed almost all of the twists, and exactly what happened in the denouement. Whilst I enjoyed reading The Long Shadow, it is not my favourite of Fremlin's books, and I do not feel as though it is a good book to start with if you are not already familiar with her other titles.
There are a lot of interesting elements to be found here, and the mystery was done well, but there was an element of predictability to it; I guessed almost all of the twists, and exactly what happened in the denouement. Whilst I enjoyed reading The Long Shadow, it is not my favourite of Fremlin's books, and I do not feel as though it is a good book to start with if you are not already familiar with her other titles.
December 11, 2024
2.5-3 ⭐
An ok read but took me abit to get through as I just wasn't invested in the story.
Likeable characters but not for me I'm afraid.
An ok read but took me abit to get through as I just wasn't invested in the story.
Likeable characters but not for me I'm afraid.
October 22, 2018
This is my second Celia Fremlin novel and once again I enjoyed it, old school and intriguing I would actually put it more under family drama than I would mystery, albeit that there are mystery elements plus that same underlying sense of unease that was palpable in the last book I read of hers.
Imogen's husband dies in a crash, a mysterious young man keeps accusing her of killing him and Imogen's house is suddenly full of family and strangers. Through a series of odd and often unsettling occurrences we come to discover why they are all gathered around Imogen and the hidden truths at the heart of this family.
Celia Fremlin writes with a very edgy, involving style, gently leading the reader on a journey and immersing them into the lives of the characters she creates. In a lot of ways The Long Shadow is the very definition of a psychological thriller because everyone is unreliable and they all have character quirks that are hiding inner feelings. Still, a lot of this story centres around the minutiae of family life, the group dynamic is utterly riveting, the mystery element really does take a back seat to this intriguing set of people in a snapshot moment of their lives.
The theme of grief is a strong one, human nature takes front and centre and overall The Long Shadow is a dark joy to read - different from modern crime in its feel and execution but classically styled and brilliantly readable.
I look forward to more.
Recommended.
Imogen's husband dies in a crash, a mysterious young man keeps accusing her of killing him and Imogen's house is suddenly full of family and strangers. Through a series of odd and often unsettling occurrences we come to discover why they are all gathered around Imogen and the hidden truths at the heart of this family.
Celia Fremlin writes with a very edgy, involving style, gently leading the reader on a journey and immersing them into the lives of the characters she creates. In a lot of ways The Long Shadow is the very definition of a psychological thriller because everyone is unreliable and they all have character quirks that are hiding inner feelings. Still, a lot of this story centres around the minutiae of family life, the group dynamic is utterly riveting, the mystery element really does take a back seat to this intriguing set of people in a snapshot moment of their lives.
The theme of grief is a strong one, human nature takes front and centre and overall The Long Shadow is a dark joy to read - different from modern crime in its feel and execution but classically styled and brilliantly readable.
I look forward to more.
Recommended.
December 19, 2020
In this novel, Celia Fremlin has again captured the suspense in the life of a seemingly normal everyday housewife. In her award-winning The Hours Before Dawn, she is a new mother while in this story she is a recent widow of a renowned University Professor of Classics. The story itself is well done, suspenseful and logical but the real treat with Fremlin is in her observations of human interpersonal relations and those odd manners and characteristics intrinsic in the behaviors of everyday people. These adept observations often make me smile. There seem to be more of them here than in either Hours or Uncle Paul. I think I enjoyed this one the most of the three Fremlins I’ve read, perhaps because the central character, Imogen, appears to be the most adept with these observations.
I was surprised to find that this novel has a relatively low 3.45 Goodreads rating, the lowest of any of Fremlin’s most-read works, if with 177 GR ratings this book can be categorized as a “most-read.” Actually, that definition would also include Uncle Paul and that book has only 77 GR ratings. Fremlin certainly is deserving of more readers. 4+ stars
I was surprised to find that this novel has a relatively low 3.45 Goodreads rating, the lowest of any of Fremlin’s most-read works, if with 177 GR ratings this book can be categorized as a “most-read.” Actually, that definition would also include Uncle Paul and that book has only 77 GR ratings. Fremlin certainly is deserving of more readers. 4+ stars
January 10, 2024
Celia Fremlin has a beautiful language – every sentence felt like a masterpiece – and you can tell she really knows people. Her characters felt very... human, in every sense of the word.
The more I discuss this book with others who have read it, the more I like it, because what makes her such a good writer is the thought she puts into the details. Because of this, it was a tricky one to rate, because I feel she deserves more than 3 stars, but at the same time I didn't connect to the story and mainly finished it because friends said it was great. And I see what they mean, but I didn't really feel it unfortunately.
The more I discuss this book with others who have read it, the more I like it, because what makes her such a good writer is the thought she puts into the details. Because of this, it was a tricky one to rate, because I feel she deserves more than 3 stars, but at the same time I didn't connect to the story and mainly finished it because friends said it was great. And I see what they mean, but I didn't really feel it unfortunately.
March 6, 2025
My second favourite so far. The Hours Before Dawn still told the list
January 12, 2024
like a 3.7 rounded up.
full post here:
http://www.crimesegments.com/2024/01/...
I bought this novel to read over Christmas week, but as happens a lot around here, I had to put if off for a while, just finishing it this week. Not a problem -- while the action in this story takes place during the Christmas season, The Long Shadow is a book that is good for reading any time of year.
The book jacket of this particular edition is a bit misleading, with drops of blood suggesting some sort of murderous activity to be found in this story. While there are certainly a few mysteries to solve here, they are woven into and around Fremlin's examination of narrator Imogen's new widowhood and her grief. She undergoes "a sense of loss, total and irretrievable," but at the same time hasn't forgotten her deceased husband's "vast, irrepressible ego" that makes her pray that God doesn't let her "ever forget what a bastard he could be." She loved and misses him but she's also a realist at heart, and as time goes on, she begins to truly realize just how thoroughly (and often dangerously) Ivor's larger-than-life personality and his charisma had drawn people under the long shadow he cast while alive. Fremlin offers a powerful character study here, putting family dynamics under the microscope while building and escalating an atmosphere of tension that lasts right up until the last moment. At the same time, she injects enough humor to keep things lively and entertaining, no small feat given the intense subject matter.
The Long Shadow was an unputdownable read for me, perfect for cold-weather, gray-skies reading (yes, we actually do have winter in South Florida) all snuggled up in a blanket with cup of hot tea in hand. I've only read one other Fremlin novel, The Hours Before Dawn, which is also readworthy, enough in my case that I ended up putting it on my IRL book group's list a couple of years ago. I will definitely be reading more of her work, and a shout out to Faber for putting this book back into print.
Recommended, with the caveat that it may not be a mystery novel for everyone; I actually prefer mysteries that delve into the psyche but I also know that many readers do not, preferring instead a standard crime-solving story. I'll read her books any time.
full post here:
http://www.crimesegments.com/2024/01/...
I bought this novel to read over Christmas week, but as happens a lot around here, I had to put if off for a while, just finishing it this week. Not a problem -- while the action in this story takes place during the Christmas season, The Long Shadow is a book that is good for reading any time of year.
The book jacket of this particular edition is a bit misleading, with drops of blood suggesting some sort of murderous activity to be found in this story. While there are certainly a few mysteries to solve here, they are woven into and around Fremlin's examination of narrator Imogen's new widowhood and her grief. She undergoes "a sense of loss, total and irretrievable," but at the same time hasn't forgotten her deceased husband's "vast, irrepressible ego" that makes her pray that God doesn't let her "ever forget what a bastard he could be." She loved and misses him but she's also a realist at heart, and as time goes on, she begins to truly realize just how thoroughly (and often dangerously) Ivor's larger-than-life personality and his charisma had drawn people under the long shadow he cast while alive. Fremlin offers a powerful character study here, putting family dynamics under the microscope while building and escalating an atmosphere of tension that lasts right up until the last moment. At the same time, she injects enough humor to keep things lively and entertaining, no small feat given the intense subject matter.
The Long Shadow was an unputdownable read for me, perfect for cold-weather, gray-skies reading (yes, we actually do have winter in South Florida) all snuggled up in a blanket with cup of hot tea in hand. I've only read one other Fremlin novel, The Hours Before Dawn, which is also readworthy, enough in my case that I ended up putting it on my IRL book group's list a couple of years ago. I will definitely be reading more of her work, and a shout out to Faber for putting this book back into print.
Recommended, with the caveat that it may not be a mystery novel for everyone; I actually prefer mysteries that delve into the psyche but I also know that many readers do not, preferring instead a standard crime-solving story. I'll read her books any time.
December 21, 2023
A really enjoyable piece of fiction that's difficult to categorise. In essence it's a thriller - there's a dead husband, a widow being accused of murder, mysterious house guests, sinister visits in the night and all sorts of other sinister plot points. However, there's a real lightness of tone, lots of humour and wonderfully witty insights into the life of being a widow/ the behaviour of children/ general domestic things that it's difficult to view this in quite the same category as something truly serious.
In many ways this is a delight - I was absolutely hooked and raced through the book in less than a day. On the other hand, the conclusion is a bit silly, and even when the sinister truth comes to the surface it can't help but seem quite ridiculous despite the awfulness of the situation. Luckily this didn't really diminish my enjoyment, and instead I think it's made me want to read more Fremlin as her narrative voice is so refreshing - think Agatha Christie but funnier and with less logic.
Definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good crime novel or whodunnit.
In many ways this is a delight - I was absolutely hooked and raced through the book in less than a day. On the other hand, the conclusion is a bit silly, and even when the sinister truth comes to the surface it can't help but seem quite ridiculous despite the awfulness of the situation. Luckily this didn't really diminish my enjoyment, and instead I think it's made me want to read more Fremlin as her narrative voice is so refreshing - think Agatha Christie but funnier and with less logic.
Definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good crime novel or whodunnit.
December 12, 2024
Imogen, recently widowed and living alone finds herself with a house full of guests just before Christmas, who are all reluctant to leave as the new year begins. Two step children, her husband’s second wife, a strange student called Piggy and her step daughter’s husband and their two young boys. No one is being totally honest with her, she also is being accused of being responsible for the death of her husband. The story is well written and as the story unfolds more is revealed. Really enjoyed this book and found it kept me wanting to turn the pages. Assumptions are never a good thing which is an important theme within this book.
December 10, 2024
3.5 stars
June 4, 2010
British author Celia Fremlin (1914-2009) took jobs in domestic service, unusual for a middle-class woman at that time. She said it was to "observe the peculiarities of the class structure of our society," and those experiences later found their way into her later writing. Much later, in her sixties, she began to take long walks at night by herself over the back streets of London, partly for research and partly to prove a point. Her conclusion was that to make the dark streets lose their terror, "We don’t need more policemen on the beat. We need more grandmothers."
Fremlin's first mystery novel was THE HOURS BEFORE DAWN, which won the Edgar Award for Best Novel in 1958 and established her style of mystery/horror set mostly around the lives of married women in the 1950s. Some feel that THE LONG SHADOW was an equally fine work, and H.R.F. Keating even included it in his 1987 listing of the 100 best crime and mystery books.
It's the story of the Imogen Barnicott, third wife of a celebrated, cruel and egocentric professor, who, despite her unhappy marriage, had never plotted her husband's murder--yet after his supposedly accidental death, she receives a mysterious phone call accusing her of that very thing. Add to that strange happenings like new messages left lying around in his handwriting, work on an unfinished manuscript of his that continues to be written, and shadowy figures seen in the house, and Imogen not only begins to doubt her husband is dead at all, she begins to believe she just might take his place.
Fremlin's character observations manage to be cutting and yet have a touch of dark humor. Her books are filled with astute perceptions that no doubt bear the imprint of her first-hand research into human behavior. THE LONG SHADOW, THE HOURS BEFORE DAWN, and her other fiction certainly deserves a closer look.
Fremlin's first mystery novel was THE HOURS BEFORE DAWN, which won the Edgar Award for Best Novel in 1958 and established her style of mystery/horror set mostly around the lives of married women in the 1950s. Some feel that THE LONG SHADOW was an equally fine work, and H.R.F. Keating even included it in his 1987 listing of the 100 best crime and mystery books.
It's the story of the Imogen Barnicott, third wife of a celebrated, cruel and egocentric professor, who, despite her unhappy marriage, had never plotted her husband's murder--yet after his supposedly accidental death, she receives a mysterious phone call accusing her of that very thing. Add to that strange happenings like new messages left lying around in his handwriting, work on an unfinished manuscript of his that continues to be written, and shadowy figures seen in the house, and Imogen not only begins to doubt her husband is dead at all, she begins to believe she just might take his place.
Fremlin's character observations manage to be cutting and yet have a touch of dark humor. Her books are filled with astute perceptions that no doubt bear the imprint of her first-hand research into human behavior. THE LONG SHADOW, THE HOURS BEFORE DAWN, and her other fiction certainly deserves a closer look.
January 24, 2024
Imogen's husband, Ivor, has died in a car accident and she misleads family, friends, and the press that he died a day later than he actually did. Sinister motivations or just the shock of his untimely death? And what about the man who keeps calling and showing up accusing her of murder?
As Imogen's husband's family descends on her over the Christmas holidays, it appears that everyone has something to hide. What really happened to Ivor and was it an accident or murder?
Celia Fremlin is incredibly good at psychological mystery if this book is any indication of her talent! I had no idea who to trust, what was real, and where the story was going. But all in the best possible way. The reveal was both shocking and an "oh, yes, of course" moment. My favorite way to wrap up this kind of book.
I can't wait to get my hands on more of Fremlin's work!
As Imogen's husband's family descends on her over the Christmas holidays, it appears that everyone has something to hide. What really happened to Ivor and was it an accident or murder?
Celia Fremlin is incredibly good at psychological mystery if this book is any indication of her talent! I had no idea who to trust, what was real, and where the story was going. But all in the best possible way. The reveal was both shocking and an "oh, yes, of course" moment. My favorite way to wrap up this kind of book.
I can't wait to get my hands on more of Fremlin's work!
Read
December 18, 2016Celia Fremlin is great at a certain type of inner monologue, and at pitting this sort of narrative voice against a series of increasingly sinister incidents (as she does in the brilliant THE HOURS BEFORE DAWN). Is Imogen going to be accused of killing her husband? Is her husband really dead? Will she ever be left in peace by all the friends and family who have swooped in to 'keep her company' over Christmas? These questions are given almost equal weight, which gives an authenticity to Imogen's voice. Very funny at moments, and extremely well plotted.
(I seem to have read several books over the years which start with a middle-aged woman being widowed. BLAMING by Elizabeth Taylor and THE HANDYMAN by Penelope Mortimer spring to mind - both excellent reads.)
(I seem to have read several books over the years which start with a middle-aged woman being widowed. BLAMING by Elizabeth Taylor and THE HANDYMAN by Penelope Mortimer spring to mind - both excellent reads.)
October 7, 2024
Aufgrund des Klappentextes und der Verlagswerbung hatte ich etwas völlig anderes erwartet. Für mich war das Buch eine große Überraschung, aber doch eine positive. Es geht viel um die verschiedenen Formen der Trauer und Trauerbewältigung und um die gesellschaftlichen Erwartungen, wie Hinterbliebene (insbesondere Witwen) sich zu verhalten haben. Das Buch ist zwar schon einige Jahrzehnte alt, hat für ich aber nicht an Aktualität verloren. Das subtile Einfließen mysteriöser Momente, in denen ich auch der Hauptperson gezweifelt habe, haben dem ganzen einen zusätzlichen Reiz gegeben. Ein stilles, gefühlvolles und ganz besonderes Buch, dass sich nicht in irgendeine Schublade stecken lässt.
December 17, 2023
The only mystery about this book is how the hell it’s described as mystery/thriller. If you’re after a story about a dysfunctional family at Christmas time where the late patriarch has more lovers/wives than Henry VIII then this is book for you. If you want a Christmas mystery/thriller, save your time and money and keep looking.
January 1, 2020
It was alright. Not bad but I was expecting more Christmas and more mystery.
December 11, 2024
Imogens man har avlidit i en bilolycka och första julen som änka står i antågande. Men så börjar huset fyllas av gäster. Hennes styvdotter med man och barn stövlar in, hennes styvson har med sig en ung kvinna med "pojkvänsproblem" och de båda flyttar in, och makens exhustru tar flyget från Bermuda för att kunna vara delaktig vid bodelningen. Även hon flyttar in hos Imogen, och plötsligt har hon huset fullt. Dessutom är det en märklig främling som förföljer henne, han ringer på nätterna och menar att han har bevis för att hon mördat sin man. Kan det stämma?
Boken har en ganska lugn och sarkastisk ton vilket jag älskar. Vi följer Imogen och hennes synvinkel på saker och ting och därför är det inte alltid som allt förklaras ordagrant. Imogen har en ganska jordnära och ironisk syn på livet som änka och sin omgivning och det är skönt att förankra sig i hennes syn på världen när de runt omkring beter sig mer och mer märkligt. Plötsligt försvinner hushållets katt, och strax därefter Imogens styvbarnbarn - och Imogen tvingas inse att någon bestämt sig för att sätta hårt mot hårt när det kommer till att få fram sanningen.
Boken passar dig som inte förväntar dig ett gastkramande äventyr i hundranittio utan en något lugnare variant. Det obehagliga ligger kanske inte främst i mordets vara eller icke vara, utan snarare i det klaustrofobiska i att få sitt privatliv vänt uppochner och hemmets trygga kärna något man tvingas dela med folk man inte kommer överens med. Celia Fremlin beskrivs i en blurb på omslaget som englands Patricia Highsmith och jag är beredd att hålla med. Dessutom hävdar barnen återkommande att de ser ett spöke i huset - är det morfar som går igen? Av mig får boken 4 av fem whiskeydoftande tomtar med en extra liten stjärna i hörnet för det mysiga omslaget.
Boken har en ganska lugn och sarkastisk ton vilket jag älskar. Vi följer Imogen och hennes synvinkel på saker och ting och därför är det inte alltid som allt förklaras ordagrant. Imogen har en ganska jordnära och ironisk syn på livet som änka och sin omgivning och det är skönt att förankra sig i hennes syn på världen när de runt omkring beter sig mer och mer märkligt. Plötsligt försvinner hushållets katt, och strax därefter Imogens styvbarnbarn - och Imogen tvingas inse att någon bestämt sig för att sätta hårt mot hårt när det kommer till att få fram sanningen.
Boken passar dig som inte förväntar dig ett gastkramande äventyr i hundranittio utan en något lugnare variant. Det obehagliga ligger kanske inte främst i mordets vara eller icke vara, utan snarare i det klaustrofobiska i att få sitt privatliv vänt uppochner och hemmets trygga kärna något man tvingas dela med folk man inte kommer överens med. Celia Fremlin beskrivs i en blurb på omslaget som englands Patricia Highsmith och jag är beredd att hålla med. Dessutom hävdar barnen återkommande att de ser ett spöke i huset - är det morfar som går igen? Av mig får boken 4 av fem whiskeydoftande tomtar med en extra liten stjärna i hörnet för det mysiga omslaget.
March 19, 2021
Many years ago (like, probably thirty years ago - ouch), I went through a big Celia Fremlin phase - yellow Gollancz hardbacks from the library, tense claustrophobic reads which now feel like definite precursors of the modern domestic noir. At the time, I hadn't read anything quite like them.
The Long Shadow, billed as "a Christmas story with a difference", was first published in 1975 and follows recently widowed Imogen, whose husband Ivor - an egocentric yet amusing Classics professor - has been killed in an accident. In the aftermath, various people - stepchildren Robin and Dot; Dot's husband and children; Ivor's ex-wife Cynthia; a random girl loosely connected to Robin - all descend on the house, stay for Christmas and show no inclination to leave. Then there's a strange young man who accuses Imogen of killing her husband, and weird sightings calling into question whether Ivor is in fact really dead...
Celia Fremlin, who died in 2009, excelled both at building a genuinely chilling atmosphere and at acute observations of character and relationship - next-door neighbour Edith, determinedly engaging in competitive widowhood; the endless bickering of Dot and her husband; Ivor's second wife Cynthia, "as lavish with money as she was with advice, tears, complaints, and everything else".
I'm not sure if it can really be called a "Christmas story", but The Long Shadow is a tense and intriguing read from a writer whose books have never really had the attention they deserve. All have, however, been recently reissued - so hopefully I'll get round to them all in due course. For anyone new to her work, The Hours Before Dawn is a great place to start.
The Long Shadow, billed as "a Christmas story with a difference", was first published in 1975 and follows recently widowed Imogen, whose husband Ivor - an egocentric yet amusing Classics professor - has been killed in an accident. In the aftermath, various people - stepchildren Robin and Dot; Dot's husband and children; Ivor's ex-wife Cynthia; a random girl loosely connected to Robin - all descend on the house, stay for Christmas and show no inclination to leave. Then there's a strange young man who accuses Imogen of killing her husband, and weird sightings calling into question whether Ivor is in fact really dead...
Celia Fremlin, who died in 2009, excelled both at building a genuinely chilling atmosphere and at acute observations of character and relationship - next-door neighbour Edith, determinedly engaging in competitive widowhood; the endless bickering of Dot and her husband; Ivor's second wife Cynthia, "as lavish with money as she was with advice, tears, complaints, and everything else".
I'm not sure if it can really be called a "Christmas story", but The Long Shadow is a tense and intriguing read from a writer whose books have never really had the attention they deserve. All have, however, been recently reissued - so hopefully I'll get round to them all in due course. For anyone new to her work, The Hours Before Dawn is a great place to start.
December 28, 2025
4.5 - while it won't be a forever favourite, it is exceptionally well done.
Let us clarify something quickly - THIS IS NOT A THRILLER. And I don't know why it's advertised as such.
It's a family drama peppered with suspense and a small mystery at the centre. I say small, because once it is revealed, it makes a lot of sense and most of the people knew about it...
Celia Fremlin writes very complex female characters - our protagonist, Imogen, is a good example. 👌 😄
So if anyone is interested in a strong character driven story, with quite a good twist for the resolution, look no further.
But if that's not your cup of tea, please refrain from picking this book up and hoping for a thriller and then rating this book low - the reviews I see are criminal - people seem to be bored by it??
Yes, there isn't much happening- it's a humorous family drama, with slow pace and focus on character-dynamics.
This author's humour is clever, but it's not hard to get, so.... I'm confused how she remained a hidden gem so long.
Otherwise, it's a great winter read with the story staring off in December, Christmas is also part of the story and ends in late January, when, very poeticly, the first snowdrop is seen.
Let us clarify something quickly - THIS IS NOT A THRILLER. And I don't know why it's advertised as such.
It's a family drama peppered with suspense and a small mystery at the centre. I say small, because once it is revealed, it makes a lot of sense and most of the people knew about it...
Celia Fremlin writes very complex female characters - our protagonist, Imogen, is a good example. 👌 😄
So if anyone is interested in a strong character driven story, with quite a good twist for the resolution, look no further.
But if that's not your cup of tea, please refrain from picking this book up and hoping for a thriller and then rating this book low - the reviews I see are criminal - people seem to be bored by it??
Yes, there isn't much happening- it's a humorous family drama, with slow pace and focus on character-dynamics.
This author's humour is clever, but it's not hard to get, so.... I'm confused how she remained a hidden gem so long.
Otherwise, it's a great winter read with the story staring off in December, Christmas is also part of the story and ends in late January, when, very poeticly, the first snowdrop is seen.
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