by Celia Fremlin   Published 1959

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 House Before Dawn. Her second thriller, Uncle Paul, evokes a similar atmosphere of menace as the paranoia of her character – 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.

“Fremlin puts a keen edge on the reader’s curiosity and keeps it there…the writing is so good throughout.”   – The Times (London) Literary Supplement

This was an excellent read! Suspense and tension builds expertly as the story evolves with wonderful spots of black humor that takes the edge off at just the right moment. An ending I never saw coming. If you haven’t read this yet, make it a priority! I’m definitely looking for more of her books.

This book fulfills the Why category (won an award) in the Gold Era for Just the Facts M’am over @ My Reader’s Block.