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A review by thebookboy
The Long Shadow by Celia Fremlin
4.0
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.