A Helping Hand

‘It was stimulating and exciting, and I wrote down that hewas the best kind of companion one could have for a tripof this kind. I was learning far more than he realized.’

Middle-aged Josh and Maisie Evans lead an unremarkable, unassuming life.When Auntie Flo, who has lived with them for years, dies and leaves them herEstate, they head to Italy on holiday, to take in the sea air and let the sun soakinto their bones. It’s there they meet Mrs Fingal. A wealthy widow, she liveswith her grown-up niece Lena and it’s pretty clear that neither is happy withthe situation. So when Josh and Maisie bond with Mrs Fingal, over ice-creamand gentle toddles, it’s only natural that they all decide she should must movein with them once home. It suits everyone.

Beneath the suburban respectability of cups of tea and genteel chitchat,however, emerges a different tale: one of ruthless greed and exploitation, andsuffocating, skin-crawling terror.

For fans of Shirley Jackson, Roald Dahl and Muriel Spark, A Helping Hand isa sharp and nasty slice of darkness, and a reminder that the real horrors of thisworld can all too often be found behind discreet net curtains and the quietlynondescript.

‘Celia Dale’s writing is quiet, clever, subtle – and terrifying. I can’t think of anyone whose stories of suspense I appreciate more.’ – Ruth Rendell