A Helping Hand: Celia Dale

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As the narrative unfolds, the reader can clearly see how the tone of Maisie’s behaviour towards Mrs Fingal changes over time, from gentle chivvying and chiding to downright bullying and neglect. Soon after, they are on holiday in Italy, and encounter the disgruntled Lena Kemp and her aunt Cynthia Fingal. And yet, everything is so carefully orchestrated to seem caring in front of others – this is where the skill really comes in. We use Google Analytics to see what pages are most visited, and where in the world visitors are visiting from. The comparison to Shirley Jackson and Roald Dahl is spot on: a creepy suburban horror story, not about ghosts or anything supernatural, but about some cruel yet ordinary humans.

A middle aged couple take in an elderly woman they befriend in Italy, with no good motive behind their actions. While the usual elements of a standard crime story will not be found in this novel, what happens here certainly falls within the realm of the genre, and given that this book was written in the 1960s, it remains extremely pertinent in our contemporary world which makes what happens even more frightening. She’s as happy as a sandboy with me and Josh knowing just what she likes, and anything coming in new from the outside might only upset her again. All the more haunting for its grounding in apparent normality – the flat, characterless feel of the suburban setting is brilliantly evoked. After all, with Maisie’s training in nursing, the Evanses are perfectly placed to accommodate Mrs F in their spare room – the one previously occupied by ‘Auntie’ Flo.While Maisie is somewhat reluctant to have an outsider in the house, potentially disrupting their treatment of Mrs F, Josh is more willing, particularly given the girl’s attractiveness. Most of the characters in this novel are over 60 years old so they do repeat themselves to great effect.

I read this in one day and loved it for the way the author was able to depict the horrible ordinariness of a certain kind of evil. Poor Cynthia is first besotted, then befuddled by Josh but he’s a lecherous old creep with eyes only for young woman and his sordid scrapbook.Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without written permission from this blog’s author is prohibited.

Right from the very start, Dale hints at the Evanses’ true motivations for befriending these fellow Brits, with Maisie targeting Lena while Josh works his magic on Mrs F.For those who think they’ve seen everything the crime genre has to offer, this is an example of how it can keep rewarding. You know what old folk are, they get used to things being just as they like them, just as they’re used to. It is a frightening prospect and Dale realises how easily the seam of respectability can be played by fraudsters out for their own ends. In truth, Josh has a hideously lecherous side to his personality, an unsavoury edge that Dale gradually reveals through the book. For more details, please consult the latest information provided by Royal Mail's International Incident Bulletin.

Reminiscent of the work of Shirley Jackson, Patricia Highsmith and Muriel Spark, Celia Dale’s A Helping Hand was first published in 1966. While Maisie proceeds to wear down Mrs Fingal by restricting her movements, Josh can be equally sinister in his own chilling way, neglecting his charge for other, more interesting activities.This book is definitely uncomfortable to read, especially when you consider things like this probably play out in real life all the time, but it works as an important reminder to be thoughtful of the most vulnerable people in our society.