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Herring Mysteries #1
The Herring Seller's Apprentice
Ethelred Tressider is a crime writer with problems. His latest novel is going nowhere, mid-life crisis is looming and he's burdened by the literary agent he probably deserves: Elsie Thirkettle, a diminutive but determined individual who claims to enjoy neither the company of writers nor literature of any sort. But however bad things look they can always get worse, as Ethelred discovers when his ex-wife, Geraldine, vanishes close to his Sussex home. When the disappearance becomes a murder enquiry, the police quickly decide that Geraldine Tressider has been the victim of a local serial killer. Elsie begs to differ, on the grounds that the killer's other victims had been Sad Cows, whereas Geraldine was a Scheming Bitch - another species entirely - and no serious serial killer would murder one in mistake for the other... Soon the indefatigable Elsie has bullied Ethelred into embarking upon his own investigation, but as their enquiries proceed, she begins to suspect that her client's own alibi is not as solid as he claims.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
48 people are currently reading
505 people want to read
About the author
L.C. Tyler
34 books90 followersL. C. Tyler grew up in Essex and studied geography at Jesus College Oxford University and systems analysis at City University in London. During a career with the British Council he lived in Malaysia, Sudan, Thailand and Denmark. More recently he has been based in Islington and West Sussex and is an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, of which he was previously Chief Executive. He is married and has two children and one dog.
Series:
* Elsie and Ethelred Mystery
* John Grey Historical Mystery
Series:
* Elsie and Ethelred Mystery
* John Grey Historical Mystery
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 180 reviews
August 11, 2019
In L. C. Tyler’s book we meet 'herring seller', novelist, Ethelred Tressider. Ethelred writes books under three names: a detective series set in rural England, romantic novels featuring a handsome surgeon, and historical mysteries set in the time of Richard II and Chaucer. 'Herring seller' is a phrase coined by his deceased ex-wife due to the number of red herrings he puts into his 'Sergeant Fairfax' mystery detective series.
Ethelred has an agent named Elsie, a chocolate fiend, also a determined woman who cracks the whip and urges the rather gentle, unambitious Ethelred to churn out his regular, moderately successful, titles, rather than to write the great work of literature he is keen to produce. Elsie decides that she and Ethelred will find out what happened to Geraldine, a woman that Elsie has no reason to like. In fact, she dislikes her intensely having given her the endearing name of’ ‘The Bitch’ .
The first part of the story is narrated by Ethelred. Soon Elsie’s narrative voice appears in the book, of course in a different font. Elsie relates events from her own perspective. It seems his ex-wife (she left Ethelred ten years ago), Geraldine, has apparently committed suicide on a beach not far from Ethelred's home. The pair also discovers that before her disappearance, Geraldine had scammed a large amount of money off her closest friends and relatives and stashed it in a Swiss bank account. Of course the police suspect Ethelred.
“The Herring Seller’s Apprentice” is a delightful book, if one likes a bit of cleaver humor mixed in their mystery. If a comparison is wanted, then perhaps a bit of Colin Watson’s ‘Flaxborough’ novels would come to mind. This is the first book I’ve read by L C Tyler who writes exceptionally well. His prose is light, economical, yet conveys subtle and real emotions beneath the humorous, brisk surface.
This hardcover book published by 'Macmillan New Writing' in the UK is signed by L.C. Tyler.
Ethelred has an agent named Elsie, a chocolate fiend, also a determined woman who cracks the whip and urges the rather gentle, unambitious Ethelred to churn out his regular, moderately successful, titles, rather than to write the great work of literature he is keen to produce. Elsie decides that she and Ethelred will find out what happened to Geraldine, a woman that Elsie has no reason to like. In fact, she dislikes her intensely having given her the endearing name of’ ‘The Bitch’ .
The first part of the story is narrated by Ethelred. Soon Elsie’s narrative voice appears in the book, of course in a different font. Elsie relates events from her own perspective. It seems his ex-wife (she left Ethelred ten years ago), Geraldine, has apparently committed suicide on a beach not far from Ethelred's home. The pair also discovers that before her disappearance, Geraldine had scammed a large amount of money off her closest friends and relatives and stashed it in a Swiss bank account. Of course the police suspect Ethelred.
“The Herring Seller’s Apprentice” is a delightful book, if one likes a bit of cleaver humor mixed in their mystery. If a comparison is wanted, then perhaps a bit of Colin Watson’s ‘Flaxborough’ novels would come to mind. This is the first book I’ve read by L C Tyler who writes exceptionally well. His prose is light, economical, yet conveys subtle and real emotions beneath the humorous, brisk surface.
This hardcover book published by 'Macmillan New Writing' in the UK is signed by L.C. Tyler.
August 2, 2011
The Herring Seller's Apprentice is a terrific mystery which, at least at the beginning, made me laugh out loud several times. My husband thought I was losing it when I was reading it. I'm only about 50% done at the moment, and it's gone from laugh-out-loud to smiling with a bit of a twitch as things are getting rather tense.
It's told in first person, from the perspective of a writer who has three author personas, including a mystery writer and a romance writer. His agent dubs him the "herring seller" since mystery writers need to sell the reader "red herrings" for mysteries to work. His agent then becomes the herring seller's apprentice as she pushes herself into the heart of the mystery (out of sheer perversity and curiosity) when the writer's ex-wife is found dead. The writer keeps getting questioned about his possible involvement, or at least knowledge, about it all...
It's a quick read. The only things that gave me a bit of a "WTF" moment were small chapters where the Tyler switches Point of View (POV) from the writer-hero to the agent's viewpoint. And I sort of skimmed a few passages where the writer-hero is actually writing his detective novels. Although there were some funny bits in those.
It's told in first person, from the perspective of a writer who has three author personas, including a mystery writer and a romance writer. His agent dubs him the "herring seller" since mystery writers need to sell the reader "red herrings" for mysteries to work. His agent then becomes the herring seller's apprentice as she pushes herself into the heart of the mystery (out of sheer perversity and curiosity) when the writer's ex-wife is found dead. The writer keeps getting questioned about his possible involvement, or at least knowledge, about it all...
It's a quick read. The only things that gave me a bit of a "WTF" moment were small chapters where the Tyler switches Point of View (POV) from the writer-hero to the agent's viewpoint. And I sort of skimmed a few passages where the writer-hero is actually writing his detective novels. Although there were some funny bits in those.
June 8, 2015
Slightly baffled at some of the sniffy reviews. This is a very clever subversion of the traditional mystery while still playing fair. Full review at classicmystery.wordpress.com.
September 25, 2024
English version below
*****************
Schon gleich zu Beginn des Buches merkt der Leser, dass Humor in dieser Geschichte eine wichtige Rolle spielen muss, denn der Protagonist heißt Ethelred Hengist Tressider und schreibt unter drei verschiedenen Pseudonymen Schundromane.
Ethelred wechselt sich als Ich-Erzähler mit seiner Literaturagentin Elsie Thirkettle ab, einer Schokoladensüchtigen mit fehlgeleiteten Modegeschmack.
Da es sich hier um einen Krimi handelt, muss es natürlich auch einen Kriminalfall geben, der sich abzeichnet, als Ethelreds Ex-Frau unerwartet als vermisst gemeldet wird.
Das kriminalistische Rätsel erfordert nun nicht gerade eine geniale Kombinationsgabe, da die “überraschende Wendung” am Ende des Buches für mich nicht gerade überraschend kam. Eigentlich waren die Hinweise schon zu Anfang der Geschichte unübersehbar.
Dennoch hat mich dieser cozy Krimi überraschend gut unterhalten, was in erster Linie an den humoristischen Einlassungen der beiden Protagonisten lag.
Ich werde die Reihe weiter verfolgen, auch wenn es nach dem ersten Band keine deutsche Übersetzung mehr gibt.
3,5 Sterne.
-------------------------
From the very beginning of the book, the reader realises that humour must play an important role in this story, as the protagonist is called Ethelred Hengist Tressider and writes trashy novels under three different pseudonyms.
Ethelred alternates as first-person narrator with his literary agent Elsie Thirkettle, a chocolate addict with misguided fashion tastes.
Of course, as this is a crime novel, there has to be a crime mystery, which emerges when Ethelred's ex-wife is unexpectedly reported missing.
Now the crime mystery doesn't exactly require brilliant powers of deduction, as the ‘surprising twist’ at the end of the book didn't exactly come as a surprise to me. In fact, the clues were already obvious at the beginning of the story.
Nevertheless, I was surprisingly entertained by this cozy crime thriller, which was primarily due to the humour of the two protagonists.
I will continue to follow the series, even if there is no German translation after the first volume.
3.5 stars.
*****************
Schon gleich zu Beginn des Buches merkt der Leser, dass Humor in dieser Geschichte eine wichtige Rolle spielen muss, denn der Protagonist heißt Ethelred Hengist Tressider und schreibt unter drei verschiedenen Pseudonymen Schundromane.
Ethelred wechselt sich als Ich-Erzähler mit seiner Literaturagentin Elsie Thirkettle ab, einer Schokoladensüchtigen mit fehlgeleiteten Modegeschmack.
Da es sich hier um einen Krimi handelt, muss es natürlich auch einen Kriminalfall geben, der sich abzeichnet, als Ethelreds Ex-Frau unerwartet als vermisst gemeldet wird.
Das kriminalistische Rätsel erfordert nun nicht gerade eine geniale Kombinationsgabe, da die “überraschende Wendung” am Ende des Buches für mich nicht gerade überraschend kam. Eigentlich waren die Hinweise schon zu Anfang der Geschichte unübersehbar.
Dennoch hat mich dieser cozy Krimi überraschend gut unterhalten, was in erster Linie an den humoristischen Einlassungen der beiden Protagonisten lag.
Ich werde die Reihe weiter verfolgen, auch wenn es nach dem ersten Band keine deutsche Übersetzung mehr gibt.
3,5 Sterne.
-------------------------
From the very beginning of the book, the reader realises that humour must play an important role in this story, as the protagonist is called Ethelred Hengist Tressider and writes trashy novels under three different pseudonyms.
Ethelred alternates as first-person narrator with his literary agent Elsie Thirkettle, a chocolate addict with misguided fashion tastes.
Of course, as this is a crime novel, there has to be a crime mystery, which emerges when Ethelred's ex-wife is unexpectedly reported missing.
Now the crime mystery doesn't exactly require brilliant powers of deduction, as the ‘surprising twist’ at the end of the book didn't exactly come as a surprise to me. In fact, the clues were already obvious at the beginning of the story.
Nevertheless, I was surprisingly entertained by this cozy crime thriller, which was primarily due to the humour of the two protagonists.
I will continue to follow the series, even if there is no German translation after the first volume.
3.5 stars.
August 10, 2011
This is so funny. I loved it. A couple of favorite quotes (both from page one and I just kept loving snippets):
"Just when you think you have committed the perfect crime, things most unfairly take a turn for the worse."
"I had picked up the receiver quickly and listened for a few moments to a familiar voice trying to do irony at one o’clock in the morning—something that is as difficult as it is pointless."
"Just when you think you have committed the perfect crime, things most unfairly take a turn for the worse."
"I had picked up the receiver quickly and listened for a few moments to a familiar voice trying to do irony at one o’clock in the morning—something that is as difficult as it is pointless."
June 4, 2023
This was a well written story with some really clever writing and some laugh-out-loud moments.
For example:
A woman’s wardrobe is crammed full, because it contains the clothes you actually wear and it also contains all sorts of other things that you have bought over the years and kept because you never know when you might wake up one morning as a perfect size ten again. - The Herring-Seller’s Apprentice
Is there a woman alive who does not believe the above statement to be true?
I just discovered that this book was #1 in a series, and there are 8 more. Hooray!
QUESTION: Can anyone answer this riddle? It was given in the book, but the answer was never revealed.
‘“Swings near his thigh a miraculous object! It hangs below the belt, midst the folds of his garments, stiff and hard, with a hole in its front.” Well, what do you think that can be, Thompson? Eh?’
For example:
A woman’s wardrobe is crammed full, because it contains the clothes you actually wear and it also contains all sorts of other things that you have bought over the years and kept because you never know when you might wake up one morning as a perfect size ten again. - The Herring-Seller’s Apprentice
Is there a woman alive who does not believe the above statement to be true?
I just discovered that this book was #1 in a series, and there are 8 more. Hooray!
QUESTION: Can anyone answer this riddle? It was given in the book, but the answer was never revealed.
‘“Swings near his thigh a miraculous object! It hangs below the belt, midst the folds of his garments, stiff and hard, with a hole in its front.” Well, what do you think that can be, Thompson? Eh?’
March 15, 2024
It was an ok book; classic detective story.
I liked the ending, but there were some boring parts throuhout the novel. I didn’t like narrator switches even though I found them necessary for this kind of story…
I found the language and sentences to be beautiful and therefore this was an enjoyable read
I liked the ending, but there were some boring parts throuhout the novel. I didn’t like narrator switches even though I found them necessary for this kind of story…
I found the language and sentences to be beautiful and therefore this was an enjoyable read
April 25, 2013
I really thought I would like this book: cozy mystery, literary agent addicted to chocolate, set in picturesque England -- what's not to love? I found Elsie to be pushy -- yet a little endearing in her tenderness towards Ethelred -- and I was really disappointed in how Ethelred turned out in the end. A little vague I know, but I don't want to give anything away.
Disappointed in the book and won't be reading the others in the series.
Disappointed in the book and won't be reading the others in the series.
March 23, 2019
This cosy crime novel started off promisingly with a dryly voiced narrative by a writer, Ethelred, who is facing the predicament of being modestly successful but only by dint of cranking out three different series of easy-reads: a detective series, a romance series under a woman's name, and a historical whodunnit series set in the reign of Richard II. The problem is that his detective has become a character in his own right and is not co-operating when Ethelred tries to write the next book in the series, so throughout the story extracts appear of book beginnings which Ethelred deletes as unsatisfactory. Events in his own life are interfering with his ability to channel the policeman's character.
Meanwhile, he has had to identify the body of his ex-wife whom it seems has been found murdered at a local beauty spot. He appears to have the cast-iron alibi of having spent a few days in France around the time of the murder yet the police keep questioning him, as does his literary agent, a chocolate fixated eccentric middle aged woman called Elsie who insists on leading an investigation in parallel to the one being conducted by the police. It becomes apparent that there are a number of people who were swindled by Ethelred's ex-wife even though he has remained friendly with her despite her adultery and manipulative behaviour.
I thought this was promising to begin with given the wry humour, but I found the Elsie character a bit too irritating and 'forced' somehow, especially when the novel suddenly switched to her viewpoint and more and more of it was from that. I also wasn't keen on the twist which started to loom more and more obviously by about half way, certainly by two thirds of the way through. The ending itself is rather deflating, though I gather this is book 1 of a series and things are therefore not as they appear . Therefore this balances out at a 2-star OK rating and I won't be looking for more of the series.
Meanwhile, he has had to identify the body of his ex-wife whom it seems has been found murdered at a local beauty spot. He appears to have the cast-iron alibi of having spent a few days in France around the time of the murder yet the police keep questioning him, as does his literary agent, a chocolate fixated eccentric middle aged woman called Elsie who insists on leading an investigation in parallel to the one being conducted by the police. It becomes apparent that there are a number of people who were swindled by Ethelred's ex-wife even though he has remained friendly with her despite her adultery and manipulative behaviour.
I thought this was promising to begin with given the wry humour, but I found the Elsie character a bit too irritating and 'forced' somehow, especially when the novel suddenly switched to her viewpoint and more and more of it was from that. I also wasn't keen on the twist which started to loom more and more obviously by about half way, certainly by two thirds of the way through. The ending itself is rather deflating, though I gather this is book 1 of a series and things are therefore not as they appear . Therefore this balances out at a 2-star OK rating and I won't be looking for more of the series.
August 9, 2012
The Herring Seller’Apprentice is a lightly satirical turn on cosy crime fiction. Although competently written, it did little for me. I suspect that this is partly a matter of taste. Cosies are not my crime fiction of choice. I am a great fan, however, of fiction that tries to play with and subvert the genre such as that by Malcolm Pryce, Jasper Fforde and Donna Moore. But even on this level, the book felt a little flat and insubstantial. The whole thing felt too contrived and knowing. The result was I almost stopped reading the book a couple of times, but in the end soldiered onto the end. There were a couple of nice passages, especially near the beginning discussing the relationship between author and agent, but not nearly enough for my palate.
December 1, 2013
A light, fun read featuring a mediocre mystery writer and his interfering agent that was both humorous and well plotted.
May 8, 2016
easing going read with a mixture of wodehouse and christie in the style of writing
November 29, 2020
Pure enjoyment from start to finish. As if an Agatha Christie mystery and a Wodehouse comedy had a literary child. Possibly a middle child. Not for everyone, but I've already started the next one.
February 7, 2022
I don't know. 2-2.5 stars perhaps?
The best word that comes to mind for this book is lukewarm. It was as if this book just meandered itself into being a mystery. It could have been many other things, especially a primer about how to write a detective novel because Tyler does dedicate almost an entire chapter to this topic. Given that his protagonist, the unwilling detective of this book, is a crime writer ensures that it doesn't feel completely out of bounds in a book like this. There is humour here which did keep me hooked in the first few chapters but after which it either petered out or became so subtle that i missed it entirely.
The mystery is half decent but the treatment is so...slow that it sorts of moves and goes solves itself. (It doesn't really go and solve itself but god, did i get thay feeling!) Or perhaps this is a very clever book that i have completely failed to appreciate. To end my review with the words i began it with, i don't know.
The best word that comes to mind for this book is lukewarm. It was as if this book just meandered itself into being a mystery. It could have been many other things, especially a primer about how to write a detective novel because Tyler does dedicate almost an entire chapter to this topic. Given that his protagonist, the unwilling detective of this book, is a crime writer ensures that it doesn't feel completely out of bounds in a book like this. There is humour here which did keep me hooked in the first few chapters but after which it either petered out or became so subtle that i missed it entirely.
The mystery is half decent but the treatment is so...slow that it sorts of moves and goes solves itself. (It doesn't really go and solve itself but god, did i get thay feeling!) Or perhaps this is a very clever book that i have completely failed to appreciate. To end my review with the words i began it with, i don't know.
August 27, 2019
A fun mystery about Ethelred, a hapless detective novelist whose ex-wife has been murdered, and Elsie, his eccentric, pushy literary agent, who wants to help him solve the crime.
After several chapters of Ethelred's point of view, the narrative changes to Elsie's voice, and thereafter it switches back and forth. Some interstitial chapters are Ethelred's unsuccessful attempts to start a new detective novel; amusingly, each is written in the style of a different author (most surprisingly, P.G. Wodehouse).
The plot twists weren't entirely unexpected, but it was still entertaining.
I found out about this book (the first of a series) from the crossexaminingcrime blog:
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
After several chapters of Ethelred's point of view, the narrative changes to Elsie's voice, and thereafter it switches back and forth. Some interstitial chapters are Ethelred's unsuccessful attempts to start a new detective novel; amusingly, each is written in the style of a different author (most surprisingly, P.G. Wodehouse).
The plot twists weren't entirely unexpected, but it was still entertaining.
I found out about this book (the first of a series) from the crossexaminingcrime blog:
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress...
May 16, 2011
This delightful mystery is both an homage to and a spoof of Agatha Christie - and a treasure all its own.
Ethelred Tressider is a mediocre mystery writer, or "herring-seller" (as in red herrings). Actually, under various names, he's two mystery writers and a romance writer, all of them unable to write about sex and all of them mediocre. Elsie Thirkettle is his agent, who loves chocolate and disdains writers in about equal measure. When a lovely body turns up in Ethelred's rather out of the way part of England and police ask if he can identify his chronically unfaithful ex-wife, things are bound to get complicated. Ethelred, like his police detective hero, believes investigating is best left to the authorities. Elsie believes that drawers should always be opened - even if they don't contain clues, they might contain a Cadbury bar. And when Elsie starts interrupting Ethelred's narrative as well as his life - well, things are just bound to get complicated.
If you have ever been a fan of Agatha Christie, you will love this. Even if you haven't, it's great fun - wonderfully written, clever, and with lovely twists. Just plain great fun.
Ethelred Tressider is a mediocre mystery writer, or "herring-seller" (as in red herrings). Actually, under various names, he's two mystery writers and a romance writer, all of them unable to write about sex and all of them mediocre. Elsie Thirkettle is his agent, who loves chocolate and disdains writers in about equal measure. When a lovely body turns up in Ethelred's rather out of the way part of England and police ask if he can identify his chronically unfaithful ex-wife, things are bound to get complicated. Ethelred, like his police detective hero, believes investigating is best left to the authorities. Elsie believes that drawers should always be opened - even if they don't contain clues, they might contain a Cadbury bar. And when Elsie starts interrupting Ethelred's narrative as well as his life - well, things are just bound to get complicated.
If you have ever been a fan of Agatha Christie, you will love this. Even if you haven't, it's great fun - wonderfully written, clever, and with lovely twists. Just plain great fun.
November 13, 2018
I really enjoyed this delightful book. The characters are described so well that I soon felt I knew them personally. And the intricate plot was, well, intricate. I can say, without spoiling things for anyone who wants to read it, the story is full or surprises (forgive the cliche) and full of humour, unusual perhaps for a murder mystery, but there it is.
November 18, 2016
This book was full of the quirky type of humour I love & with two lead characters that throughly entertained me - Ethelred with his various pseudonyms & writers block & pushy Elsie with her live of chocolate - & theres some great one-liners.
A good read that will surely make you smile.
A good read that will surely make you smile.
July 26, 2022
"A mediocre mystery-writer, Ethelred Tressider has even less interest in writing his books than his (dwindling) fan base has in reading them, and his agent -- the pesky, nosy, vulgar, chocolate-chomping Elsie -- has no interest in them at all. But with a name like Ethelred, things can always get worse, and when Ethelred's dishy ex-wife turns up dead, they do.
"The Case of the Dead Dish is the most exciting project Elsie's come across in years, but however much she bullies Ethelred he refuses to take much interest in the mystery, Chalk it up to some pathetic life-crisis? Maybe. But how much more interesting it would be to note that Ethelred's lack of interest raises what might be called some extremely interesting questions."
~~back cover
"Fans of truly intelligent cozies are likely to like this book" and that's a very fair appraisal. Not your ordinary run-of-the-mill mystery, but a seemingly innocent event that Elsie insists on making more mysterious than it is ... or is it? Interspersed with nonpublishable attempts at beginning yet another dreary Sergeant Fairfax mystery, the plot rambles amongst seemingly unrelated facts and happenings, until they all converge at the last minute ...
"The Case of the Dead Dish is the most exciting project Elsie's come across in years, but however much she bullies Ethelred he refuses to take much interest in the mystery, Chalk it up to some pathetic life-crisis? Maybe. But how much more interesting it would be to note that Ethelred's lack of interest raises what might be called some extremely interesting questions."
~~back cover
"Fans of truly intelligent cozies are likely to like this book" and that's a very fair appraisal. Not your ordinary run-of-the-mill mystery, but a seemingly innocent event that Elsie insists on making more mysterious than it is ... or is it? Interspersed with nonpublishable attempts at beginning yet another dreary Sergeant Fairfax mystery, the plot rambles amongst seemingly unrelated facts and happenings, until they all converge at the last minute ...
July 18, 2018
2.5 stars - A reasonable read that faded towards the end. This book's main characters were great to read about, however, I wish there had been more information about them. I have left this book feeling generally unsatisfied but mainly due to the fact that the first 2/3rds had promise. I solved this one around the first third (apart from the specifics but there is no way you could know that before the reveal at the end).
It is a shame, as there was a lot of potential for this book, and I enjoyed it for the most part but I wish there had been more development and an ending that doesn't feel like a cheat. I will be trying the second book to see if there is improvement.
It is a shame, as there was a lot of potential for this book, and I enjoyed it for the most part but I wish there had been more development and an ending that doesn't feel like a cheat. I will be trying the second book to see if there is improvement.
February 10, 2019
It's hard to say anything meaningful about this book..some people loved it and thought it funny. I thought it was a bit boring. It's about a writer, who seems to have nothing going for him...and in the end I'm not sure if he did or didn't....
June 22, 2025
Weer een nieuwe cosy crime, ik ben fan!
January 17, 2016
L C Tyler's hugely enjoyable murder mystery revolves around another crime writer and his obnoxious, rude and chocolate-addicted literary agent. Middle-aged and disillusioned writer Ethelred Tressider makes a moderate living by writing under three different pen names. Nothing much has happened in his life since his divorce from enigmatic and entirely untrustworthy, unfaithful Geraldine. When his ex-wife's rental car is found on the beach near Ethelred's home with a suicide note torn from his own writing paper on the passenger seat, life takes a rather unexpected turn for Ethelred and his literary agent.
Accustomed to scattering red herrings (which prompted his ex-wife to nickname him "the herring seller"), Ethelred unaccountably takes little interest in the real life investigation of his wife's disappearance. When a body is found and he is asked to identify it, he takes even less interest in finding out who strangled his ex-wife. What's going on? asks his literary agent Elsie Thirkettle, before biting into one of Cadbury's finest nut and raisin chocolate bars, purloined from Ethelred's cupboard - then she dives into his private papers and photographs, when she finds herself left alone in his flat for a few hours.
Told from two points of view, Ethelred's and Elsie's, the story unfolds gradually to reveal a man fed up with the predictability of his life and an agent who feels far more for her long-term client than she's been able to let on over the years or been willing to admit to herself. Through many twists and turns we discover in the end what we have come to suspect since the "postscript", which L C Tyler has helpfully provided as a stand-in for a prologue: Ethelred the Penguin is far from harmless or guiltless!
Funny and very perceptive, the author draws on his own experiences as a writer to flesh out Ethelred for us, citing a writer's many baffling qualities, mishaps and frustrations. I feel for him when a character he has created for one of his crime novel seems to come to life and "takes over" every plot the writer intends to write and fashions it the way the character would like the story to go, contrary to the writer's plans. It is certainly true that after a while a story seems to write itself, with the characters often flitting off into unexpected and unplanned for directions!
The novel has a strangely timeless feel and it is only towards the end that we are reassured it is set in the time of the Internet, mobile phones and other modern conveniences. Apart from that, it could be set in the 1950's or 1960's, the 1980's even, for it has that yester-year quality about it in style and traditional "Agatha Christie" style content. Can't wait to read the follow-up novel "Ten Little Herrings", which I wisely bought alongside this book, when I discovered them sitting companionably side by side in my local charity shop.
Accustomed to scattering red herrings (which prompted his ex-wife to nickname him "the herring seller"), Ethelred unaccountably takes little interest in the real life investigation of his wife's disappearance. When a body is found and he is asked to identify it, he takes even less interest in finding out who strangled his ex-wife. What's going on? asks his literary agent Elsie Thirkettle, before biting into one of Cadbury's finest nut and raisin chocolate bars, purloined from Ethelred's cupboard - then she dives into his private papers and photographs, when she finds herself left alone in his flat for a few hours.
Told from two points of view, Ethelred's and Elsie's, the story unfolds gradually to reveal a man fed up with the predictability of his life and an agent who feels far more for her long-term client than she's been able to let on over the years or been willing to admit to herself. Through many twists and turns we discover in the end what we have come to suspect since the "postscript", which L C Tyler has helpfully provided as a stand-in for a prologue: Ethelred the Penguin is far from harmless or guiltless!
Funny and very perceptive, the author draws on his own experiences as a writer to flesh out Ethelred for us, citing a writer's many baffling qualities, mishaps and frustrations. I feel for him when a character he has created for one of his crime novel seems to come to life and "takes over" every plot the writer intends to write and fashions it the way the character would like the story to go, contrary to the writer's plans. It is certainly true that after a while a story seems to write itself, with the characters often flitting off into unexpected and unplanned for directions!
The novel has a strangely timeless feel and it is only towards the end that we are reassured it is set in the time of the Internet, mobile phones and other modern conveniences. Apart from that, it could be set in the 1950's or 1960's, the 1980's even, for it has that yester-year quality about it in style and traditional "Agatha Christie" style content. Can't wait to read the follow-up novel "Ten Little Herrings", which I wisely bought alongside this book, when I discovered them sitting companionably side by side in my local charity shop.
May 15, 2009
Ethelred Tressider writes moderately successful mysteries--selling red herrings, as it were. His agent Elsie--a short, fat woman who dresses like a tall, slender one--knows authors are idiots, but still has a well-concealed soft spot for Tressider. When his faithless ex-wife disappears, Elsie is ready to help him look for the culprit. Someone must have killed Geraldine, she reasons--she had so many enemies. Elsie knows Tressider is hiding something from her, but she's also sure that he is not a killer. By the time Elsie figures out what's really going on, it may be too late for her to save Tressider. Monumentally funny, with a sneaky plot, too.
June 2, 2015
"Just when you think you have committed the perfect crime, things most unfairly take a turn for the worse."
Very amusing mystery, sort of a black cozy, concerning a mystery writer, Ethelred Tressider and his agent, Elsie Thirkettle. He is the herring-seller (selling the genre's red herrings) and she is his apprentice. It seems like it might have been written as a stand-alone until Elsie convinced real author L.C. Tyler to make this a series. I'm glad there are more books ahead to enjoy.
Very amusing mystery, sort of a black cozy, concerning a mystery writer, Ethelred Tressider and his agent, Elsie Thirkettle. He is the herring-seller (selling the genre's red herrings) and she is his apprentice. It seems like it might have been written as a stand-alone until Elsie convinced real author L.C. Tyler to make this a series. I'm glad there are more books ahead to enjoy.
December 19, 2014
Thoroughly enjoyed this very funny murder mystery. The two main characters made me laugh out loud, and the author captures their voices perfectly. As the author says: There's an important difference between fiction and real life. Fiction has to be believable. Not sure the plot was entirely believable, but the characters certainly were, and I didn't care anyway, because I was having too much fun.
October 16, 2015
A delightful read. Ethelred Tressider is a writer. His agent is Elsie Thirkettle.
Fun quotes:
"That's what I love about the country. Hello, I see you're a total stranger; why don't you come in? You've got at least an hour to clean the place out, if you need that long. Dearie."
And
"It's amazing how many crap decisions you can make in a single evening if you put your mind to it."
Fun quotes:
"That's what I love about the country. Hello, I see you're a total stranger; why don't you come in? You've got at least an hour to clean the place out, if you need that long. Dearie."
And
"It's amazing how many crap decisions you can make in a single evening if you put your mind to it."
March 1, 2016
LC Tyler casts a wry eye over the process of writing detective fiction while providing a most readable murder mystery and a couple of delightfully loopy main protagonists in Ethelred, a hack author of detective fiction (and Mills and Boon style hospital romances) and his agent, Elsie. Murder shouldn't be so much fun. And yes I got the in joke. Will definitely try the sequels.
April 7, 2021
Light-hearted, funny. Loved.
March 14, 2019
Quite simply, the best and most amusing 'cosy mystery' I have ever read! L. C. Tyler is a genius.
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