Ten Little Herrings

Herring Mysteries #2

by L.C. Tyler

When obscure crime writer Ethelred Tressider vanishes, his dogged literary agent, Elsie Thirkettle, is soon on his trail. Finding him (in a ramshackle hotel in the French Loire) proves surprisingly easy. Bringing him home proves more difficult than expected - but (as Elsie observes) who would have predicted that, in a hotel full of stamp collectors, the guests would suddenly start murdering each other? One guest is found fatally stabbed, apparently the victim of an intruder. But when a rich Russian oligarch also dies, in a hotel now swarming with policemen, suspicion falls on the remaining guests. Elsie is torn between her natural desire to interfere in the police investigation and her urgent need to escape to the town's chocolaterie. Ethelred, meanwhile, seems to know more about the killings than he is letting on. Finally the time comes when Elsie must assemble the various suspects in the Dining Room, and reveal the truth.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Humor, Cozy Mystery, France

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

L. 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

Reviews

[Jazz · Rating 3 out of 5]

If it were for the humor alone, I would have to give this mystery five stars. It was hilarious! In some ways it was funnier than the first book in the series, because so much of the story is told through the amusing voice of Elsie Thirkettle, literary agent to mediocre—but prolific—mystery writer, Ethelred Tressider. Maybe it was my lack of focus, but I had trouble keeping the suspects straight in the last half of the book. And the action got a little Keystone Cops-like. I was hurrying to finish the last quarter of the book, as the plot was wearing thin for me by then, but I was glad I didn't miss the hilarious Christie-like scene of the suspects gathered in the dining room for the announcement of the murderer. Perhaps the books in this series need to be read in quick succession if you don't have a good memory (which I don't), because each seems to build on what happened in the previous book. Best to start with the first in the series. If you like humor in your mysteries, you'll likely enjoy this one.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

easy going read in the ethelred and elsie series , this time the story is based in the loire valley as ethelred is staying at a stamp fair and a few guests are murdered and again goes off on several red herrings, the plot is christie like and no overly complicated

[Cynnamon · Rating 3 out of 5]

English version below

******************

Auch der zweite Teil in der Ethelred and Elsie-Reihe hat sich als nettes Cozy Crime für zwischendurch herausgestellt.
Die Eigenheiten der Protagonisten, insbesondere die totale Realitätsferne Elsies, führen unablässig zu wirklich komischen (manchmal aber auch echt peinlich nervigen) Situationen.

Diesmal macht Elsie Ethelred, der sich still und heimlich abgesetzt hatte, in einem kleinen, wenig aufregenden Hotel im französischen Hinterland ausfindig. Ehe sie sich versehen, sind sie in zwei Morde verwickelt.

Wie schon erwähnt: nett für zwischendurch. Zum Bingen würde es jedoch zu sehr an meinen Nerven zerren.

-------------------

The second instalment in the Ethelred and Elsie series has also turned out to be a nice cozy crime for in-between.
The idiosyncrasies of the protagonists, especially Elsie's total detachment from reality, constantly lead to really funny (but sometimes also really embarrassingly annoying) situations.

This time, Elsie tracks down Ethelred, who has quietly and secretly absconded, in a small, unexciting hotel in the French hinterland. Before they know it, they are involved in two murders.

As already mentioned: nice for in-between. But it would be too nerve-wracking for me to binge.

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful

[David Proffitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

With more red herrings and plot twists than a box full of Agatha Christie's, our bumbling duo find themselves once again at the heart of a murder mystery. 

For this, their second outing, crime writer Ethelred Tressider and his pushy agent Elsie Thirkettle, are temporarily relocated to the Loir Valley. Which is rather unexpected really as Ethelred was last seen boarding a plane that exploded mid-flight. Elsie has been doing all she can to settle his affairs when, out of the blue, she receives a phone call from the said deceased author asking for her help. The pair are reunited at a rather shabby little French hotel, just in time to become suspects in a murder. Who would have thought that stamp collecting could be so dangerous? 

Ten Little Herrings combines great comedy with a serious crime story. L C Tyler's clever wit and talent for slapstick make this a very enjoyable read. This is the second book of the series and the characters of Ethelred - the serious and rather lazy writer - and Elsie - bombastic chocoholic - are now firmly established. I can't wait to read more of their adventures.

[Athirah Idrus · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book boldly shelved in between Agatha Christie’s books and upon reading the blurb which insinuated influence by the legendary crime queen, my interest was piqued. The book was on sale too which prompted me to make the purchase.

I found out that this book was a part of a series, the second volume of the Herring series. However, fortunately this book could also be read as a standalone, as the writer took care to fill in the background details for the characters without mentioning spoilers from the first book.

I was entertained by the humorous lines in the book, especially in the account by one of the narrators, Elsie, a literary agent who knew no tact nor possessed the intelligence to ascertain things. Her client, crime writer Ethelred provided his account to the story too, and added more depth to the story based on his vast knowledge by virtue of his profession.

Because the account of the story largely depended on Elsie’s unreliable perspective, the plot was a bit muddied with incoherence due to Elsie’s questionable knack for making a complicated situation even worse. I felt like the conclusion towards the end was a bit confusing, but the hilarious narration on Elsie’s part still made up for it. There were also dedicated paragraphs on Elsie’s chocolate addiction which I can totally relate!

If you’re a fan of Agatha Christie looking for something similar to her Ms Marple’s adventures, this would be a good pick. Reading this felt like having a discussion on and gushing over Agatha Christie with another Christie fan.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

"When we last saw Ethelred Tressider, he was pulling a disappearing act, eager to pack in his career as a mediocre mystery-writer, and happy to leave his (deservedly) long-suffering agent, Elsie, holding the bag. But any bag that Elsie holds will soon be brimful of chocolates, and as Ten Little Herrings opens, she is tracking Ethelred to his secret lair, which turns out to be a run-down French hotel hosting a stamp-collector's conference. A murder (quelle surprise!) ensues, and, as the title (a nod to Agatha Christie's famous Ten Little Indians) suggests, the whole thing turns into a blissfully funny parody of classic British crime fiction.
~~back cover

This book is marvelous! As the reader finds out, with alternating chapters being told from the POV of first Elsie and then Ethelred, Elsie just wants to find Ethelred, while Ethelred is in the throes of some secret mission, which slowly but surely becomes more revealed as the book goes on. Elsie, once having located Ethelred, hot foots it over to Chaubord to reel Ethelred in and in the process they both become involved in that most delightful of mystery novels' mainstays -- a double murder that isn't solved until the very last pages.

The to-and-froing and the various scrapes and escapades, mostly initiated by Elsie's insatiable curiosity (and chocolate addiction) and inimitable penchant for interpreting the situation incorrectly, mount up until the grand denouement, a la Hercule Poirot.

You'll love it!

[Isobel Clarke · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book is a nice easy read, very enjoyable. though i must say i was disappointed near the end - i was hoping for a more exciting finish to what had been an entertaining novella. definitely worth the read, although not up there with the classics !

[Lexie Conyngham · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot held together better than the first one, but the humour was not so rich, from my perspective. I like the two detectives but enjoyed Ethelred's contributions more in the first one, and Elsie's more in this one - though I can't quite fathom why she fancies Ethelred!

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very dull 😞

[Hanneke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had bought this at a book fair, left it on a to be read pike for quite a few months and finally picked it up. Was quite enjoyable, a clumsily funny murder mystery I'd say. Didn't realise until the last chapter it was part of a series 🙈 Good, but not too pushed to read the other ones.

[Ann G. Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten Little What? Well, if you know your English mysteries, you'll know right away what's going on here - a little fun at Dame Agatha's expense.

And lovely fun it is too. Mediocre mystery writer Ethelred Tressider and his scornful agent Elsie Thirkettle are together again, despite Ethelred's best efforts. This time they're in a dumpy hotel at a French stamp-collectors' convention. But oh my, what a motley crew has assembled, and - you will not believe this - the guests seem to be dying or under attack one by one! Ethelred and Elsie set out to ... well, it's not clear what they're doing. Elsie is trying to solve the crime, at least when it doesn't get in the way of obtaining as much chocolate as possible, and is talking quite a lot. Ethelred is acting in a very suspicious manner, and isn't saying much at all, even in the chapters where he takes over the narration from Elsie. And when everyone is, inevitably, gathered in the dining room for the great announcement ... well, you'll just have to see for yourself.

L.C. Tyler is that rare writer whose second book in the series is as well-conceived and funny as the first. Reports are that book three, The Herring In the Library, will be available soon. Can't wait!

[FittenTrim · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a murder mystery, the whodunnit crime is a threadbare mess. But the book is still a delight based on the author's hilarious voice. Switching back and forth between narrators Elsie and Ethelred, Tyler has a quick wit for two distinct types of twits. Literary agent Elsie is a creation of pure comedic gold: unearned confidence, blindly chocolate obsessed, and sarcasm. She should have an entire novel to herself.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Red herrings in murder mystery novels are par for the course - but in this book they are everywhere. That, and chocolate, and stamp collectors. The second Elsie and Ethelred novel, of a contemporary pair of inept investigators who seem to attract trouble, features a select group of potential suspects for murder and possibly other crimes. When Elsie turns up looking for Ethelred after she technically kills him, she arrives in a small seedy hotel in a small French town, at the end of a stamp fair. In a surreal situation most of the guests in the hotel are stamp collectors, but it seems that several have other, possibly murderous priorities. This comedy mystery novel, the second in the series, features a novelist called Ethelred and his literary agent, Elsie. I believe this would work as a standalone novel, assuming that the reader understood the sense of humour behind the main characters’ preoccupations. An unusual and humourous book, it has elements of farce and moments of near suspense, as the hapless pair are effectively trapped in the hotel.


Ethelred disappeared at the end of the first novel, and in this book Elsie has cancelled his bank cards as part of dealing with his affairs and collecting his royalties. Managing to discover where he is, she turns up at the hotel only to find Ethelred among assorted guests including a dubious Russian businessman, a younger man called Gold, “the weaselly Mr Herbert Proctor” and a perfect family of unknown nationality. The other guests, mainly men, have little conversation, but it is understood that they are all interested in stamps, except a traveller who apparently only wanted to stay one night. When a guest is murdered, everyone is under suspicion. Elsie is obsessed with chocolate and has a touching belief in her investigative powers while, she fondly believes, attracting men with her sense of style. Being trapped in the hotel indefinitely while the police investigate the murder means that she cannot go and buy chocolate, and as she says in one of her chapters, written from her point of view, “There’s not much you can do in a room without chocolate”. Her interest in the crime combined with her desire for chocolate means that she gets involved in the slightly strange goings on in the hotel and the surrounding area. Ethelred meanwhile is preoccupied with his most recent past and immediate future in a rather confused way; he doesn’t seem very interested in the crime, and his professional interest in writing mystery novels is a little dismissed in his chapters as he does not want to write anymore Fairfax novels. He does, however, write about the nature of murder and the statistical truths of how real murders happen, concluding “Murderers include the most unlikely people.You’d never spot one in the street. Or in a hotel.” His considerations are in contrast with Elsie’s flights of fantasy to great effect, as their pool of suspects grows smaller and another consideration appears.

There is humour in every part of this book, from the slightly absurd characters in the hotel to the situations Elsie in particular finds herself in, as she bustles around the hotel, avoiding certain people and seeking a version of the truth. Revelations and incidents mount up in this episode in a popular series. I really enjoyed this very entertaining book.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Until a few days ago I had spent hours each week commuting to work and had realised that an excellent way of passing the times was to listen to audiobooks while I drove. When my last book finished I decided to choose this one next despite having not read the first book in the series (it’s on my kindle waiting for me!). After my last audiobook, which was an excellent psychological crime novel, I was in the mood for something a bit lighter and this fit the bill perfectly.

Within minutes of starting the book I was laughing at the thoughts and antics of Elsie and Ethelred and so began what can only be described as a rollicking good read (or listen in my case). The story never takes itself too seriously and that is why it works, between Ethelred’s constant disapproval of Elsie’s antics and Elsie getting herself into trouble over her obsession with chocolate it’s a never ending ride which had me stunned into disbelief one minute and laughing out loud the next.

The story has the usual type of characters you expect to see in a Marple or Poirot novel, from the suspicious one who simply looks like a murderer to the ones who appear suspect simply because they say very little and aren’t keen on being questioned by Elsie. She spends a lot of the book trying to figure out who the murder(s) is/are and the rest of it trying to get more chocolate which is made tricky by the fact that the police stop the guests/suspects from leaving the hotel, cue some hilarious and cringe-inducing but dramatic scenes.

I really enjoyed this book and the narration. The narrator did a good job of the different voices and accents along with conveying the incredulity that Elsie often had and Ethelred’s many feelings about Elsie’s behaviour.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a murder mystery but wants something with a bit of fun and lightness to it. Now I just need to make some time for the other books in the series!

[Nolanolaan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book... Well, did I enjoy reading it? Yes. Would I pick it up for the first time now that I know what it’s made of? No. No, I’d tell myself, don’t go in if you want to devour a well-written and gripping whodunnit. Don’t go in if you want to be enthralled by a well-structured murder plot and the excitement of the subsequent investigation. This is not that kind of book.
It's the kind that’s more interested in showing off self-indulgent wit and “funky” characters than in producing quality writing, if only to camp the décor (we’re in the Loire but we wouldn’t know it).
It’s the kind of funny and light, oh so light, read that won’t stay with you past the last page or make you want to pick up the next instalment. It’s funny at the expense of substance or, God forbid, depth.
It’s funny at the expense of plot; we mainly follow an amateur sleuth who can’t investigate to save her life and while that’s ultimately humorous it’s also a gross waste of time, the whole purpose of reading whodunnits being to guess who’s done it before the sleuth can tell us. In this case, we can guess who about a third of the way and the main sleuth never manage to tell us much. The other two-thirds of the book are just complicated plot twists that appear a little too late to matter and ultimately change nothing to the solution.
I don’t regret reading it, but I don’t necessarily recommend that anyone should unless they’re really bored and stuck somewhere. It does what it does well (hence the 3 stars), but it doesn’t do what it should and it leaves no lasting impression.

[Emilie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If what you are looking for is a classic detective story in a traditionnal setting with clever characters and possibly some humor on the side, you might want to skip this one.
On the other hand, if like me, you have a deeply sarcastic mind, like detective stories as a genre (but don't hold it sacred) and enjoy good parodies, then by all means you should read this book.

'Ten Little Herrings' is hard to describe. It's a very clever piece of metafiction which pokes fun at detective fiction without ever falling into the parody genre properly, which makes it a bit of an oddball, but a nice one. It does juistice to the genre by providing the reader with a real, serious murder puzzle to solve, while at the same time turning it into derision by having dumb and uncharismatic protagonists (Elsie and Ethelred) do the sleuthing. Once you get in the proper mind setting for it, it's glorious fun. To my mind, the story's only drawback was that sometimes, the characters were just a tad too unlikable - which is all good and fine in a parody, but not so much in an actual detective story. 'Ten Little Herrings' being a bit of both, it sometimes made it a bit hard for me not to be exasperated by their sheer idiocity. Still worth the ride, though, if anything for the ending (but I'm not telling).

[Plum-crazy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second in the “Elsie & Ethelred Mystery” series & I found it more enjoyable than ”The Herring Seller’s Apprentice”
I just love the characters. Elsie's snarky remarks & the overall wit are just to my taste. For me the writing has a rather timeless quality about it, apart from the rare mention of the internet & google, it could almost be set at any time in the past five or six decades. Still my judgement may be clouded by my book’s cover picture, as that, along with the names Elsie & Ethelred, give things a bit of a 1950's vibe to me. Anyhow that's pretty irrelevant…..although I would really like to know how old are they supposed to be.
I did think this story had a touch of the “Agatha Christies” about it. Perhaps it was the title itself, or the setting of a continental hotel with a mixed bag of residents, or maybe it was the way Elsie gathered everyone in the dining room to reveal the murderer(s)…even if she didn’t do it all that successfully!
Utterly delightful from start to finish (although I did have to read through the postscript twice to make sure I’d got the gist of it)

[Gribouille Lechat · Rating 4 out of 5]

C'est le 2e tome de la série Ethelred Tressider, après Etrange suicide dans une Fiat rouge à faible kilométrage, que j'avais beaucoup aimé. Et cette suite ne me déçoit pas. Elle est exactement dans la même veine que le premier tome. Il y a autant d'humour, si ce n'est plus, grâce au personnage d'Elsie, l'agent littéraire du "héros", qui est, me semble-t-il, beaucoup plus présente que précédemment. En fait, il y a deux sortes d'humour : un humour typiquement anglais (pince-sans-rire et ironique) avec Ethelred, le "héros" écrivain, qui incarne le flegme britannique dans toute sa splendeur, et un humour que je qualifierais presque d'involontaire, dans le sens où Elsie est très drôle mais n'en a pas conscience. L'enquête elle-même est quasiment secondaire. On pourrait presque penser qu'elle est un prétexte pour faire vivre les personnages et nous réjouir. Malgré tout, elle a quand même son importance, puisqu'elle donne sa raison d'être au livre et son "fil rouge". Et surtout, sa résolution finale donne lieu à une scène jubilatoire, que les fans d'Agatha Christie apprécieront particulièrement.

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the ending of the last book, Ethelred Tressider had faked his own death. His stalwart publisher Elsie didn't believe a minute of it so she's not surprised to pick up his phone one day (she's still checking on his house) to hear a very badly accented voice that is that of her writer's. She quickly figures out where he is (in France) and chases him down. It's just too bad that a man is killed at their hotel and everyone is forced to stay on site. Well, that doesn't actually happen until after the second murder but it's still inconvenient. And it's not like the company is scintillating. After all, the hotel is mostly booked by stamp collectors there for a conference.
Elsie decides to get involved and stumbles over the French police at every angle. But she may not be able to solve the mystery because Ethelred is keeping something from her.
The ending was a little too much for me but the rest of the book was pretty good, developing both Elsie and Ethelred's characters. Three and a half stars rounded up for Goodreads.

[Netti · Rating 4 out of 5]

2000s - Frankreich: Loire-Tal, "Chaubord sur Loire" (vielleicht für Chambord?)
first published 2009

The only strange thing about my telephone conversation with Ethelred was that he had been dead for almost a year. Well, you know how it is. You’re sitting in a dead person’s flat round about midnight. The Sussex rain is chucking itself against the period sash windows. A floorboard creaks, hopefully in one of the adjoining flats. The phone rings. You answer it, as you do, slightly cautiously. ‘Ethelred Tressider’s residence,’ I said, that being the name of the dead person – though using the word ‘residence’ to represent Ethelred’s poky little flat was perhaps stretching the truth just a touch. There was a long pause as if the caller had not been expecting or particularly wanting a reply. ‘Zat eez zer residence of Meester Tressider?’ said the caller in what can only be described as a crap accent.

Der Anfang ist ein bisschen holprig, bis ein glaubwürdiger Anschluss an Band 1 gefunden ist... war es ursprünglich nicht geplant, eine Serie zu machen?

Die Beiträge von Ethelred und Elsie wechseln sich hier viel schneller ab, was mir gut gefallen hat, obwohl ich mich ziemlich konzentrieren musste, da in meiner eBook-Version keine unterschiedlichen Schrifttypen zur Kennzeichnung verwendet wurden.

Mehr Persiflage als psychologisch konstruierter Krimi, ist auch dieser zweite Teil wieder sehr unterhaltsam, unter anderem durch den Hintergrund mit den spinnerten Briefmarkensammlern. Ich liebe den trockenen sarkastischen Tonfall.

In the UK it is relatively rare for either men or women to be shot, though in the United States it is of course routine, seventy per cent of murders being committed with firearms in accordance with the Second Amendment. The right of the people to keep and bear arms ensures that nobody needs to mess around with less efficient methods.

Wie Elsie am Ende alle Gäste im Dining Room à la Poirot versammelt, um den von ihr vermuteten Mörder zu entlarven, ist grandios! 😂

[Jenn Estepp · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still can't quite decide what I think of this series - which probably means I'll been starting number 3 soon. I love the humor of it; Elsie in particularly is a funny, endearing character (she reminds me a lot of Agatha Raisin, although less caustic and man-hungry than dear Aggie) and the ending "so now all the suspects are gathered and I will reveal the solution" scene is pretty hilarious. Ethelred I'm less sure of and it feels like Tyler isn't playing quite fair, by holding some info back during his narrative chapters. It's not info that's particularly difficult to figure out and it mostly centers on the relationship with his ex-wife. The entire situation with her - tangential though it is - has grown old pretty quickly, so I hope it's something that falls by the wayside in subsequent books.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating between 3 & 3.5

An okay read I thought. I can it really see why this series seems to have so many reviewers singing its praises.
It wasn’t a bad book by any means, not hard to read and the time passed quickly whilst reading it however there wasn’t anything in it as either a mystery or pastiche work that really made it shine for me.
I have the next one in the series on my kindle bought several years ago for 99p which I will read eventually but not straight away.

Overall an okay read nothing special for me

[Culture-Vulture · Rating 5 out of 5]

The gathering of suspects in the drawing room, by an amateur detective, for the big reveal of the murderer, was hilariously done. The ending was also hilarious.
This book also neatly tied up the loose ends from book 1.

Elsie is a fool in love for Ethelred, and Ethelred for his floozie. I wonder if the floozie comes back in a future book to cause love-related complications again.

Elsie is a riot, throughout. Her bigger role in this novel made it a much better read than book 1.

Looking forward to the next instalment... 📙🤓👍

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author makes for an enjoyable read. Once again Ethelred can't escape Elsie's clutches! They are in a rundown hotel in France in a village where a stamp collectors convention was held. Two of the stamp collectors are killed in the hotel that they are staying at. Several of the people have a story to tell as to why they are on the premises and why they could or could not have been the killers. The author weaves quite a tale and a fun ending!

[Martina · Rating 3 out of 5]

#2 in the Herring mystery series with Elsie and Elthelred. They end up in a shabby hotel in Chaubord, France, during a stamp collectors' gathering. There is much back story to why each person is there, involving possibly stolen diamonds, and much in the way of crossed stories. Not as amusing as the first book in the series, while Elsie seems to get everything wrong, but everything seems to come out as one might expect.

[Alexander Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these novels! These, and Lynne Truss's PC Twitten novels, are my favourites by far in the comedy-crime genre. I've re-read all of them more than once; I can't get enough of them! They're a clever twist on 'Golden Age' whodunnits, with two charismatic leading characters (although Elsie is a monster, her misadventures, inspired by her misplaced faith in her own common sense, are very funny to read about!) I find them all laugh-out loud funny and also a relaxing read.

[Marilyn Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chocolates and diamonds and murder. What more do you want?

I liked the different voices of Ethelred and Elsie telling the story and always Elsie’s chocolate fixation and bumbling. However, I thought the Elsie’s summation at the hotel lobby was dizzying. Looking forward to their next adventure.

[Maricotta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to read: I enjoyed the humour most of time and the fact that we are following different characters. It has been quite a long time that I didn’t read a polar book where I wasn’t able to figure out who is the murder and all the small mysteries around this. Not the best book of its kind but a really good surprise.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find the books in this series hilarious. I don't often laugh out loud when I read things, but these work for me. While technically mysteries, don't read them for the mystery because that isn't the major point, the humor is, especially the different and silly/stupid actions and reasoning of the two narrators.