Thursday, June 30, 2011

The Herring In The Library-L. C. Tyler

The Herring In The Library
L. C. Tyler
Felony & Mayhem, Jun 16 2011, $14.95
www.felonyandmayhem.com
ISBN: 9781934609767

In Findon, West Sussex, England third level list mystery writer (under two aliases) and romance author under another name) Ethelred Tressider runs into university pal Sir Rob "Shagger" Muntham. After a brief chat, Shagger invites Ethelred and his agent Elsie Thirkettle to a dinner party at Muntham Court. They agree to attend the gala.

As soon as they arrive, Elise makes it clear to her client that they are to sit near the exit so they can gracefully leave. From the moment they step inside Shagger’s young wife tense Annabelle outrageously flirts with Ethelred in front of everyone. However before they can flee into the night, someone strangles Shagger inside the locked library. Annabelle demands Ethelred investigate. Being chivalrous, he agrees but Elsie refuses to leave alone with the not so grieving widow and the snooty crowd he investigates.

The latest ET to the second power amateur sleuth (see The Herring Seller's Apprentice and Ten Little Herrings) is a wonderful locked-room mystery that has a throwback feel to the Agatha Christie country house whodunits (see Endless Night, And Then There Was None and Peril at End House) though in a contemporary time. The fun is the interplay between the perfect English gentleman and his in your face agent who insists if he worked diligently and applied his talent he could attain a level two. Readers will enjoy the antics of this pair has they investigate the murder of Sir Shagger.

Harriet Klausner

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