The Herring-Seller's Apprentice

March 2, 2009
Fans of comic mysteries will welcome British author Tyler’s debut, the first in a series to feature novelist Ethelred Tressider and his chocoholic literary agent, Elsie Thirkettle. When the body of Tressider’s ex-wife, Geraldine, turns up near his West Sussex home, the police mark Tressider as a person of interest. Aided by Thirkettle, Tressider investigates other suspects, as the official theory switches from possible suicide to a serial killer. One-third of the way in, Tressider’s Wodehousian narrative voice (“You’ll have found the same thing yourself, of course. Just when you think you have committed the perfect crime, things most unfairly take a turn for the worse”) switches to that of Thirkettle, who doesn’t miss a beat sustaining the light tone (“If there’s one thing that gets up my sodding nose, it’s starting a new chapter and finding that the poxy narrator has changed”). The resolution may not satisfy everyone, but the lively characters and amusing banter will bring most readers back for more.

Starred review from May 1, 2009
Between the cartoon-like cover and the strange title (a subtleallusion to red herrings), you might not realize that this is a cozy mystery. But it is, and it stars a mystery author. Ethelred Tressider writes three different series, none of whichare spectacularly successful, but the author and his agent, Elsie Thirkettle, manage to make a living from them. With the disappearance of Tressiders former wife, Geraldine, Elsie thinks it is the perfect time for Ethelred to branch out into true crime. It is soon apparent that the caustic, scheming Geraldine (who had been responsible for nicknaming Ethelred the Herring-Seller) was also a crook. Tressider has no interest in solving the crime, but Elsie (the apprentice of the title) pushes him into it. Tyler is a stylish writer, and his humor is both subtle and sly. Elsie tells Ethelred not to bother developing character, describing atmosphere, or using clever literary allusions, but Tyler does all those things superbly. Readers may wonder after finishing this romp whether a series is in the offingthe conclusion seems to suggest its notbut Ten Little Herrings has already been published in England and will be appearing in the U.S. soon.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)