Tangled Web UK Review October 2007
The Herring Seller's Apprentice (Macmillan New Writing) by
L C Tyler
hbk out October 07
Published by Macmillan New Writing
at £14.99
The odd title goes with an odd cover design, a rather garish, almost
cartoon-like picture in primary colours, which made me think at first that
this was a children's book. The explanation of the title is that Ethelred
Tressider, the main character, is a novelist with crime, history and
romance in his repertoire, under different pen-names. His eccentric agent,
Elsie Thirkettle, considers that with his crime hat on, he is a purveyor of
red herrings and so claims that she is a herring seller's apprentice, when
she insists on assisting him in the investigation of a real murder.
His former wife Geraldine, who did a runner with his best friend Roger
years before, has been involved in some shady property speculation,
fleeing both her rich sister and former second husband Roger.
A car hired by her is left with a suicide at the seashore, and a few days
later, a strangled body is discovered not far away. Ethelred identifies it as
his former wife and becomes a suspect himself, in spite of cast-iron alibi.
The story becomes involved but not desperately unpredictable; the charm
of the book, which turned out better than I expected from the cover, is in
the wry wit of the writer, especially when her chats about the tribulations
of authors. One irritating aspect – which is commented on by Elsie as
being an irritation – is the change of type-face when there is a change of
narrator. My main objection was the down-grade into a spindly, small
print that my ancient eyes could hardly read.
An unusual, whimsical book with a clever style of writing that is better
than the actual plot.
(
Bernard Knight
ex Home Office Pathologist and author of the highly acclaimed Crowner John series)
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