Ten Little Herrings
L. C. Tyler
Language: English
Pages: 304
ISBN: 0230714676
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
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 ...Ten Little Herrings is a brilliantly anarchic take on the classic Country House Mystery, and an uproarious sequel to the first Elsie and Ethelred mystery, The Herring Seller's Apprentice. Praise for The Herring Seller's Apprentice, the first Elsie and Ethelred Mystery: 'Masterful' Financial Times 'A classic detective novel' Scotsman 'Unusually accomplished' Helen Dunmore
not for some reason seem to be a Home Office category. Men are most likely to meet their deaths at the pointy end of some sharp instrument – stabbings of one sort or another account for around a third of male murders. Stabbing leads, however, by only a short head from death by fist or boot. 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
Henning was not named after anyone in particular. They had thought of calling him Arne, but didn’t. 3) Pedersen is one of the most common names in Denmark, though not as common as Andersen. You pronounced it ‘An’ersen’. Andersen was extremely common. 4) The public transport system in Copenhagen is one of the most efficient in the world. 5) It has to be efficient because the tax on cars is so high. Really, all taxes in Denmark are far too high. 6) The Swedes all drive cars that are much too
looked like a man who had just suffered another of a long line of disappointments. He yelled something after us, but we never did find out what it was. It was probably quite heartfelt. ‘I assume there is a fifth key?’ said Elsie, settling back in the seat. I nodded. ‘Something like that.’ ‘So, the diamonds are perfectly safe?’ I nodded. ‘In another locker?’ ‘Proctor is certainly not going to find them any time soon.’ ‘I suppose,’ said Elsie, ‘that you now plan to hand the necklace over to
can’t. The police don’t suspect you, do they?’ ‘Maybe briefly.’ ‘How briefly?’ There was renewed concern in her voice, though possibly not on my account. ‘Very briefly indeed.’ ‘And the diamonds are completely safe?’ ‘Yes.’ There was a sigh of relief. ‘Then all you have to do, Ethelred, is sit it out. Even you should be able to manage that.’ ‘A guy named Herbie Proctor’s trying to get the diamonds from me,’ I said. ‘He claims to know you.’ ‘He mentioned my name?’ ‘I don’t think there’s
agent did. ‘The way I see it,’ I said, ‘I’ve been sent to keep Mr Tressider on the straight and narrow. And, right now, to ensure he gets safely back to London and then home.’ He looked puzzled, and then the light seemed to dawn. ‘Then it could be we have more in common than I thought. Perhaps we could continue this discussion in my room? Where we won’t be disturbed?’ ‘In your dreams,’ I said. ‘If you change your mind,’ he said with a creepy smile, ‘I’ll be in room twenty-seven.’ ‘Good for