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L C Tyler

"A delight" Marcel Berlins, The Times

"Sophisticated metafiction plus knockabout farce" Jessica Mann, Literary review.

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Ten Little Herrings

When obscure crime writer Ethelred Tressider vanishes from his home, his indefatigable agent, Elsie Thirkettle, is soon on his trail. Finding him proves surprisingly easy. Bringing him home is another matter.

Having followed Ethelred to a hotel in the French Loire, she find herself confined there with him after a prominent philatelist is murdered. Elsie is torn between her natural desire to interfere in the police investigation and her urgent need to escape to the local chocolatier.

Ethelred, meanwhile, seems to know more about the murder than he is letting on. It does not help his peace of mind when two further guests are poisoned.

Finally the time comes when Elsie must assemble the various suspects in the Dining Room, and reveal the killer's true identity ..."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.

Published August 2009

Elsie's Golden Rules of Agenting

An Excerpt from "TEN LITTLE HERRINGS". Published by Pan Macmillan August 2009

"1. Get the manuscript out of the writer's grubby little hands the moment they hit the required number of words. A second draft will be better in some ways, but it will certainly be much worse in others. Just send it to a publisher and let the nice editor do the rest. Do by all means check first that it is actually a different plot from the previous book -but see Elsie's Second Law.

2. Always get them to write a sequel. After all, they've got the characters. They've checked out the locations. They've hooked a few unwitting punters. It's true that producing sequels is a sure sign of the second-rate author but, then again, see Elsie's Third Law.

3. Books by second or even third-rate authors cost as much as books by first-rate authors. This is odd. It's a bit like charging the same for mink as fake nylon fur on the grounds that it's still a coat. Or charging the same for Lafitte as for red plonk. You wouldn't think you could do it, but see Elsie's Fourth Law.

4. It's amazing what you can get away with."

REVIEWS.

"Tyler juggles characters, story, wit and clever one-liners with perfect balance." Marcel Berlins, The Times. Read whole review.

'A dry and comical read.' --OK and Star

"Detail, wit and wonderful characters." Fleur Fisher Reads