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The Herring in the Library: The 3rd Ethelred and Elsie Mystery    by L. C. Tyler Amazon.com order for
Herring in the Library
by L. C. Tyler
Order:  USA  Can
Felony & Mayhem, 2011 (2010)
Hardcover, Paperback
* * *   Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth

Just meeting the characters in The Herring in the Library would be enough for me. But a wonderful English mystery is tied to these characters. Fun.

Ethelred is a 'deeply mediocre' mystery writer and Elsie his 'deeply nosy, chocolate-chomping agent'. This locked room mystery takes place at the stately home of an old school chum of Ethelred's. 'Shagger' Muntham has invited a cluster of friends who mostly interact in some way or other. Meaning has an affair with, is having an affair with, or would like to have an affair with - it's a truly busy group of people. All of their actions at the ensuing dinner party could come under suspicion when Shagger is found strangled to death in his locked library.

I can't tell you much more or it would ruin the solution for you. I sure hadn't figured it out. Maybe I was too caught up in laughing at the witty repartee as well as the antics of Ethelred and Elsie. As readers, we are also treated to portions of the medieval mystery that Ethelred is attempting to write. That also is tongue and cheek and a delight. Ethelred may be a writing hack, but he manages to instill life lessons into his work. The Herring in the Library is a definitely delightful addition to summer-time reading.

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