As you may have noticed from my review of Guy Fraser-Sampson’s Death in Profile, I love a crime novel that has echoes of Golden Age detective fiction and Herring on the Nile by LC Tyler fits that bill perfectly. I can’t remember where I heard about this series but it caught my attention and by serendipitous chance I spotted an unread proof copy on one of the downstairs bookcases.
Our hero, not-particularly-successful crime writer Ethelred Tressider, and his formidable agent Elsie Thirkettle take a trip through Egypt in a retelling of Agatha Christie’s Death On The Nile, albeit with an up-to-date element in the form of the country’s uncertain politial situation. However, hardly has their ship cast off than one of the passengers is found murdered and suspicion naturally falls on their motley collection of fellow travellers.
This is a light, read, perfect for an evening by the fire or, now that the weather is improving, maybe an Sunday afternoon in the garden with a glass or three of Pimms.
If you enjoyed the Agatha Raisin novels then you’ll enjoy the Herring series.
