The "herring-seller" in question is Ethelred Tressider, a middle-aged—and completely mediocre—mystery writer (and thus a purveyor of red herrings); the "apprentice" is his splendidly opinionated and pesky agent, Elsie. When Ethelred's surprisingly dishy ex-wife turns up dead—and the cops decide to finger Ethelred as a serial killer—Elsie can't wait to stick her nose in the case. The Herring Seller's Apprentice made me laugh out loud and is sure to delight anyone who enjoys a few giggles with their gore. And don't miss Ethelred and Elsie's subsequent shenanigans in the humorous Agatha Christie-parody Ten Little Herrings.