I've often talked about L.C. Tyler's books on this blog. He is a writer whom I enjoyed reading even before our paths ever crossed in person. Since that time, we've become friends and I was his vice-chair when he chaired the Crime Writers' Association. We're also working on a project together at present. So I was very pleased to receive an early copy of a novel which represents a new departure for him, and which has now been published by Allison & Busby.
This is The Murder Planner, which is in roughly the same vein as Len's excellent series about Ethelred (a long-suffering writer) and Elsie (his often unsympathetic literary agent). This novel again revolves around the world of books. This time the protagonist is an editor, Sable Knight, who is in charge of an indie publisher called Day and Knight.
Sable has, we soon discover, taken on more than a business from her former colleague Joe. For the firm's orthodox offerings are supplemented by the creations of the fertile minds on Day and Knight's books: writers who aren't necessarily based with great literary gifts, but are very good at coming up with ideas for 'perfect murders'. And the company sells these plots to people who have someone they'd like to remove from their life...
This is a great concept and it's executed with Len's customary brio. Sable is a very entertaining character (as is her mother, a lady once on close terms with the Krays) who soon discovers that she's getting in too deep. Her attempts to extricate herself from disaster are presented with the humour that is Len's trademark. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this will not be the last time we hear of Sable Knight.
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