C. S. Forester (1899–1966)

This isn't so much a whodunit as a whydoneit - and will he get away with it. Published in 1930, this feels older and is of its time. No forensics, no electronic tracking. Charlie Morris is a man with a chip on his shoulder, he feels that he is owed more than he has in life. At the start we find Morris and two of his colleagues having been discovered in a bribery scam at their advertising agency. It is Guy Fawkes night and this pops an idea in Morris' head - to murder their supervisor who is about to tell the agency boss and get them all fired. He involves both of his colleagues in the act, such that they are both implicated as accessories. From here is continues as a psychological study of how actions build upon each other.
In a sense it us a bit like Patricia Highsmith's Ripley, you know he's a villain, you are waiting to see what he does next and if he gets away with it. This is told by an omnipresent narrator and we see events and actions that impact on 2 main protagonists. Morris is also a lot less charming than Ripley, you don;t want him to get away with it in quite the same way. I listened to it and I'd certainly read or listen to more by Forester in this vein.… (mere)

This riveting psychological mystery published in 1930 is set in a London advertising agency of the 1920s. One of the employees, Morris, has persuaded two other men to take part in a scheme to make a bit of extra money. When their supervisor discovers the fraud he threatens to report them to the top. Before he was able to do so, he became the first victim. Getting away with murder motivates Morris to tackle other problems. It’s a clever, compelling story that doesn’t let up.

Forester is better known for the fantastic Hornblower series. How disappointing that he wrote only three mysteries.… (mere)