Great detective novel about Charles Swinburn, owner of factory which produces electric motors, who falls in desperation after he discovers that his business is going to pieces. So he decides to kill his uncle and get hold of his share of old man's will, which would eventually save him from financial troubles. Best part of the novel is Charles preparing himself for the crime, inventing alibies and masquerading himself to get hold of poison which he would use to poison his uncle. But he is no professional killer and after old man is dead, police quickly arrests him and in second part we follow Charles in courtroom, which is also interesting as much as his carefully constructed plan to kill his uncle. Of course he is convicted guilty and sentenced to death, Inspector French later at a dinner party explains how he managed to gather all evidence against him after he was sure he was the killer. Good example of inverted detective story and one of the forerunner of police procedural novels.
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