Murder Isn't Easy / Richard Hull

When three men with inflated self-importance and fragile egos start a business together, it's only to be expected that tensions will arise on occasion. But when discord turns to murderous intentions, who knows what might happen?

Murder Isn't Easy reveals the nasty behind-the-scenes workings of a struggling advertising agency whose partners, at first convinced that their different personalities would prove complementary, can now barely stand each other. Things start to go sour over a campaign for a canning factory that doesn't yet exist, then turn truly bitter after a providential meeting with a potential client whose remarkable invention could prove revolutionary. It just so happens that this product, which takes the form of white crystals, is highly poisonous...

Originally published in 1936, this psychological study of mediocre, conceited men convinced of their superiority is still amusingly relevant today. Each of its four sections uses the point of view of a different character, with a delightful added twist.

This old-fashioned crime novel (complete with bumbling Scotland Yard inspector) is both entertaining and clever, and MUST be read to the very end lest you miss what makes it so original.

I was provided with a free electronic copy of this book through NetGalley by the publisher, Ipso Books, in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ***