Michael Underwood was the pseudonym of John Michael Evelyn (1916-1992), a British civil servant and author. Evelyn was called to the Bar in 1939, then served in the British Army during the war. Afterwards he entered the Civil Service and began writing crime fiction in the1950s. He wrote about a half dozen stand-alone novels and series featuring Martin Ainsworth, solicitor Rosa Epton, lawyer Richard Monk, Scotland Yard sergeant Nick Atwell, and Inspector Simon Manton.

The last book in the Manton series The Anxious Conspirator (Doubleday Crime Club, 1965) is one of the most unusual mysteries I have read. I loved the premise. Tony Dayne is convinced he isn’t treated fairly by his partners in a scheme to distribute forged travellers checks worth thousands of pounds. He also has a healthy regard for the vindictiveness of his colleagues and the extent to which they will exercise it. So when he informs Scotland Yard about the next delivery of checks, and they plan to pull the entire gang in, he stipulates that he must be allowed to escape during the confusion of the raid to avoid suspicion and retaliation. Scotland Yard agrees, and the gang is arrested as arranged. Unfortunately, one of the constables didn’t get the word and Dayne is captured along with every one else.

Dayne is understandably furious and Inspector Manton is deeply embarrassed. The Yard’s credibility is at stake and it’s obvious that Dayne is a minor player, so letting him escape the criminal justice system is the lesser of two evils. Manton convinces solicitor Roger Elwin to represent Dayne and to look for a way to release Dayne quietly and protect his informant status.

Elwin has to appear to move forward with a defense while secretly trying to engineer a path to freedom that does not apply to the others. He finds it a balancing act hard to maintain. In the meantime Manton builds a case against the group and searches for the source of the forgeries.

What an original premise! Law enforcement is usually trying to lock criminals up, not let them go. There wasn’t much mystery to the murders and the bread crumbs pointing to the leader of the counterfeiting ring were clear enough. The characters’ reaction to the informant foul-up was the focus, creating a highly readable story. Elwin’s dealings with a Vienna, Austria, police inspector took the action to Europe. Underwood worked a brief travelogue of the city and appreciation of opera into the plot. A creative and amusing piece of crime fiction. Recommended.