Oppenheim, E. Phillips: The Profiteers. V1. 6 Sep 2011
 

Edward Phillips Oppenheim (October 22, 1866 – February 3, 1946), was an English novelist, in his lifetime a major and successful writer of genre fiction including thrillers .A best-selling author of novels, short stories, magazine articles, translations, and plays, Oppenheim published over 150 books. He is considered one of the originators of the thriller genre, his novels also range from spy thrillers to romance, but all have an undertone of intrigue.

Excerpt
Wingate, notwithstanding his iron nerve, awoke with a start, in the grey of the following morning, to find his heart pounding against his ribs and a chill sense of horror stealing into his brain. Nothing had happened or was happening except that one cry,--the low, awful cry of a man in agony. He sat up, switched on the electric light by his side and gazed at the round table, his fingers clenched around the butt of his pistol. Dredlinton, from whom had come the sound, had fallen with his head and shoulders upon the table. His face was invisible, only there crept from his hidden lips a faint repetition of the cry,--the hideous sob, it might have been, as of a spirit descending into hell.

This Post WW1 novel is quite a bit different than others of his that I've read. It concerns a group of businessmen who have decided to get richer by driving up the price of wheat, and another businessman who is determined to stop their plan, by any means necessary.

The business parts are very dry, and there is also a romantic sub-plot, where the head of the first group and the opposing businessman are fighting for the same woman (who also has to be married).

Despite all that, kind of a dull book, but features some very interesting supporting characters, including a woman taxi-driver