Dr. Church and the Deadly Sins

In this the third of Beaumont Dubois's Dr. Church novels, Church applies his almost hypnotic persuasion to convince an out of luck Australian, formerly from England, named Gilbert Pennethorne to assist Church unwittingly in an evil scheme. Church takes advantage of Pennethorne's intense desire for revenge against a former boss in Australia who stole information about the location of a gold field that would have made Pennethorne immensely wealthy. Using that information the boss made himself rich, living a high life in London, while Pennethorne remained penniless. Church contrives a plan and a device for Pennethorne to commit the perfect murder of the wealthy thief. Unknowingly, Pennethorne thus becomes a party to another one of Church's insidious schemes.