First published 2009
Nigel Cowper trusted his wife Lucinda completely. He never imagined she would abandon him when the money disappeared. The Lloyds of London financial collapse at the end of the 1980s strips away everything he thought he owned. His wealth vanishes overnight, taking his home, his status, and his marriage with it. Simon Beaumont watches his empire crumble to ash. The charismatic businessman who once commanded respect now faces ruin. Flora Fielding, an eccentric aristocrat, confronts her financial destruction with dignity even as her world falls apart. The crash leaves small and large investors bankrupt across London. Money had been their source of power, their social currency, their guarantee of comfort. Without it, seemingly unbreakable relationships shatter. Betrayals surface, marriages end, and unexpected reconciliations emerge from the wreckage. As these three navigate their new reality, they discover who they really are beneath their former wealth. New loves bloom in unexpected places. The financial disaster becomes a catalyst that transforms their lives in ways none of them could have predicted.
Genres: fiction, drama, historical-fiction, 20th-century, contemporary, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: betrayal, deception, redemption, second-chance
Setting: London
Period: 1980s
640 pages · Paperback · Mondadori