A penniless publisher teetering on the brink... Hugh Emerson runs a glamorous upmarket publishing house. But literature doesn't pay the bills, and now his bestselling author is the subject of a tabloid scandal. Emerson Publishing needs cash, fast. A newspaper dynasty struggling to survive... Ned Macaulay, heir to a newspaper dynasty and Hugh's best friend, steps in to help. But Ned has problems of his own. The family firm is on the brink of bankruptcy, and to save it he must confront his despotic father and outsmart the self-serving sycophants at Waring's bank. Ruthless bankers closing in for the kill... Soon Hugh and Ned are dragged into a cut-throat world of devious investors and muck-raking journalists. It's darker and dirtier than they ever imagined - but if they want to succeed, they know they have to play dirty too. In times like these, once you're in for a penny, you're in for a pound.

A penniless publisher teetering on the brink...Hugh Emerson runs a glamorous upmarket publishing house. But literature doesn't pay the bills, and now his bestselling author is the subject of a tabloid scandal. Emerson Publishing needs cash, fast.A newspaper dynasty struggling to survive...Ned Macaulay, heir to a newspaper dynasty and Hugh's best friend, steps in to help. But Ned has problems of his own. The family firm is on the brink of bankruptcy, and to save it he must confront his despotic father and outsmart the self-serving sycophants at Waring's bank.Ruthless bankers closing in for the kill...Soon Hugh and Ned are dragged into a cut-throat world of devious investors and muck-raking journalists. It's darker and dirtier than they ever imagined - but if they want to succeed, they know they have to play dirty too.In times like these, once you're in for a penny, you're in for a pound.