Lazy, feckless and unfaithful, Jamie sets out aiming to become everything he was taught not to be; as far as he's concerned, his parents' work ethic is as useful as a condom machine in the Vatican. So he blazes a hedonistic trail, sustained by hormonal drives and a desire to get one over on the world. Rachel - thoughtful, industrious and introspective - is also trying to escape her inheritance. She embarks on a journey which brings her into contact with Jamie. Their meeting is brief and of consequence. Following on from The Borough, his highly acclaimed first novel, A Conspiracy of Hope is a modern day love story with attitude that puts Michael Cannon at the forefront of new British fiction.