The compelling story of a contemporary conman who plays dangerous games with other people's money - with catastrophic and fatal results

Leo Hopkins appears to have it all. Happily married, he has an abundant and easy charm that captivates his family, friends and business associates and has a secure job as a market analyst in the City of London. But all this is not enough. He is prepared to sacrifice everyone and everything to try and satisfy an addiction - not to drugs or love or power, but to gambling. To assuage his habit he will stake his own money, other people's money, even money destined for charity. His intention is to defraud them of millions, claiming he can offer a massive return from off-shore investments - whole secretly gambling a lot on horses. Leo is neither selfish nor personally greedy; he simply has a desperate need to male people happy. However, through the greed of others, he allows himself to be sucked into a fraud that will lead inexorably to his destruction - and to that of those closest to him.