The story of junior reporter Suzy and would-be property developer Oliver making their way in Liverpool as the boom years fade and their careers collide.
I sought to reflect the city’s revival in two young adults coming to terms with work, responsibility, love and family in their mid-20s, when everything is not sorted, when we are in flux, full of hope and promise, doubt and naivety.
The settings for Oliver Day and Suzy Kelsey are the property and media worlds that I have observed while working and living in Liverpool as a property journalist for the past 14 years.
Against the backdrop of the 12 months of 2007, I wanted to take a close look at the city on the eve of its defining renaissance moment as European Capital of Culture in 2008 and use the pair of contrasting central characters to raise broader issues of class, timing and ambition.
During writing, it also became apparent that the unraveling financial system provided a major historical context that could not be ignored.