Inheritance

Arthur Ledbetter was five when his parents skied off a cliff in Verbier. Florence Wright, a farmer's daughter, adopted him, and they lived in a cottage in a remote village in Cumbria. As Arthur (Art) grew up, he was in constant disagreement with Florence (Flo) about all manner of things, but especially his attitude toward her, his laziness, the food he was fed, his untidiness, and the books and magazines he read. Their personalities were at opposite ends of the spectrum. 

Bored with living in such a remote location, he keeps a diary of daily tedium. One day, he decides to kill Flo, inherit her assets, and marry her niece, Sophie. Art shares his frustration and his plans for murder with his best friend Charlie, who gets roped into being his accomplice. Sometime later, after several unsuccessful, naive, and comedic attempts to kill Flo, Art goes on to inherit not one, but three estates, making him a wealthy man.

On vacation in Cornwall, Art meets Ella, an American woman who was unwittingly involved in money laundering in the US and was fleeing the US judicial system. She has control over $100 million in a Swiss bank account. They fall in love, and after much soul-searching, Art agrees to marry Ella, escaping the country to live in a haven where extradition treaties are not recognised. Their mission to invest the $100 million in charitable projects around the world as Ella attempts to clear her name.  

In the early stages of his career, Paul Howard Surridge joined a multinational pharmaceutical company, where he was introduced to the world of marketing and public relations; he quickly discovered a passion for writing. After several roles within the sector, he was, at the age of 29, appointed General Manager of a privately owned, multi-faceted group of companies.

Two years later, married and with two young children, he made the decision to leave his lucrative position to establish his own advertising and marketing agency, initially in Hertfordshire and later in London. The timing proved fortuitous. As the industry expanded rapidly, within just three years, the agency secured a number of major blue-chip clients. After twelve successful years, the business was sold to a global communications agency.

Since then, Paul has held senior management and board director roles across a range of industries, including pharmaceuticals, optics, and more recently the hearing care sector. In a part-time capacity, he continues to serve as chair of an association representing a group of global companies. His career has afforded him extensive international travel, frequently speaking at both national and international conferences.

Alongside a busy professional life, he has balanced family commitments with interests that include public speaking, tennis, and travel, while continuing to pursue his creative work. Over the years, he has written thirteen stage plays and several novels. He is delighted to be working with Fisher King Publishing who have launched the novel Fallible and now his latest work, Inheritance.