Middle-aged Englishman Nicky is happily married to his wife Sarah and dotes over his infant daughter Scarlett, who suffers from a mild intellectual disability. But Nicky’s annual catch-up with Russell, his mega-rich childhood buddy, always leaves him feeling inadequate.
Then, ensconced in the luxurious surroundings of Russell’s San Francisco home to celebrate his friend’s 50th birthday, Nicky finds him stone cold dead.
Having a pretty fair knowledge of Russell’s hermit-like existence (he constructed his empire remotely through internet dealings), and knowing that he used the same password for everything, Nicky decides that he himself deserves a better life – he deserves to wake up happy every day. He quickly convinces Sarah to go along with his nutty plan. When the paramedics arrive, the couple tell them that the dead man is Nicky.
Things take off pretty quickly as the two (now pretending to be grieving widow and supportive best friend) settle in to the good life. Nicky gets a personal trainer and even a new thatch of hair to complete the corporate tycoon look. But he hadn’t counted on the possibility that Russell had enemies. Bad enemies.
Stephen May’s tale never takes itself too seriously as it gathers an increasingly hysterical pace. More and more characters become entwined in the action, and Nicky proves far more adept at giving away money for charitable purposes than making it.
In this mostly comic and light-hearted novel, May throws in several touchingly poignant moments and wry observations on global capitalism that attest to his skills as a writer.
Wake Up Happy Every Day, by Stephen May, is published by Bloomsbury, $29.99.
