Roy wants a bike more than anything, and dreams of wearing the yellow jersey in the Tour de France and beating the best cyclists in the world up in the mountains. But the reality is that Mum is broke, and having trouble coping. So Roy gets an early morning paper round, to earn the money to buy his bike. He is helped out by Ringer, whose dad is a jailed bank robber. Every morning after the round they go to Uncle's greasy spoon cafe, where Uncle, when he is in the mood, sings opera. But Roy loses the paper round and his world falls to bits. Then Roy gets the chance to steal a bike..."

A standalone novel in the Jack of All Trades crime series (#1). It seems a dream job for Jack, a small builder in Forest Gate, when he gets the contract to repair the summerhouse of a millionaire couple in Chigwell. The two months' work will pay his debts, and give him space to sort out his personal demons. Except the couple are at war, both having affairs, their marriage beyond salvage. The husband fires Jack, she takes him back on - and suddenly he is too involved with their scheming. Complicated further when he falls for her secretary. And when there's a murder, using his tools as the...