A new contemporary British novel exploring wealth, secrecy and personal reckoning has been published by Aberdeen-born author Richard Hood.
Filthy Rich is the author’s debut work set in Shoreham-by-Sea and centres on financier Oliver Wright, whose high-pressure London career is abruptly interrupted by a heart attack.
Forced to leave behind the world of corporate deals and excess, Wright retreats to the Sussex coast in an attempt to recover and reassess his life.
“This book draws on my observations of ambition, risk and the human instinct to test boundaries. After facing serious health challenges, the idea of reinvention became deeply personal. Filthy Rich explores what happens when someone is given a second chance but struggles to let go of old habits.” Said Richard.
Through a narrative set against the backdrop of Shoreham’s marina and yacht club community, Filthy Rich examines themes of reinvention, temptation and consequence.
As Wright navigates new relationships and confronts unresolved elements of his past, the novel explores the tension between outward recovery and internal desire.
A sudden incident at the marina ultimately forces Oliver to confront the cost of secrecy and ambition in a tightly connected seaside town.
The release of Filthy Rich follows a diverse and eventful life journey for its author. Born in Aberdeen in 1960, he was educated at Kingswood, Quarry Hill and Northfield Academy before continuing his studies at Holborn College of Commerce.
From an early age, travel played a defining role in his life, beginning with a hitchhiking trip to Amsterdam and later driving across Europe in a Fiat Uno.
Over subsequent decades, his travels extended across the United States, Canada, China, much of Europe and the Caribbean, including The Bahamas and Barbados.
Alongside his passion for travel, he developed a longstanding interest in skiing. He served as an instructor at Kaimhill in Aberdeen and later undertook challenging alpine runs across Europe, including a 22-kilometre black run known as the “Wall of Death.”
His life has also been marked by significant personal challenges. He is a survivor of skin cancer and underwent a life-saving kidney transplant in 2015. Earlier in his life, he survived a serious stabbing incident while in Montpellier, France.
These experiences, he has stated, informed his perspective on resilience and second chances.
Today, he lives with his wife Joanne and their son Jonathan. Professionally, he built a business career spanning more than two decades.
As manager of The Courtyard Restaurant, he welcomed a range of notable guests, including composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.
The release is published by UK-based Maple Publishers, a company known for supporting imaginative and engaging works in literature, with book cover design, illustrations, and book layout by White Magic Studios.
Filthy Rich is available via Amazon in Kindle and Paperback editions. A book trailer can be viewed on White Magic Studio’s official channel.
ENDS
Media Contact: Richard Hood