Heirs on Fire

The corporate jet Crowe Bird One is soaring high over America while its most important passenger is roiling with turbulence. Robbie Crowe's marriage is failing. The global energy company he leads in New York City has lost its way. His former CEO, Walker B. Hope, is plotting a takeover. And the woman of his green dreams is more elusive than ever.
As Robbie vents his anger and frustration against his minions, he is offered an emotional rescue by the celebrated business guru, Dr. Kristi Kramer. She promises a road to redemption-at a price. The threat he never sees coming is posed by his estranged wife, Lindsey Harper Crowe, who emerges from life in the bubble and the bottle to challenge Robbie's authority before he squanders the family fortune through blundering efforts to quiet his critics.
Heirs on Fire picks up where author Jon Pepper left off in A Turn in Fortune, exploring the high altitudes of American wealth, privilege, social standing and business competition with humor, insight and brisk pacing. Along the way, it illuminates in entertaining fashion the contemporary business issues facing many companies today, including founding family involvement, soaring executive compensation, the challenges of climate change, and the conflicting strategies of serving shareholders or "stakeholders."
The story Pepper tells of the Crowe dynasty and the rival Stamper family highlights the embarrassment of riches felt by some heirs to industrial fortunes in a world that once celebrated their ancestors but now disdains the way they make their money. Attempts to restore these families' social standing while maintaining the abundant cash flows they need to sustain their lavish lifestyles leads to fraught decisions, unexpected consequences and many moments that will make you think, laugh, and turn the page to find out what happens next.