Gilead Balm, Knight Errant

Every reader who ever clipped a coupon from an advice column and dreamed of playing the benefactor will recognize Gilead Balm. He's a lowly government clerk who spends his evenings fantasizing about the rescues he'll attempt when fortune finally smiles. When an unexpected inheritance makes him suddenly, absurdly rich, he doesn't buy an estate or join a club. He becomes a knight errant of modern London, answering appeals in the papers and inserting himself into lives that need saving. But the real adventure turns out to be messier than the fantasy. Capes weaves satire with genuine heart, exposing both the nobility and the folly of one man's attempt to play hero in a world that resists easy solutions.