Wake up happy every day - Stephen May

Nicky has always known Russell was rich, but he has no idea how astronomically
rich Russell is until his friend drops dead, on his 50th birthday, in
his San Francisco mansion, with Nicky as the only witness.
For forty years the two men have kept up their friendship, with
Russell's birthday offering him an annual opportunity to remind Nicky of
how much more successful Russell is, and how much further he has come
since their English suburban childhood.
And now Nicky has come up with an uncharacteristically daring plan.
If Nicky were to become
Russell and leave his old life lying dead on the bathroom floor, then
he, his wife Sarah and their daughter Scarlett could start again. Only
with better clothes, better hair, better stuff and a better future: everything that money can buy. Especially happiness.
But when the foundations of their glittering new existence start to
crack, the impact of Nicky's hasty decision begins to be felt by all
those around him: by his daughter; by his own distant, confused father;
by a young English woman who has come to America in search of her
father, and by the mysterious Catherine, an ex-soldier who seems to take
an unhealthy interest in Nicky's movements...
Sharp, funny, warm and acutely observed, Wake Up Happy Every Day
is a novel about dreams and delusions, family and friendship, and what
happens if you do actually find the pot of gold at the end of the
rainbow.