The townspeople of Branfield, NH, often assured newcomers that their town was immune to the crime, the racial biases, and the political shenanigans big cities constantly had to tolerate. "NOT IN MY TOWN" was their motto. In HEARTLESS AMBITION most of them awaken one day to find their town to be just a microcosm and not Utopia. The forces that caused them to see just how normal they were came when two men of vastly different backgrounds entered their picture.

One of these two men, Andre Han Gertz, was born to Gustave and Maude Gertz in 1972. His parents were immigrants from Belgium, filled with hope and spirit; ready to make a life for their family in Branfield. As is often te way, life got in the way and though Gustave became a success at business, a tragedy occurred leaving him unable to cope with the needs of his only son, Andre Jan Gertz. The other, is a man who though deserted by parents at a young age, and then suffering through horrendous treatment in his childhood, manages to become as successful, human being.

The story develops as Andre grows up and sees his father unable to cope with life's problems. This causes Andre Jan to take another tack. From childhood he schemes and manipulates in order to acquire wat he wants or himself only; no quarter given to any of the people he stands on to get there. In the long run, the two most injured by Andre's decisions are his wife, Gladys Medford Gertz, and her nephew Paul Richard Medford.

The plot revolves around the damage Andre manages to do as he becomes mayor and then seeks to become New Hampshire's next senator. He is sure he's a shoo-in and is blind-sided when his whole scheme falls to ashes in the hands of both Gladys and a mystery man named Morris George Chance.

The novel contains love, hate, a payback scheme, and a near murder all intertwined with the everyday hopes and dreams of its small town's citizenry.