House of Cards is a political thriller novel by British author Michael Dobbs. Published in 1989, it tells the story of Francis Urquhart, a fictional Chief Whip of the Conservative Party, and his amoral and manipulative scheme to become leader of the governing party and, thus, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The novel was followed by two sequels: To Play The King and The Final Cut. Both were adapted for television by the BBC and aired in 1993 and 1995 respectively.