When her heroine walks down the famous East End street one step behind her husband, she sets the novel's tone in a single scene.

ECONOMIST: The capital as inspiration for novelists

Over the last 20 years, China has become one of the biggest economies on earth, surpassing Japan and one step behind the United States.

FORBES: The China Miracle: A Rising Wealth Gap

By sheltering him from the police, under the Pushtunwali code of protecting refuge-seekers from their enemies, Mr Kamal ensured that the man would be one step behind him always.

ECONOMIST: Anwar Kamal

Sony "expects to succeed" and we'd like to see that happen -- there are a lot of faithful fans looking for a real competitor from a phone maker often one step behind the competition.

ENGADGET: Sony Xperia Z: hands-on with the new flagship at CES 2013 (video)

Today, Plan B One-Step is sold behind pharmacy counters, and buyers must prove they're 17 or older to buy it without a prescription.

NPR: FDA: Morning-After Pill OK For Ages 15 And Up

And it could allow Plan B One-Step to move out from behind pharmacy counters to the store counters.

WSJ: NY judge makes morning-after pill available to all

Apple always seems one step ahead even when it comes from behind.

FORBES: Apple The Outlier

If the various Toy Story incarnations opened a door to the secret life of playthings, this book goes one step further by providing a touching, behind-the-scenes look from the minds that created it all.

FORBES: Beachside Bookworm: The Toys Are Back in Town

There's no question that most of the talk between Google and EU regulators over the firm's search ranking practices have taken place behind closed doors, but now the antitrust inquiry is one step closer to a binding resolution.

ENGADGET