Stepping into the Sun

Philip Hart, a school teacher, kills an old man and hides the body, but guilt forces him to learn his identity and background. He discovers clues to a decades-old mystery and is on a mission to rekindle the light of the world.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 344 pages
Publication date: 28 August 2021
Publisher: Troubador Publishing

Philip Hart, a fortysomething Norfolk school teacher, finds solace in alcohol as his life begins to unravel. He suspects, with good reason, that he will lose a promotion to a younger colleague who is believed to be having an affair with his wife. One night, while driving home drunk from a village pub, he accidentally knocks down and kills an old man fleeing from a nearby mental hospital. To avoid blame, Hart hides the body in a roadside culvert, but his guilt forces him to learn the identity and background of his victim in order to make amends. During a visit to the mental hospital, he discovers clues to a decades-old mystery that somehow involves the inmate, prompting him to sever all ties with his previously cloistered existence.

Adopting the role of Percival, the holy fool of legend tasked with finding a redeeming relic, Hart's journey takes him far from Norfolk, into Sweden's sub-arctic wilderness, and to one of the continent's forbidden places. Along the way, he encounters various individuals who play significant roles in his quest.

However, if the man he killed was driven mad by his involvement in creating this mystery, Hart is in danger of becoming just as deranged. He has gone beyond seeking forgiveness for a single death and is now on a mission to rekindle what he believes is nothing less than the light of the world.

The story explores themes of guilt, redemption, and the consequences of one's actions. Hart's journey is a testament to the human spirit's resilience and the power of forgiveness. It is a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope for redemption and a chance to make a difference in the world.

Weight: 376g
Dimension: 153 x 228 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781800463516