John Doyle

The Serpent's Tooth John Doyle

Steven Dennison, 55, ad agency executive is happily married, cock sureand having an affair. He returns home from an evening with his lover to find that his wife has been killed. His safe, secure world is shattered with grief, guilt and regret. Desperate, he turns to his parish priest for counseland perhaps forgiveness. In penetrating discussions, the pair revisit his entire life searching for the source of his failures and the means to peace of mind. Insights are drawn from a remarkable diary Steven has kept from adolescence to young manhood. But their task is compounded as Steven reveals shocking ideas about religion and morals, a sudden new interest in another woman and problems at the office. Fate comes close to a final solution when Steven and friends suffer an auto accident. His injuries are slight but frightening. The close call drives him to laboriously study, sort out and resolve new meanings, beliefs and objectives for the rest of his life. These are recorded in a manifesto he presents to friends and loved ones.