On The Table Read Magazine, “the best entertainment eBook magazine UK“, Good For The Soul, Philip Rennett’s fiercely funny and poignant sequel to Paths Not Yet Taken, delivers sharp satire and heartfelt chaos as Simon Pope and a cast of flawed characters navigate power, guilt, and hope in a crumbling Irish town and beyond.
Good For The Soul
Following the breakout success of his award-winning debut Paths Not Yet Taken, Philip Rennett returns with Good For The Soul, a fiercely funny and unexpectedly tender sequel that cements his place as a bold new voice in contemporary fiction.
This second installment in the Path Finder series is a satirical rollercoaster, blending dark comedy, biting social commentary, and a poignant exploration of power, guilt, and belief. Set against the backdrop of a crumbling Irish church, a hollow global summit, and a community under siege, the novel is both a wild ride and a modern-day parable soaked in Guinness and lit by lightning.
Six months after the chaotic events of Paths Not Yet Taken, reluctant hero Simon Pope—a warehouse worker turned fixer—is back, this time on holiday in the small Irish town of Clonbrinny. Tasked with a secret mission to assess whether certain individuals are in mortal danger from a criminal overlord, Pope is meant to keep a low profile. Naturally, he fails spectacularly.
As he and his friends, including a retiree grappling with depression, become entangled in events beyond their control, the murky truths of Clonbrinny unravel, revealing a far more dangerous reality. Meanwhile, former UK Prime Minister Andrew Blackwell, now more influential than ever despite his self-imposed media silence, fuels global intrigue with his enigmatic Path Finder philosophy—a movement no one, including Blackwell himself, fully understands. When a secret conference on Ireland’s west coast goes disastrously wrong, Blackwell must evade a media manhunt and rely on unlikely allies to return to London, setting the stage for a potential collaboration that could reshape the world.
Rennett’s prose crackles with dry wit and unsettling insights, tearing into politicians, oligarchs, and hypocrites with gleeful precision. The novel’s satire is razor-sharp, ripping chunks out of corrupt systems before grinding them into mush and moving on for a cup of tea. Yet, beneath the acerbic humor lies a heartrending portrait of flawed, deeply human characters—weary politicians, damaged priests, and ill-equipped civilians—caught in the chaos of a world teetering on the edge. From Clonbrinny’s unexpected funerals to the glossy absurdity of global power struggles, Good For The Soul balances farce and heartbreak with rare finesse.
What sets Rennett apart is his ability to satirize without cruelty and to find resonance in chaos. The novel’s layered plot, rich with Irish atmosphere and populated by characters who wobble between ridiculousness and relatability, feels both unhinged and profoundly grounded. It’s fiction for readers who crave comedy with an edge—thinkful, fast-paced, and unafraid to ask what matters when the path forward leads straight into the abyss.
Good For The Soul is a triumph of smart, subversive storytelling. Packed with laugh-out-loud moments, quietly devastating truths, and a cast that lingers long after the final page, it confirms Philip Rennett as a writer to watch. Fans of Paths Not Yet Taken and newcomers alike will find plenty to love in this darkly funny, fiercely human sequel. If you’re drawn to Irish settings, intricate plots, and fiction that makes you feel something, this is your next read. Pick it up, pour a pint, and dive in.
Philip Rennett
‘Good for the Soul’ was never meant to exist. The first book, ‘Paths Not Yet Taken’, was a what-if born out of lockdown madness and too much time tidying up the garage. But once the characters had spoken—some louder than others—they refused to be quiet. This new novel goes deeper: into moral doubt, spiritual unease, and the absurd theatre of modern power. I’m still laughing at it, but not as comfortably. I wanted to write something witty and fierce, yes, but also something that asks: what are we doing here, really? Why do we still believe in systems that break people, or rituals that no longer soothe? It’s fiction of course, but like all satire, it only works because it brushes so close to the truth.
–Philip Rennett
Philip Rennett, the award-winning author of the Path Finder series, resides in Buckinghamshire with his wife Clare and their rescued greyhound, Bella. His eclectic career began in the Middle East as a police public relations officer, where he survived a plane crash-landing, flew alongside a deceased passenger, and once mingled with Margaret Thatcher and a Sultan at a palace reception he wasn’t invited to.
Seeking a calmer path, Rennett returned to the UK, working in newspaper advertising before founding a successful PR consultancy, which he ran for three decades. Now in his mid-sixties, retired from client work, he channels his storytelling into sharp, subversive novels.
A self-described mediocre sportsman, he swapped rigorous sports for golf after a knee injury and occasionally indulges his thrill-seeking side by storm chasing in Tornado Alley. With a knack for weaving real-world chaos into fiction, Rennett’s life is as vivid as the worlds he creates.
Find more from Philip Rennett now:
Good For The Soul
Kindle: https://amzn.to/3ZytRV1
Paperback: https://amzn.to/3ZWFKV1
Paths Not Yet Taken
Kindle: https://amzn.to/3HEAz5P
Paperback: https://amzn.to/4kHcMQZ
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