The book concerns a series of events and how these impact on the lives of the people involved. The prominent people are Rosalynd Taylor, her daughter Samantha, widely known as "Sam" Father George Kolbe a Roamn Catholic Priest, Alan, the full time Prison Chaplain, George's Bishop Dermot Kelly, Father John, Dean of the group of Churches that includes George's Church, Lee, a Deacon who is ordained toward the conclusion, Michael Moore, a young man from George's Church who is hoping to become a Priest.
While in his local park George find the body of "Sam"-she has been murderes. He calls the police, attends for an interview the next day. Jonathan Smith, a very occasional Church attendee comes to the Church for 'confession with George during which he reveals that he killed Sam. George advises surrender to the police which he does. He is charged and remanded in the local prison. George is involved with Sam's funeral and supporting Rosalynd.
George is a witness at the trial and subsequently visits Jonathan in prison; he becomes close friends with Alan the full time chaplain and begins going over to the prison every Thursday as the official Roman Catholic chaplain.
In her flat Rosalynd has a framed photographs of Sam on the wall, she is sitting before it and has a sense of Sam's nearness, Sam appears before her then and on other occasions.
Toward the end of the book George also sees her.
Rosalynd becomes George's housekeeper. They become very close and eventually marry; in time Rosalynd also becomes involved in the prison work. They share many experiences together. Eventually, George and Rosalynd marry, he leaves the priesthood on very good terms with one and all. After their wedding they go to a reasonably local monastery where George is well known. Alan drives them over. Some of the monastic community meet them in the nearby village. Alan watches them walk away, sees a light following them, he knows to be Sam.
