A young religious writer named Timothy Byrne accepts an invitation from a certain Lord Handon, an aristocratic admirer of his work, to spend New Year's Eve in the company of a select gathering at Rothermore House, Handon's country retreat, and he winds-up first dancing and then falling in love with one of his fellow guests, who happens to be an opera singer. Much debate and festivity take place before Timothy discovers that, in conjunction with the other guests, the real motive for their presence there is to learn of and offer their services to the 'Voice Museum', an extraordinary project situated in London's Piccadilly which houses voice recordings of famous people in soundproofed booths where, for a small sum, the public can sample words of wisdom and/or folly at the touch of a button. Thus it is that Timothy agrees to allow his voice to be recorded for future use by the museum's principal director, Girish O'Donnell - as, of course, do each of the other guests, all of whom are either established or budding talents in the arts. Meanwhile Lord Handon has been attempting to conduct a low-key relationship with Sarah Field, the opera singer, though with little success, in view of her preference for Timothy and knowledge of the viscount's secret - a secret which has more than a little to do with the strange nature of his relations, necessarily sublimated, with women. Equally unsuccessful are Handon's attempts to subvert Timothy Byrne's spiritual standing as a self-styled guru through his daughter, Geraldine, though, unbeknownst to anyone else, the writer has already undermined it through Sarah and has no need of further seductions! Another of John O'Loughlin's philosophic-turned-romantic novels, this one is nevertheless somewhat bolder and freer than the others. - A Centretruths Editorial.
About the Author: John James O'Loughlin was born in Salthill, Galway, the Republic of Ireland, of Irish- and British-born parents in 1952. Following a parental split partly due to social incompatibilities, he was brought to England by his mother and grandmother (who had initially returned to Ireland with intent to stay) in the mid-50s and subsequently attended schools in Aldershot and, following the death and repatriation of his grandmother, Carshalton Beeches, Surrey, where, despite an enforced change of denomination from Catholic to Protestant in consequence of having been put into care by his mother, he attended a state school. Graduating in 1970 with an assortment of CSE's (Certificate of Secondary Education) and GCE's (General Certificate of Education), including history and music, he moved the comparatively short distance up to London and went on, via two short-lived jobs, to work at the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music in Bedford Square, where he eventually became responsible for booking examination venues. After a brief flirtation with Redhill Technical College back in Surrey, he returned to his former job in the West End but retired from the ABRSM in 1976 due to a combination of factors, including ill-health, and dedicated himself to writing, which, despite a brief spell as a computer tutor at Hornsey Management Agency in the late '80s and early '90s, he has continued with ever since. His novels include Changing Worlds (1976), Cross-Purposes (1979), Thwarted Ambitions (1980), Sublimated Relations (1981), and Deceptive Motives (1982). From the mid-80s Mr O'Loughlin dedicated himself exclusively to philosophy, his true literary vocation, and has penned more than sixty titles of a philosophical order, including Devil and God - The Omega Book (1985-6), Towards the Supernoumenon (1987), Elemental Spectra (1988-9), and Philosophical Truth (1991-2). John O'Loughlin lives in Crouch End, north London, England, UK.