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St. Benet's #3

The Heartbreaker

susan howatch

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Deftly combining the sacred and the profane—the unmistakable hallmark of her fiction over the past decade—Susan Howatch gives us a spellbinding, suspenseful and psychologically intense new novel.

The financial heart of London—the City—is an adrenaline-charged square mile deep in recession in the 1990s, a place where sex is just another commodity to be bought and sold in the marketplace. And the City is where the life of Gavin Blake, who sells sex to high flyers, is finally about to unravel.
In the center of the City is St. Benet’s, a church that ministers to the casualties of this affluent but amoral society. Carta Graham, the St. Benet’s fundraiser, is at once attracted to Gavin when they meet through a mutual friend, but slowly she realizes that she has entered a relationship far more complex than she could ever have imagined.

Gavin is desperate to escape from his world of prostitution, pornography and violence, but as his involvement with Carta and St. Benet’s deepens, the dangers that encircle him escalate until his life itself is on the line. Carta is determined to help him—but will their mysterious journey together be lifesaving or soul-destroying? All she can do is fight her hardest to help Gavin survive.

Consistently surprising and powerfully moving, The Heartbreaker is Susan Howatch’s most gripping novel yet.

528 pages, Paperback

First published January 1,2003
Series
St. Benet/s

This edition

Format
528 pages, Paperback
Published
July 26, 2005 by Ballantine Books
ISBN
9780345466280
ASIN
0345466284
Language
English

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About the author

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susan howatch

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Rating(4 / 5.0, 70 votes)
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70 reviews All reviews
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Koloro122
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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The last book in the Saint Benet’s trilogy offers a unique reading experience.

Surprisingly, despite having large portions of awful dialog and ‘90s slang that seemed made up, it managed to be quite moving. This trilogy has a distinct tone compared to the Starbridge series as it takes the influence of evil in the world seriously.

Most of the characters from the second book carry over, with Carter/Carta Graham playing a significant role. However, the heartbreaker of the title, Gavin, is new. He is a male prostitute who caters to upper-class gay men in London. He earns a lot of money and enjoys the lifestyle when not working. But when one of his clients dies, his genuine grief starts to crack the shell he has built to protect himself from the sordidness of his life.

The frank portrayal of the world of pornography and sex work makes this book challenging at times. Yet, like all of Howatch’s novels I’ve read, it’s a compelling story of redemption. In the Q&A section of the edition I read, Howatch said, “I consider myself to be a writer who writes on Christian themes. That’s different than a Christian writer.” This really comes across. Her characters are very real, not perfect, and they struggle just like non-Christians. That’s why I enjoy her books even when I don’t believe in the theology they represent.

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jsgallagher0
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Well, that's me.

I have finished all 6 of The Starbridge Novels and all 3 of St Benet's.

I am completely bereft.

I have delved deep into Christianity, Gnosticism, the Church of England (CoE), mysticism, charism, spirituality, and the occult.

Seriously, I love Susan Howatch's work.

It is so fluent, articulate, reflective, and well-researched.

Every quote is devoured, dissected, and carried with me as I move forward.

I can hear Great Uncle Cuthbert chattering away to me on those sleepy nights.

Maybe, as a result of this reading journey, I have become a better person.

Thank you to the wonderful author for creating this amazing experience for me to learn from.

I will always cherish these novels and the profound insights they have provided.

They have truly enriched my understanding of various aspects of life and faith.

I look forward to exploring more of Susan Howatch's works in the future.

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PenguinInTears
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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A bit raunchy in parts, yet this account remains as captivating as ever. It delves into the intricate world of holistic health and healing, offering a unique perspective that combines both Christian and psychological insights.

Holistic health emphasizes the interconnectedness of the mind, body, and spirit. From a Christian standpoint, it recognizes the role of faith and divine intervention in the healing process. The psychological aspect, on the other hand, explores the power of the mind and emotions in influencing our well-being.

This fascinating tale takes us on a journey through the various dimensions of holistic health and healing. It showcases the challenges and triumphs that come with this approach, highlighting the importance of addressing all aspects of a person's being.

Despite its raunchy moments, the story serves as a reminder that true healing is a multifaceted process that requires a comprehensive understanding of the human experience. It invites us to explore the intersection of faith and psychology, and to consider how these two disciplines can work together to promote holistic health and well-being.
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Shura1847
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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A friend introduced me to Susan Howatch’s Starbridge books.

These books revolve around Anglican clergymen and their very human lives as they strive to abide by their principles and serve God.

Her subsequent three books remain within the realm of the church but zero in on “outsiders”.

And no one seems more of an outsider to the church than Gavin, “the heartbreaker” in the final book of the series.

In 1990's London, Gavin is living as an up-market gay prostitute, deceiving his clients while simultaneously being deceived himself.

A fortuitous encounter with Carta, a new member of the church, brings challenges (and changes) for both of them.

The book alternates between Gavin and Carta’s perspectives, revealing the human toll of prostitution as well as the possibilities and costs of redemption.

Heads-up: Gavin’s lifestyle is rather dark, and some of the descriptions are quite explicit.

This makes for a complex and thought-provoking read that delves deep into the human condition and the power of faith and transformation.
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jingo123
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Susan Howatch is one of my favorite authors, yet she remains relatively unknown. Her works have a tendency to be somewhat melodramatic. She has two distinct writing periods.

Her early period was as a literary fiction author based in NYC, penning historical fiction books, usually long family dramas. I have read some, but not all, of the books from this era.

The second writing period followed her divorce and her move back to England, where she eventually rediscovered faith. There are nine books in this period that are narratively linked and should ideally be read in sequence. Spanning about 65 years and involving numerous characters, they share a similar style and focus on living out or finding Christian faith.

Since this is the last in a loosely connected series of nine, I won't attempt to relate all the books. However, in the 7th book, the main character, Carter or Carta, becomes a supporting character for the Heartbreaker. As is common in this series, the emphasis on the ongoing nature of Christian growth and maturity means there is always more growth needed. So, part of Carta's growth now is to assist the main character, Gavin.

What I like about Howatch is that although she writes about Christianity, her books couldn't be published in the US evangelical world. Gavin is a high-end male prostitute. The sex isn't graphic, but it's present, and there's a fair amount of language. Howatch doesn't sugarcoat the reality of prostitution and pornography; it's inevitable to get a bit gritty in a fiction book about a prostitute.

This is the last of Howatch's books. At the end, there's an interview where she mentions working on another book, but that was 16 years ago, and I assume no more books are forthcoming. This series was highly influential in my life, making me think more clearly about Christianity as discipleship and spiritual formation over time. The early books introduced me to the concept of Spiritual Direction, and I eventually found a spiritual director and am starting my first class to become one this weekend.

The Heartbreaker is perhaps the most traditional 'Christian fiction' book in the series as it's a salvation story. Gavin is ultimately saved and finds healing, but his life won't be perfect. You can constantly see the weaknesses and sins of the other mature Christians around him. Christianity isn't about perfection or strength but about weakness, submission to God, and the ongoing process of becoming who you were created to be.
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lavaknight05
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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A friend highly recommended Susan Howatch's work, so I excitedly grabbed this one at a bookstore. However, it turned out that my friend hadn't actually read it. I'm going to assume that this particular book is not representative of Howatch's overall body of work and will give her another try in the future.

The bottom line is that this book was just too flippin' weird for my taste. One of the two main characters is a professional "leisure worker", which essentially means a "prostitute". He is a straight male whose job description consists of servicing gay men. Since his story takes up fully half of the book, you would think that you have to like the guy. But unfortunately, I just didn't.

I'm not sure if this was a case of a one-off strange concept or if it's a recurring theme in Howatch's writing. But based on this experience, I'm a bit hesitant to dive into another one of her books right away. I'll probably wait and do some more research to see if there are other works of hers that might be more to my liking.

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denji83
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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This is part three in a trilogy set around a Christian healing centre.

Gavin, who convinces himself that he is content with his life as a high-class leisure worker (or prostitute), experiences a significant change when he crosses paths with City lawyer Carta.

It's a narrative about Christian redemption, yet for that very reason, I didn't completely connect with it.

*Spoilers*

The initial and second parts of the book do have several thrilling moments. Gavin comes to the realization that his circumstances are a snare that not only poses a physical threat due to the nature of his work but also in other aspects. He formulates plans to break free. The main plot, in my opinion, reaches its peak at the conclusion of part two when Gavin discovers the full extent of the peril he is in and makes a daring escape. There were numerous highly tense moments that were all neatly resolved by the end of this section.

Part three, however, is entirely focused on Gavin's emotional and spiritual redemption subsequent to his escape. Since I don't hold the same views as the author regarding human psychology or spirituality, this part felt rather uninteresting to me. Personally, I think the book could have been shortened by a third.
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ibra91
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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I have an intense love for these books. There are certain moments in my life when I simply pick them up and embark on a new reading journey.

This particular book happens to be the final installment in an entire series that commenced with the 'Starbridge' collection and concluded with the last three books set in London. In a sense, it has to be the last one. Otherwise, the author might have run the risk of overexploiting her theme. However, I still feel a sense of regret, as I truly never desired for this series to come to an end!

I firmly believe that this book is the most gritty and perhaps the darkest among all of her works (although I'm open to a healthy debate on this point). It is also the most intense when it comes to examining the characters' recovery process. I've come across some criticism suggesting that it is overly protracted, but I, on the other hand, found this elongation to be essential.

I will forever find the character of Carta Graham to be annoying. I just can't help it, and perhaps this is a testament to the author's remarkable ability to create vivid and complex characters. She handles their problems and obsessions with great sensitivity and tackles the most challenging human traits with remarkable ease and proficiency.

Will I read it again? Without a doubt, I will!
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