Reaching Discontent is a powerful new novel from man who understands a world most of us will never experience.

 A world few of us would ever want to experience. It is set within post apartheid South Africa, among the townships and talks to us of corruption, hate, shame, manipulation and ultimately murder. The main character, Iron, is a Muslim, proud of his faith and his ability to survive terrible circumstances.

As a young man, Iron strives to become a world championship boxer but kills a man in the ring, ending his career. Through this suffering he learns about himself and tries to start a new life, while never forgetting the old, which is quite a problem for Iron.

He trains as a teacher and finds himself enjoying his work and caring for children who often have many negative role models. During a perfectly normal work day, Iron discovers one of the children is selling drugs in the school and his attempts to stop this from happening set off a serious of events which threaten the lives of all those he loves. The boy responsible is the son of a powerful man who will stop at nothing to protect his interests, including killing Iron. Unfortunately Iron cannot trust anyone and must rely on his own ingenuity, inner strength, cunning and faith.

This is an extraordinary story, with vivid characters that bounce into your mind and stay with you long after the final page has been turned. Hagler delivers us a wealth of intrigue, love and violence set in a backdrop of heat, oppression under criminal violence and ultimately the beauty of humanity. A new writer who is capable if exporting you to a new world.