SUSPENDING disbelief in books and films is something we're well accustomed to but believing Jesus lives under Bushey Arches - surely that's taking things too far? No so in 28-year-old Phil Robbins' debut novel, Under The Arches, which requires the reader to surrender to the plotline with utter faith. Luckily, Phil's knowledge of the Watford area keeps us grounded in reality at least physically while the book takes its distinctly spiritual path. Now living in Apsley, Phil previously rented a flat just behind Bushey station, where his story took shape.

In Under The Arches, the main character, 13-year-old Angelina Marsh is finding schoolwork boring and her parent's divorce still stings so the last thing she expects is to discover Jesus is alive and well and living in Watford, but this is exactly what happens. Gradually her initial opinion of deep mistrust changes to the belief that Zeus - the man she met selling copies of The Big Issue on Market Street - is Jesus Christ himself and the reason he is here is to offer us salvation, one last time.

Bringing faith into a novel never easy and can be a delicate issue for some but Phil says he is a "committed Christian" and his book treats the subject matter with sensitivity and a great deal of good humour. Zeus' flat under the arches is equipped with some lovely wooden shelves he built himself, his dog is called Judas and, Angelina notices, his dining table is antique and has a couple of interesting nails in it. Phil's belief is strong enough to allow for such levity.

He says: "I was brought up in a strict, religious way and there were elements that did alienate me but I feel I have this different relationship with God. Generally, I think Christians get a rough time of it and I want to say, look, you don't have to be a sandals and cloak wearing bloke to believe in God. I wanted to explore my faith not in a way that would alienate people but to get people to understand the ultimate message through amusing scenarios."

So what ultimate message did Phil wish to get across?

"It may not be exactly the same as what you believe but having belief in something is a very powerful thing," he tells me. "It's about tolerance and being able to accept what others believe in."

Acceptance is key to Angelina's story. She has to come to terms with the fact that Zeus is not a homeless man with delusions of being a deity, but the real thing. A bit of a loner and unpopular at school and with her single mum working all hours, Angelina has every right to feel alienated and to retreat into fantasy to make her life seem a better place. So when she meets Zeus she is sceptical, but gradually learns to trust the depth of her own personal belief and have faith in herself.

Reading Phil's book on the bus to and from work past Bushey Arches I couldn't help but smile at both the familiarity of the locations but also at how succinctly he manages to sum up the preoccupations and character of a young girl coming to terms with growing up. The dialogue between Angelina and her mum is uncannily accurate. Phil tells me he used his own experiences of school to mould his characters.

"Certain things remain the same as regards the way children treat one another and you can learn a lot from the media. You just have to open your eyes and look around to see how kids interact in the local area."

Not from a literary background, Phil previously worked as a mechanical engineer in Chesham. Schooled in Abingdon he went on to university in Swansea. He first turned to writing in 2003.

"I spent time away travelling and started working on a fantasy epic, I got a long way through. It's quite a substantial work but after three years I could see it dragging on and I got annoyed with it."

By contrast, he says, Under The Arches came together very quickly.

"I went shopping one day and had a little spark of inspiration. By the time I'd finshied my food shopping the whole plot had materialised in my mind. I was looking at the arches and started imagining what it might be like if one arch was filled in and who would be living there. It started out quite fantastical then became much more down to earth."

Published by Author House, priced £7.99, www.authorhouse.co.uk. All royalties will go to Watford New Hope Trust www.watfordnewhope.org.uk/