Quiet, literary horror
Muse
A Novel of Art, Memory and the Price of Perfection
The paintings still remember the life that she's forgetting.
Available NowAlso orderable from any good bookshop worldwide · ISBN 978-1-919064-04-8
What would you sacrifice to create again?
Mara Gibson hasn't finished a painting in two years. Grief-blocked and desperate, she joins an experimental creativity program at an Edinburgh university. Her agent says it worked wonders for another artist she represents.
It works for her too. The art flows—better than anything she's made before. The program delivers exactly what it promised.
She just can't remember what she signed away to get it.
Small things at first. Her PIN. The name of a colour she's used for years. The route home. Easy to dismiss. She's always been scattered. But the gaps keep growing, and the work keeps getting better, and somewhere in the back of her mind is a question she's afraid to ask:
What else is she losing?
A Faustian exploration of grief, addiction, and the price of dreams.
Praise for Muse
- ★★★★★
“A beautifully tragic story, and impressive for a debut. I was absorbed from the first paragraph to the last line.”
Kate Russell · Amazon
- ★★★★★
“A riveting and chilling psychological thriller… it sustains its tension throughout. I ripped through it in a couple of days.”
Sweyn Martin · Amazon
- ★★★★★
“Beautifully written — you will see every character, every brush stroke, every setting in your mind's eye. I highly recommend this book.”
Mrs A. · Amazon
- ★★★★★
“Such an interesting concept, partnering science and treatment technologies with artistic practices. Can't wait to read another book by Jon!”
Lucy Snow · Goodreads
- ★★★★★
“The central character feels vividly real, layered with nuance… a quiet brilliance in the writing that invites reflection long after you've finished.”
Anna Franklin · Goodreads