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Seren
It's 1978, and the art scene in the Midwest is booming. Successful Detroit gallery owner Fairchild Moss secretly yearns to return to his first love-painting. When he comes into possession of a mysterious masterpiece, his life takes an unexpected turn. Perplexed by the imprint of a nipple in the thick paint, Moss is determined to unravel the painting's mystery. So begins a darkly comic quest to uncover the story behind the eerie masterpiece and to locate the elusive muse who inspired it.
378 pages, Paperback
Published April 8, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 22, 2025
A novel filled with past memories, the rumor of a terrifying muse, and an artist fighting with himself, Seren, by Peter Gooch, presents the reader with a psychological labyrinth, a mystery, and the portrait of a slow-burning obsession that leads to a new and different truth at every turn.
The story is an atmospheric slow-burn and a psychological mystery which opens with Detroit in the grip of a once-in-a-century blizzard, leads to an isolated Michigan cottage, the bohemian studios of Paris, and to dream-like hallucinations. At the center of the story is Fairchild Moss, an emotionally drained art dealer who finds himself entangled in and obsessed by a mysterious painting. The painting, by a now-deceased visionary, Norris Bainbridge, bears the hint of a powerful female muse, Seren.
The allure of the muse becomes so strong that it leads Moss to forsake every matter at hand, in search of Seren, a force that turns out to be seductive, spiritual, and at times terrifying. The story depicts the artistic and emotional journey of Moss, and confronts him with his past failures, regrets, and a reminder of his forgotten passion—painting. The tale unfolds as a haunting mystery and ends with a spiritual awakening, where the canvas is not just about painting, but about Moss himself.
The narrative of the novel is like a noir film with snowstorms, abandoned studios, and flickering firelit scenes where the characters fight for their truths. The writing is lyrical but not over-stylized. Every page is rife with atmosphere, and vivid enough to impact the reader’s emotions. The weight of dialog is palpable with hidden tension and unspoken truth. The slow pace of the narrative is intentional, to allow space for emotional and psychological revelation. There is a dream-like rhythm in the pacing where the boundary between real and unreal blurs.
The work suggests that art is not merely paint on canvas, but a catalog of feelings memories and the tragedy of life. It demonstrates the power of an art that forces one to peer inside the soul. Moss’s journey isn’t merely the pursuit of a muse, but also a quest for lost feelings, dreams, and personal identity. In Seren, the muse becomes a symbol of inspiration which allows the artist to take flight, but also a reminder of the cost of ambition.
Quill says: Seren by Peter Gooch is a mystery and the tale of a deeply personal journey where art, memories, and emotions intertwine to illuminate the power of art as a reflection of man's grief, guilt, desire, and longing.
The story is an atmospheric slow-burn and a psychological mystery which opens with Detroit in the grip of a once-in-a-century blizzard, leads to an isolated Michigan cottage, the bohemian studios of Paris, and to dream-like hallucinations. At the center of the story is Fairchild Moss, an emotionally drained art dealer who finds himself entangled in and obsessed by a mysterious painting. The painting, by a now-deceased visionary, Norris Bainbridge, bears the hint of a powerful female muse, Seren.
The allure of the muse becomes so strong that it leads Moss to forsake every matter at hand, in search of Seren, a force that turns out to be seductive, spiritual, and at times terrifying. The story depicts the artistic and emotional journey of Moss, and confronts him with his past failures, regrets, and a reminder of his forgotten passion—painting. The tale unfolds as a haunting mystery and ends with a spiritual awakening, where the canvas is not just about painting, but about Moss himself.
The narrative of the novel is like a noir film with snowstorms, abandoned studios, and flickering firelit scenes where the characters fight for their truths. The writing is lyrical but not over-stylized. Every page is rife with atmosphere, and vivid enough to impact the reader’s emotions. The weight of dialog is palpable with hidden tension and unspoken truth. The slow pace of the narrative is intentional, to allow space for emotional and psychological revelation. There is a dream-like rhythm in the pacing where the boundary between real and unreal blurs.
The work suggests that art is not merely paint on canvas, but a catalog of feelings memories and the tragedy of life. It demonstrates the power of an art that forces one to peer inside the soul. Moss’s journey isn’t merely the pursuit of a muse, but also a quest for lost feelings, dreams, and personal identity. In Seren, the muse becomes a symbol of inspiration which allows the artist to take flight, but also a reminder of the cost of ambition.
Quill says: Seren by Peter Gooch is a mystery and the tale of a deeply personal journey where art, memories, and emotions intertwine to illuminate the power of art as a reflection of man's grief, guilt, desire, and longing.
April 22, 2025
Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2025
I’ve returned to certain passages in Seren more than once. Not for the presumed dead bodies, but for the language Gooch employs to bring the protagonist’s existence into focus. I recommend Seren for the reader in search of a tale about the transformative power of creating art. This book is for people who return to certain paintings to actually see them, rather than pose for a selfie in front of them. The mystery is in the work. For Moss Fairchild, the journey of transformation begins with a painting that inspires him to embark upon the path toward a different self. He is in pursuit of the ability to “divine the underlying structures that had eluded him for years…” Would the Muse suffuse him with the ability to create coherent work equal to the power of the Bainbridge painting? That’s the mystery.
Gooch’s character, Moss, is a flawed, imperfect, being entrapped by an isolation of choice and the seduction of beautiful things. The principle women is his life, his adopted grandmother, Claudine, and Seren, represent the past, present, and the potential future. I found the plot, the language, and the mystery worth the read.
The protagonist, Moss, has a knack for incuriosity about the lives of others. He has sustained a sense of self-worth through the endowments of his adopted "grandmother." The gallery, the lake house, his comfortable circumstances. The reader is introduced to Moss through a series of interactions and relationships. We are also introduced to Moss at the pivot point of his life. He must find the source of the mastery of Bainbridge's painting and solve the mystery of the nipple imprint left purposefully in the painting.
This novel tackles the notion of the quintessential importance and power of the Muse. Fairchild Moss pursues the muse, Seren, for her power. I loved this novel because it's also about how great works of art makes us feel.
The character of Seren is shrewdly developed through the author's hints of the fecund, earthy, essential quality of her existence. Is she real? Can great art exist without a muse? Moss is transformed from a glorified shopkeeper to an Artist. But at what price?
I enjoyed Gooch's ability to flesh out the supporting characters through inference, allusion, and their idiosyncratic proclivities.
Excellent first novel! I just hope there's more to come.
Love the cover!
I’ve returned to certain passages in Seren more than once. Not for the presumed dead bodies, but for the language Gooch employs to bring the protagonist’s existence into focus. I recommend Seren for the reader in search of a tale about the transformative power of creating art. This book is for people who return to certain paintings to actually see them, rather than pose for a selfie in front of them. The mystery is in the work. For Moss Fairchild, the journey of transformation begins with a painting that inspires him to embark upon the path toward a different self. He is in pursuit of the ability to “divine the underlying structures that had eluded him for years…” Would the Muse suffuse him with the ability to create coherent work equal to the power of the Bainbridge painting? That’s the mystery.
Gooch’s character, Moss, is a flawed, imperfect, being entrapped by an isolation of choice and the seduction of beautiful things. The principle women is his life, his adopted grandmother, Claudine, and Seren, represent the past, present, and the potential future. I found the plot, the language, and the mystery worth the read.
The protagonist, Moss, has a knack for incuriosity about the lives of others. He has sustained a sense of self-worth through the endowments of his adopted "grandmother." The gallery, the lake house, his comfortable circumstances. The reader is introduced to Moss through a series of interactions and relationships. We are also introduced to Moss at the pivot point of his life. He must find the source of the mastery of Bainbridge's painting and solve the mystery of the nipple imprint left purposefully in the painting.
This novel tackles the notion of the quintessential importance and power of the Muse. Fairchild Moss pursues the muse, Seren, for her power. I loved this novel because it's also about how great works of art makes us feel.
The character of Seren is shrewdly developed through the author's hints of the fecund, earthy, essential quality of her existence. Is she real? Can great art exist without a muse? Moss is transformed from a glorified shopkeeper to an Artist. But at what price?
I enjoyed Gooch's ability to flesh out the supporting characters through inference, allusion, and their idiosyncratic proclivities.
Excellent first novel! I just hope there's more to come.
Love the cover!
July 20, 2025
After reading Peter Gooch’s Seren, I find myself marveling at a novel that weaves a murder mystery into the messy fabric of artistic obsession, identity, and legacy. At its center is Fairchild Moss, a once-promising painter turned weary art dealer, who becomes captivated by the final painting of a deceased, reclusive genius, Norris Bainbridge. The titular Seren, model, muse, maybe something more, appears as both a literal woman and a haunting symbol, driving Moss to unravel the truth behind the painting’s strange power. The book shifts between boozy lunches, high-art pretensions, urban decay, and moments of surreal introspection, all with a painterly eye for mood and detail.
What stood out to me most was the writing. It’s deft, sardonic, and at times almost hallucinatory. Gooch has a knack for painting with words, which fits, given his background as a visual artist. The prose rolls like jazz, sometimes smooth and stylish, other times jarring. Characters pop with distinctive quirks, and the dialogue hits that tricky sweet spot of sounding real without being mundane. Moss’s ruminations and side quests, though full of voice, sometimes slow the story. Still, I couldn’t help but be drawn into Moss’s unraveling, both in his investigation and in his own midlife malaise.
The real kicker, though, is the way Seren plays with the idea of the muse, not as a passive, dreamy figure, but as a living force that might inspire or destroy. Seren’s presence is slippery, both ethereal and grounded in flesh and snow and paint. The book doesn’t spell her out, and that ambiguity works. It makes you lean forward, ask questions, and doubt your own reading. I loved how it blurred the line between inspiration and possession, between art and madness. It feels like a meditation on how far someone might go to touch something real in a world of reproductions and sales tags.
I’d recommend Seren to readers who like their mysteries with layers, who don’t mind a story that flirts with the surreal and doesn’t tie every thread into a tidy bow. Artists and art lovers will find plenty to chew on, but even if you’ve never set foot in a gallery, the book’s humanity and humor are what really shine.
What stood out to me most was the writing. It’s deft, sardonic, and at times almost hallucinatory. Gooch has a knack for painting with words, which fits, given his background as a visual artist. The prose rolls like jazz, sometimes smooth and stylish, other times jarring. Characters pop with distinctive quirks, and the dialogue hits that tricky sweet spot of sounding real without being mundane. Moss’s ruminations and side quests, though full of voice, sometimes slow the story. Still, I couldn’t help but be drawn into Moss’s unraveling, both in his investigation and in his own midlife malaise.
The real kicker, though, is the way Seren plays with the idea of the muse, not as a passive, dreamy figure, but as a living force that might inspire or destroy. Seren’s presence is slippery, both ethereal and grounded in flesh and snow and paint. The book doesn’t spell her out, and that ambiguity works. It makes you lean forward, ask questions, and doubt your own reading. I loved how it blurred the line between inspiration and possession, between art and madness. It feels like a meditation on how far someone might go to touch something real in a world of reproductions and sales tags.
I’d recommend Seren to readers who like their mysteries with layers, who don’t mind a story that flirts with the surreal and doesn’t tie every thread into a tidy bow. Artists and art lovers will find plenty to chew on, but even if you’ve never set foot in a gallery, the book’s humanity and humor are what really shine.
January 19, 2025
This novel is categorized as a mystery thriller as well as literary fiction. Why is the mystery to me. This was an overwritten story about a rich, alcoholic gallery owner with an obsession to fill his empty, directionless life.
The plot:
Fairchild Moss is at midlife. He has inherited wealth. He lives alone, owns an art gallery, considers himself a failed painter, and is at loose ends as to how he should fill his life. A well known painter, Bainbridge, whom Moss respects, dies. His last canvas is spectacular but uncharacteristic of the artist's work. Also, there is an imprint of a nipple pressed on it. To combat his malaise, Moss needs to understand the painting. He intends to do this by finding the muse, Seren. Thus the mystery: how did the painting come to be and who is the muse who belongs to the nipple?
There is nothing much to like about Moss or the characters he pulls into his circle to find the muse. Another painter, Haller, is successful but known as a terrible human being; his mysterious muse, Saren, an artist’s model with a line bisecting her face; Marylou, the quirky art professor. There is one exception. The real muse, his lover Claudine (although we are meant to understand that Moss’s sexuality is ambiguous). She is fully developed character and the most meaningful to him, personally and artistically.
When Saren is finally found, the book takes a turn. Many readers will find that appealing but it didn’t work for me.
The other problem with the book are the longwinded descriptions of every move Moss makes. He doesn’t just choose a bottle of wine, he describes it for paragraphs in infinite detail. Same thing with food. A walk. His constant humming. It made the read a slog and might have been improved with a good edit.
The author is a painter. His knowledge and research is substantial but it weighs the story down. Perhaps, if it wasn’t characterized as a mystery/thriller and more as the journey of a troubled protagonist, it would have been more palatable.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Apprentice House for the opportunity to read the ARC and provide and honest review.
The plot:
Fairchild Moss is at midlife. He has inherited wealth. He lives alone, owns an art gallery, considers himself a failed painter, and is at loose ends as to how he should fill his life. A well known painter, Bainbridge, whom Moss respects, dies. His last canvas is spectacular but uncharacteristic of the artist's work. Also, there is an imprint of a nipple pressed on it. To combat his malaise, Moss needs to understand the painting. He intends to do this by finding the muse, Seren. Thus the mystery: how did the painting come to be and who is the muse who belongs to the nipple?
There is nothing much to like about Moss or the characters he pulls into his circle to find the muse. Another painter, Haller, is successful but known as a terrible human being; his mysterious muse, Saren, an artist’s model with a line bisecting her face; Marylou, the quirky art professor. There is one exception. The real muse, his lover Claudine (although we are meant to understand that Moss’s sexuality is ambiguous). She is fully developed character and the most meaningful to him, personally and artistically.
When Saren is finally found, the book takes a turn. Many readers will find that appealing but it didn’t work for me.
The other problem with the book are the longwinded descriptions of every move Moss makes. He doesn’t just choose a bottle of wine, he describes it for paragraphs in infinite detail. Same thing with food. A walk. His constant humming. It made the read a slog and might have been improved with a good edit.
The author is a painter. His knowledge and research is substantial but it weighs the story down. Perhaps, if it wasn’t characterized as a mystery/thriller and more as the journey of a troubled protagonist, it would have been more palatable.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Apprentice House for the opportunity to read the ARC and provide and honest review.
December 23, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this avance e-ARC.
Seren isn't my usual genre of novel but I was intrigued by it being both a mystery as well as a mystical read.
Fairchild Moss is a man suffering from ennui. Middle aged and in a rut, he tires of being an art dealer and longs to paint. However, his desire to paint is thwarted by feelings that he has no talent. He comes across a painting by the recently deceased Bainbridge and is intrigued by the departure in style. Knowing that Bainbridge finished the painting a very short time before his demise, Moss's curiosity is piqued. Curisoty that leads to an obssession..
All in all, I enjoyed this novel. Unsual and atmospheric, it kept me turning the page and the ending left me wanting me more.
My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.
Please note I will leave a review on Amazon and Barned and Noble once the novel has been published.
Seren isn't my usual genre of novel but I was intrigued by it being both a mystery as well as a mystical read.
Fairchild Moss is a man suffering from ennui. Middle aged and in a rut, he tires of being an art dealer and longs to paint. However, his desire to paint is thwarted by feelings that he has no talent. He comes across a painting by the recently deceased Bainbridge and is intrigued by the departure in style. Knowing that Bainbridge finished the painting a very short time before his demise, Moss's curiosity is piqued. Curisoty that leads to an obssession..
All in all, I enjoyed this novel. Unsual and atmospheric, it kept me turning the page and the ending left me wanting me more.
My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.
Please note I will leave a review on Amazon and Barned and Noble once the novel has been published.
June 26, 2025
A search for lost passions—creative and romantic
I loved this book. The protagonist, Moss, is a successful art dealer suffering from middle-aged ennui. He can distinguish outstanding from mediocre paintings, but feels that he no longer has his youthful potential to produce truly great paintings himself. When his gallery receives a famous artist’s last work, Moss becomes obsessed with determining why this painting is so superior to the artist’s previous work. A search for the artist’s muse, Seren, a model painted by another artist recently found murdered, consumes Moss as he conflates his searches for romantic and creative passions in potentially destructive ways. Moss and the other characters are quirky and surprising—especially his friend Claudine and the enigmatic Seren. You must read the book to see how all of these internal and external forces play out.
I loved this book. The protagonist, Moss, is a successful art dealer suffering from middle-aged ennui. He can distinguish outstanding from mediocre paintings, but feels that he no longer has his youthful potential to produce truly great paintings himself. When his gallery receives a famous artist’s last work, Moss becomes obsessed with determining why this painting is so superior to the artist’s previous work. A search for the artist’s muse, Seren, a model painted by another artist recently found murdered, consumes Moss as he conflates his searches for romantic and creative passions in potentially destructive ways. Moss and the other characters are quirky and surprising—especially his friend Claudine and the enigmatic Seren. You must read the book to see how all of these internal and external forces play out.
April 7, 2025
Thank you net galley for the advanced copy.
I gave it a 3 because while it wasn’t really for me does not mean that there wasn’t some beautiful writing in this book. I agree with other reviewers this doesn’t feel like a thriller mystery. It’s an interesting story and feels almost poetic but I struggled to latch onto the story and stay engaged.
There was too many drawn out sections of the book that didn’t need to be there for me this was not a page turner but I could see how others would really enjoy this style of writing.
I gave it a 3 because while it wasn’t really for me does not mean that there wasn’t some beautiful writing in this book. I agree with other reviewers this doesn’t feel like a thriller mystery. It’s an interesting story and feels almost poetic but I struggled to latch onto the story and stay engaged.
There was too many drawn out sections of the book that didn’t need to be there for me this was not a page turner but I could see how others would really enjoy this style of writing.
June 25, 2025
Seren is a fantastic book about an artist searching for a muse, and willing to risk everything to find her, and to use her, and to be used by her. It's a trippy story and I was all in from the get-go. It's a peek into the lives of artists and art dealers. it's a story about the difficulty of knowing who we are and what we want. It's a story about art and what makes it great or boring. It's a story about inspiration and the lengths an artist will go to to find it.
Five Stars!
Five Stars!
June 27, 2025
Although this book was outside of my usual reading genre, I found it to tell an intriguing story of the art world of the main character Fairchild Moss—artist and art dealer. The plot is well developed and the key characters are sometimes provocative and always compelling.
Seren is mysterious and linked to Moss and others in ominous ways. Still, he is drawn to her as his muse. Where will it end? That’s the mystery.
Seren is mysterious and linked to Moss and others in ominous ways. Still, he is drawn to her as his muse. Where will it end? That’s the mystery.
April 6, 2025
I had difficulty to finish reading this book, there's too much rambling by the gallery owner and little purpose in what he does. The enigmatic Seren, is just that, enigmatic and too far to reach. His obsession may turn deadly. The author, however, writes beautiful descriptions of weather storms and weather and places in general.
I thank Mr. Gooch, his publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.
I thank Mr. Gooch, his publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.
June 23, 2025
This one wasn’t really my style, though I can see the quality in the writing. Seren has its strengths, but sadly it didn’t quite click for me personally.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews