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Muse: A haunting, slow-burn literary psychological thriller of art, memory and obsession
The paintings still remember the life that she's forgetting.
A contemporary gothic thriller set in Edinburgh's winter dark, about a painter, a programme, and a muse who asks very gently to stay.
Mara Gibson hasn't finished a painting in two years. Grief-stricken and desperate, she joins an experimental creativity programme at an Edinburgh university. Her agent says it worked wonders for another artist. The art flows. Better than anything she's made before. The programme delivers exactly what it promised.
She just can't remember what she agreed to.
Small things go missing first. A PIN. The name of a colour she's mixed a thousand times. The walk home from the studio. She's always been scattered. The ADHD, the grief, the sleepless nights. It's easy to explain away. Everyone around her is delighted. The gallerist calls the new work "inevitable". Her agent books the London show. The programme runs its sessions, ticks its checkboxes, files its reports.
But the gaps aren't staying small. And the woman looking back at her from the new paintings is steadier than she's ever been. Calmer. Cleaner. More certain.
She should be grateful. She should stop asking questions. She should trust the process.
She should remember why she can't.
Set among Edinburgh's damp-stone closes and paint-fumed studios, Muse is a Faustian novel about grief, addiction, and the terror of getting everything you asked for.
For readers of Kazuo Ishiguro, Shirley Jackson and Julia Armfield.
A contemporary gothic thriller set in Edinburgh's winter dark, about a painter, a programme, and a muse who asks very gently to stay.
Mara Gibson hasn't finished a painting in two years. Grief-stricken and desperate, she joins an experimental creativity programme at an Edinburgh university. Her agent says it worked wonders for another artist. The art flows. Better than anything she's made before. The programme delivers exactly what it promised.
She just can't remember what she agreed to.
Small things go missing first. A PIN. The name of a colour she's mixed a thousand times. The walk home from the studio. She's always been scattered. The ADHD, the grief, the sleepless nights. It's easy to explain away. Everyone around her is delighted. The gallerist calls the new work "inevitable". Her agent books the London show. The programme runs its sessions, ticks its checkboxes, files its reports.
But the gaps aren't staying small. And the woman looking back at her from the new paintings is steadier than she's ever been. Calmer. Cleaner. More certain.
She should be grateful. She should stop asking questions. She should trust the process.
She should remember why she can't.
Set among Edinburgh's damp-stone closes and paint-fumed studios, Muse is a Faustian novel about grief, addiction, and the terror of getting everything you asked for.
For readers of Kazuo Ishiguro, Shirley Jackson and Julia Armfield.
329 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 3, 2026
About the author
Jonathan Peach
9 books3 followersI write quiet, literary horror, the kind built on real science rather than monsters. No gore, no jump-scares, just slow dread and characters I hope stay with you long after the last page.
Sufficient and Unwritten, the first two novels in the Observation Series, follow structural engineer Lucia Balustri across Venice, Rome and Pompeii, and explore the idea of observer-dependent reality.
Muse is a Faustian tale of grief, addiction and artistic perfection, set in Edinburgh, where a painter trades her memories for her best work.
Witness draws on the anxiety of motherhood and the masking often seen in neurodivergent girls, telling the story of a family where a mother watches her daughter so closely the child begins to disappear.
If you like Shirley Jackson, Kazuo Ishiguro or Samanta Schweblin, you'll feel at home here.
I'm an independent author, which means readers, not an algorithm, decide whether my books are found. If one of mine stays with you, a review is the kindest and most useful thing you can do. Thank you for reading.
Sufficient and Unwritten, the first two novels in the Observation Series, follow structural engineer Lucia Balustri across Venice, Rome and Pompeii, and explore the idea of observer-dependent reality.
Muse is a Faustian tale of grief, addiction and artistic perfection, set in Edinburgh, where a painter trades her memories for her best work.
Witness draws on the anxiety of motherhood and the masking often seen in neurodivergent girls, telling the story of a family where a mother watches her daughter so closely the child begins to disappear.
If you like Shirley Jackson, Kazuo Ishiguro or Samanta Schweblin, you'll feel at home here.
I'm an independent author, which means readers, not an algorithm, decide whether my books are found. If one of mine stays with you, a review is the kindest and most useful thing you can do. Thank you for reading.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 8, 2026
Well... this is the second book I have finished by this author. What an absolute pleasure it has been to read!
Yes it is now t your average tale of horrific happenings, but, nevertheless, it is considerably a mental horror.
I did smile at all the paint colours mentioned. I am a huge fan of Bob Ross and recognised the colours mentioned. This helped me visualise the process more. You do not have to be an art aficionado to appreciate it though.
I am, howver, jealous that I don't see as in-depth as the agent, the painter etc. or the author. I am most definitely missing out.
Excellent read!
Yes it is now t your average tale of horrific happenings, but, nevertheless, it is considerably a mental horror.
I did smile at all the paint colours mentioned. I am a huge fan of Bob Ross and recognised the colours mentioned. This helped me visualise the process more. You do not have to be an art aficionado to appreciate it though.
I am, howver, jealous that I don't see as in-depth as the agent, the painter etc. or the author. I am most definitely missing out.
Excellent read!
June 29, 2026
First read of Jonathan peach as an author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The use is short sentences kept me engaged throughout and it was such an interesting concept, partnering science and treatment technologies with artistic practices. Can’t wait to read another book by Jon!
July 20, 2026
Muse is a genuinely moving read. It's an allegory for addiction, grief and self doubt, and it follows Mara, an artist struggling to come to terms with losing her father while stuck in a creative block. Her psychologist suggests a research programme that might help, that's where the story lives. It's a sharp, sad look at what happens when a creative mind cracks, told from inside the fissure.
The descriptive writing is beautiful, full of so many clever little observations that I lost track of them all. And the dialogue and inner voice sequences felt so authentic that I didn't do my usual thing with a book like this, second guessing the plot and trying to spot the twist. I was absorbed from the first paragraph to the last line. A beautifully tragic story, and impressive for a debut.
The descriptive writing is beautiful, full of so many clever little observations that I lost track of them all. And the dialogue and inner voice sequences felt so authentic that I didn't do my usual thing with a book like this, second guessing the plot and trying to spot the twist. I was absorbed from the first paragraph to the last line. A beautifully tragic story, and impressive for a debut.
April 5, 2026
Absolutely loved this book. I wasn't sure what to expect but it pulled me in straight away and was hard to put down. What truly stands out is the way the narrative lingers—it doesn’t just tell a story, it stays with you. The central character feels vividly real, layered with nuance, and her journey unfolds in a way that feels both surprising and inevitable. There’s a quiet brilliance in the writing that invites reflection long after you’ve finished.
Definitely recommend if you’re looking for something engaging and a bit different
Definitely recommend if you’re looking for something engaging and a bit different
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews