An Artist's Muse: Something was flourishing in London...

by Deborah E. Wilson

Clara Breslin is a captive of propriety; a product of her generation.
She earns her keep and a modest wage in her brother’s apothecary, in nineteenth-century London. She is preoccupied with painting remarkable individuals on canvas, but her study is infuriatingly unexceptional – until she sees Matthias Tarasso.
Her pursuit of Matthias leads her to the theatre. Watching him perform, she finds herself captivated. Eventually, succumbing to compulsion, Clara makes her Muse’s acquaintance. Matthias becomes a dominant influence over her. His presence helps Clara to create true masterpieces. But immersing herself in Matthias causes other aspects of her life to become dangerously unchecked...

657 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 31, 2017

Reviews

[Barry Upton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The books that give the most pleasure are those that define genre classification. Deborah Wilson has created a story that is firmly set in its Victorian period, but this is no ordinary work of Historical Fiction. Instead, what we have is something of a horror story, and although the horror is well hidden until the surprising ending, the underlying mood is one where long dark shadows blot out the landscape
An Artist's Muse poses the question: Is it the artist or the muse that benefits from the connection? What Deborah shows us is they exist together - indeed they can only exist together - and it a symbiotic relationship. In this tale, their relationship is mutually destructive, sapping the energy and the life from each.
An Artist's Muse is also detective story, and the relentless Inspector Connor doggedly pursues the truth until the bitter end, no matter what the consequences for client and suspects. An absorbing read which I strongly recommend to all readers seeking something original in their bools.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nineteenth-century London. Clara Breslin is earning her keep in her brother’s apothecary. She isn’t interested in married life and spends her free time painting portraits of strangers who walk by her window. Her study is infuriatingly unexceptional – until she meets Matthias Tarasso, an actor.

A Victorian mystery to cosy up with that's a captivating read. Debbie's writing draws you into the world of Clara, creating vivid and descriptive characters and settings.

[Helen Hagon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book came at the perfect time for me, as I’ve been reading a lot of Charles Dickens lately, and 'An Artist’s Muse' is set in a similar time and place to most of his books. Having just finished a mammoth group read of 'Bleak House', followed straight after by 'Our Mutual Friend', my imagination was still firmly ensconced in Victorian London, and a slightly lighter read was just what I needed.

The novel’s main character is a young woman obliged to conform to society’s norms, whilst inwardly rebelling against these norms and wishing she had the freedom to follow her dreams as an artist. However, when she meets a highly talented yet enigmatic actor, her passion for art becomes an all-consuming obsession with dark and devastating consequences. The story is nicely told, against the backdrop of an apothecary’s shop, with frequent visits to the theatre, creating a contrast between the cold, scientific life and the emotionally charged life of the stage.

Although Clara works in her brother’s shop, her artistic soul is drawn not just to painting, but also to the theatre, and it is clear from the descriptions of her painting process and the plays she watches that the author shares this passion. We visit the very different worlds of the New Adelphi and the Grecian Theatre, as they would have been, back in the nineteenth century, and we see a selection of plays, including several productions of Shakespeare’s works. A lot of research has clearly gone into the historical details, and this, combined with a light and lyrical writing style, makes for rather pleasant reading.

An Artist’s Muse is an entertaining and promising debut, and I would recommend it to any reader who enjoys a historical novel with a gothic twist. I noticed that Deborah Wilson has recently released a second book, so I’m looking forward to reading that sometime soon as well.

[Allan Tunningley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating novel. Deborah E. Wilson paints a vibrant and evocative picture of early 19th century London and the intriguing narrative with its wonderfully descriptive flourishes keeps you engaged – and guessing – all the way through.
J.A. Tunningley - retired journalist and author, Cumbria