Isla's Inscryption

by Jon Mackley

When her mother died, Isla Royle believed she was alone in the world – the only child of an only child. These certainties are turned upside down at the Funeral Home when Isla meets Arthur Edmunds who claims to be her grandfather.

Edmunds offers her respite from her grief by inviting her to his manorial home in Suffolk where her ancestry is apparently linked to local legend. Here she is offered a life of affluence and comfort – a life which her mother abandoned.

But overwhelmed by grief and new experiences, Isla’s mind begins to play tricks on her putting herself and her new family in terrible danger.

290 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2018

About the author

Jon Mackley is Assistant Professor of Fantasy Literature at Richmond University, the American International University in London. He studied a degree in English Studies at the University of Stirling and a Master's Degree and PhD in Medieval Studies at the University of York. His novels include Crossing the Threshold (2011), Twisting Fate's Arm (2012), Heaven's Devils (2013), The Gawain Legacy (2014), Isla's Insryption (2018) and Nina's Secret (2022). He has also published an academic study of the Latin and Anglo-Norman versions of the Legend of St Brendan (2008) and a Bilingual edition of the Anglo-Norman version (2012), and a bilingual edition of the foundation legend The Origin of the Giants (2014). He has edited a gothic novel which was published in 1802 and which was influenced by the work of Ann Radcliffe entitled Who's the Murderer? by Eleanor Sleath. He has also contributed essays to London Gothic (edited by Phillips and Witchard), New Critical Essays on H.P. Lovecraft (edited by David Simmons), the Routledge Companion to Literature and Food (ed Lorna Piatti-Farnell and Donna O'Brien) and all three volumes of the Palgrave Gothic Handbook (Ed. Clive Bloom) and chapters on mythology and folklore.

Reviews

[Wendy Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mackley’s writing style is both beautiful and captivating! The character building is subtle and your not bombarded with backstory initially, like in some novels where a backstory is needed. It is thread throughout the chapters gradually to build up what we know of Islas life before the present time and how her troubled life plays tricks on her imagination as well as affecting her self esteem. In the end all this makes sense to her reactions throughout the story.

His similes are original and the story was full of little twists, making you believe one thing to then be kept on the edge of your seat to see if what you think may be happening was correct.

Islas Inscryption has a thriller and supernatural theme which was combined with the Suffolk legend of Dr Edmonds which injected a little history into the story too while putting a spin on this with a supernatural element.

Thoroughly enjoyed and can’t wait to recommend to people to read too!

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isla’s Inscryption is a story of a young women who loses her Mother but finds her family she did not know she had. Some would think that is a blessing but does Isla?

A gripping, tale that is intricately written sharing the history of the Edmunds family going back generations, and the twists and turns of supernatural elements this book will keep you on your toes and definitely make you look over your shoulder at an odd noise! Brilliantly written and definitely a must read for those that like a little suspense in their reading!

[Kate Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this intriguing from the onset. A mixture of mystery and thriller, supernatural/paranormal written in a very engaging style. With a touch of humour including references to birds and teaspoons Jon Mackley seems to be able to mislead the reader into thinking they are reading a cozy.
Read in one evening I wanted to know if my suspicion was right.
Highly recommended to lovers of thrillers who are looking for something different.

[Em Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in present day Sussex, the novel takes place directly after her mother’s death. Sat in the funeral home, Isla is approached by an elderly man, Arthur Edmunds, who says he’s her grandfather. This, to Isla, is impossible. She has no family: the single child of a single child with deceased parents. However, he can produce documents proving her lineage. She has a family. She has an ancestral home. She comes from money… It throws everything she knows about herself, and especially her mother, into questioning. Why did her mother hide her from all of this? Or was she hiding them from her?
Mr Mackley’s descriptions of grief connected with a deep-rooted part of my own psyche. I was sad, I was upset, I empathised with Isla and felt a tangible connection with her. Despite a male author writing this, he got into this character’s head, and allowed the reader to become invested in the traumatic event of the loss of a parent.
Unable to emotionally cope, Isla takes up Arthur’s parting offer to come stay with him and is immediately thrusted into a warm home with a loving family. She meets her two aunts, and three cousins. All of whom welcome her with open arms. It’s perfect…
Or is it?
As soon as Isla arrives, her mind begins playing tricks on her, making it incredibly difficult for us to know what’s real and what isn’t. The hallucinations are vivid, real, horrifying, and above all, completely gripping. I read this in two days, spending every waking moment with it in my hands, and then at the end I realised I’d been unable to foresee what came next. That’s why I’ve only talked about the very beginning, as I think it would do you an injustice for me to talk about anymore. Do not seek spoilers, do not curiously go and read any discussions – go, buy this, read it.

[Rosie Cranie-Higgs · Rating 4 out of 5]

How refreshing to have a creepy, twisty-turny gothic book set in modern day Britain! As a 24 year old British woman, I love how true 24 year old Isla’s voice is, and how there are such relatable worries always going through her mind!

On top of that, the story was great. Parts were so claustrophobic (I say this as a creepy good thing!) that I was internally screaming, as if by sheer force of will I could get Isla out. Half the time even the reader doesn’t know what’s real and what isn’t, if she’s a reliable narrator or not, and only at the very end do you figure out what’s going on. I thought I had it cracked several times, but I never got it right.

Mind bending weirdness. Saints. Bizarre families where something isn’t right. The terrifying-sounding ‘forever people’ only a little girl hears. Manipulation. Danger. The supernatural - or maybe not. This book has all of them, and throw in a typical tiny British village, and you’ve got a recipe for superstitious messes that seem impossible to get out of.

I was left really wanting to know how things panned out years down the line, or even years BEFORE the line, so if there’s more, bring it on!

[Jo Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I have had the pleasure of reading by this author and I can say that I will be reading more books by Jon.

I was instantly gripped from the first page as it left me wanting to know who this person was that had appeared at Isla Mothers funeral and why! As I felt there was going to be some secret and I was right!

The book is written so well, that you are taken in by the characters especially Isla who is grief stricken and missing her Mother, I really empathised with Isla as I too have lost a parent and felt with Jon’s writing style, I was able to connect Isla straight away. I felt Jon did an amazing job of sharing the history of the Edmunds family throughout the book, giving a little glimpse of the different generations, pieced the story together beautifully.

This book is full of twists and turns and keeps your guessing especially with the supernatural/ creepy twists, which leaves you guessing what is real and what is not, which made this a great book for me!

I look forward to reading more books By Jon Mackley

I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

[Brenda Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isla’s Inscryption is definitely different than any other supernatural book I have read. It’s definitely a book that will keep you turning pages wondering what’s going to happen next.
Imagine going through a tragic life change just to find out you have a family that you didn’t think you had. Imagine that family taking you in and loving you in your time of need. Then you start to hear supernatural beings not knowing what’s real from what’s not.
Then imagine it all just come crashing down as you are living in poor hell and everything you thought was true where lies. Your lineage wasn’t what you expected. Isla’s Inscryption will have you questioning what’s real and what’s not while taking you through unimaginable nightmares.

[Rochelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you The Fiction Café-Review and John Mackley for this arc.
This the first book that I read by this author, and I have to say WOW loved this book, it had me guessing and still trying to figure out all the secrets, mysteries and family secrets of the Edmunds.
I like how the author gradually builds up what we know of Islas life before the present time and how her troubled life plays trick with her imagination. There were times that I could not put this book down as I wanted to see how it was going to play out. I loved it and I can’t wait to share and recommend this book. I will be on the lookout for more from this author. What an awesome read.

[Nicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great thriller with a supernatural twist! The story begins straight after the death of Isla’s mother. After the funeral she meets an elderly man who tells her that he is her grandfather, despite her mother having told her she had no other family. She is brought to her newly found grandfathers home to discover she has other family in the form of aunts and cousins. Well written characters with a warm family feel initially. As Isla’s stay continues she slowly discovers why her mother left and the reasons behind it. Great twist at the end, I would highly recommend this book.

[Danielle Donah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy creepy. And holy dysfunction. This was a crazy read. Once the narrator loses a sense of reality so do the readers. You begin to wonder what is real and what is a delusion. There were parts that gave me chills.It was wonderfully written, and kept me reading wondering when things were going to come together, and the ending was good as well and made everything clear. I will definitely recommend.

[Angela Brightwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A familial thriller with a twist of the supernatural

Isla, grief-stricken from the death of her mother, is swept into a surreal world filled with family, opulence, and local legend. As she tries to adapt to her newfound family, she loses her ability to recognize what is real and what is in her mind. The author creates a thriller steeped in family legends and the supernatural.

[Elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

i initially decided to read this book because it looked different to the usual genre that I tend to go for. The main protagonists inner dialogue is engaging and believable too, where grieving Isla’s journey into unfamiliar opulence with a supernatural flavour that had me on the edge of my seat into the late hours of the morning.
ELLE HARVEY