A Perfect Square

“A feast for the reader” – Baffled Bear Books

“A marvellous work.” – Rachel Nightingale

“I enjoyed it immensely…” – Philip A. Wallis

About A Perfect Square

Across two continents, two sets of mothers and daughters are bound by a dark mystery.

On a winter’s day in the Dandenongs, Victoria, pianist Ginny returns home to stay with her eccentric mother and artist, Harriet. Consumed by disturbing dreams, speculations and remembering, she tries to prise from her mother the truth concerning her father’s disappearance and why, when she was seven, Harriet abducted her. In an effort to distract her daughter’s interrogations, Harriet proposes they collaborate on an exhibition of paintings and songs.

Meanwhile, on the edge of Dartmoor, Judith paints landscapes of the Australian Outback to soothe her troubled mind. Her wayward daughter, Madeleine, has returned home and she’s filled the house with darkness. Her father doesn’t want to know her. Judith wishes he did. When at last she forces the two to meet she breathes a sigh of relief.

Back in Australia, Ginny is poised to fly to England in search of the truth when she receives some earth-shattering news.

A novel brimming with mystery, intrigue, creativity, art and the occult.

Praise for A Perfect Square

“Similar to Kandinsky’s brush that flawlessly moves from concrete to abstract, and from material to spiritual, A Perfect Square delicately blends family romance, art history, esoteric theories, and human drama as it traces the main protagonist’s search for her father that imperceptibly becomes the search for wisdom and transcendence.” Vladimir Golstein, Professor of Russian literature, Browns University, NY.

“Isobel Blackthorn is a gifted and insightful writer who has penned this slow burning and intellectually demanding literary read.” – Paromjit, Goodreads

“The author, like an artist slowly dabbing paint upon a canvas, methodically yet tauntingly brings to life complex, damaged characters, their pasts, their struggles to relate to each other and the paths they are set upon. I strongly recommend it.” – Michelle Saftich, author of Port of No Return

“A Perfect Square is a clever, thoughtful literary novel which still manages to have a cracking plot and complex characters. It should appeal to lovers of psychological thrillers too – think artistic Gone Girl.” Kate Braithwaite author of Charlatan.

“Isobel Blackthorn is a clever author, I very much enjoyed her biting wit.” – Lolly K Dandeneau

“Some books haunt you. You rarely know this will happen when you are reading them – the sensation creeps up on you after the last page. With A Perfect Square there was a moment as I read where my heart dropped and I knew this book would stay with me. It is the story of two mother-daughter relationships, one in Australia and one in England. The parallels and connections are unveiled slowly, like a spider’s web slowly but artfully woven. Blackthorn uses words beautifully to create settings and lives so real that I felt I was in the room, a silent and at times uncomfortable observer….A marvellous work.” – Rachel Nightingale, author of Harlequin’s Riddle.

“A feast for the reader, this multi-layered novel is itself resonant with significances, some increasingly disturbing, such as the recurring appearance of the triptych in black, white and grey by ‘an unknown artist’…” – Baffled Bear Books

“I heartily recommend this to anyone who likes fascinating and believable characters, well drawn settings and just enough mystery to keep the whole thing bubbling along nicely. The sort of book you almost want to start reading again, the moment you have finished it, and I have to confess, I enjoyed it immensely…” – Philip Wallis, film critic

The music accompanying A Perfect Square, composed by daughter and pianist Elizabeth Blackthorn, is available on iTunes Spotify, and at Bandcamp

Behind the scenes: The Making of A Perfect Square

How to write a dark mystery that is compelling, unusual and packed with intrigue and make it stand up alongside the best dark mystery novels found in the vast genre of crime thriller suspense? Originality is crucial as are loveable characters and enough complexity and plot twists to hold the attention. I wrote A Perfect Square with all of this in mind, paying close attention to setting – I chose the Dandenong Ranges east of Melbourne, Australia, and a village on the edge of Dartmoor near Exeter, England. I wanted to explore the creative process in art and music as well. I also wanted to include my extensive knowledge of the occult. Putting all the elements together was challenging and a lot of fun. The result is a highly original dark mystery.