Release: February 23rd, 2021
Format: Ebook
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Source: Amazon
Find it at Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N.
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From the internationally bestselling author of Sarah’s Key comes Tatiana de Rosnay’s Flowers of Darkness, a riveting and emotionally intense novel. It is set in a near-future Paris, where a woman confronts past betrayal and present mystery.
Author Clarissa Katsef is struggling to write her next book. She’s just snagged a brand new artist residency in an ultra-modern apartment, with a view of all of Paris. It is also a dream for any novelist in search of tranquility. But since moving in, she has had the feeling of someone watching her. Is there reason to be paranoid? Or is her distraction and discomfort the result of her husband’s recent shocking betrayal? Or is that her beloved Paris lies altered outside her windows? A city that will never be quite the same, a city with a scar at its center?
Stuck inside, in the midst of a sweltering heatwave, Clarissa enlists her beloved granddaughter in her investigation of the mysterious, high tech building even as she finds herself drawn back into the orbit of her first husband,, who is still the one who knows her most intimately, who shares the past grief that she has never quite let go.
While staying true to her favorite themes—the imprint of the place, the weight of secrets—de Rosnay weaves an intrigue of thrilling suspense and emotional power.
About the Author:
TATIANA DE ROSNAY was born in Paris and is of English, French and Russian descent. Tatiana de Rosnay is married and has two children. She lives in Paris with her family.
She is the author of several novels, including the New York Times bestseller Sarah’s Key, an international sensation with over 11 million copies in 44 countries worldwide. Besides, she is also the author of A Secret Kept (Boomerang) and The House I Loved (Rose), The Other Story (A L’Encre Russe), and “Manderley Forever’, a biography of Daphne du Maurier.
Together with Dan Brown, Stephenie Meyer, and Stieg Larsson, she has been named one of the top ten fiction writers in Europe.
Flowers of Darkness Review:
Flowers of Darkness is a creepy suspense thriller with a futuristic, science-fiction touch that I did not want to end.
There are so many moments that stood out in the story. Firstly, I adored how passionate Clarissa is about Romain Gary and Virginia Woolf. Reading these passages made me want to read their works and biography. The story is also very futuristic yet realistic and paints a grim picture of what could happen. The author also writes the suspense very well! I was at the edge of my seat when Clarissa notices something strange about the apartment, especially with the voice assistant and powders. Moreover, I enjoyed the style in which the author wrote the story. We get notebook entries at the end of each chapter that flashbacks to her relationship with François.
I also enjoyed Clarissa as the main character. Everyone perceives her as a sad and lonely older woman. Nevertheless, she stands up for herself and does her best to fight the system. I adored her relationship with Andy and thought their scenes were terrific. I loved the part where they investigate Jim’s apartment to find out what happened.
My only criticism of the story is the ending. The story ended in an abrupt and lackluster manner, with quite a lot of questions unanswered. I wish the author had provided some closure to a few of the topics like Jim, C.A.S.A and Mia. The book would have been excellent if the author ended the story with these details.
Apart from that, I did enjoy the book for the most part. Overall, “Flowers of Darkness” is still a gripping, suspense thriller that is worth reading.
