Flowers of Darkness by Tatiana De Rosnay (Review by Stacey Lorenson)

Imagine stumbling upon an opportunity to escape a traumatic end to a marriage that you are only beginning to process. A whole apartment building solely dedicated for artists to live and develop their artistic craft. Sounds perfect right?!! The antagonist, in Flowers of Darkness, Clarissa Katsef, thought so, until she didn’t!! Clarissa had an undeniable feeling someone was watching her every move within her apartment. Unlocking why and who will be the key that leads her to examine her past, while she tries to escape her present predicament. Clarissa’s increasing paranoia sets in motion a suspense filled, psychological mystery she must solve to regain control over her life. The shocking and mysterious circumstances that led to the abrupt halt to her marriage is slowly revealed throughout the story. De Rosnay presents an insightful prose that encompasses aging, trust, relational and identity restructuring, with a futuristic twist. Intertwined within this story is a thought-provoking sub-plot that introduces the reader to a refurbished Parisian City recovering from a life altering terrorist attack. What is most interesting about this subplot is that the concept is not a far-off probability. Flowers of Darkness is written with rich descriptive imagery. The reader is transported to a world where flowers, birds, and bees no longer exhist, replaced by fake green plants and manufactured scents to replicate what once was. The rollercoaster of emotions Clarissa experiences tugs the reader along her journey of discovery as she reclaims her identity and her place in this new world. I thoroughly enjoyed Flowers of Darkness.