Blog Tour ~ Haunting Scent of Poppies by Victoria Williamson ~ Review
Morning all!
A haunting welcome to the Blog Tour for Haunting Scent of Poppies by Victoria Williamson! I am so happy I am part of another tour for this author + that this time I got the chance to read the book! Be prepared for war, hallucinations, hauntings, scary stuff happening, and more! All taking part around Christmas so perfect if you wanted something more spooky for the holidays~
Next to a 3.5 starred review I also got book/author information!
Ready? Let’s get started!
Review
I received this book from the publisher/The Write Reads in exchange of an honest review.
When I saw the blog tour sign up I knew I had to do a review, which is quite rare for me, generally I pick excerpts, pre-written guest posts, giveaways, or just spotlights. But this book really sounded interesting and I wanted to give it a go!
Since it is an honest review I have to say that in the start I stopped reading a few times. The character, Charlie, was insufferable and I found him a real arse. But when karma came biting his ass? Oh boy, I was so invested. I was curious how far this karma would go. Would it leave him alone after a few harrowing moments? Or would it go all out? Well, it was a ride! I was all curled up in bed and gasping at all the right moments. I should have had more compassion for Charlie, he hasn’t had the best life, but seriously, I just wanted to punch him and was happy that for once something he stole didn’t turn out to be a good thing.
And seriously, things get dark very soon! Charlie is getting visions. Now that isn’t the worst, well OK, maybe it is given where he is transported, right in the trenches, right in the moment of mustard gas, but things get worse from that point. Charlie sees things. Something follows him. Something dark is lurking in each corner. And oh yes, his body is getting worse with each encounter (which at times was a bit ick). It is like he is experiencing what happened in those trenches himself. It was awesome, gruesome, exciting, and OMG.
While Charlie was an ass, I did like that he tried to bring back the book. Or well, I say tried. That is all. There were many options there he could have picked from that point but he went with X.
The writing also took a bit of getting used to, but eventually I settled into it and started to really enjoy it.
I loved that this one took place around the holidays/Christmas. Perfect for those who want a bit more haunting read for those times instead of snow and happiness (and I am the type who wants both, haha).
The ending made me gasp. That is all I will say.
While I loved how dark it got, and how haunting, I would also maybe have liked some reprieve/some closure for the ghost/the haunting.
Oh, and I love love that cover, it is just so pretty!
All in all, this was a fast-paced haunting, gruesome read full of poppies and war and I would recommend it!
A spine-chilling winter ghost story set in the months after the Great War. Perfect for lovers of MR James and Susan Hill
The War is over, but for petty criminal Charlie his darkest days are only just beginning.
Charlie Briggs is never off-duty, even when a botched job means he’s forced to lay low in a sleepy Hampshire town for the holiday season. Always searching for his next unwitting victim, or a shiny trinket he can pilfer, he can’t believe his luck when he happens upon a rare book so valuable it will set him up for life. All he needs to do is sit tight until Boxing Day. But there’s a desperate story that bleeds beyond the pages; something far more dangerous than London’s mobsters is lurking in the shadows.
Could the book be cursed? Why is he haunted by the horrors of war? Can he put things right before he’s suffocated by his own greed?
Buy this book here: Amazon
Victoria Williamson grew up in Glasgow, Scotland, and has worked as an educator in a number of different countries, including as an English teacher in China, a secondary science teacher in Cameroon, and a teacher trainer in Malawi.
As well as degrees in Physics and Mandarin Chinese, she has completed a Masters degree in Special Needs in Education. In the UK she works as a primary school special needs teacher, working with children with a range of additional support needs including Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, physical disabilities and behavioural problems.
She is currently working as a full time writer of Middle Grade and YA contemporary fiction, science fiction and fantasy, with a focus on creating diverse characters reflecting the many cultural backgrounds and special needs of the children she has worked with, and building inclusive worlds where all children can see a reflection of themselves in heroic roles.
Victoria’s experiences teaching young children in a school with many families seeking asylum inspired her debut novel, The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, an uplifting tale of redemption and unlikely friendship between Glaswegian bully Caylin and Syrian refugee Reema.
Twenty percent of her author royalties for The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle are donated to the Scottish Refugee Council.
You can find out more about Victoria’s books, school visits and upcoming events on her website
