A review by amothersmusings1
The Haunting Scent of Poppies by Victoria Williamson

4.0

I read this superb Gothic novella “The Haunting Scent of Poppies” in one sitting, it was easy to read, very addictive and does leave you pondering on the horrors of war and how awful the use of mustard gas must have been in the trenches.  

 

Charlie the main protagonist is a really greedy and selfish man that the reader is supposed to dislike and the consequences of theft and greed came across strongly in this story, using a haunted book to highlight these sins. 

 

I wasn’t just haunted by the scent of poppies but by the haunting scenes of war during the Great War. Truly upsetting and shows just how brave the soldiers were. Captured concisely and without preamble the scenes were realistic and saddening. 

 

It’s often known that short stories don’t always work due to needing to cover so much in such a short period but this really worked for me and packed a punch in its beautifully designed size.  

 

The author has a deep interest in history and archaeology which shows in abundance in all her novels. Combining her love of exploring the past with her fascination with supernatural tales makes her well placed to write this absorbing ghostly gothic tale and having read a few of Victoria Williamson’s short stories before, I will continue to follow this author and I am happy to recommend. 

 

#TheHauntingScentOfPoppies - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️