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The Flowers of Hiraeth House

By: Angelica Krystel
Publisher: Amazon
Publication Date: July 12, 2023
ISBN: 979-8850466954
Reviewed by: Katie Specht
Review Date: July 24, 2023

From emerging new author Angelica Krystel comes her debut novel entitled The Flowers of Hiraeth House, a thrilling, dark murder mystery combined with romance whose protagonist, Rose, is just as much of an enigma as the entire story is.

The story opens as Rose is traveling on a train with no real destination in mind, when she is approached by a mysterious stranger named Volya who invites her to his home. Although Rose is wary of this strange man, she feels drawn to his intense and passionate demeanor, and finds herself accepting his offer without much careful consideration. Once they arrive at Hiraeth House, Rose is immediately taken aback by the extreme appearance of the estate. It seems as though it was once quite attractive, but over time, Hiraeth House has been left to wither away and now displays dead, rotting plants outside and uneven, broken steps leading to the front door.

The events that transpire as Rose begins to settle in with Volya at Hiraeth House are nothing short of alarming and perplexing. Rose meets Vanya, Volya’s son, and oddly enough, Volya introduces Rose as his cousin. Vanya and Rose begin developing a passionate relationship, while at the same time Rose is being pursued by Volya. Shortly afterwards, Vanya brings his girlfriend Scarlet to Hiraeth House, which understandably infuriates Rose. Once Volya learns of this, he decides that Scarlet needs to be dealt with, and that is when the story takes a much more sinister turn. Shortly after Scarlet disappears, the body of a dead man is found in the gazebo on the grounds, prompting a police investigation on the property.

Krystel’s novel is the epitome of an amalgamation of genres, encompassing romance, mystery, suspense, and even psychological thrills. She did a superb job of crafting a story that is sure to appeal to a broad audience. The way Krystel writes is almost poetic, so fans of poetry will appreciate that about her work as well. Some of the plot developments were simply appalling and will certainly keep the reader engaged.

For a debut novel, Krystel did a stellar job with character and plot development. One minor issue is the story was rather short at just 120 pages. At the pace the story was progressing when it concluded, Krystel certainly could have kept writing with more accounts of creepy happenings at Hiraeth House, but perhaps Krystel has plans for future books to continue the story of Rose.

Quill says: The Flowers of Hiraeth House is an engaging, albeit short, mystery, romance and crime novel all combined into one gripping story that will leave its readers stunned and longing for more chapters chronicling Hiraeth House.

For more information on The Flowers of Hiraeth House, please visit the author's Instagram page at: instagram.com/darkside_of_angels/