The Scent of White Flowers

The Scent of White Flowers
Some betrayals do not end in death. They begin there.

Jakarta is a city of noise, smoke, and secrets-but beneath its streets, something older is waking. When a corrupt businessman is found gutted near the banks of the Ciliwung River, journalist Rina Sariwati is sent to write it off as an animal attack. But the details don't add up-ritualistic violence, vanished organs, and an intoxicating floral scent that haunts the crime scenes.

The locals whisper a name: Pontianak-the vengeful spirit of a woman who died in childbirth. Rina doesn't believe in ghosts... until one appears at her window.

As bodies pile up, Rina must confront both the supernatural and her own buried trauma. Drawn deeper into the myth of Laras-a betrayed mother turned spirit of wrath-Rina uncovers a pattern of vengeance rooted in colonial betrayal, domestic abuse, and ancient folklore. But the ghost isn't just seeking retribution. She's looking for something Rina carries in her own broken past.

Violent, lyrical, and psychologically unflinching, The Scent of White Flowers is a modern gothic horror story set against the backdrop of postcolonial Indonesia-a tale of grief, justice, and the rage of women no longer willing to stay dead.