Such Pretty Flowers

A Novel

By: K. L. Cerra

Narrated by: Brittany Pressley

Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

RECOMMENDED BY GILLIAN FLYNN ON THE TODAY SHOW • “A lush, seductive Southern Gothic that’s deliciously queer . . . K. L. Cerra’s gift for gorgeous, gruesome atmosphere had me spellbound.”—Layne Fargo, author of They Never Learn

A woman investigating her brother’s apparent suicide finds herself falling for her prime suspect—his darkly mysterious girlfriend—in this “creepy, compelling, and utterly original” (Karen Dionne) thriller.

“Get it out of me.”

It was the last message Holly received from her brother, Dane, before he was found cleaved open in the lavish Savannah townhouse of his girlfriend, Maura. Police ruled his death a suicide sparked by psychosis, but Holly can’t shake the idea that something else must have happened—something involving another message he sent earlier that night about a “game” Maura wanted to play.

Determined to discover the truth, Holly begins to stalk Maura, a magnetic, black-eyed florist with a penchant for carnivorous plants. But what begins as an investigation quickly veers into a fixation that lures Holly into the depths of Maura’s world: Savannah high society, eerie black roses, and a whisper of something more sinister. Soon Holly is feeling a dark attraction to the one woman she shouldn’t trust. As Holly falls deeper for Maura and her secrets, she’s left with only one choice: find out what happened to Dane or meet the same fate.

©2023 K. L. Cerra (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“An astonishing debut . . . creepy, compelling, terrifying, and utterly original psychological suspense that grabbed me from the first page and held tight until the last. Cerra’s deft plotting and assured voice control her readers as skillfully as her antagonist manipulates her victims. Bump this one to the top of your TBR list—I loved it!”—Karen Dionne, #1 international bestselling author of The Marsh King’s Daughter and The Wicked Sister

“A deliciously terrifying romp through the Gothic wilds of Savannah . . . Horticulture never looked so deadly.”—Alex Marwood, Edgar and Macavity Award–winning author of The Wicked Girls

“A lush, seductive Southern Gothic that’s deliciously queer in every sense of the word. Holly and Maura’s mutual obsession made me shiver and sweat in equal measure, and Cerra’s gift for gorgeous, gruesome atmosphere had me spellbound. If your countdown to Halloween starts midwinter, this is the perfect book for you.”—Layne Fargo, author of They Never Learn

Good book

I enjoyed the excitement and the build up of the story but I was expecting something more sinister or imploding. Over all good book but not an all time favorite.

Great book

A very enticing tale with a great plot. The suspense never stops as you’re guided through this intriguing adventure.

Overdramatized story without substance

I did not enjoy the narrator performance. She sounded forced, trying too hard and yet failing to illuminate. The story itself is shallow, unoriginal and cheaply based on Anna’s ghost story of savannah The writing revealed the inexperienced nature of the writer’s first book. I feel cheated into the story and ends up being disappointed with how the story unfolded. Many aspects of the story was left unexplained. It felt overdramatized, unrealistic and cheap.

Petty Flowers

I loved this book because it captured my attention to the very end. The main characters were fully developed into a long chain of events. Frequently I felt like Holly kept her life confusing but I understood her actions based on what happened to her brother. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. I look forward to reading another book by the author.