Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime and start saving today with fast, free delivery

Kindle
$4.99

Available instantly

Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial

Paperback
$14.99

$14.99 with 17 percent savings

List Price: $18.00

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

FREE delivery Saturday, May 11 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35

Or fastest delivery Thursday, May 9. Order within 6 hrs 42 mins

Select delivery location

In Stock

$$14.99 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Ships from

Amazon.com

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.

Read full return policy

Payment

Secure transaction

Payment

Secure transaction

We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more

Details

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

$11.50

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

Book is in good condition and may include underlining highlighting and minimal wear. The book can also include "From the library of" labels. May not contain miscellaneous items toys, dvds, etc. . We offer 100% money back guarantee and 24 7 customer service. Free 2-day shipping with Amazon Prime! Book is in good condition and may include underlining highlighting and minimal wear. The book can also include "From the library of" labels. May not contain miscellaneous items toys, dvds, etc. . We offer 100% money back guarantee and 24 7 customer service. Free 2-day shipping with Amazon Prime! See less

FREE delivery Saturday, May 11 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35

Or fastest delivery Thursday, May 9. Order within 6 hrs 42 mins

Select delivery location

Only 1 left in stock - order soon.

$$14.99 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Enhancements you chose aren't available for this seller. Details

${cardName} not available for the seller you chose

${cardName} unavailable for quantities greater than ${maxQuantity}.

Sold by Zoom Books Company and Fulfilled by Amazon.

Other sellers on Amazon

New & Used (62) from $5.88 + $3.99 shipping

Follow the author

K. L. Cerra

Follow

Such Pretty Flowers: A Novel Paperback – February 7, 2023

by K. L. Cerra (Author)

3.6 169 ratings

Editors' pick Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

See all formats and editions

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$14.99","priceAmount":14.99,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"14","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"99","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"cll%2BMv1lOdroENmqIlBbDu%2F0j6JiQ5vQ1pNUwXSJFYTUacb7lkcYDTkiusuWZaiKe1X2PlznFMiYzpy8o%2BOPhyC8WQ3%2BXckTxSDDtBhNLYbmzH6Edz6uPRSeE84FV48UgdAhUpcKMYeN6Ytk54j%2Fjg%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$11.50","priceAmount":11.50,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"11","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"50","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"cll%2BMv1lOdroENmqIlBbDu%2F0j6JiQ5vQXYfVwwgS4JNY65FYjnS7GCz3GIAzyRFfCoos0WJmeL3wh9YQKrkqvznNBl31sMNyW1V8jD9ObzWYY5zxP9cpOTIZWHmAtTEiJ4vyQQWDMWJNpNhICrcfIJ%2BhQvESMAt7Xybt77uCA6eS45SpaNOonNxdEh31YfXL","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

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.

Print length

336 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Bantam
Publication date

February 7, 2023
Dimensions

5.1 x 0.7 x 7.9 inches
ISBN-10

0593500253
ISBN-13

978-0593500255
See all details

Frequently bought together

$14.99

Get it as soon as Saturday, May 11

In Stock

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

+

$11.40

Get it as soon as Saturday, May 11

In Stock

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

+

$17.28

Get it as soon as Saturday, May 11

In Stock

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

Total price:

To see our price, add these items to your cart.

Try again!

Details

Added to Cart

Choose items to buy together.

Kate Alice Marshall
10,332
Paperback
65 offers from $9.45
Holly Ringland
6,711
Paperback
53 offers from $12.34
Simone St. James
1,446
Hardcover
73 offers from $11.47
Roshani Chokshi
1,023
Paperback
53 offers from $10.33
Lucinda Berry
9,558
Paperback
61 offers from $6.00
Abigail Owen
751
Hardcover
71 offers from $3.04

From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Review

“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

“K. L. Cerra has weaved a spine-tingling tale that is as atmospheric as it is dangerous. The poisons and the mysterious behaviors behind each character had me hooked. I may never look at roses the same way again!”—Georgina Cross, author of Nanny Needed

About the Author

K. L. Cerra uses her writing to explore the complexities—and the darker sides—of relationships. When not writing or seeing clients as a trained marriage and family therapist, Cerra is likely walking her Boston terrier or exploring the local botanical gardens. She lives with her husband in a small beach town outside of Los Angeles.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter 1

Maura brought pomegranates to Dane’s funeral reception. It was an odd choice and I mentioned this to Rachel, the hard pew edge biting into my thigh.

“What’s wrong with pomegranates?” Rachel said.

I pictured a halved pomegranate. Those wreaths of slick, pink organs made my skin scuttle over my bones, just like when I looked too closely at a wasp’s nest or a strawberry. I’d googled the sensation: trypophobia. Fear of holes and circle clusters. But this felt too exhausting to explain in a whisper.

“Haven’t you heard of Persephone and Hades? Referencing eternal damnation to the underworld feels a tad insensitive, today of all days.”

Rachel’s cheek puffed. “Okay, Holly.” Her eyes were fastened on the pulpit where Maura stood.

I had no choice but to look, too.

My brother’s now ex-girlfriend was adjusting the stem of a tiny microphone. She had a face that made your mind itch as it tried to pinpoint what felt off. There was definitely something threading under the luminous skin. Inky princess tresses, black eyes, and sharp, birdlike bones that jutted at her clavicle. She wore a birdcage veil with pearled netting at an angle that fell a smidge short of jaunty. Seeing it—seeing her—gave me a jolt, like missing a step on my way down a staircase. Even speaking at my brother’s funeral, Maura needed to enrapture.

Dane had brought his new girlfriend to meet the family over Easter brunch, five months ago now. Back then, the two of them had been dating only a few weeks. Maura complimented the plasterwork of my childhood home in that musical voice of hers; uncharacteristically, Mom had nothing critical to say afterward. She has polish, was all she provided. It was undeniable: Maura had dazzled both of my parents. I think, on some level, they’d doubted Dane’s ability to land a girl like her.

As I sat in the pew, my fists fizzed with heat. We’d all doubted him, and now, here we were. How would things have turned out differently had we listened? It was a cruel game I often played during the long nights after his suicide when I knew sleep was futile. What if we’d tried a little harder? Rachel told me I couldn’t get swept away in what-ifs, but really, who was she to tell me that? She wasn’t the one fighting the riptide, feeling like the past was a puzzle. One that maybe, put together a different way, could have kept my little brother alive.

Maura slid a piece of paper over the podium.

Rachel put a hand on my knee as Maura started speaking. To my left, my mother’s shoulders rounded under her cardigan. I noticed a tiny, slack space between my dad’s lips. It reminded me of the way he’d looked when he’d told me what had happened to Dane two weeks ago—like he’d lost control of the bottom half of his face. It was the first time I’d seen his dad-armor slip, and I hated it.

The paper was, it turned out, an excerpt from Charlotte’s Web. I had no idea why she’d chosen this. If we’re talking animal books, Dane had much preferred Jumanji, leaning toward that edge of danger evident from the very first pages. Until his symptoms became evident a few months ago, he and I had been devastatingly close. I knew his taste in books.

Maura read from the paper with the voice of a jewelry-box ballerina. The quote she had chosen was from the spider’s point of view. I dug my fingertips into my thighs. Every word drove another hairline crack through me, fault lines multiplying and branching like veins. Then Maura flicked her eyes up at me. Saw me. It made me feel naked, my every thought exposed, and my throat closed in response.

I surged to my feet and pushed past my family in the pew.

Rachel found me doubled over in a restroom stall. I stared at the toes of her Mary Janes under the door, seeing stars.

“Holly,” she said. “Let me in.”

“No.”

“Come on. Open up.”

I unlatched and cracked the door. Rachel handed me a cup of tepid water. I took it and wet my bristly tongue. “God, this is embarrassing,” I said.

“What are you talking about? This is your brother’s funeral. You’re allowed to be upset.”

She was right—not to mention the fact that I’d been on the opposite side of the bathroom stall for Rachel more than a few times back at Emory in Atlanta. After graduation, though, the scripts flipped. Rachel met Henry when she stayed on at Emory for grad school, and all too soon, she claimed that trifecta of adult accomplishments: a master’s degree, an apartment, a fiancé. Thankfully Henry’s family hailed from Savannah, too, so I’d jumped at the chance to reclaim my college roommate. These days, Rachel was the singular grounding force in my life. But sometimes I missed the feeling of her leaning on me, the way she had back in college.

My hand shook as I pulled the cup away from my mouth, slopping a bit onto the bathroom tile. I wanted to tell Rachel that there was something else bothering me, but I couldn’t scrounge up the words. I set the empty cup on the back of the toilet and braced my palms on my thighs.

“I still don’t get what happened to him, Rach. That time I visited him in his dorm room, I had no idea he was so sick—”

“I know.” She let out a stream of air as her eyes jumped to the bathroom door. “I know.”

Something molten leapt up my windpipe. Rachel seemed more concerned about someone walking in and witnessing my breakdown than comforting me. As a therapist, shouldn’t she have been more adept at being—or at least appearing—present? I turned toward the toilet, feeling that heaving thing inside me. Somehow I’d managed to keep it at bay these past few days; I feared what might happen when I couldn’t any longer.

Sure enough, the restroom door flapped open, making us spin. An usher with prominent marionette lines at her mouth glanced at us before turning on the sink. As she soaped her hands, I stared at Rachel, smoldering. The left side of my roommate’s face jumped.

“I’m sorry,” she said, when the usher left. “I know this is hard, and we can talk more about this later. Okay? You wouldn’t want to miss what your brother’s girlfriend has to say, right?”

“No,” I relented, following Rachel out of the bathroom stall. My breath and heartbeat had smoothed by now, but my legs still felt liquid. I paused at the mirror to swipe at the bruise-colored hollows beneath my eyes. Today, their gray shade looked like an absence of color, a photograph negative. “Of course not.”

Mom, Dad, and I were the last to leave, just as the ushers descended on the tray of picked-over cucumber sandwiches. In line to exit the parking garage, Dad drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. It took him a few tries, inserting his parking slip into the stern metal machine mouth, until our fee registered.

“Third time’s the charm,” he said to the parking attendant who glared down at him from her glass tower. How would she feel if she knew this man had just left his son’s funeral? Would she dare look at him like that?

Mom sat silently in the passenger seat, rubbing her temples like she did when she felt a migraine coming on. As Dad eased us onto the main road, streetlights slivered in through the windows, illuminating the half-empty backseat. Dane always sat to my left. When he was little, he’d kick the back of Dad’s seat during long road trips. Dad would roar, threaten to pull over and make us change seats. These days, all I saw were the gashes that Dane had left in my life. I ran a finger around the rim of the cup holder between our seats, my throat thickening.

“Well,” Dad said, “I thought some of those speeches were really heartfelt. That kid from his class—Jordan?”

“Jacob,” Mom said. She didn’t turn to face him.

“Jacob, that’s right. Hope he’ll be coming to Dane’s showcase next month. But I didn’t see Dane’s friend Lauren. Did she make it?”

“I’m not sure.”

Silence.

“Anyway,” said Dad, trying again, “I thought the funeral home did a nice job putting everything on, didn’t you, Holly?”

“Yeah,” I said, at the same time that Mom said, “Hardly, Arthur. The food was mediocre and the sound system was unreliable. The floral arrangements were the only redeeming part of the event, and that’s only because Maura graciously stepped in and offered her services.”

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bantam (February 7, 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593500253
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593500255
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.1 x 0.7 x 7.9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #640,092 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #9,960 in Murder Thrillers
- #11,357 in Psychological Thrillers (Books)
- #32,286 in Suspense Thrillers

Customer Reviews:
3.6 169 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

K. L. Cerra

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

As a licensed marriage and family therapist, K. L. uses her writing to explore the complexities—and the darker sides—of relationships. She lives with her husband in a small beach town outside of Los Angeles. When not writing or seeing clients, K. L. is likely walking her Boston terrier or exploring the local botanical gardens.

Customer reviews

3.6 out of 5

169 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Reviews with images

See all photos

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Meme Shanae

Interesting Psychological Thriller!!!

Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2023

This novel has an eerie, dark, gothic type atmosphere going but nothing about it was to scary or chilling. Honestly the book was really meh the entire time.

In the beginning it held my attention but started getting repetitive and lost me a bit. The pacing was up and down and a lot of questions I had didn’t really get answered until the end. Which kind of left me disappointed because I didn’t get the clarity I was looking for.

The MC Holly made the worse choices and really irked my nerves a lot. For instance she moved in with Maura who was her brother’s girlfriend/fiancé which was cool. However, she ended up having this weird attraction to Maura and they kiss/sleep together. I didn’t like how the plot changed up here because the whole reason she moved in was to investigate her brothers death. Yet we get a lot of chapters with her pining over Maura thinking nothing of Dane.

Holly knew Maura was a psychopath but when given the opportunity to run and save her own life she stays to play a game and have drinks. If I had assumptions somebody killed my brother and might try to kill me I’m not about to be buddy buddy with them. So, of course Maura puts something in the drink. I was yelling at the pages like come on sis you not really about to stay are you? Holly literally fell for everything so it’s hard to believe she escaped.

Overall, the book was okay a little predictable but engaging enough to read. Definitely something that can be read during spooky szn. If you’re into dark psychological thrillers this might be for you but proceed with caution and lower expectations. Special thanks to the author, @randomhouse #bantam , & @netgalley for my advanced copy!!!

Rating: 3.5⭐️

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Cammieoh

Meh!

Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2023

Verified Purchase

I love Savannah which is why I read this book and while there is some ambiance created that puts the reader in the environment the overall story is just odd. I kept reading hoping there was some interesting twist but no- it was predictable the whole way through

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

barbara glenn

strange but totally unique

Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2023

Verified Purchase

I thought the book was very well written
I could not put it down.The author described the characters s it was easy to visualize them.
The setting in Savannah was spot on!

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Changley Cavins

Would be a pretty cool movie too!

Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2023

First, let's take a moment to acknowledge how gorgeous the cover of this book is—so beautiful!
Now, onto the book. This was a unique read for me. I haven't come across anything quite like it. I'm currently on a thriller kick, and the books I've been reading boast plot twists. While I felt like I saw this one coming from a mile away, the entire concept behind the book is unique (especially for someone like me who knows little about plants). I think it would make for a pretty cool movie!

Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2024

What a dark, twisty ride. I really appreciated Cerra's fresh voice in the genre. I felt I was seeing situations and locations that hadn't been done to death. The intrigue carried me along, and the personal dynamics between the characters felt real (and made me quite uncomfortable...in a good way). My only problem was that I felt the ending happend a little too quickly and felt unclimactic. I was expecting a bigger finish from such a great tense buildup throughout the book.
But I am definitely looking forward to Cerra's next book. Maybe they'll stick the landing a little better on the next one.

Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2023

Holly is a woman in Savannah. She is at a crossroads as er roommates are planning on getting their own place with would leave her homeless. Her job at the library is boring. She’s not close to her parents. Her best and only friend is her brother. Unfortunately, her brother gets a fiancé — Maura. Maura is everything Holly isn’t: posh, seductive, and mysterious, she’s a florist with a ritzy inner circle and a townhouse. when her brother commits suicide, Holly feels guilty for not answering his final, cryptic text message and decides to investigate by faking friendship with her almost in-law as a way to get into her house and snoop through his things. But as Maura and Holly get closer, Holly starts losing control over her life and her reality. How much influence does Maura have over Holly? When Holly discovers secrets that could end up as dangerous for her as they were for her brother will she survive?

The author has written a creepy, compelling, terrifying, and original psychological suspense that grabbed me from the first page and held tight until the last page. Reading this suspenseful novel kept me not wanting to stop reading. It’s a mystery I won’t forget.

Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley . I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own

Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2023

Verified Purchase

I loved this book!! It was definitely amazing worth a read. You will love this book. Best read of 2022 for me

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Permanently_Booked

Creepily Entertaining

Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2023

Such Pretty Flowers by K.L. Cerra is not what I expected. Holly is trying to parse together the events that led to her brother's morbid suicide/death. As Holly gets closer to her brother's ex, things start to get very weird. I'm talking Mexican Gothic level weird. The author did an excellent job building suspense and the body horror additions were pretty awesome. This is a bit slower than I'd like but the reveal made it worth the journey.

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English

Amazoncustomer86

sloooooow

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 26, 2024

Verified Purchase

Story was all didn’t really have any exciting parts, loved the characters and it was well written just not much of a plot

Mikka Liest

Southern Gothic

Reviewed in Germany on March 27, 2023

Verified Purchase

Der grausame Tod ihres Bruders hat Holly schwer mitgenommen. Kurz bevor er starb, schickte er ihr eine letzte Nachricht mit den Worten »Get it out of me« und schlitzte sich dann mutmaßlich selbst auf brutale Weise auf. Die Polizei geht von einem Selbstmord aus, der durch eine psychotische Störung ausgelöst wurde. Holly hingegen vermutet eine Gewalttat, die möglicherweise mit Danes Freundin Maura zu tun hat. Um die Wahrheit herauszufinden, freundet sie sich mit Maura an - und entwickelt Gefühle für die geheimnisvolle Schönheit. Bald erkennt Holly jedoch, dass sie in Gefahr läuft, dasselbe Schicksal wie ihr Bruder zu erleiden.

»Such Pretty Flowers« erzählt eine Geschichte des verführerischen Grusels und erzeugt eine fast viszerale Horror-Atmosphäre, ohne auf billige Schockeffekte zurückzugreifen.

Die Charaktere sind gut geschrieben, insbesondere Maura. Sie ist attraktiv, charmant und intelligent, strahlt jedoch eine beinahe unbehagliche Intensität aus. ihre 'Geschäftspartner' bringen ihr eine kultähnliche Verehrung entgegen. Gleichzeitig zeigt sie auch Verletzlichkeit und eine Angst vor dem Verlassenwerden, was ihrer Figur Tiefe verleiht.

Obwohl mir der Roman insgesamt viel Spaß gemacht hat und ich ihn gerne gelesen habe, gibt es ein paar Punkte, die mich nicht vollständig überzeugt haben.

Hollys naives Verhalten bei Gefahr erscheint manchmal nicht ganz konsistent mit dem, was bisher über sie erzählt wurde. Es wirkt eher wie ein aufgesetztes Hilfsmittel, um die Handlung voranzutreiben, als eine realistische Charakterschwäche. Auch hätte die Autorin die Geschwisterdynamik zwischen Holly und Dane meiner Meinung nach deutlicher ausarbeiten können, um der Geschichte mehr Tiefgang zu verleihen.

Schließlich lässt das Ende ein wichtiges Handlungselement offen und erscheint dadurch etwas überstürzt. Es mag zwar eine Verneigung vor typisch ambivalenten Horrorfilm-Enden sein, wirkte jedoch auf mich nicht vollständig geglückt.

Translate review to English

Georgia

Unusual, yet I couldn’t stop reading

Reviewed in Australia on May 27, 2023

Verified Purchase

The main character draws you in, makes you want to know more. And in a twisted sequence of events, I couldn’t stop reading.

See more reviews

Return this item for free

Return this item for free

Image Unavailable

Follow the author