Such Pretty Flowers: A Novel

by K. L. Cerra

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.

• ISBN10: 0593500253
• ISBN13: 9780593500255
• Publish Date: 7 February 2023
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Random House USA Inc
• Imprint: Random House Inc
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 336
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780593500255

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

Book Summary:

Holly's entire world is changed from the moment she learns of her brother's death – an apparent suicide. He had been dealing with mental health concerns, so this wasn't as shocking as it might have been. There's only one problem – the last text he sent her right before he died:

"Get it out of me."

In a fit of determination, Holly decides to get closer to Dane's fiance. After all, she was likely the one to do something to Dane if something nefarious was going on. The problem with this plan is that Holly has now put herself precisely in Dane's previous position: imminent danger.

My Review:

Oh wow. On the one hand, I can totally see why people are gushing about Such Pretty Flowers. It's got everything – gothic horror vibes, body horror elements, an air of mystery, and a promise of LGBT characters.

Only this book hits hard. Perhaps a little too hard for me. It made me want to keep my distance from the plot, even as I worked through it. I had theories from the beginning, and I'm sure every other reader will, which was enough to keep me invested until the end.

The thing I loved the most about Such Pretty Flowers has to be the setting. There are some serious horror aesthetics going on, and it is lovely. From the first page, it feels like you've been dumped face-first into a horror tale – and you have. Thankfully not literally. No, thank you.

Highlights:
Gothic Horror
LGBT+
Aesthetics

Trigger Warnings:
Suicide
Mental Health Concerns
Body Horror

Thanks to Bantam and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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