Pretty Dead Queens - by Alexa Donne (Paperback)

About the Book

Not long after seventeen-year-old Cecelia Ellis arrives to live with her estranged grandmother in a coastal California town, the high school homecoming queen is found dead and Cecelia, fearing a copycat killer is on the loose, throws herself into the investigation.

Book Synopsis

The new homecoming queen is dead . . . and she's not the first unsolved murder at Seaview High. From the critically acclaimed author of The Ivies comes a nonstop YA thriller about a decades-old mystery, a copycat killer, and the teen who will stop at nothing to uncover the truth.

"Utterly savage." -Jessica Goodman, New York Times bestselling author of They'll Never Catch Us

"Hand this fast-paced thriller filled with plenty of twists and drama to fans of Holly Jackson or Karen M. McManus." -SLJ

A 2023 Edgar Award Nominee!

After the death of her mom (screw cancer), seventeen-year-old Cecelia Ellis goes to live with her estranged grandmother, a celebrated author whose Victorian mansion is as creepy as the murder mysteries she writes. On the surface, life is utterly ordinary in the California coastal town . . . until the homecoming queen is murdered. And she's not Seaview's first pretty dead queen.

With a copycat killer on the loose, Cecelia throws herself into the investigation, determined to crack the case like the heroines in her grandmother's books. But the more Cecelia digs into the town's secrets, the more she worries that her own mystery might not have a storybook ending.

Review Quotes

Praise for Pretty Dead Queens

"An intricately plotted whodunit that maintains suspense to the end." -Kirkus Reviews

"Donne sets up an irresistible premise for mystery lovers, blending toxic family legacies, small-town secrets, and true-crime culture into a twisty tale." -Booklist

"Perfect for...spooky season." -BuzzFeed

"Sharp as a knife and utterly savage, Pretty Dead Queens has an ending that will shock even the most astute mystery buffs." -Jessica Goodman, New York Times bestselling author of They'll Never Catch Us

"Compulsively readable and methodically plotted, Pretty Dead Queens is smart, twisted, and cozy--everything I love in a mystery." -J.Elle, New York Times bestselling author of Wings of Ebony

"Twisty, imaginative, and highly addictive, Pretty Dead Queens is Alexa Donne at her devious best. Packed with small-town secrets, family mysteries, and intrigue: be prepared to stay up well past your bedtime." -Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, author of All Eyes On Her and The Girls Are All So Nice Here

"Pretty Dead Queens crackles with wit, romance, and atmosphere! Set in a small town full of big lies and unsolved murders, this fast-paced whodunnit will keep you guessing as Cecelia, a whip-smart teen turned amateur investigator, risks everything to stop the killer and bring justice to the victims. A thriller to die for!" -Jennifer Lynn Alvarez, author of Lies Like Wildfire and Friends Like These

"A brain-bending, twisty tale in a picturesque, coastal town bursting with secrets, lies, and ultimate betrayals. The perfect blend of Hitchcock, Agatha Christie, and Jessica Fletcher--all brought to life with the deftness of Donne's razor-sharp insight into the dark side of human nature." -Jennieke Cohen, author of My Fine Fellow and Dangerous Alliance

"Donne has written a wicked, twisted high school horror-show that will keep you guessing until the very last page." -Brenna Ehrlich, author of Killing Time

"A twisted and deliciously messed-up YA thriller with a dead homecoming queen and a copycat killer that will keep you guessing to the end." --Darby Kane, #1 international bestselling author of Pretty Little Wife

About the Author

Alexa Donne is the author of Brightly Burning and The Stars We Steal, sci-fi romance retellings of classics set in space, and the YA thriller The Ivies, which Kirkus Reviews called "a thrilling boarding school story with a satirical edge." A graduate of Boston University, Alexa works in TV marketing and has done pro bono college admissions mentoring since 2014. A true INFJ, in her "free" time she mentors with WriteGirl, organizes the Author Mentor Match program, and runs one of the most popular writing advice channels on YouTube. She lives in Los Angeles with two fluffy ginger cats named after characters from YA literature. You can find her online at alexadonne.com.