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by Katie Bernet
Beth March's sisters will stop at nothing to track down her killer—until they begin to suspect each other—in this "brilliantly snappy…electrifying" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) debut thriller that's also a bold, contemporary reimagining of the beloved classic Little Women.
When Beth March is found dead in the woods on New Year's Day, her sisters vow to uncover her murderer.
Suspects abound. There's the neighbor who has feelings for not one but two of the girls. Meg's manipulative best friend. Amy's flirtatious mentor. And Beth's lionhearted first love. But it doesn't take the surviving sisters much digging to uncover motives each one of the March girls had for doing the unthinkable.
Jo, an aspiring author with a huge following on social media, would do anything to hook readers. Would she kill her sister for the story? Amy dreams of studying art in Europe, but she'll need money from her aunt—money that's always been earmarked for Beth. And Meg wouldn't dream of hurting her sister…but her boyfriend might have, and she'll protect him at all costs.
Despite the growing suspicion within the family, it's hard to know for sure if the crime was committed by someone close to home. After all, the March sisters were dragged into the spotlight months ago when their father published a controversial bestseller about his own daughters. Beth could have been killed by anyone.
Beth's perspective told in flashback unfolds next to Meg, Jo, and Amy's increasingly fraught investigation as the tragedy threatens to rip the Marches apart.
"One need not be familiar with Louisa May Alcott's work to appreciate debut author Bernet's brilliantly snappy contemporary riff on Little Women... . The cozy domesticity of the inspiration material is apparent throughout, and the girls' closely held—sometimes conflicting—desires and ambitions both honor Alcott's vision and add fuel to the fire of this electrifying whodunit." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Even teens who don't know Little Women will be engaged by this fast-paced and suspense-filled page turner. A thrilling take on a beloved story that will keep readers riveted." ―Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"A delightful reboot of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women ... well imagined and well executed." ―SLJ
"Bernet adeptly preserves the classic heartfelt and feminist atmosphere familiar to and beloved by the original Alcott readers, while offering a grounded modern setting that further brings each character to life... . Recommended for most contemporary teen collections." ―Booklist
"In her very first novel, Katie Bernet has done more than reimagine literary canon—modernizing one of the most beloved fictional families of all time—she's done it absurdly well. Beth is Dead is a propulsive whodunnit full of whip-smart dialogue and layered mysteries that unfold with perfect pacing. Fans of Alcott's original work will spot plenty of parallels and tips of the hat, but even those who've never read Little Women will find Beth is Dead to be thrilling and (dare I say it) unputdownable. This is the March sister remix you never knew you needed." ―David Arnold, New York Times bestselling author of Mosquitoland
"A gripping, cleverly rendered puzzle box of a book brimming with heart and sisterhood. The mystery makes the story impossible to put down, while the characters make this a book you won't want to say goodbye to." ―Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Once Upon a Broken Heart
This information about Beth Is Dead was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Katie Bernet lives in Dallas, Texas. As one of three sisters, she's a diehard fan of Little Women. Beth Is Dead is her debut novel.
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