Beth Is Dead

 

What if Little Women opened with a murder? Forget the scarlet fever. In this timeline, the tragedy is far more sinister.

In Beth Is Dead, Katie Bernet takes the beloved bones of Little Women and transplants them into a high-stakes contemporary mystery. When Beth March is found murdered on New Year’s morning, her sisters don't just mourn. They act.

Even before the tragedy, the March family was already reeling. Their father, an author, published a controversial book detailing his daughters' private lives. The fallout was immediate. Robert became a target of cancel culture, and the girls were thrust into a harsh, unasked-for spotlight. Between the public vitriol and physical threats, Robert was forced into hiding, leaving the family fractured and vulnerable long before the first drop of blood was spilled.

Bernet does a fantastic job modernizing the March girls while keeping their core spirits intact. Meg is a focused pre-med student, Jo is the headstrong writer we adore, and Amy is a "wild child" artist with a sharp edge. The plot centers on a web of suspects that includes everyone from Meg’s boyfriend, to their missing father, to the sisters themselves. It explores deep themes of sisterhood, the weight of grief, and the secrets we keep within a family.

For a debut novel, this is incredibly polished. The pacing is tight and it’s filled with emotion. While I easily guessed the killer and their motive, it didn't take away from my enjoyment. This book is less about a shocking twist and more about the heart and the character dynamics that made the original so enduring. It’s an impressive, seamless update to a classic.

The full-cast narration by Caitlin Kelly, Emily Tremaine, Ferdelle Capistrano, and Piper Goodeve is excellent. Having distinct voices for each sister is essential for a story with four teenage protagonists. They perfectly capture the balance between the sisters' classic roots and their modern struggles.

This is an interesting, heart-filled take on a classic that fans of the original novel or movie adaptations will love.

Many thanks to Simon Audio for the complimentary listening copy! Beth Is Dead is available now. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

QOTD: Which classic would you actually want to see turned into a mystery?

#yamystery

#littlewomenretelling

#audiobooklover

#bookstagrammystery

#simonaudio

About the Author

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.