BETH IS DEAD, by Katie Bernet, Sarah Barley Books / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Jan. 6, 2026, Hardcover, $19.99 (young adult, ages 14 and up)
Beth March has been murdered, and sisters Jo, Amy and Meg will stop at nothing to find the killer, even if it’s one of them, in Beth is Dead, by Katie Bernet.
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. —Synopsis provided by Sarah Barley Books / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Whenever I read a book based on or inspired by another, I can’t help wonder what the source author would think of the new work. Would they be proud? Insulted? Happy? Devastated? There’s really no way to know, but I think in the case of Beth is Dead, Louisa May Alcott would at least be intrigued.
Beth is Dead is a bold, YA mystery that reimagines Little Women in a unique and somewhat dark way.
The story unfolds from the points of view of each of the sisters then (including Beth) and now. It’s all done in first person. And it works. In fact, it gives the book an intimate feel, where you really get to know what drives each of the sisters.
And while Beth is Dead is a mystery, it’s also an exploration of family, wealth, status and expectations. It’s a beautifully complex read that will appeal to readers both familiar and new to the March family. It’s an unexpected read that’s sure to give you big feelings.
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