Death in Disguise - Overview

Karen Neary Smithson latest novel "Death in Disguise (A Beth Getty Mystery Book 1)" is a gripping crime thriller set in the Los Angeles area about a series of murders of teenage victims.  Sibeal "Beth" Getty, of Irish descent, and of international supermodel fame, becomes obsessed with the brutal crimes when the nanny of one of her closest friends ends up being one of the murderer’s victims. Beth discovers how small the world can be when her best friend and Super Star actress, Skye Andrews’ nanny is found dead on Skye's living room floor.

At the beginning of the book, we find out that Beth is married to Shane Dalton who is a detective with the Los Angeles Sheriff Department. As Shane and his partner tackle these grisly murders, his wife Beth and her friend Skye, take it upon themselves to find the nanny's killer and to make sure to clear Skye's name. We also find out not all press is good press in Hollywood as Skye bemoans " I’ll be the prime suspect, like for a blink of an eye—but long enough to plant a seed of doubt. My career may never recover.”

Smithson opens her beguiling and imaginative novel with a prologue that describes one of the killer’s diabolic murders. She vividly recounts the pleading and hopelessness of a young woman who is being taunted by her captor before he kills her. These first few dark pages set the tempo for the novel and sucks you into Smithson intriguing tale.

Beth and Skye set their mind to exposing the killer’s identity and will not be deterred. When the Nanny's diary winds up in their hands, more clues are revealed that they hope will provide answers to who might be behind this rampage of killings. Smithson adds some spicy red herrings into her novel adding another level of complexity to the story.  We find Beth with her grinding ambition and remarkable proclivity for discovering the truth is clearly a threat to the murderer.  Affairs, and dalliances with the domestic help, are just a few examples of what Smithson uses to keep you guessing on the killer's motive and just who the killer may be. Her writing takes the high road and steers clear of the overly steamy or gratuitous sex scenes.

 Karen Neary Smithson does an exceptional job of breathing life into the cadres of characters she created. Smithson offers an intimate look into the privileged lives of the rich and famous and takes us on a harrowing ride of danger and suspense. Will Beth and Skye find the killer in time? Will her "Fey" keep the both of them out of harm's way as she meddles in life and death matters? It could be a race to the end to see if the killer gets to them first.