Book Release Date: Tuesday, January 6th, 2026
Get your copy by clicking on simonandschuster.com
Get your copy by clicking on simonandschuster.com
Synopsis of "Beth is Dead" by Katie Bernet:
Beth March’s sisters are determined to find her killer—until their investigation begins to point back at them—in this “brilliantly snappy… electrifying” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) modern reimagining of Little Women.
After Beth is found dead in the woods on New Year’s Day, the March sisters vow to uncover the truth. Suspects are everywhere: a neighbor with tangled feelings, Meg’s manipulative best friend, Amy’s flirtatious mentor, and even Beth’s devoted first love. But as Meg, Jo, and Amy dig deeper, they uncover unsettling motives of their own.
Jo, a rising author hungry for attention, Amy, desperate for funds meant for Beth, and Meg, fiercely protective of her boyfriend, all have something to hide. And with the family still reeling from their father’s explosive bestseller about them, the killer could easily be someone outside the home.
Interwoven with Beth’s flashbacks, the sisters’ increasingly fraught investigation exposes secrets that may tear the March family apart.
Katie Bernet is an author based in Dallas, Texas. An award-winning creative director and longtime member of the DFW Writers’ Workshop, she also serves as director of the 2025 DFW Writers’ Conference. The eldest of three sisters, she’s a devoted Little Women fan.
Here is the Novelpro Junkie interview with Katie Bernet on her book, Beth is Dead:
Beth March’s sisters are determined to find her killer—until their investigation begins to point back at them—in this “brilliantly snappy… electrifying” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) modern reimagining of Little Women.
After Beth is found dead in the woods on New Year’s Day, the March sisters vow to uncover the truth. Suspects are everywhere: a neighbor with tangled feelings, Meg’s manipulative best friend, Amy’s flirtatious mentor, and even Beth’s devoted first love. But as Meg, Jo, and Amy dig deeper, they uncover unsettling motives of their own.
Jo, a rising author hungry for attention, Amy, desperate for funds meant for Beth, and Meg, fiercely protective of her boyfriend, all have something to hide. And with the family still reeling from their father’s explosive bestseller about them, the killer could easily be someone outside the home.
Interwoven with Beth’s flashbacks, the sisters’ increasingly fraught investigation exposes secrets that may tear the March family apart.
Katie Bernet is an author based in Dallas, Texas. An award-winning creative director and longtime member of the DFW Writers’ Workshop, she also serves as director of the 2025 DFW Writers’ Conference. The eldest of three sisters, she’s a devoted Little Women fan.
Here is the Novelpro Junkie interview with Katie Bernet on her book, Beth is Dead:
1. List three adjectives to describe your book “Beth is Dead”?
Gripping, heartfelt, contemporary
2. What is the genesis of “Beth is Dead”?
My first memory of “Little Women” comes from elementary school. I was having a slumber party at my best friend’s house, and her older sister was crying in front of the TV, because Beth had just died. Before I knew anything else about Louisa May Alcott’s classic story, I knew that Beth March would die. I think that’s partly why it felt so natural, years later, for me to reimagine the story as a mystery-thriller in which Beth is murdered in chapter one. The concept gave me a chance to explore the meaning of Beth’s death and the impact of her absence on her sisters.
3. Was “Beth is Dead” the original title or were there other titles?
I started with a different working title—one that I won’t share because it’s, well, boring. But I like to joke that Jo March had the idea for the title “Beth Is Dead,” because I thought of it while I was writing the scene in which Jo comes up with a name for the novel she’s writing in the story.
4. How long did it take you to write the first draft of “Beth is Dead”?
The first draft of “Beth Is Dead” took me about two years—but my first drafts are not really first drafts, because I have a habit of backing up. I tend to revise after hitting a quarter, half, and three quarters, which can definitely slow me down, but I end up having a pretty polished first draft.
5. What was your favorite scene to write?
Beth’s death scene was the hardest to write but also my favorite. The book is written from the perspectives of all four March sisters, and Beth’s death is written through her eyes. This scene really forced me to examine the meaning of her passing and be with her in that moment.
6. Were there alternate endings you considered for “Beth is Dead”?
No. I knew from page one how I wanted the book to end, and while many things changed during the drafting process, the ending never did.
7.Which character from the novel was the most challenging to write and why?
Jo was definitely the most challenging to modernize. In the original, her personality clashes with societal expectations in the 1800s—but Jo fits right into Gen Z. I did a lot of searching to figure out what her struggle would be in a society that encourages women to be independent, ambitious, and headstrong.
8. What was the most surprising thing you learned when writing “Beth is Dead”?
I love this question, because I learned something I never expected to learn. Before writing “Beth Is Dead,” I wasn’t a huge fan of Beth March. I thought she was too sweet, too passive, too flat. But as I researched her character and wrote from her perspective, I began to see the truth. In Alcott’s original, Beth knows she’s going to die, and in the face of that horror, she remains calm and kind and continues to put others before herself. She’s far more nuanced than I realized, and I think she might be braver than Jo.
9. (Without spoiler) Which part of the novel gave you writer’s block and how did you get over it?
I don’t really believe in writer’s block (I think it’s a form of procrastination), but I had a very hard time weaving all the threads of the mystery together. It required a lot of trial and error and a few different spreadsheets.
10. If (or when) “Beth is Dead” becomes a film or TV series, what scene would you be looking forward to seeing on the screen?
Ooh this is a hard one. There are so many scenes I’d love to see on the silver screen, but I think I’d choose an argument between Beth and Amy that unfolds toward the end of the novel. A lot of people think of Amy and Jo as foils, but I actually think they’re two sides of the same coin. Beth and Amy are true opposites, and that makes for a great fight.
11. Would you consider making a cameo in the adaptation?
Never say never.
12. Have you watched any of the film adaptations of “Little Women”? If so, which one?
Greta Gerwig’s adaptation is my favorite by a long shot. She did such a beautiful job of respecting the original while reinterpreting the story, and she showcased the importance of all four March sisters—not just Jo.
13. If you have your own talk show, who would your first three guests be (dead or alive)?
Louisa May Alcott (duh), because I’d love to discuss “Little Women” with the woman who actually imagined it. Margaret Atwood, because I can’t get enough of her writing and respect her career journey. And Reese Witherspoon, because I’m in awe of the space she’s carved for women in the literary world.
14. What book did you read because everyone was reading it?
“Beach Read” by Emily Henry. And wow, I’m so glad I did. Emily Henry’s books are so well written and just plain fun.
15. Could you give a sneak peek on your next book project?
I’m writing another reimagining of a literary classic as a mystery-thriller. I won’t say which one just yet, but it has been so much fun to dive deep into another beloved story.
16. Last question, if author Louisa May Alcott was still alive, what would you hope she will take away from the reimagining of her characters? And in “Beth is Dead” in general?
Alcott’s characters have been stereotyped over time, and I wanted to remind readers that the March sisters are layered and nuanced. I hope she would appreciate that.
Gripping, heartfelt, contemporary
2. What is the genesis of “Beth is Dead”?
My first memory of “Little Women” comes from elementary school. I was having a slumber party at my best friend’s house, and her older sister was crying in front of the TV, because Beth had just died. Before I knew anything else about Louisa May Alcott’s classic story, I knew that Beth March would die. I think that’s partly why it felt so natural, years later, for me to reimagine the story as a mystery-thriller in which Beth is murdered in chapter one. The concept gave me a chance to explore the meaning of Beth’s death and the impact of her absence on her sisters.
3. Was “Beth is Dead” the original title or were there other titles?
I started with a different working title—one that I won’t share because it’s, well, boring. But I like to joke that Jo March had the idea for the title “Beth Is Dead,” because I thought of it while I was writing the scene in which Jo comes up with a name for the novel she’s writing in the story.
4. How long did it take you to write the first draft of “Beth is Dead”?
The first draft of “Beth Is Dead” took me about two years—but my first drafts are not really first drafts, because I have a habit of backing up. I tend to revise after hitting a quarter, half, and three quarters, which can definitely slow me down, but I end up having a pretty polished first draft.
5. What was your favorite scene to write?
Beth’s death scene was the hardest to write but also my favorite. The book is written from the perspectives of all four March sisters, and Beth’s death is written through her eyes. This scene really forced me to examine the meaning of her passing and be with her in that moment.
6. Were there alternate endings you considered for “Beth is Dead”?
No. I knew from page one how I wanted the book to end, and while many things changed during the drafting process, the ending never did.
7.Which character from the novel was the most challenging to write and why?
Jo was definitely the most challenging to modernize. In the original, her personality clashes with societal expectations in the 1800s—but Jo fits right into Gen Z. I did a lot of searching to figure out what her struggle would be in a society that encourages women to be independent, ambitious, and headstrong.
8. What was the most surprising thing you learned when writing “Beth is Dead”?
I love this question, because I learned something I never expected to learn. Before writing “Beth Is Dead,” I wasn’t a huge fan of Beth March. I thought she was too sweet, too passive, too flat. But as I researched her character and wrote from her perspective, I began to see the truth. In Alcott’s original, Beth knows she’s going to die, and in the face of that horror, she remains calm and kind and continues to put others before herself. She’s far more nuanced than I realized, and I think she might be braver than Jo.
9. (Without spoiler) Which part of the novel gave you writer’s block and how did you get over it?
I don’t really believe in writer’s block (I think it’s a form of procrastination), but I had a very hard time weaving all the threads of the mystery together. It required a lot of trial and error and a few different spreadsheets.
10. If (or when) “Beth is Dead” becomes a film or TV series, what scene would you be looking forward to seeing on the screen?
Ooh this is a hard one. There are so many scenes I’d love to see on the silver screen, but I think I’d choose an argument between Beth and Amy that unfolds toward the end of the novel. A lot of people think of Amy and Jo as foils, but I actually think they’re two sides of the same coin. Beth and Amy are true opposites, and that makes for a great fight.
11. Would you consider making a cameo in the adaptation?
Never say never.
12. Have you watched any of the film adaptations of “Little Women”? If so, which one?
Greta Gerwig’s adaptation is my favorite by a long shot. She did such a beautiful job of respecting the original while reinterpreting the story, and she showcased the importance of all four March sisters—not just Jo.
13. If you have your own talk show, who would your first three guests be (dead or alive)?
Louisa May Alcott (duh), because I’d love to discuss “Little Women” with the woman who actually imagined it. Margaret Atwood, because I can’t get enough of her writing and respect her career journey. And Reese Witherspoon, because I’m in awe of the space she’s carved for women in the literary world.
14. What book did you read because everyone was reading it?
“Beach Read” by Emily Henry. And wow, I’m so glad I did. Emily Henry’s books are so well written and just plain fun.
15. Could you give a sneak peek on your next book project?
I’m writing another reimagining of a literary classic as a mystery-thriller. I won’t say which one just yet, but it has been so much fun to dive deep into another beloved story.
16. Last question, if author Louisa May Alcott was still alive, what would you hope she will take away from the reimagining of her characters? And in “Beth is Dead” in general?
Alcott’s characters have been stereotyped over time, and I wanted to remind readers that the March sisters are layered and nuanced. I hope she would appreciate that.
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