Death in Disguise: A Beth Getty Mystery is the first entry in a series by Karen Neary Smithson, a solid read that combines sleuthing, mystery, and crime into a satisfying read. Young girls are being murdered in Los Angeles and in a single week, four of them have been murdered. But the last victim, a nanny working for a celebrity couple, gets the Irish-born Sibeal, “Beth,” curious. She wants to find out what is happening and the stolen diary of the nanny gets her even more intrigued. Unskilled and relying solely on her sixth sense and gut instinct, Beth sets out to uncover the real face of the killer. Even with the help she receives, can she unmask the killer before she becomes the next victim?

Karen Neary Smithson creates a very interesting female protagonist and I enjoy it when women take the lead in fighting for justice. The protagonist becomes even more interesting by her vulnerability. She isn’t a trained detective, which means she quickly gets herself into the wrong places and uses methods that are unconventional to seek out the truth. She is a character most likely to win the sympathy of readers more than professionals in the field. Death in Disguise: A Beth Getty Mystery is well plotted and it starts with a moment of crisis, a strong premise. A psychopath is out there targeting young females and the threat of killing more victims grows by the day. The prose is crisp. The suspense is exacting and the entire narrative is filled with intense emotional moments. Death in Disguise is realistic, fast, and enticing.

Death in Disguise will wake up your inner sleuth as you walk through clues to the murder, but you'll never guess who really did it. This book is a great mystery with a likeable protagonist who is spunky and inquisitive. Read along and immerse yourself in the world of Karen Neary Smithson. You won't regret it.

Death In Disguise by Karen Neary Smithson is a mystery novel that combines the finesse of an expert investigation with the engaging attempts of an amateur sleuth. When dead bodies of teenage prostitutes begin piling up, former fashion model Beth Getty's "fey" (aka sixth sense) insists that she can find the culprit. With her detective husband, Shane, on the case, she feels even more motivated to crack the case and help him out. And when the nanny of her actress friend, Skye Andrews, is murdered, Beth knows she cannot rest until the killer is behind bars. The complexity of the case is further increased by the fact that everyone seems to have a motive to kill the nanny: her employer, her stalkerish lover, her current lover, and a disturbed woman. To make matters worse, Shane is adamant that Beth should stay away from the investigation. Although torn between her dedication toward her husband and her determination to solve the case, Beth finds it impossible to stay back while the killer continues the needless massacre.

A sleuth mystery novel works best when the author leaves breadcrumbs for readers to find clues with the amateur detective. Even though Death In Disguise reveals the killer quickly, there is a hidden layer behind the revelation that adds a shocking surprise in the end. The glamorous lives of upper-class society provide a distraction from the investigation. Whether it was the self-centered actress Skye or her equally self-involved husband Zach, each character has something memorable about them. Karen Neary Smithson hides her clues in conversations, human emotions, and amusing drama. There are surprising twists and impressive narration to hold the audience captive. The author has tied all the threads together logically to ensure that the story has no loose ends. Even though Death In Disguise is the second book of the Beth Getty Mystery series, it can be read as a standalone.