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Karen Neary Smithson
Karen Leigh Charles
Mystery Author
&
Artist
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About Me
My Bio
Writing had never been on my radar. My passion was art--I wanted to be a painter--but not a starving artist. So I experienced a variety of careers, such as a child advocate, a human rights commissioner, and an art educator. Somewhere along the line, I began writing and found the act of creating my own world magical. I write traditional mysteries under the name Karen Neary Smithson and 'cozy' mysteries as Karen Leigh Charles. I still paint, and my work has been exhibited in local galleries and shows. I'm also a numismatic and am crazy about ancient coins of the Hellenistic period and the Roman Empire. I've been known to pop up as an extra in Baltimore-based movies and television shows. I love the beach and spend many hours there planning and writing my stories. I live with my husband and three rescued turned show cats in Ellicott City, Maryland.
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Teenage girls are being murdered in Los Angeles. Four in one week. The latest victim isn't like the others--not a runaway or prostitute--but a nanny working for a celebrity couple. This has Sibeal "Beth" Getty perplexed.
Beth, an Irish-born fashion model gifted with an uncanny sixth sense, was acquainted with the nanny. The veiled motive for the deaths haunts Beth, and after reading the nanny's stolen diary, she is determined to unravel the mystery of the slain teens. With a healthy dose of determination and her intuition in high gear, Beth forges onward. She begins to link unconnected details and stumbles into a tangled web of deception that makes it clear that nothing is as it seems. Help comes from an unexpected source when Beth's self-centered actress friend offers a lead and a hand in solving the crime.
As Beth inches closer to detecting the murderer's true identity, will she be the next victim on the killer's list?
Death in Disguise is a brilliantly wtitten mystery that pulls the reader head-first into the pages with an eclectic array of well-drawn characters. The story unfolds at a rapid pace and builds intrigue and suspense. The ending will blow you away.
~ Kim Hamilton, author of Accidental Lawyer
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A stunning debut! Death in Disguise had me hooked from the first page. With a varied cast of characters, and one twist after another, fasten your seat belts for a thrilling ride!
~ Shawn Reilly Simmons, author of the Red Carpet Catering
Mysteries
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Death in Disguise is everything I could ever want in a mind boggling mystery. I was pulled in from the beginning and amazed by the ending, which I never saw coming. There are several plots going on at the same time in this very well written, exciting book. I really loved Death in Disguise.
~Trudi LoPresto for Readers' Favorite
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Big Title
Irish-born fashion model Sibeal "Beth" Getty's sixth sense never issued a warning that her romantic honeymoon in Venice would be derailed by a murder. Beth's discovery of a body floating in a canal with a carnival mask glued to the victim's face was bad enough., but when her detective husband warns her to leave the investigation to the police, she becomes more determined to unravel the puzzle. She believes the mask is sending a cryptic message, but to whom, and does the intriguing tattoo on the dead man's arm offer a hint? Knowing that melding in the case will cause marital friction, Beth cannot abandon the call of her gift--her fey--her second sight which is signaling her to join the search for the elusive killer.
Will Beth's fate be sealed to a watery Grave with her face obscured by a Carnival Mask?
