Die Smiling

“A cannot-put-down thriller that’s dark, edgy and intense . . . Another great addition to this stunning series” from the author of Dark Places (Fresh Fiction). Die Young Hilde Swensen is a beauty pageant queen with a face to die for and a body to kill for. But by the time Detective Claire Morgan finds her in a shower stall—posed like a grotesquely grinning doll—Hilde is anything but pretty. She’s the victim of a sick, deranged killer. And she won’t be the last . . . Die Beautiful Brianna Swenson is the beauty queen’s sister—and the girlfriend of Claire’s partner. She tells Claire that Hilde had plenty of enemies, including a creepy stalker, an abusive ex-boyfriend, and a slew of jealous competitors. But what she doesn’t say is that they both shared a dark, disturbing secret. A secret that refuses to die . . . Die Smiling From the after-hours parties of a sinister funeral home to the underworld vendettas of the Miami mob, Claire follows the trail with her lover, a psychiatrist with secrets of his own. But it’s not until she uncovers evidence of unspeakable acts of depravity that Claire realizes she’s just become a diabolical killer’s next target . . . Praise for the Claire Morgan series “A tough, no-nonsense detective with a well-hidden vulnerable side . . . edgy, clever!” —Beverly Barton, New York Times bestselling author “Chilling, compelling suspense . . . be prepared to lose sleep!” —Eileen Dreyer, New York Times bestselling author “A feisty new heroine to root for . . . Ladd is a bright