The First to Die

by Suzanne M. Trauth

Connie Tucker, a free-spirited beach bartender, has been estranged from her family in New Jersey ever since her actress mother, Simone, disappeared one night during a violent storm at the theatre where she was rehearsing. Uncontrollable and in a rage at the loss of her parent, fifteen-year-old Connie is exiled to California, due to her delinquent behavior, to live with an aunt she doesn’t know. Now, fifteen years later, Simone’s murdered remains are discovered at a construction site and Connie returns to the east coast for the funeral—she owes it to her mother. The cold case unit will take over now and solve the crime. But then she discovers a message her mother left behind. It feels like a dispatch from the grave. Connie must face her tortured past, the guilt of concealing a devastating secret, and the part she played in her mother's disappearance. Unearthing buried family history and childhood demons, she confronts the agonizing reality that she doesn’t know where she belongs, where to call home. Who to trust. When a second suspicious death occurs, Connie races to unravel the events of the night Simone disappeared. Her mother was the first to die…but not the last.

334 pages, Paperback

First published November 18, 2025

About the author

Suzanne Trauth is a novelist, playwright, and nonfiction writer. Her novels include The First to Die, What Remains of Love (a first place winner in Women's Fiction, Firebird Book Awards; a finalist in General Fiction, American Book Festival; and a finalist for the Hemingway Prize) and the Dodie O'Dell mystery series--Show Time, Time Out, Running out of Time, Just in Time, No More Time, and Killing Time.

Her plays include Françoise, Midwives, Rehearsing Desire, La Fonda, Three Sisters Under the Hood, Laws of the Universe, iDream, supported by the National Science Foundation’s STEM initiative on science and technology, and Katrina: the K Word, based on interviews with New Orleans’ survivors of Hurricane Katrina, and produced in over a dozen venues throughout the United States.

Her screenplays have won awards in competition and she has co-authored Sonia Moore and American Acting Training and co-edited Katrina on Stage: Five Plays. Suzanne is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, the Dramatists Guild, and the League of Professional Theatre Women.

Reviews

[Caryl Janis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Right from the first page, this gripping mystery is hard to put down as young Connie Tucker is driven to find her mother’s killer—her beloved actress mother whose remains are discovered fifteen years after she disappeared from the theater when a raging storm cut power to the building. Connie returns to New Jersey and undertakes the difficult process of reconnecting with family, friends, and places from the past while unraveling disturbing secrets and contemplating heartbreaking suspicions. Considered to be a cold case by the authorities, it is anything but for Connie who dives deeper into the mystery and increasingly puts herself in the path of life-threatening danger as she seeks answers and, ultimately, finds the truth in a shocking climax. Great characters, a plot with deft twists and turns, and a narrative that is beautifully written all make this a winner.

[Meg G · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were many times the author surprised me - ALL IN GREAT ways. The characters jumped off the page and the twists and turns in the storyline kept one guessing. I highly recommend this book along with other books by this author. Excellent.

[Nicolette Vajtay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great little mystery with a creep factor! I enjoyed it very much, and in the end, got it wrong.

[Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The First to Die is a really great read! It has so many twists and potential paths to go down when trying to solve the mystery yourself. I highly recommend it!