Ghost Girl
| Ghost Girl | |
|---|---|
| Ghost Girl: Surviving the Black Swan Murder—A Memoir | |
| Author | Eva Benefield |
| Language | English |
| Country | United States |
| Subject | Memoir, true crime |
| Genre | Autobiography |
| Publisher | Gallery Books (Simon & Schuster) |
| Publication date | July 21, 2026 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover), e-book, audiobook |
| Pages | 272 pp |
| ISBN | 978-1-6680-4335-6 |
Ghost Girl: Surviving the Black Swan Murder—A Memoir is a 2026 memoir by American author and content creator Eva Benefield, published by Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. The book recounts Benefield's coming of age following the death of her mother, her father's brief and turbulent second marriage, and her father's murder in a case that became known in the media as the "Black Swan Murder."
Background
[edit]Eva Benefield is the daughter of Doug Benefield, a Charleston, South Carolina, businessman and Navy veteran who was shot and killed by his estranged wife, Ashley Byers (later Ashley Benefield), in September 2020. The case drew wide media attention, in part because of Ashley's background as a model and ballet dancer, and was nicknamed the "Black Swan Murder" in press coverage. Ashley Benefield was later convicted of manslaughter following a trial and sentenced to prison.
Synopsis
[edit]Benefield was still a teenager when her mother died suddenly of a heart attack. Within a year, her father married a much younger woman he had known only a short time, and the couple went on to found a ballet company in Charleston that ultimately failed financially. Their relationship deteriorated into a bitter custody dispute over their young daughter before Benefield's father was fatally shot. The book follows Benefield through her father's death, her stepmother's murder trial, and her attempt to build an independent adult life while the case played out as a "true-crime spectacle" in tabloids and on television.
Reception
[edit]Advance reviews described the memoir as a candid, sometimes darkly humorous account of grief and public tragedy. Author Jen Hatmaker and true-crime memoirist Shari Franke, among others, provided pre-publication praise for the book.
About the author
[edit]Eva Benefield is a content creator known for videos on TikTok, as well as an artist and the founder of the apparel company Ghost Cowboy. She is based in Charleston, South Carolina. Ghost Girl is her debut book.
Publication details
[edit]- Publisher: Gallery Books (Simon & Schuster)
- Publication date: July 21, 2026
- Format: Hardcover, e-book, audiobook
- ISBN: 978-1-6680-4335-6
See also
[edit]References
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