Three actresses connected with the 1930s fictional sleuth, Dahlia Lively, arrive at Aldermere, the ancestral home of Dahlia creator & author, Lettice Davenport. Rosalind played Dahlia in three early films, now in her sixties she feels a little superfluous. Forty-something Caro played Dahlia in a long running TV series but hasn't been offered even a cameo in the latest film, whilst Posy is the youngest Dahlia, picked to play the detective in a reboot film which will bring the books to a new audience.

They are attending a convention at Aldermere for fans of the literary sleuth, including organisers Marcus & Clementine. Three days of events including murder-mystery games, talks, & Q&A sessions with the three Dahlias await. Having managed to stay friends with her ex-fiance, Hugh, & the woman he left her for (former co-star & friend, Isobel), Rosalind find that things are unsettled between Hugh & Isobel when the latter confides in Rosalind that she thinks Hugh is having an affair. Caro is determined to show that she is the ultimate Dahlia whilst Posy, brought in at the last minute on a film which seems to be dogged by bad luck, is nervous about what the fans will make of her. A former child star, her last foray into the media was not kind & she wants to live down her former 'wild child' reputation.

The three Dahlias are cordial with each other but not really friends until they each receive an anonymous note & blackmail photos asking them to meet at the folly at 3pm. They all arrive but no one else turns up. Meanwhile Clementine, one of the organisers, disappears off on a family emergency, leaving things in disarray, & a precious artifact from Lettice is stolen. Things take an even darker turn when Marcus drops dead during the evening meal. The police initially think it may be natural causes as Marcus had a heart condition, but Rosalind, Caro, & Posy are not so sure, & they work out that his death has elements not just from an original book from Lettice but from the newest film script too. A script that only a small number of people have seen - all of them currently at Aldermere. The three Dahlias decide to work together & find a possible murderer amongst them.

I really enjoyed this one. It had Agatha Christie-like elements - the poison garden, the murder committed in front of many witnesses, the final confrontation of the murderer in a group setting. I thought the three main characters were well-written & well-rounded. Their developing friendship was nicely done & the plot itself was intricate without being overwhelmingly difficult. I would definitely read a sequel, in fact, I found myself wanting to read the fictional Dahlia Lively series itself, my interest piqued with excerpts from books in the series at the start of each chapter - if only it existed! I can't give it full marks as it went on just slightly too long & would have had snappier pace if it was 50 pages shorter, but it was an excellent first book.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Little, Brown Book Group UK / Constable, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

One of the most anticipated crime novels of the year and it certainly lived up to the hype and my expectations.
Three actresses who have all played the Lady Detective Dahlia Lively come together at a murder mystery country house weekend but have to join together to solve a real murder!

The Three Dahlias is an enjoyable murder mystery featuring the amateur sleuthing of three actresses, each of whom have played (or are about to play) the character of Dahlia Lively, who herself is a golden age amateur sleuth as written by the famous author Lettice Davenport,

Great fun and I hope that we will meet the characters again in a follow up novel.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy in exchange for honest feedback.

katy watson has delivered readers a real treat with her debut novel, The Three Dahlias. The blurb, as always, only gives you a sneak peek at the overall story and the overall story is very clever. The book does start out s little slow (for me) but it's worth sticking with it.

A throwback to Golden Age detective novels, The Three Dahlias has it all: murder, blackmail, glamour, intrigue, red herrings. Very Agatha Christie and its a slow burn that builds over time. This would be a great holiday read to keep you entertained and your brain engaged.

The premise of this book is so much fun: 3 actresses who have all played the fictional detective Dahlia Lively, forced to solve a murder mystery together. It’s such a neat, clever idea and the book really lived up to my expectations.

The Three Dahlias has all the ingredients of a classic, golden age murder mystery. I loved the way the book was structured so that the reader got to know (and care about) all three protagonists, and the relationship between them. I thought setting everything within the framework of the entertainment industry worked wonderfully too, and although a light read, this book had a lot to say about the way women across three different generations were forced to navigate their careers.

The mystery itself had enough twists and turns to keep me guessing, and I was totally delighted by the ending which set up a sequel. It would make a BRILLIANT television series, and deserves to find a big audience.

Clever, witty, the perfect comfort read this autumn.

This was a fun murder mystery novel which had a real golden age vibe within a modern setting. Full of traditional red herrings and family secrets along side the more modern day troubles of it’s three main characters, I found this a fun and enjoyable read.

In the home of Lettice Davenport, deceased author of Golden Age crime novels featuring her heroine Dahlia Lively and her detective sidekick, we are brought into the modern age with a convention taking place in the country house, now owned by her nephew, to celebrate her books and a new film which is about to be made. Three actresses come together, all who have or are about to have played Dahlia over the years.

True to style, a murder is committed and everyone is under suspicion. The three actresses, although far from friendly at the start, soon realise they have to club together, in order to solve this mystery, as they all soon realise that only Dahlia Lively can get to the bottom of what’s been happening, as she has done so many times before, but in this case, it may take 3 of them to solve this crime!

I will post my review to my socials July 18th.

I enjoyed reading this new debut novel by author Katy Watson and am pleased to see that this is the first in this new series, with (at least) 2 more in the pipeline. With a brilliant country house setting and an array of different characters all, it seems, with something to hide, there were plenty of twists and red herrings to get stuck into. I loved the chapter headings, taken from the ‘fictional’ original Dahlia Lively novels, which each set the tone for what was to happen next. It really helped to cement the story of this golden age author and made me want to read her books too!!! Except obviously, I can’t!

If you enjoy ‘cosy crime’ type novels and country house murders then this new series will be sure to please.

Quick shout out to the person who created the cover art. It’s really striking!

Many thanks to the publishers for my digital ARC via NetGalley. The Three Dahlias is released July 21st. Do follow the author on her social media accounts too! Plus check out her newsletter which include some great book recommendations.

I haven't read a murder mystery in a while, so I was excited, and The Three Dahlias sounded fun.

It certainly was. It's more of a cosy mystery in the vein of The Thursday Murder Club, with an unlikely group of characters becoming unofficial detectives and attempting to solve a murder mystery.

I quite liked the three leading ladies, the "Dahlias": Rosalind, Caro and Posy. Perhaps Caro a bit less than the other two - she was a little caricaturesque at times. There was something quite endearing about them, and I loved that they banded together to solve mysteries.

The pacing was a bit off, though. It was slow-ish for two thirds of the book, and then picked up a lot in the last part. I just thought that the first part of the Dahlias' investigation wasn't particularly interesting.

Overall, I thought people were too quick to give up secrets, and there were a few things in the police investigation that I didn't find believable at all.

I did enjoy reading it, though, and would definitely read more by Katy Watson. A really good debut

Well written and compelling fun murder mystery that was just a really good cosy read. I really enjoyed it and will definitely be recommending it.

THE THREE DAHLIAS is an absolute delight – a glittering murder mystery with all the fun of an Agatha Christie novel and all the glamour of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. Thank you @netgalley for the review copy!

Lettice Davenport made her name writing the beloved Dahlia Lively mysteries, a series about a lady detective in the 1930s. When Posy, Rosalind and Caro, the three – past and future – actors who’ve portrayed Dahlia turn up to the Davenport house for a fan event, they get quite a shock when a jewel theft is only the start of the crimes that occur at Aldermere that weekend, where a murder mystery party soon becomes a true murder mystery

There’s tonnes of mini twists and a very well crafted murder mystery at the centre of this book – I loved every minute of it!

The Three Dahlias brings a modern twist to a classic detective story with three actresses who've all played the same fictional detective joining forces to solve a real murder. It's a great premise with strong characters and plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. I loved the "Dahlias". The friendship that develops between the very different women, and the way their own secrets are revealed gives the story real depth. I really hope this is the start of a long series because I'd love to see the lady detectives in action again.

Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and Netgalley for giving me the chance to read an advance copy of this book.

The set up of this murder mystery is unique. Love the concept, and the execution.

The writer does a wonderful job of setting up the present day plot, with a golden age background, filled with snippets of other 'fictional' novels interspersed. It's clever but not confusing, with lots of clues, red herrings, and great characterisation.

The world needs more investigations with the three Dahlias, and lots more Dahlia Lively adventures.

And remember 'WWDLD' - What Would Dahlia Lively Do?'

Three Dhalias, Five Stars, one wonderful murder mystery.

The Three Dahlias by Katy Watson is an absolute treat for lovers of golden age detective fiction - but it has a thoroughly modern edge to it that will appeal to all lovers of crime fiction. The characters are so well drawn and, with their faults, utterly believable. I read this almost straight through, just saving the ending for the next day so that I didn't rush it. This is a terrific start to the trilogy - I've ordered the hardback - and I can't wait for the next book.

I have recommended this clever, charming and hugely enjoyable take on Golden Age crime to everyone since I read it. A country house mystery with a modern twist, it's huge amounts of fun.

Lettice Davenport was the queen of Golden Age crime thanks to her heroine Dahlia Lively, who, thanks to her fabulous wardrobe and the way she twists her policeman sidekick/boyfriend around her little finger, I imagine as a 1930s/40s Miss Fisher (and how I love Miss Fisher!). Long since dead, the house that inspired many of her famous country house mysteries is now owned by her nephew Hugh who lives there with his wife and step grand daughter. Thanks to a series of films and a later TV series, Dahlia Lively is still big business, and in need of money, Hugh agrees to host a fan convention where the star turn is the three Dahlias: Rosalind, the original 1980s actress, Caro, the TV series star and now Posy, ex child star and wild child who hopes a new Dahlia film will restart her career.

There's talk of a curse on the film thanks to a leaked and hated script and Posy only got the job when the first choice actress got injured. But curse or no curse, Posy is determined the film will get made, and when she finds herself the subject of blackmail she is even more determined, joining forces with the other Dahlias to root out the blackmailer, only to find themselves investigating a murder so twisty even Dahlia Lively would have been stumped.

The Three Dahlias is both a loving homage to a classic crime genre, a very clever mystery and a witty, twisty read. I loved it. Highly recommended.

I appear to be in the minority, but I did not enjoy this book. Perhaps I was expecting a more “golden age” feel and had unrealistic expectations. I couldn’t warm up to any of the main characters and had no interest in the mystery. I am sure many others will enjoy this book. Thank you to netgalley for the opportunity to read this novel.

"They would need her encyclopedic Dahlia knowledge of they were going to solve these Murders. Because Rosalind had a feeling it had more to do with Aldermere, and Lettice, and the Davenports, than either of the other two guessed."

At a country house, vintage murder mystery convention ('this weekend is an immersive back-to-the-thirties experience for fans of golden age murder mysteries'), three rival actresses team up to solve real life mysteries of theft and murder. Late, esteemed crime writer, Lettice Davenport's infamous Dahlia Lively detective character has been played by two actresses on TV and film - national treasure Rosalind and feisty and glamorous Caro - and will soon be played by unexpected young, troubled Hollywood starlet, Posey. The convention is set at Aldermere, the Davenport family home, who maintain Lettice's legacy, and where some of hlthr Dahlia novels were set. Surrounded by Lettice's family and Dahlia fans, will the three women work together to solve the mysteries and uncover the culprit?

A debut novel and first in the series, this play affectionate homage to Agatha Christie, although Davenport's Dahlia character is more Tuppence than Miss Marple. Don't let this cosy crime fool you, because it is complex and meticulously plotted. The country house setting, the Dahlia Lively series of books, the detailed context for the characters (the Davenport family, the protagonists and the convention organisers and attendees) combined with narratives from each of the three Dahlias make for an engrossing page-turner. Perfect for fans of whodunits, particularly those with a fondness for golden age crime fiction. I thoroughly enjoyed this and look forward to book two!

Anyone who loves classics from the Golden Age of crime fiction will recognise the Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers styling in this country house murder mystery set in the closed world of a fan convention for novels written by 1930s author Lettice Davenport.
Lettice’s family home, Aldermere, is the slightly shabby setting for the convention, run by her grasping nephew Hugh and his wife Isobel. Hugh is determined to make the most of his aunt’s legacy, even if that means sucking up to the film producers and TV companies who are adapting her bestselling Dahlia Lively mysteries. Dahlia has already been played on film by Rosalind in the 1980s, then for thirteen series on TV by Caro. Now young actor and former child-star Posy is dropped in as the next Dahlia.
The dynamics between these three actors is at the core of this mystery. Rosalind, Caro, and Posy have their own stories and character arc in a world where hidden secrets could destroy them all.
When they become witnesses to a murder at Aldermere, the three quite different women come together to discover who the killer is… because that is what Dahlia would do!

What more could you ask for, a perfect English countryside house for the weekend, just with murder on the cards! Loved the story and the narration of the characters!

Delicious, Devious, Delightful…
A country house weekend to die for in this delicious, devious and delightful mystery reminiscent of the Golden Age of Crime. A wonderfully entertaining homage to the vintage mystery but certainly no pastiche- this is a perfectly formed puzzler with a tangled plot populated with a credible and well drawn cast of characters, a fitting backdrop and with a solid mystery at heart. Can these three Dahlias catch a cunning killer? They’re certain to have enormous fun finding out. Billed as the first in the Dahlia Lively series, this reader is already anticipating the second.

As soon as I read the first page I knew I was going to love this book.

The story centres around a convention for fans of novels written by Lettice Davenport, famous for her Dahlia Lively mysteries. In attendance are two actresses who previously played the starring role in film and TV adaptations, and one new actress due to take up the same part in the new movie. When suddenly a murder takes place the three Dahlias begin investigating and soon discover that everyone has secrets.

There could not be a more perfect setting - Aldermere is the English country house where Lettice Davenport lived. It is vast and isolated, providing a fantastic air of mystery to the book.

All of the characters are really well written, I enjoyed following along as clues were uncovered and secrets revealed. A superbly clever story.

You will absolutely love this if you are a fan of cosy mysteries.