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Three Dahlias Mysteries #1
Meurtres à Aldermere House
Vous aimez Agatha Christie, le Cluedo et les vieilles demeures anglaises ?
Aldermere House n'est pas un manoir comme les autres. Dans les années trente, il a été la propriété d'une très grande dame du roman policier, Lettice Davenport, et le cadre de la plupart de ses ouvrages. Son héroïne, Dahlia Lively, à l'égal de Miss Marple, est encore dans toutes les mémoires. Les trois actrices qui, au fil des décennies, ont interprété à l'écran ce personnage célèbre sont aujourd'hui réunies au manoir à l'occasion d'une grande convention organisée par les fans de la romancière. Mais ce qui s'annonçait comme un week-end d'été des plus agréables dans la campagne anglaise prend un tout autre visage lorsqu'un meurtre est commis, inspiré d'un des romans de Lettice. Pour élucider cette étrange affaire, les trois Dahlia vont devoir mettre de côté leur rivalité. Ce qui est loin d'être gagné...
Avec ce premier roman, Katy Watson inaugure une nouvelle série consacrée à ces trois actrices au charme fou. Elle entraîne le lecteur d'un rebondissement à l'autre sans jamais se départir de l'humour qui fait toute la saveur des romans policiers anglais classiques. Surtout, elle nous propose un univers et des personnages jubilatoires que l'on a déjà hâte de retrouver.
Aldermere House n'est pas un manoir comme les autres. Dans les années trente, il a été la propriété d'une très grande dame du roman policier, Lettice Davenport, et le cadre de la plupart de ses ouvrages. Son héroïne, Dahlia Lively, à l'égal de Miss Marple, est encore dans toutes les mémoires. Les trois actrices qui, au fil des décennies, ont interprété à l'écran ce personnage célèbre sont aujourd'hui réunies au manoir à l'occasion d'une grande convention organisée par les fans de la romancière. Mais ce qui s'annonçait comme un week-end d'été des plus agréables dans la campagne anglaise prend un tout autre visage lorsqu'un meurtre est commis, inspiré d'un des romans de Lettice. Pour élucider cette étrange affaire, les trois Dahlia vont devoir mettre de côté leur rivalité. Ce qui est loin d'être gagné...
Avec ce premier roman, Katy Watson inaugure une nouvelle série consacrée à ces trois actrices au charme fou. Elle entraîne le lecteur d'un rebondissement à l'autre sans jamais se départir de l'humour qui fait toute la saveur des romans policiers anglais classiques. Surtout, elle nous propose un univers et des personnages jubilatoires que l'on a déjà hâte de retrouver.
510 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 21, 2022
311 people are currently reading
7677 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 648 reviews
August 29, 2022
Excellent set-up, but I felt it was very slow probably due to the 3 main characters (3 is a crowd and all that). It also had too much repetition and I was muttering to myself a lot: “oh god, we know that already.” A good start to what I believe will be a series, though.
December 2, 2024
If you love the cosy crime genre then add an extra star for this is the cosiest of cosy crime reads. The hunger for the genre shows no sign of slowing down. This one has a good set up, cleverly managing to bring together the classic 1930s era and the modern world with a fan convention at an old manor. As always with these, I enjoyed the read while thinking all the time that Agatha Christie has already done this and better and will never be beaten, but this gives it a fair shot. Perhaps a touch too long, sagging a bit in the middle with a lot of recapping and endless questioning, but overall an enjoyable effort.
December 11, 2022
Three and a half stars
Three actresses are at Aldermere for a weekend, aimed at promoting the newest movie adaptation of Lettice Davenport's books featuring sleuth Dahlia Lively. One is Rosalind King, the original actress who played Dahlia. Rosalind is now in her sixties. The second is Caro Hopper who played in the tv shows featuring Dahlia for thirteen seasons. Caro is in her forties. The third is Posy Starling, ex child star and a young woman with a history of bad choices and a troubled past. She can’t believe she has been chose to play the latest incarnation of Dahlia. It is far removed from her usual film experiences. But that is all threatened when she receives a blackmail letter.
The Aldermere weekend which includes Dahlia fans, film crew, and the family was intended to be fun with a fake murder mystery to solve for this attending, However, it turns into a real crime scene of theft and murder. Can the three Dahlias put their skills together to uncover the answers to these events? Maybe they can find clues through the Lettice Davenport books? .
It took me a little while to get into this book but In the end I enjoyed it. It is light, humorous and has a whole range of suspects and red herrings to choose from. Have fun picking the murderer. Pace moves okay once it gets going, though I could have done without some of the repetition of facts at times at times. Still, this looks like it could be an entertaining series and I am happy to give the second one a go. Recommended read for those who like cosy mysteries set in old houses.
Three actresses are at Aldermere for a weekend, aimed at promoting the newest movie adaptation of Lettice Davenport's books featuring sleuth Dahlia Lively. One is Rosalind King, the original actress who played Dahlia. Rosalind is now in her sixties. The second is Caro Hopper who played in the tv shows featuring Dahlia for thirteen seasons. Caro is in her forties. The third is Posy Starling, ex child star and a young woman with a history of bad choices and a troubled past. She can’t believe she has been chose to play the latest incarnation of Dahlia. It is far removed from her usual film experiences. But that is all threatened when she receives a blackmail letter.
The Aldermere weekend which includes Dahlia fans, film crew, and the family was intended to be fun with a fake murder mystery to solve for this attending, However, it turns into a real crime scene of theft and murder. Can the three Dahlias put their skills together to uncover the answers to these events? Maybe they can find clues through the Lettice Davenport books? .
It took me a little while to get into this book but In the end I enjoyed it. It is light, humorous and has a whole range of suspects and red herrings to choose from. Have fun picking the murderer. Pace moves okay once it gets going, though I could have done without some of the repetition of facts at times at times. Still, this looks like it could be an entertaining series and I am happy to give the second one a go. Recommended read for those who like cosy mysteries set in old houses.
November 20, 2022
I loved this!
Wonderfully written, dramatic, funny and a wonderful update of the classic crime staple - the country house weekend.
Wonderfully written, dramatic, funny and a wonderful update of the classic crime staple - the country house weekend.
June 24, 2023
I was curious about this book, I like murder mysteries and the author was clearly taking a lot of inspiration from Agatha Christie and I enjoyed another Christie-inspired murder mystery I read last year.
Unfortunately, this was not it.
The book is divided into three perspectives during a gathering at Alderton house for a VIP event celebrating the works of Lettice Davenport, author of the Miss Marple-esque Dahlia Lively, a detective from the 1930s, with each actress portraying differing versions of the character, until a real life murder forces them to work together.
Firstly, the pacing of this book is SO slow - it takes 140 pages for the first murder to happen and during that time a lot of characters who are honestly very forgettable are running around waving obviously clues around so keeping track of who is doing what is pretty exhausting. It does pick up a bit once the first body pops up but honestly not by much - I was only eager to get to the end two-thirds of the way in and I was very tempted to give up before that, namely because...
I quickly started to hate Posy because she's completely ignorant of the character she's portraying, the author who created the role in the first place (and is meant to revitalised Posy's failing career), and she dismisses all the Dahlia/Lettice fans as "creepy" and overall seems judgmental and spoiled because she doesn't care about any of it, which leads me to feel like she's an ungrateful brat for not caring or bothering even trying to understand the project she's involved in. Whenever Posy complains about how she doesn't live up to Rosalind/Caro, or that people are finding her wanting, it's like, "Yeah, because you ARE a disappointing replacement because you don't give a shit about Dahlia Lively, the author, or murder mysterious in general." Every time Posy snarks about other people I was yelling at her to shut up, because she's the person who doesn't deserve to be there out of everyone. Unfortunately we're stuck with Posy for a huge chunk of the book - every new chapter I started I kept hoping the author would switch to Rosalind or Caro instead of this whining Hollywood washup and would groan when we continued to be stuck with her.
Caro is slightly less annoying than Posy, but only slightly - she's arrogant, opinionated and a drama queen who thinks she IS Dahlia and treats everybody else around her like props in her own personal movie set. At least the author wrote Caro to be obnoxious on purpose, but it still wasn't enough to make me like her, especially when she has a nerve to refer to the VIP guests as "amateur detectives" when she is also an amateur detective, but she thinks she knows more than the police because she played a detective on TV for thirteen years.
Rosalind is the only character I actually liked - I ended up skipping a huge chunk of Caro's section just to get to her because she's the only character who seems to have any common sense and doesn't go charging into danger at the drop of a hat, plus she clearly has little patience for wimpy, whiny Posy or the insufferable diva Caro. I appreciated how Rosalind had a kind of quiet dignity and grace to her the other two wouldn't know the meaning of, but even Rosalind wasn't enough to save this book for me.
Also there's this annoying, nauseating scene where all three Dahlias spill their cliched woes to each other - Caro slept with and did some of his dirty work so he had blackmail material hanging over her head, Posy's is a boring child starlet storyline and her evil parents stealing money from her and Rosalind's boyfriend cheating on her with her best friend, etc. Then this quote shows up:
"Was this how it worked? Women could have their place at the table, so long as they suppressed their rage and pain? Well, it wasn't good enough."
And my honest-to-god reaction was: Shut the fuck UP. God. I am SO tired of hearing the same fucking sentiment over and over again in books, whining about women's lot and evil men and blah blah blah. I've literally read at least ten books in the last six months I could have pulled this line from and I am so fucking tired of it. Like dude, we know, we live it every day. I don't need to have characters spelling it out that BEING FEMALE IS SO HARD! I read novels to escape the shitty realities but authors just can't seem to write books in anymore without stopping to shove quotes like this down your throat because they want you to know how FEMINIST and WOKE they are! Because you know, men never get fired or struggle to find work or have scandals that ruin their careers - silly, that never happens! Only WOMEN suffer!
And I know Katy Watson wants us to think she's progressive and stuff because of how she writes this book - Caro can't shut up for five minutes about her girlfriend (or wife, I can't remember and I don't care to) Annie, there's the aforementioned clunky and annoying "feminist" quotes I ranted about above, and the very first thing we learn about Kit is that he's black and from then on pretty much every character in the book falls over themselves around Kit simply for existing, he's always sooo happy to help the Dahlias and Juliette inexplicably asks Posy if he's single even though she says she has a boyfriend, as well as there being some comment about the "political correctness gone mad" surrounding casting Kit as Dahlia's sidekick, etc. (Kit serves pretty much no purpose in this book, incidentally - at least the other characters are all involved in some of the various Red Herrings like blackmail and theft and so on, but Kit stands above basically everyone else as this shining beacon of innocence. He's never even once suspected of any wrongdoings, and I knew he'd never be the killer because the author would never have the balls to do that.)
"Dahlia didn't freak out at dead bodies. Dahlia didn't care if people thought she was intrusive, or abrasive. Didn't care if the papers labelled her as difficult. Didn't care about causing trouble. It was liberating."
Dahlia Lively also sounds like an asshole who has to be right in every situation, but I guess that's not mutually exclusive, is it? (Every chapter has some "witty" or "provocative" quote by Dahlia and the author is trying so hard to make her sound like a girlboss Sherlock Holmes, it's pretty cringe.)
I will give the author credit that when I got to Rosalind's section, the mystery finally did start to get interesting even though I honestly found it really difficult to tell most of the characters apart - the only character I remember the appearances of are Kit and Felicia and that's because she has blue hair - but I found myself still eagerly trying to get to the climax to see if I'd correctly guessed who the murderer was, since there was one character who was constantly always conveniently away from the action as it was happening yet the characters take forever to notice it. I was pretty smug when it turns out I was right.
I absolutely won't be reading any more of the Dahlia Lively series - one saving grace of having to endure Posy and Caro is that each of the actresses all her some measure of realistic conflict with each other (Caro and Rosalind moreso since they're actually established actors, they both kind of ignore Posy or see her as an inferior LA knockoff), but of course the author couldn't have that so by the end of the novel they all love and support each other unconditionally because WOMEN SUPPORTING WOMEN and all that jazz - nevermind that conflict and differing opinions and stuff are what make characters and character dynamics interesting. Instead the Three Dahlias just turn into a three-headed monster feeding off each other's egos and "embodying Dahlia", which I have zero interest in having to endure any more of. For a "cosy mystery" I didn't feel cosy once, just bored and irritated.
Rating: 1.5/5 Stars
Unfortunately, this was not it.
The book is divided into three perspectives during a gathering at Alderton house for a VIP event celebrating the works of Lettice Davenport, author of the Miss Marple-esque Dahlia Lively, a detective from the 1930s, with each actress portraying differing versions of the character, until a real life murder forces them to work together.
Firstly, the pacing of this book is SO slow - it takes 140 pages for the first murder to happen and during that time a lot of characters who are honestly very forgettable are running around waving obviously clues around so keeping track of who is doing what is pretty exhausting. It does pick up a bit once the first body pops up but honestly not by much - I was only eager to get to the end two-thirds of the way in and I was very tempted to give up before that, namely because...
I quickly started to hate Posy because she's completely ignorant of the character she's portraying, the author who created the role in the first place (and is meant to revitalised Posy's failing career), and she dismisses all the Dahlia/Lettice fans as "creepy" and overall seems judgmental and spoiled because she doesn't care about any of it, which leads me to feel like she's an ungrateful brat for not caring or bothering even trying to understand the project she's involved in. Whenever Posy complains about how she doesn't live up to Rosalind/Caro, or that people are finding her wanting, it's like, "Yeah, because you ARE a disappointing replacement because you don't give a shit about Dahlia Lively, the author, or murder mysterious in general." Every time Posy snarks about other people I was yelling at her to shut up, because she's the person who doesn't deserve to be there out of everyone. Unfortunately we're stuck with Posy for a huge chunk of the book - every new chapter I started I kept hoping the author would switch to Rosalind or Caro instead of this whining Hollywood washup and would groan when we continued to be stuck with her.
Caro is slightly less annoying than Posy, but only slightly - she's arrogant, opinionated and a drama queen who thinks she IS Dahlia and treats everybody else around her like props in her own personal movie set. At least the author wrote Caro to be obnoxious on purpose, but it still wasn't enough to make me like her, especially when she has a nerve to refer to the VIP guests as "amateur detectives" when she is also an amateur detective, but she thinks she knows more than the police because she played a detective on TV for thirteen years.
Rosalind is the only character I actually liked - I ended up skipping a huge chunk of Caro's section just to get to her because she's the only character who seems to have any common sense and doesn't go charging into danger at the drop of a hat, plus she clearly has little patience for wimpy, whiny Posy or the insufferable diva Caro. I appreciated how Rosalind had a kind of quiet dignity and grace to her the other two wouldn't know the meaning of, but even Rosalind wasn't enough to save this book for me.
Also there's this annoying, nauseating scene where all three Dahlias spill their cliched woes to each other - Caro slept with and did some of his dirty work so he had blackmail material hanging over her head, Posy's is a boring child starlet storyline and her evil parents stealing money from her and Rosalind's boyfriend cheating on her with her best friend, etc. Then this quote shows up:
"Was this how it worked? Women could have their place at the table, so long as they suppressed their rage and pain? Well, it wasn't good enough."
And my honest-to-god reaction was: Shut the fuck UP. God. I am SO tired of hearing the same fucking sentiment over and over again in books, whining about women's lot and evil men and blah blah blah. I've literally read at least ten books in the last six months I could have pulled this line from and I am so fucking tired of it. Like dude, we know, we live it every day. I don't need to have characters spelling it out that BEING FEMALE IS SO HARD! I read novels to escape the shitty realities but authors just can't seem to write books in anymore without stopping to shove quotes like this down your throat because they want you to know how FEMINIST and WOKE they are! Because you know, men never get fired or struggle to find work or have scandals that ruin their careers - silly, that never happens! Only WOMEN suffer!
And I know Katy Watson wants us to think she's progressive and stuff because of how she writes this book - Caro can't shut up for five minutes about her girlfriend (or wife, I can't remember and I don't care to) Annie, there's the aforementioned clunky and annoying "feminist" quotes I ranted about above, and the very first thing we learn about Kit is that he's black and from then on pretty much every character in the book falls over themselves around Kit simply for existing, he's always sooo happy to help the Dahlias and Juliette inexplicably asks Posy if he's single even though she says she has a boyfriend, as well as there being some comment about the "political correctness gone mad" surrounding casting Kit as Dahlia's sidekick, etc. (Kit serves pretty much no purpose in this book, incidentally - at least the other characters are all involved in some of the various Red Herrings like blackmail and theft and so on, but Kit stands above basically everyone else as this shining beacon of innocence. He's never even once suspected of any wrongdoings, and I knew he'd never be the killer because the author would never have the balls to do that.)
"Dahlia didn't freak out at dead bodies. Dahlia didn't care if people thought she was intrusive, or abrasive. Didn't care if the papers labelled her as difficult. Didn't care about causing trouble. It was liberating."
Dahlia Lively also sounds like an asshole who has to be right in every situation, but I guess that's not mutually exclusive, is it? (Every chapter has some "witty" or "provocative" quote by Dahlia and the author is trying so hard to make her sound like a girlboss Sherlock Holmes, it's pretty cringe.)
I will give the author credit that when I got to Rosalind's section, the mystery finally did start to get interesting even though I honestly found it really difficult to tell most of the characters apart - the only character I remember the appearances of are Kit and Felicia and that's because she has blue hair - but I found myself still eagerly trying to get to the climax to see if I'd correctly guessed who the murderer was, since there was one character who was constantly always conveniently away from the action as it was happening yet the characters take forever to notice it. I was pretty smug when it turns out I was right.
I absolutely won't be reading any more of the Dahlia Lively series - one saving grace of having to endure Posy and Caro is that each of the actresses all her some measure of realistic conflict with each other (Caro and Rosalind moreso since they're actually established actors, they both kind of ignore Posy or see her as an inferior LA knockoff), but of course the author couldn't have that so by the end of the novel they all love and support each other unconditionally because WOMEN SUPPORTING WOMEN and all that jazz - nevermind that conflict and differing opinions and stuff are what make characters and character dynamics interesting. Instead the Three Dahlias just turn into a three-headed monster feeding off each other's egos and "embodying Dahlia", which I have zero interest in having to endure any more of. For a "cosy mystery" I didn't feel cosy once, just bored and irritated.
Rating: 1.5/5 Stars
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December 14, 2023Katy Watson’s The Three Dahlias is a love-letter to the golden age of crime fiction, led by the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie. It’s a murder-mystery story about murder-mystery stories. Our protagonists are three actresses from three generations, who have all played (or are about to play) the role of an iconic detective.
Created by the author Lettice Davenport — Princess of Poison — Dahlia Lively was a Miss Marple-esque sleuth who featured in many of Davenport’s novels and was brought to life via TV and Film. To celebrate those adaptations, a celebration is being held at the stately home of the late Lettice Davenport. There, our three Dahlias will be brought together by blackmail, then by theft, and at last by murder.
My full thoughts: https://booksandbao.com/modern-myster...
Created by the author Lettice Davenport — Princess of Poison — Dahlia Lively was a Miss Marple-esque sleuth who featured in many of Davenport’s novels and was brought to life via TV and Film. To celebrate those adaptations, a celebration is being held at the stately home of the late Lettice Davenport. There, our three Dahlias will be brought together by blackmail, then by theft, and at last by murder.
My full thoughts: https://booksandbao.com/modern-myster...
July 11, 2022
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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!
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!
May 29, 2023
My favorite mystery novel in years, and absolutely perfect for anyone (like me!) who loves cozy Golden Age mysteries (whether in novel form or their cinematic adaptations). A total delight! I loved all three protagonists and can't wait to hang out with them again in the sequel.
November 3, 2023
An interesting concept, and I quite liked it, I'd certainly be willing to try the next in the series.
July 4, 2022
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.
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.
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May 13, 2023
The Three Dahlias was such a delightful mystery read! The premise and set up caught my attention right away and, despite the slow pace, I was engrossed in the story from beginning to end.
I really enjoyed all three main characters and narrators--Posy, Caro, and Rosalind. The shifts in perspective did contribute to the slower pace, but I liked each of their individual narratives and how they came together to try and solve the mysteries (and murders!) they were faced with. They each brought something different to the plot and represented varying aspects of Dahlia herself.
The murder mystery plots were also very well done. I very much loved the setting and how it related to Dahlia's character and the entire closed-circle element of it. It kept me on my toes throughout and I couldn't wait to find out who was behind it all!
It did become pretty easy to put the pieces together towards the final third, but I still liked how the final reveal happened. It was very in tune with the rest of the novel and a bit exciting. The final bit makes it clear this is the first installment in a new series and I'm looking forward to what other mysteries the 3 Dahlias might solve.
I really enjoyed all three main characters and narrators--Posy, Caro, and Rosalind. The shifts in perspective did contribute to the slower pace, but I liked each of their individual narratives and how they came together to try and solve the mysteries (and murders!) they were faced with. They each brought something different to the plot and represented varying aspects of Dahlia herself.
The murder mystery plots were also very well done. I very much loved the setting and how it related to Dahlia's character and the entire closed-circle element of it. It kept me on my toes throughout and I couldn't wait to find out who was behind it all!
It did become pretty easy to put the pieces together towards the final third, but I still liked how the final reveal happened. It was very in tune with the rest of the novel and a bit exciting. The final bit makes it clear this is the first installment in a new series and I'm looking forward to what other mysteries the 3 Dahlias might solve.
July 20, 2022
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.
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.
July 29, 2022
Humorous, atmospheric, and mysterious!
The Three Dahlias is a clue-like murder mystery set in England on the estate of the late mystery writer extraordinaire Lettice Davenport, as long-time fans, family members, as well as some of the cast and crew from the past and present movie and tv adaptions converge for a convention and weekend to celebrate their love for her 1930s based Dahlia Lively series, but when things don’t go as smoothly as expected and bodies start racking up quickly the three actresses lucky enough to be chosen to play the famed female detective decide to work together and use everything they know from fiction to solve the real-life crimes playing out right in front of them.
The prose is witty and light. The characters are quirky, intelligent, and intriguing. And the plot is a well-paced, engaging whodunit full of secrets, greed, suspects, deduction, red herrings, amateur sleuthing, and the unlikeliest of friendships.
Overall, The Three Dahlias is a cosy, satisfying, entertaining read by Watson that was so much fun with all its intricacies and drama, and which I do hope, and was slightly hinted at, may just be the first in a multitude of books in a series that would definitely have a spot on my must-read list.
Thank you to Mobius Books US for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Three Dahlias is a clue-like murder mystery set in England on the estate of the late mystery writer extraordinaire Lettice Davenport, as long-time fans, family members, as well as some of the cast and crew from the past and present movie and tv adaptions converge for a convention and weekend to celebrate their love for her 1930s based Dahlia Lively series, but when things don’t go as smoothly as expected and bodies start racking up quickly the three actresses lucky enough to be chosen to play the famed female detective decide to work together and use everything they know from fiction to solve the real-life crimes playing out right in front of them.
The prose is witty and light. The characters are quirky, intelligent, and intriguing. And the plot is a well-paced, engaging whodunit full of secrets, greed, suspects, deduction, red herrings, amateur sleuthing, and the unlikeliest of friendships.
Overall, The Three Dahlias is a cosy, satisfying, entertaining read by Watson that was so much fun with all its intricacies and drama, and which I do hope, and was slightly hinted at, may just be the first in a multitude of books in a series that would definitely have a spot on my must-read list.
Thank you to Mobius Books US for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 31, 2022
I think this is quite possibly my favorite mystery I've read this year. The concept of getting the story from the perspective of all three Dahlias works beautifully. The transitions between are seamless and well timed. I absolutely love that the book is a contemporary with the feel of a historical.
The Three Dahlias kept me guessing all the way through and honestly that doesn't happen often. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery. It was really fantastic!
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Three Dahlias kept me guessing all the way through and honestly that doesn't happen often. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery. It was really fantastic!
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 24, 2023
Was recommended this by a guy in Waterstones… lessons learnt: don’t take recommendations from Waterstones employees!
If you’re looking for a fun murder mystery, read the Thursday murder club…
If you’re looking for a fun murder mystery, read the Thursday murder club…
January 9, 2025
I absolutely loved this book, and was my gateway back into murder mystery novels and a brilliant homage to the golden age of crime. I love mystery novels where there is enough there to kinda figure it out yourself if you pay attention to the little details, and reading this I managed to figure out the who but not quite the why.
Personally, I think the slower start is to its credit; this is the start of a series where there will be multiple returning characters. Not having the first murder until 1/3 of the way in allows for us to know the characters and not just be thrown in the deep end. Cannot wait to read more from this author.
Personally, I think the slower start is to its credit; this is the start of a series where there will be multiple returning characters. Not having the first murder until 1/3 of the way in allows for us to know the characters and not just be thrown in the deep end. Cannot wait to read more from this author.
July 20, 2022
Thank you to the publisher for my beautiful advanced proof copy. A country house, a lady crime writer, the three lead actresses who play Dahlia and a weekend of mystery and murder. This had me gripped from the start and played homage to Agatha Christie in the best way possible. Hope there are more to come.
December 4, 2022
I enjoyed this - three actresses who’ve played the same character work together to solve a murder. It’s a modern twist on a classic country house tale, that felt original. Lots of good character development, a few twists and in the best tradition of the mystery genre, a few maps thrown in to find your way around.
It’s not a the best mystery ever written, but it’s light, fun and enjoyable.
It’s not a the best mystery ever written, but it’s light, fun and enjoyable.
September 25, 2022
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley.
I really liked this one! The main characters, three actresses who have played the detective Dahlia, are delightful and very well written. There were a couple of times where I could guess what was going on, but overall this was clever and satisfying!
I really liked this one! The main characters, three actresses who have played the detective Dahlia, are delightful and very well written. There were a couple of times where I could guess what was going on, but overall this was clever and satisfying!
April 10, 2025
This was quite a good book. An easy read with a few funny bits scattered throughout. I liked the story and felt the various murders all tied together quite well. I don't think this is the sort of book where you could work out who the murderer was in advance though, or at least not far in advance.
The characters were more questionable. I liked the side characters but the three Dahlias (the three actresses to ever play this Miss Marple equivalent fiction character Dahlia Lively) were a mixed bag. Rosalind, the oldest, was good if a touch snooty. Her choices in her personal life didn't make much sense but that's by the by. Caro, the middle one, thinks she is Dahlia to almost delusion levels. I'd have thought this was meant to be some hint at insanity if I hadn't read David Suchet's autobiography of his Poirot years. Then there is Posy who desperately needs a big break by acting as Dahlia in a film so has naturally forgotten anything she saw of her on screen and not read any of the books. Her laziness coupled with desperation annoyed me.
The worst thing is the deification of Dahlia. The leading ladies all think "What would Dahlia do?" constantly. You get a character making a decision then thinking "Dahlia didn't freak out at dead bodies. Dahlia didn't care if anyone thought she was intrusive or abrasive. Didn't care if the papers labelled her difficult." or when they're trying to work out who the killer is it's like "Dahlia always said you can learn more by looking than listening so lets do that." (Not a direct quote) I wanted to shake the main characters sometimes and shout "Stop basing all you life decisions on a fictional character." The fans are as bad if not worse too. You couldn't organise an equally devoted Harry Potter fan convention as you'd need the world's largest bungalow to stop them all leaping to their deaths with a broom between their legs.
There were a few other minor bits. I did think the chemistry and camaraderie alternated between non existent and excellent. I thought the character's proactiveness was good and that drove the plot well. The audiobook narration was handled well too.
Reading this book felt a bit like turning up for a class only to realise you're in the wrong room and you have no idea what everyone is talking about but deciding to stay anyway because these people are clearly into it and the ones who are arguing might actually punch each other soon.
The characters were more questionable. I liked the side characters but the three Dahlias (the three actresses to ever play this Miss Marple equivalent fiction character Dahlia Lively) were a mixed bag. Rosalind, the oldest, was good if a touch snooty. Her choices in her personal life didn't make much sense but that's by the by. Caro, the middle one, thinks she is Dahlia to almost delusion levels. I'd have thought this was meant to be some hint at insanity if I hadn't read David Suchet's autobiography of his Poirot years. Then there is Posy who desperately needs a big break by acting as Dahlia in a film so has naturally forgotten anything she saw of her on screen and not read any of the books. Her laziness coupled with desperation annoyed me.
The worst thing is the deification of Dahlia. The leading ladies all think "What would Dahlia do?" constantly. You get a character making a decision then thinking "Dahlia didn't freak out at dead bodies. Dahlia didn't care if anyone thought she was intrusive or abrasive. Didn't care if the papers labelled her difficult." or when they're trying to work out who the killer is it's like "Dahlia always said you can learn more by looking than listening so lets do that." (Not a direct quote) I wanted to shake the main characters sometimes and shout "Stop basing all you life decisions on a fictional character." The fans are as bad if not worse too. You couldn't organise an equally devoted Harry Potter fan convention as you'd need the world's largest bungalow to stop them all leaping to their deaths with a broom between their legs.
There were a few other minor bits. I did think the chemistry and camaraderie alternated between non existent and excellent. I thought the character's proactiveness was good and that drove the plot well. The audiobook narration was handled well too.
Reading this book felt a bit like turning up for a class only to realise you're in the wrong room and you have no idea what everyone is talking about but deciding to stay anyway because these people are clearly into it and the ones who are arguing might actually punch each other soon.
June 29, 2022
"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 the 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!
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 the 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!
July 25, 2022
Tailored after many of Agatha Christie's manor based mysteries, this one features three generations of actresses who played Dahlia Lively, the intrepid amateur sleuth. To celebrate the history of the character and promote a new movie, a big fan event is held on the grounds where the author, Lettice Davenport, lived and wrote. But what should have been a joyous weekend quickly turns dark as murder and blackmail take center stage. It takes the three actresses combined to track down the "who done it" and this is where the book fell apart for me. I liked all the characters, their individual stories were interesting, and I liked the different points of view. However, it frequently felt like things were being repeated, especially closer to the denouement. I got to the point where I was saying "yes, yes, we already know that" over and over again in my head. Instead of building suspense, it built annoyance. Hopefully if this continues as a series, which it appears it might be, the repetition can be edited out because the story itself and the characters were top notch!
Thanks to NetGalley and Hatchett Book Group for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hatchett Book Group for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
November 30, 2023
This was a fun premise. Take one fictional female detective and the family of her creator. Bring in three women who have played the detective in film and tv. Add in a host of fans, and lots of family issues. And a jewel theft. And an odd little dolls house version of the actual house. Oh yes, and a murder!
I enjoyed this take on an Agatha-Christie style country house murder, with all the suspects in the one house and the crime - or was it a crime - not being investigated by the troublesome police. The three Dahlias were excellent, all very different with their very different issues, and I think the thing I enjoyed most was their burgeoning relationship and the respect which grew between them . I was less convinced by their sleuthing but hey, this wasn't a serious 'real life' take on a book. It was a conceit really, a book within a book, and for me that worked.
A few excellent suspects, lots of in-fighting, and this was a whodunnit that is just crying out to make it onto tv itself. I think there must be a sequel, and if there is, I'm on it.
I enjoyed this take on an Agatha-Christie style country house murder, with all the suspects in the one house and the crime - or was it a crime - not being investigated by the troublesome police. The three Dahlias were excellent, all very different with their very different issues, and I think the thing I enjoyed most was their burgeoning relationship and the respect which grew between them . I was less convinced by their sleuthing but hey, this wasn't a serious 'real life' take on a book. It was a conceit really, a book within a book, and for me that worked.
A few excellent suspects, lots of in-fighting, and this was a whodunnit that is just crying out to make it onto tv itself. I think there must be a sequel, and if there is, I'm on it.
June 21, 2022
The Three Dahlias is a traditional mystery that is reminiscent of titles published during mystery’s “Golden Age.” It will be enjoyed by those who like to sink into a long (373 page) crime novel that is not overly violent.
The Dahlias of the title are actresses who starred in, or about to star in, TV or movies that feature Dahlia Lively, a sleuth. Each starred at a certain point in time; Rosalind was first, followed by Caro and, now, Posy who is the latest Dahlia. Each of these actresses has a backstory that impacts the plot. They are a bit competitive with one another but join forces to solve the case that is at the center of the novel.
The Dahlias are attending a super fan convention as the story opens. There are many people on the grounds of the famous author’s home, so loads of suspects. These include family members, those involved with the new film, and the super fans.
No spoiler to say that there is a murder. With their three brains and styles coming to the fore, the Dahlias are on the case. Relax and follow along as they solve it.
I enjoyed this title’s setting and characters. It was a bit slow moving at times though. Still, that was kind of soothing, just following along at a leisurely pace.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Book Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
The Dahlias of the title are actresses who starred in, or about to star in, TV or movies that feature Dahlia Lively, a sleuth. Each starred at a certain point in time; Rosalind was first, followed by Caro and, now, Posy who is the latest Dahlia. Each of these actresses has a backstory that impacts the plot. They are a bit competitive with one another but join forces to solve the case that is at the center of the novel.
The Dahlias are attending a super fan convention as the story opens. There are many people on the grounds of the famous author’s home, so loads of suspects. These include family members, those involved with the new film, and the super fans.
No spoiler to say that there is a murder. With their three brains and styles coming to the fore, the Dahlias are on the case. Relax and follow along as they solve it.
I enjoyed this title’s setting and characters. It was a bit slow moving at times though. Still, that was kind of soothing, just following along at a leisurely pace.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Book Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
August 21, 2024
I enjoyed this more than I expected to. It ran the risk of too much exposition at the beginning before the action started, but kept me interested with compelling characters and the unusual setting. Some characters didn’t seem to play much of a role in the plot, especially in the second half, but I assume that they were being set up to play a larger part in future books in the series. Some parts felt repetitive but the plot was complex enough that this didn’t matter too much. The final solution of the mystery didn’t feel as genius as in some other crime novels, but I still found it satisfying and some parts were guessable before the reveal without being overly predictable. I really liked the three main characters and how they developed individually and as a group across the book, and I’d be interested to see how this continues in the next book.
February 5, 2024
This was such a fun book like an Agatha Christie crossed with The Thursday Murder Club. I liked how it was told from the three different Dahlias perspectives who are each at different stages in their life and have their own story going on yet they come together and become friends to help solve the murder. There were a lot of twists and just like an Agatha Christie how they revealed the murderers in such a fun way leaving the suspense up until the last second. I'm looking forward to reading the next one and excited to see what can happen to this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2024
If you were a fan of the TV Show Castle, then you should pick up this book!
This book follows three actresses who played/play a golden age detective. They meet at the writer’s house for a convention, but when a mystery occurs they team up to solve it.
The author did such a good job of making the fictional detective feel real, and make me want to look up the books or adaptations before remembering they don’t exist. Loved it!
This book follows three actresses who played/play a golden age detective. They meet at the writer’s house for a convention, but when a mystery occurs they team up to solve it.
The author did such a good job of making the fictional detective feel real, and make me want to look up the books or adaptations before remembering they don’t exist. Loved it!
June 25, 2023
i thought that this was super fun and i'm definitely looking forward to the second book
March 31, 2024
Both of my lead suspects ended up dead, so I really didn’t solve this one.
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