If you're in the mood for a mystery with Golden Age overtones combined with a behind-the-scenes look at the film industry, grab your popcorn and settle in for a discussion of The Three Dahlias by Katy Watson.

The modern day mystery is set at Aldermere House, home to the legendary author Lettice Davenport and her fictional 1930s sleuth, Dahlia Lively.

Three rival actresses, connected to Dahlia's adaptations, must collaborate to solve a murder rooted in the stories themselves.

Themes discussed include fandom, author legacy, and female friendship, with a modern twist on the classic country house mystery.

Read-alike recommendations include mysteries set around filming and Hollywood.

Full episode aired on Mystery Books Podcast on Oct 5, 2023 and is available for download on any podcast app. Thanks to NetGalley, Hachette Book Group, and Constable for a review copy. All opinions are my own.

A terrific book that really hearkens back to what makes the mystery genre so special, in particular golden age mysteries. I hope Katy Watson continues writing similar mysteries with this traditional style because she truly excels at it, while also adding a modern twist!

I absolutely loved this book. It hooked me and kept me turning pages until I was done. Finished it in two days! The character development was strong, and the premise was unique enough that it didn't feel like anything else I've read.

Sometimes a classic murder mystery is the only cure for what ails me (and there are so many things that ail me). In The Three Dahlias, we get whisked away to the English country house that inspired a Golden Age crime author. The stately home of the esteemed Davenport family is hosting a weekend conference for Lettie Davenport's fans including special guests-- the three actresses who have or will personify her intrepid detective, Dahlia Lively. First, we have the original silver screen Dahlia, Rosalind King, who is considered a national treasure. She's also been in and out of the house for decades as a... friend... of the Davenport family (it's complicated). Then there's Caro Hooper, who played Dahlia for five seasons on TV. Caro was never quite able to leave the role behind, preferring it to her own skin. Then there's Posy Starling, cast as the next Dahlia just 24 hours ago. She was a famous child star whose young adult life crashed and burned in the public eye. Now, she's sober, nearly thirty, and more than ready for her comeback. The three actresses are not enamored of one another at the start of the weekend. But a shared blackmail experience tends to bring people together, as it turns out. The plot thickens with a frame job for theft and murder at the end of an eleven-course meal.

The investigation is intriguing without trying too hard for shock and awe. The interconnected web of suspects, motives, and secrets is fun to see unravel. Each Dahlia has her own approach to interrogation, her own background to bring to bear, and the crafty wiles needed to unmask a killer. I was delighted to get all three POVs spread pretty equally across the story. I couldn't choose a favorite by the end because I was obsessed with all three actresses. Furthermore, it felt more realistic that three amateurs could solve a crime working together, using their combined connections and skills, rather than one perfectly situated apparent genius. I had fun with the way the story built itself to the quintessential accusations and confession scene.

Though I was delighted with the mystery, it was the beginning of a cross-generational friendship between three women that I loved best. Romantic elements play into the mystery, but there isn't a true romantic side plot. There's just the inkling of one for a future book, which I would fully support. Instead, it's about the bonds between these three women who come to trust and protect one another. None of them realize how much they needed someone to boost them into a new phase of life, something that's much harder to do without inspiration and support. They find it in each other, an unlikely trio despite their shared role. Seeing their friendship blossom, much to their surprise and that of everyone else, is a true joy. It even culminates in a "girly sleepover" and a defense against one another's haters. And I LIVED for it.

A final pro is that the book champions inclusivity in the genre in a meta way. It talks about bringing classics into a new century with more diversity and fresh perspectives, staying true to the feel of classic detective stories without dragging exclusionary social values along with it. In terms of representation, Caro is pan and married to a woman. Posy's experiences with addiction are handled kindly-- without moralizing and without making it the whole of her identity. In terms of content warnings, know that while her past is important to the plot, you won't see her struggle with her addiction on the page.

I had so much fun with this book and can't wait to see more Dahlia adventures in the next one. Thanks to Mobius for my copy to read and review!

The Three Dahlias definitely fell into the “can’t put it down” category for me. A weekend celebrating the work of Britain’s literary “Princess of Poison,” Lettice Davenport (a fictional creation in the vein of Agatha Christie), at Lettice’s family home, Aldermere, goes awry when one of the attendees is murdered. The three actresses who have played or will play Lettice’s most famous literary creation, Dahlia Lively, are on hand, and they decide to team up to solve the mystery. The story is told in from each of their perspectives: Rosalind King, who played Dahlia in the original three films; Caro Hooper, the most recent Dahlia in a long-running tv series; and Posy Starling, a washed-up child star who’s been selected to star in the Dahlia reboot. There are plenty of suspects on hand: the members of the Dahlia Lively fan club; Lettice’s descendants, who currently live at Aldermere; the various film people, on hand for panels during the weekend; and, of course, the organizers of the event. There’s a creepy dollhouse (which reminded me of the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death), stolen jewels, a poisonous garden, and no one is quite what they appear to be.

An entertaining mystery with a clever premise. The Three Dahlias takes a light touch with the metafictional element of its conceit, a murder mystery set at a murder mystery convention. Everyone in the story is intimately familiar with the tropes and conventions of classic whodunits, from the famous novelist's descendents, to the fans of fictional detective Dahlia Lively, to the three actresses who have played Dahlia on screen. Not only does the convention setting make for some fun, cheeky moments, but it lets the book get away with a few things that would seem a little less believable otherwise, lampshading the "I've gathered you all here today..." ending, or the amateur detective vs hapless police cliche.

It does have a rather slow set-up, introducing the three actresses - the three Dahlias - and getting to the point of the actual murder, but overall this is still a lively (sorry) story, relishing the Golden Age crime fiction it gently pokes fun at, and I look forward to more adventures of these three Dahlias in the future.

Thank you Constable for the advance review copy.

Absolutely yes! I really enjoyed reading this novel. The characters were fun, it held my interest, and provided an escape from reality. I would definitely recommend!

I was already casting the movie adaption of this book by the time I got to chapter three. This is a clever, well-plotted and well-paced cozy English country house mystery, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and nods to Golden Age mysteries. The characters are complex and relatable, and the setting of Aldermere is another richly developed character in itself. I particularly enjoyed the intergenerational blossoming friendship, professional bond, and shared purpose between Rosalind, Caro, and Posy. Their shared detective character of Dahlia Lively gives the book its title and reminded me of the various reimaginings of Nancy Drew and Wonder Woman over time. The whodunnit kept me guessing, and I loved the set-up for a potential sequel.

I received a digital galley of this book in exchange for an honest review, and loved this one so much that I purchased a hardcover for my permanent collection.

🔎New Review🔎

The Three Dahlias ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

(➡️ for synopsis and content warnings)

I’m typically not a fan of cozy or cozy-adjacent mysteries, but when I saw The Three Dahlias combined an Agatha Christie-style mystery with a Hollywood twist, I knew I had to read this book. It sat on my Kindle for way too long, but proved to be the perfect book to read on a couple of long flights.

WHAT I LOVED
🔎 The concept – three actresses who have all portrayed the same iconic detective team up to solve a crime – was very unique, but was filled with classic tropes from the genre and well-known mysteries.
🔎 Rosalind, Caro, and Posy were a wonderful group of protagonists. I thought their character arcs progressed very naturally and loved getting to see them team up for the big reveal at the end. All three are from different generations so it was cool to see how each woman was able to use her own life experience to help solve the case.
🔎 That ending! Without giving too much away, it seems like the final pages set up a sequel. I’m so excited to see what the Three Dahlias get up to next.

WHAT DIDN’T WORK
🔎 The exposition was heavy and it took me a long time to get fully immersed in the story. I’m not sure if this was due to Watson needing to take time to set the stage for the rest of the story, but I really had to force myself to stick with it for the first third of the book. After that though, I was totally engrossed and couldn’t put the book down.

Overall, I’d recommend this book for anyone who’s looking for a mystery that’s light on scares, gore, and violence, but heavy on plot and puzzling!

Thanks to NetGalley and Mobius for the eARC!

A super fan convention weekend is being held to celebrate a fictional amateur sleuth, Dahlia Lively, at the home of its late creator, Lettice Davenport. The attendees include the three actresses who have portrayed the sleuth in movies and TV: Rosalind from the original movie series, now in her 60s; Caro, star of the long running TV series, now in her 40s; and Posy, soon to star in the upcoming movie remake in a bid to shed her wild child image. There is blackmail and, of course, murder. There is so much here that is reminiscent of classic Agatha Christie novels, without being a blatant copy or remake. I loved the country house murder in plain sight set up and the amateur investigation, although the book was sometimes a little slow and repetitive.

I'm a sucker for a murder mystery plot line, especially ones with Agatha Christie like elements.
This book has the vintage murder house setting, the old Hollywood glam, multiple suspects, and the whodunnit plot. The writing is well paced and intriguing. The characters were generally likeable and clever, which isn't always the case in these types of stories.
This book is a good cozy mystery for fall or winter. I may just curl up by a fire and read it again!

As a lifelong Agatha Christie fan, I am hardwired to pick up anything that promises murder and mystery at a country house. I liked the conceit of three actresses who have all played the same detective character coming together to solve a real life mystery, but I did find that having all those perspectives did slow the book down at times. The Three Dahlias was still an enjoyable read and I will definitely be picking up the next in the series.

So many suspects, so little time! That's what you'll get when you read The Three Dahlias by Katy Watson.
This first in series is a fabulous introduction to the world of Lettice Davenport's character Dahlia Lively who is portrayed by 3 actresses.
An unlikely trio, the actresses team up to solve the murders that take place at a fan club convention. With so many suspects who have a motive, it's up to the three Dahlias to go back to the stories that made them famous to solve the murders.
I absolutely loved this book! From the setting, characters, and glimpses of Lettice Davenport's books at the beginning of each chapter, I almost wished Letty's books were real. The author expertly wove the storylines together to lead to a satisfying ending.
I am looking forward to the next book in this series!

A fantastic debut murder mystery from author Katy Watson, The Three Dahlias is a thrilling page turner that kept me on my toes from the first page to the last! The three actresses who portray fictional detective Dahlia Lively throughout the years - Rosalind, Caro, Posy - come together at a weekend murder mystery convention and must band together to solve two real life murders! I loved it! Kudos to the author, and I hope to read more in the series!!! A+++

THE THREE DAHLIAS, a debut murder mystery by Katy Watson, has a beautiful cover and a complex plot set in the present day at Aldermere, a manor house in the English countryside. That is the family home of Lettice Davenport, a famous mystery writer during the 1930s Golden Age of crime. Her many novels, featuring detective Dahlia Lively and her sidekick Detective Inspector Johnny Swain, have been turned into films and a television series and a brand new film is in the works. Three stars have held the Dahlia role: Rosalind King, Caro Hooper, and Posy Starling – all of whom are on site for a special promotional weekend with VIP guests, the new director, his assistant, the script writer, and the Davenports, Hugh, his wife Isobel, and her granddaughter, Juliette. A formal dinner culminates in a murder with roughly a dozen suspects, but more mayhem is on the way as the three Dahlias (Rosalind, Caro, and Posy) learn to overcome their insecurities and differences in order to find a killer. Closed room and cozy mystery fans (think authors like Sulari Gentill, Richard Osman, and Ashley Weaver) will enjoy this light and entertaining who-dun-it eventually solved by several female sleuths who are simultaneously uncovering secrets and learning to value themselves. Truly, THE THREE DAHLIAS could easily be a movie with a beautiful setting like Gosford Park; wouldn't that be fun?

I adored "The The Dahlias" and think fans of the traditional whodunnit will find a lot to love as well. Like Anthony Horowitz's books, it includes clever commentary on the genre as well as a tightly-plotted mystery. The final scene hints at a sequel and I do hope we get one.

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.

Three actresses who have played/are currently cast as the same 30s-era fictional detective, Dahlia Lively, work together to solve a real mystery during a fan convention held at the author’s estate. Loved the concept, setting, and characters, but thought the pace was a little slow and repetitive. That said, this is going to be a series, and I’m excited to read book two asap!

3.5 rounded up

What does it say about me that I need murder?!

I don't want to think about it.

As I was looking through my notes (thanks Basmo) that I made while reading, I noticed that I wrote "FINALLY A MURDER!" at like page 137. There was blackmail, creepy dolls being left around the house and larceny so I guess that kinda made for it, but you know me, I need some dead bodies.

In my notes, I also wrote that right from the first chapter, it felt very Agatha Christie. But it also had odes to Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. This one definitely has that golden age of crime feel, but it also has modern themes!

The whodunit factor had me screaming THIS PERSON DID IT during the last 1/4 of the book.

The ending had good closure and the epilogue successfully set up the second book, which I can't wait for now.

Thank you Mobius books for my copy!

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!