The Three Dahlias

Take a deep breath and step into the world of The Three Dahlias. It’s all you could ever want in a country house murder mystery. Katy Watson is already known for her 45 books for children and coming from a family addicted to murder mysteries, she had now written her own first adult novel. With one as good as The Three Dahlias it most surely won’t be the last.

Dahlia Lively in this novel is a fictional sleuth from the 1930s who over the years has not only featured in a series of novels but been the ‘Poirot’ of both a film and a television series, in which her role was played by two famous actresses. Now another film is about to be produced, with the young Posy Starling taking the lead as Dahlia Lively. When all three ladies are invited to feature in a crime convention weekend attended by VIP fans, Posy is far from sure of her ground, however. She has recently been released from rehab and this is her major chance to further her career.

Her past record is her secret, but the other two actresses, Rosalind King from the 1930s and later Caro Hooper, also have their own private horrors to hide. They treat their rivals with much suspicion, especially as each believes in her own interpretation of Dahlia’s character. Murder is the theme of the weekend, but when a real murder strikes the three ladies are forced to make the difficult decision to work together to find the solution. It isn’t an easy process. Dahlia Lively ‘accompanies’ them throughout the novel, doing her utmost to help solve the crime with her own words of wisdom.

This is a light-hearted story, with delightfully realistic characters, well written and a pleasure to read from beginning to end. When will Dahlia Lively pop up again? Soon, I hope.