Katy Watson (3)

This follow-up to The Three Dahlias finds our trio of actresses—Rosalind, Caro, and Posy, all past or present portrayers of the Golden Age detective Dahlia Lively—on the trail of another murderer. Katy Watson has succeeded in delivering another cosy murder mystery romp, one which affectionately plays with the tropes of the genre. I bet this would be fun to watch as a movie or TV series itself. (Anna Chancellor for Caro?) This doesn't quite stick the landing as effectively as the first book did, but I still enjoyed it a lot—great escapist reading during a crappy work week—and will definitely be continuing on with the series.… (más)

This was such fun! The Three Dahlias really scratched an itch I had for a solidly entertaining murder mystery that was knowing about the tropes of the genre without being too arch, and isn't one of those tedious cookie-cutter thrillers that are so in vogue right now.

Katy Watson introduces us to three actresses, each known for bringing to life the fictional sleuth Dahlia Lively—one an ageing National Treasure, one a mid-career TV star a bit typecast as Dahlia, and one the former child star looking for a new Dahlia movie to be her big comeback after rehab. Brought together at a fan convention at a stately home, there's soon murder afoot and the Three Dahlias have to work together to solve it. While the novel is a little slow to get going, once Watson finds the right gear this is delightful fun to read, and I'm definitely going to be checking out the sequel once it's published.… (más)

Filming has finally tarted on 'The Lady Detective' at a house in North Wales. For Posy this is the new start she has been looking forward to, for Rosalind there are death threats and Caro isn't even included in the cast. However when a member of the cast is murdered the Three Dahlias are needed to work together to solve the mystery.
This series is really starting to take off. The premise of actresses who have played a 'Golden Age' detective solving crimes seems a little far fetched but works so well. I love the intergenerational play between the disgraced former child star with the social media experience, the middle-aged woman who doesn't seem to exist and the slightly tainted national treasure. I also love the way the plot echoes those classic golden age themes, here the isolated community with secrets. There are a couple of things missed in the editing, particularly towards the end but that doesn't spoil a wonderfully entertaining novel.… (más)

An immersive weekend festival is planned at the home of famed mystery writer, Lettice Davenport; creator of Dahlia Lively, the beloved female detective. Special guests include three of the actresses who have portrayed Dahlia over the years in film and TV. Soon the weekend becomes a bit too immersive and the murder all too real. The three Dahlias team up to find the perpetrator before they become the victims.

A fun story. I enjoyed the premise of this book, and the three Dahlias were good characters. The mystery was well done and the action of the book carried the reader along. I had a couple of nitpicks with the writing which kept this from going on my favorite shelf, but I have no regrets reading it, and would read another by this author.… (más)