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  • The Three Dahlias

  • Three Dahlias, Book 1
  • By: Katy Watson
  • Narrated by: Jilly Bond
  • Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
  • 3.9 out of 5 stars (43 ratings)
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The Three Dahlias cover art

The Three Dahlias

By: Katy Watson
Narrated by: Jilly Bond
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Summary

It wouldn't be a country house weekend without a little murder. . .

Three rival actresses team up to solve a murder at the stately home of Lettice Davenport, the author whose sleuthing creation of the 1930s, Dahlia Lively, had made each of them famous to a new generation. A contemporary mystery with a Golden Age feel, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Jessica Fellowes - and Janice Hallett and Richard Osman, of course!

In attendance at Aldermere: the VIP fans, staying at house; the fan club president turned convention organiser; the team behind the newest movie adaptation of Davenport's books; the Davenport family themselves; and the three actresses famous for portraying Dahlia Lively through the decades.

There is national treasure Rosalind King, from the original movies, who's feeling sensitive that she's past her prime, TV Dahlia for thirteen seasons, Caro Hooper, who believes she really IS Dahlia Lively, and ex-child star Posy Starling, fresh out of the fame wilderness (and rehab) to take on the Dahlia mantle for the new movie - but feeling outclassed by her predecessors.

Each actress has her own interpretation of the character and her own secrets to hide - but this English summer weekend they will have to put aside their differences as the crimes at Aldermere turn anything but cosy.  

When fictional death turns into real bodies, can the three Dahlias find the answers to the murders among the fans, the film crew and the family - or even in Lettice's books themselves?

©2022 Katy Watson (P)2022 Hachette Audio UK

Critic reviews

"An absolute treat of a read with all the ingredients of a vintage murder mystery: a country house, mysterious dead bodies and three actresses all keen to catch the killer. Perfect weekend reading!" (Janice Hallett, author of The Appeal)

"A wonderful celebration of Golden Age crime...a read you can sink into, just like the perfect country house weekend. You will definitely love Dahlia in all her guises by the end." (S.J. Bennett, author ofThe Windsor Knot)

"I loved it - witty, engaging and hugely enjoyable. A must for fans of classic mysteries." (Frances Brody)

What listeners say about The Three Dahlias

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Well that was fun!

Three women actors all having played a Golden Age sleuth end up putting rivalry aside to solve a murder. The three Dahlias are delightfully drawn; you can totally make your own casting choice for each. There’s tricksy, sneaky crime and appalling individuals in their country house setting, a laconic copper who turns up to moan about the sleuths and arrest the guilty after a late night unmasking in the drawing room. No twins, no supernatural nor any other broken rules. It’s both a homage to and light satire on classic crime fiction done very deftly.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Weak story and terrible narration

I found the storyline weak but the true murder here was the narration! Terrible voices, especially the male ones. I literally couldn’t wait to get through the drawn out plot. When, after having listened to the awful narration of 30 odd chapters, it said epilogue… I actually groaned!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A good old fashioned murder mystery

I very much enjoyed the slow moving storyline, getting to know the three main characters. It has an old world charm about the writing style. Three actress gathered together for a fan weekend of a fictional lady detective called Dahlia Lively. The event takes place at Aldermere, the home of the writer, Lettice Davenport. We have Posie, a child actor who had a spectacular fall from grace and looking for a comeback movie in a new adaptation for the big screen. Caro who played Dahlia for thirteen series of the books on tv, and Rosalind who was the original movie actor back in the day. All three are bought together for a VIP fan weekend. And then the real murders begin. Can the three women, the three Dahlia’s come together to find out who the murderer is.

The story unfolds and we find out the back stories of the actresses and the secrets that they would like to keep under wraps. A lovely story with a multi-generational cast. It was good to see the women, who should be (bitter) rivals supporting each other and drawing closer as the drama unfolds.

I enjoyed Jilly Bond’s narration.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A modern take on the golden age of crime

Set in the present day, this novel takes on the Agatha Christie age of “whodunnit” murders in a very satisfying way.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Traditional Country house mystery

I have to admit it took me a while to get into this, but I definitely got hooked! It’s not startlingly different to other stories in this genre but is very enjoyable nonetheless. Would certainly read/listen to another from this author.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Just a bit... meh

It is a nice idea. However, I found myself drifting off. It didn't grip me and hold my attention. It sort of just meandered along quite slowly and the ending felt sort of ... meh! It wasn't bad... but I don't understand the hype and I wouldn't recommend it,

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Great set up, middling execution

This could have been a fun addition to the genre but the plot gets silly & unbelievable way too fast. Movie stars forced to take part in a murder mystery weekend, their mobile phones taken off them, dressed in unflattering outfits? Has that author been living in a box for the past two decades? Celebrity culture & our obsession with being connected just made all this nonsense feel forced and convenient for the plot. The book is also very slow & dull in places with dreadfully cliched lower middle class characters & famous actors that seem to be still existing in the 80s.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Wrong choice of narrator

I try not to criticise narrators as I imagine it’s not nice to read poor reviews. However, this isn’t the right narrator for the book. They really struggle with accents and the range of characters. The novel itself isn’t bad. It feels like it’s written for tv. It’s a bit too cosy crime for my liking. Would consider listening to more, if they used a different narrator.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely loved it

I was riveted from the start. love the characters and how they come alive within the book. cannot wait to listen to the next one that I have just downloaded. love this writers insight and imagination. A true classic old time murder mystery. I also thought the narrator was perfect.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great fun & a good listen.

This has all the elements of a wonderfully daft murder mystery making it a great listen. The writing is lively with a great pace, and the portrayal of the place & people well presented & evocative of the crime genre in the golden age, and the great fun genre of the present day (think Midsomer Murders but much better storyline & much better writing.)

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