The Three Dahlias: 'An absolute treat of a read with all the ingredients of a vintage murder mystery' Janice Hallett (Three Dahlias Mysteries Book 1)

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The answer would be, of course, a murder mystery at a stately home, which is one of many reasons why The Three Dahliasreally is a perfect summer read.

But it’s her three brilliant protagonists which are the stars (literally) of the show – three very different actresses, who have each played the same detective character at one point in their lives and are brought together to solve a crime. 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. What better way to combine the golden age of mystery with the present than by a convention of mystery fans, set on the grounds where one of their favorite mystery series was written, with not one but three of the actors playing their favorite character serving as guests of honor? There are several stately homes up and down the country that could have inspired the one in the book. So before we proceed – I have already requested book 2 and would happily have read it straight away if it had been sat in my towering to be read piles – so that’s how much I loved it!

Each actress has her own interpretation of the character – but this English summer weekend they will have to put aside their differences, as the crimes at Aldermere turns anything but cosy.

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! It’s about the people, and very much like Knives Out, about the relationships between the people and where the hidden stress points are. 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.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? For the final 100 pages I was curled up into the book desperately trying to reach the end and discover the truth.

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.The books featured on this site are aimed primarily at readers aged 13 or above and therefore you must be 13 years or over to sign up to our newsletter. 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. The pace was perfect for a leisurely Sunday afternoon read with tea and cake, you weren’t racing along but also you really were not about to let anything disturb you while reading.

That no one is going to miss the victims makes it that much easier for the reader to sink into the story and just enjoy the fun – even if it does take the first third of the book to really get going. And ex-child star Posy Starling, fresh out of the fame wilderness (and rehab) to take on the Dahlia mantle for the new movie. 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. It’s a lovely little mystery, very atmospheric as a murder at a fan convention (my favorite in this vein is STILL Bimbos of the Death Sun), and as an homage to the Golden Age of Mystery and as a classic country-house murder all rolled into one. Ex-child star Posy Starling is finally filming her dream role - Dahlia Lively in The Lady Detective movie.

There have been more than enough Miss Marples, but that’s a role that an actor takes on much later in her career. The three famous actresses create a captivating crime fighting trio, their different ages adding to the inclusive experience.