A Very Lively Murder (Three Dahlias Mysteries Book 2)

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There wasn't a whole lot of character development with the Three Dahlias, although we learned a bit more about Rosalind. If you haven't read The Three Dahlias I recommend that you do and then immediately follow it with A Very Lively Murder. I would argue that even the name of the book is selected incorrectly - what makes this a lively murder? Janice Hallett, author of The Appeal'Celebrates and gently satirises Golden Age crime novels in a hugely entertaining country house mystery' The Times'Dame Agatha would approve' Daily Mail'A wonderful celebration of Golden Age crime. Things turn even darker when a crew member disappears suddenly and an actress working on the film is killed in a hit and run accident, and suspicion falls on Kit, Posy’s friend and costar, who was previously involved with her.

With all three ‘leading ladies’ assessing their lives, making the latest Dahlia Lively movie and of course solving a list of potentially related crimes, this is a fun and action packed read. There are a couple of things missed in the editing, particularly towards the end but that doesn't spoil a wonderfully entertaining novel. Well plotted and reads quick and i feel you will want to get comfortable and settled as you will be gripped until you have finished the book. Katy Watson is the most perfect scene setter, so much so that I felt like I was at Ty Gwyn solving these murders myself. This was a fabulous read and just my cup of tea - a classic Christie style book with a modern feel and a plot that throws red herrings at you and keeps you guessing to the end.

This is the second in the Dahlia Lively series and it follows on from the first, so I would recommend that you read that one prior to this to fully understand the characters. This time around our plucky heroines are off to Wales to shoot The Lady Detective, the new movie based on the Dahlia Lively series of mysteries as written by Lettice Davenport from the 1930s to 1960s. The ending wasn't a surprise; we knew it had to be one of a fairly small group of people, most of them not all that likable. The author of the bestselling former Waterstones Thriller of the Month The Three Dahlias spins another fiendishly clever vintage mystery, as the three sleuthing actresses reunite to solve a murder on a movie set.

The friendship that has formed despite the initial professional rivalry between the three leads is something that we need more of in not only literature but in life. Soon there is the possible threat of murder, followed by a suspicious death, and then we are wrapped up in a wonderful Christie-esque murder mystery with just the right amount of modern spin. The way in which the author has at the start of each chapter an extract from one of the Dahlia books is brilliant ( i would love to read them .

In between filming scenes, signing autographs for locals, photoshoots in London, talk show appearances and jetting off to France for an impromptu party, the three Dahlias do what they do best - surrupticiously sleuth. Maybe that's why I didn't like this one as much as the first, none of the characters stood out to me, not even the Three Dahlias. Rosalind stared out of the front windows of Tŷ Gwyn, frowning, and Posy knew she wasn't seeing the wet, Welsh weather raging. Ex child star Posy Starling is finally filming her dream role – Dahlia Lively in The Lady Detective movie.

Posy is having to cope with the legacy of both the previous actresses and trying to make the role her own and I liked the way that this was a struggle for her. I loved the first book in the series, 'The Three Dahlias', so was pleased to be given access to an advanced copy of the second, so I could discover what the Three Dahlias were up to next.

I also love the way the plot echoes those classic golden age themes, here the isolated community with secrets. Especially, because in the last two chapters, they build up Nina as being the perfect suspect with a very valid motive, but then Watson decides that she wants to dabble with twists and throw in one that doesn't make sense, so it's revealed that it was Tristan all along (The charismatic young actor, who is good looking to the level where he even seduces the wife of the Inn owner) And why? One of the plot points was a little hard to believe: that an actor could just change their name and no one would recognize them for years even though they had continued to act.