An affectionate homage to the Golden Age of Detective Fiction and a wry nod to our continuing fascination with it. The three actresses of different generations who played the formidable Dahlia Lively are back after teaming up to solve the murders at Aldermere. 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.

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 . A must for fans of classic mysteries' Frances Brody'An affectionate homage to the Golden Age of Detective Fiction and a wry nod to our continuing fascination with it.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. Overall, A Very Lively Murder is another mysterious, amusing, enjoyable treat by Watson that had just the right amount of suspicious personalities, zany antics, and abundance of drama to keep me engaged and entertained from start to finish. I got into this one straight away, transported to a country house for an engaging homage to vintage golden age murder; full of 30’s flair and with a twisty modern vibe. There are a couple of things missed in the editing, particularly towards the end but that doesn't spoil a wonderfully entertaining novel.

Dahlia Lively is a character in a set of books supposedly written from 1930 onwards and each of the chapters in this book begins with a quotation from one of the novels that has reference to something that will occur in the chapter.I knew I would be in safe hands with Katy Watson and A Very Lively Murder was everything I hoped it would be! Truth be told, Nina would not have fitted either, as she was pregnant, so why would she risk it all revenging something that happened 8 years ago now, when she is happy and about to have a baby, which she is excited about.

I'm not sure how much longer the conceit can hold, and I'm not sure how interested I'll be if these shift to being One Dahlia mysteries instead of Three, but I'm definitely planning to give the next one a shot. I discovered this series about two weeks ago and since then I devoured the first book in the series (The Three Dahlias), the fun Christmas short story (Dahlias Decks the Halls), and now the second book, (A Very Lively Murder). Of course, there were a few bits which pointed to Katy Watson being new at this, but you could see that she had a good vision and the characters she created were able to carry the upcoming books. 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.Surely these fictional detectives can pool their knowledge and resources to find out the truth and catch the murderer? He escaped and covered up all of the evidence of his wrongdoing, so out of guilt, Brigette picks up the mental of the judge.

After the events at Aldermere, Posy Rosalind and Caro are trying to fit into their new roles but someone has murder in mind and it looks like Rosalind could be in their sights! 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 relationship between the three leading ladies (The Three Dahlias) is well observed, each bringing their different strengths to the investigation.

The cast is an intriguing mix of British A listers and up and coming talent, with plenty of egos jostling for supremacy leaving Posy unsure whether she has what it takes to be the new Dahlia or whether she really is the washed up child star the world believes her. It was lovely to see Posy really coming into her own and being the leading Dahlia in the story as well The story picks up slightly after the first book finished and follows the characters whilst they are actually filming the film from the first book. I do like the trio of narrators it's a good way to move the story along but this time it just didn't move on fast enough.