The fourth instalment in the Dahlia series. This time we join the Dahlias in Scotland at Christmas for a locked room mystery.

Just a great cosy, mystery. Thoroughly enjoyed the story, just as much as the other three in the series. I would recommend reading the books in order.

I’m looking forward to book five.

Fourth in the Dahlia Lively series. This book is a cosy mystery set near Christmas and sees the 3 Dahlia actresses attending a wedding of a friend.

However wherever the ladies go, death seems to follow and soon they are investigating a murder.

Really enjoyable.

Thanks must go to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

A very sweet festive mystery. Not my usual taste but still enjoyable. Lovely narrative and good descriptive story. The end was a surprise and that was good enough.

This is the fourth book in the Three Dahlias Mysteries series, but the first I've read. While it's probably best to read the series in order to understand the relationships between characters and how past events have shaped the stage they're at, I feel this book is easily readable as a standalone.

The Three Dahlias are in a remote area of Scotland for their friend's Christmas wedding, but right from their arrival, the atmosphere is less than jolly. Secrets, family feuds spanning centuries, murder and a snowstorm that cuts them off from everyone form a puzzle for the Dahlias to untangle with the help of their partners.

I found this to be a medium to fast-paced read with interesting twists that kept me guessing until the reveal.

In this the fourth in the series, the Three Dahlia's find themselves at a wedding, at Christmas, a Scottish Castle, a snow storm and cut off from everyone.

When a body turns up and secrets from the past start to threaten the present it turns to Rosalind, Caro and Posy to solve the mystery until power is restored and the police can arrest the culprit.

A classic example of the locked room mystery, set at Christmas which always gives any plot a different edge. The premise of these books, three visual adaptions of a fictious golden age detective gives it an interesting angle and we learn about the real people behind the various incarnations of Dahlia Lively as they navigate their past and their present.

For fans of golden age crime novels and with potential to run and run.

This is the fourth book in the series and I really enjoyed it!

It's fun seeing different perspectives and what all the Dahlias bring. I thought it was a bit too focused on the relationships they all had rather than the murder itself but overall fun!

Thank you for the arc

In her acknowledgements, Katy Watson writes “There wasn’t supposed to be a second hardback in the Three Dahlias Mysteries series released in 2024 … But I really, really wanted to write a Christmas book.”

Her love of the festive mystery novel shines through every page, as she toys with many of the tropes of the sub-genre.

Now I want to know whether the next instalment will come in July or we’ll have to wait until next Christmas …

4.5/5 ⭐️
The fourth Three Dahlias mystery finds Posy, Caro, and Rosalind in Scotland for their friend Libby's wedding. She had written them saying strange things were happening so they are already on edge. Things become deadly when first, a mysterious body washes up on shore near the castle. Then, someone there for the wedding is murdered. Stranded at the castle by a storm, the Three Dahlias set out to find out who is the culprit.

Another enjoyable entry in the series! I enjoyed that the three significant others (Jack, Kit, and Annie) were there as well as I find them fun supporting characters. I really didn't see the whodunit coming either! It was a good mystery (in terms of investigating and clues), something this series has been really good at. I think I can see where the next book might go in terms of murder, but I can't wait to see! I always look forward to reading these when I see another one has been released.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Three Dahlias are all in Scotland for the wedding of the year. Their friend Libby is marrying Duncan, laird of a large estate but when they arrive there is an odd around the place. The body of stranger has been found on the beach below the castle and there are mysterious goings on. Now the weather is closing in and when one of the guests is found murdered, the three (and their partners) have to solve the crime.
Watson is creating a wonderful series and, despite the fact that this was written in a rush, this is possibly the best yet. Pulling on the novels of a fictitious Golden Age writer, the plots are both modern and rooted in classic detective fiction. Here, it is the 'locked room' theme and it works brilliantly. Watson is self-deprecating in her acknowledgements but I agree with her editor - this is a delight.

A Christmas Eve wedding in a remote Scottish castle. What could be more romantic? Shame that the bride has pre wedding jitters that have nothing to do with the groom but with the feeling that the castle is, well, haunted and the ghost in question seems to have it in for her. It's also a shame that a once in a generation storm has snowed the family and first guests in and the rest of the world out with no phone signal, hardly any food except mince pies and canapes and one creaky generator. And it's a real shame that one of the guests has been murdered. On the other hand it's a very good thing the three Dahlias, Rosalind, Caro and Posy are there, along with Rosalind's retired policeman boyfriend and Caro's steady wife who can wrangle both a kitchen and a generator. But with the snowfall increasing, tensions racheting and danger increasing can they find the murderer in time to stop any more murders and save the wedding?
A delightfully Christmassy take on a classic locked in mystery with my three favourite detectives. Highly recommended.

What could be better than a cosy murder mystery? A cosy Christmas murder mystery! Katy Watson delivers yet another delightful instalment in the Three Dahlias series, this time with a festive twist. Set in a remote castle in the Scottish Highlands, the story draws you in with its intriguing plot, starting with what should have been a charming Christmas wedding. But when a body washes up on the shore and the bride, their old friend Libby, hints at something more sinister, the Dahlias are drawn into another thrilling investigation.

The wintry, gothic atmosphere is a refreshing change from the usual summer countryside settings. Ghost stories, a centuries-old feud, and an ominous snowstorm create a wonderfully eerie backdrop for this classic closed-circle mystery. It feels like a perfect blend of Golden Age murder mystery traditions—complete with high society glamour—and the haunting charm of traditional Christmas tales.

I particularly enjoyed seeing the Three Dahlias with their partners this time around—it added more depth to their characters and dynamics. Kit and Annie were a delightful addition as honorary Dahlias, and I loved the development of Posy and Kit’s relationship, which has come a long way since the first book. Similarly, Rosalind and Jack’s relationship has matured beautifully. Watson captures not just the highs but also the complexities of their connection in the brief glimpses we get through Rosalind’s perspective.

The balance of romance as a subplot alongside the murder mystery is handled masterfully, making all three relationships feel authentic and compelling. Katy Watson has once again delivered a festive, engaging mystery with characters you can’t help but root for.

3.5/5.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

The three Dahlia’s are at it again with another murder mystery to solve (honestly, how do these ladies find themselves surrounded by death so much?) and the scene is Christmas!

This was a fun winter murder mystery and gave cozy Christmassy, Agatha Cristie vibes. The Scottish setting was picturesque and the narrative was engaging with it flicking between Caro, Posy and Rosalind’s POV. I did find the story felt slightly slow at times and the reveal a little lack lustre (hence the 3*) but if you’re looking for a fluffy murder mystery this Christmas then look no further!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC!

A Christmas wedding, a snow storm, a centuries old feud and murders.
A Lively Midwinter Murder is the fourth in The Three Dahlia's Mysteries. It's a cosy murder mystery set in a castle in a remote part of Scotland.
All of the roads are blocked by snow, and there is no phone signal, so the three Dahlias and their partners set about solving the murders.

This is the first book that I have read by this author. It's an entertaining read, full of twists and turns, and for the most part, is fast paced.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for giving me the opportunity to read this book

A joy to read from start to finish, Katy Watson hooks you in and keeps you engaged throughout. A fantastic cosy winter mystery.

Boy was I looking forward to this one!

I really enjoyed this story and I am a lover of the closed circle mystery. I love the chemistry of the dahlias and how they work together. They complement each other so much in their mystery solving ways. I enjoyed the more in-depth look at the dahlias relationships with their significant others. It was nice to see and made the emotional moments in the book more powerful due to the depth of the relationships were written about previously.
The plot of this instalment had me intrigued from every page, the turns the story took and when we finally uncover who the murderer is I was shocked, as the reader we weren’t given the clue that tipped the dahlias off to the murderer but the reveal was enjoyable. I never guessed it could have been that character. It was a medium-to-fast paced story that I HAD to finish or I would be wondering and wondering what the next page held.

I loved this book, it is such a cosy mystery that you can read cosied up during the holiday season with a belly full of any other Christmas treat other than mince pies.

A fun a cosy festive crime story. The setting is great. I could practically hear the wind whirling round the turrets of the isolated Scottish castle. The three main characters are well established now and it’s enjoyable to watch their relationship develop.

In some ways the murder comes second place to the setting and the atmosphere here. I almost didn’t care who the killer was. I was slightly grumpy that the reader wasn’t given all of the clues to figure it out, though. The reveal depended on a piece of evidence we hadn’t been shown. Very much against the rules set by Agatha Christie!

This is an enjoyable story, nonetheless and would be great to read in the run up to Christmas or in the gap between Christmas and New Year. Ideally next to a roaring fire!

I really enjoyed the first book in the series which prompted me to request an arc for this one. While I did not find it as entertaining as my previous read, it was a decent mystery. I liked the sleuths a lot and enjoyed their chemistry.

A Lively Midwinter Murder finds the three Dahlias in Scotland for the Christmas Eve wedding of their friend Libby. Then of course murder occurs. I have to admit, I enjoyed the story but at times wasn’t overly entertained, the story dragged somewhat and I zoned out.

A Lively Midwinter Murder finds our three Dahlias in Scotland for the Christmas Eve wedding of their friend Libby (who they, and the reader, first met in The Three Dahlias). I enjoyed the festive Highland setting and the cast of characters, but found that the story dragged somewhat, with a lot of telling instead of showing, which resulted in long passages of description through which I zoned out a bit.

A really enjoyable Christmas read. As guests assemble for their friend 's wedding at a romantic Scottish castle, a gathering snowstorm adds to the already uneasy atmosphere. An un- identified body was discovered on the day of their arrival but the three amateur sleuths aka the Dahlias, are soon convinced he is connected to some of the castle 's occupants. As the storm intensifies, cutting them off from the outside world, they discover the body of if a fellow guest on the same beach where the previous body was found. This guest however is dressed in the wedding dress of their friend Libby. She is also wearing the heirloom diamond necklace that had been stolen a few days before. The friends soon discover the castle holds many secrets and nothing is as it seems. With the help of retired policeman,Jack, they unmask the murderer in an exposé worthy of Christie's Poirot. Lots of red herrings, atmospheric setting and an eclectic cast of suspects all make for a most entertaining read