The Three Dahlias is a traditional mystery that is reminiscent of titles published during mystery’s “Golden Age.” It will be enjoyed by those who like to sink into a long (373 page) crime novel that is not overly violent.
The Dahlias of the title are actresses who starred in, or about to star in, TV or movies that feature Dahlia Lively, a sleuth. Each starred at a certain point in time; Rosalind was first, followed by Caro and, now, Posy who is the latest Dahlia. Each of these actresses has a backstory that impacts the plot. They are a bit competitive with one another but join forces to solve the case that is at the center of the novel.
The Dahlias are attending a super fan convention as the story opens. There are many people on the grounds of the famous author’s home, so loads of suspects. These include family members, those involved with the new film, and the super fans.
No spoiler to say that there is a murder. With their three brains and styles coming to the fore, the Dahlias are on the case. Relax and follow along as they solve it.
I enjoyed this title’s setting and characters. It was a bit slow moving at times though. Still, that was kind of soothing, just following along at a leisurely pace.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Book Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 21 July 2022
Praise for The Three Dahlias
‘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 of The Windsor Knot
‘I loved it – witty, engaging and hugely enjoyable. 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. Great fun. Warm, ingenious and. . . lively!’ L C Tyler
‘A sprightly offering. . . a pleasant summer read’ The Critic
NOTE: The current price for the digital book is just $7.99 for those who may want to pre-order.
Daphne Overture is a professor at a fictional, very selective institution of higher learning where she studies and teaches French Colonial history. Daphne has been highly successful but keeps her head down at her college; she is just one of a handful of Black professors and is even sometimes called by the first name of one of the other ones!
Luckily for both Daphne and the reader, she has strong (if sometimes annoying to her) family connections and good friends. Readers will enjoy getting to know all of them.
Daphne had a paperback book, Papillon. Readers learn early on that it was taken from her, most likely by a professor named Sam who has been murdered. How? Why? What is the connection between this book and a murder? Is the book related to Sam’s work on prison conditions?
Along with getting involved herself, Daphne gets to know a former police officer who is now a bookstore owner. Readers will hope that they find romance, I think.
Along with the characters and the plot, I loved the academic setting. The ins and outs, the competitiveness, the appearance of the physical college , the threats by some in the hierarchy against others, plagiarism, students taken advantage of by professors and more all make for compelling reading.
This book also highlights the experiences Daphne has regarding race on her campus. It offers a reminder of a need to do better.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Soho Press-Soho Crime for this title. All opinions are my own. I truly hope that this title is the first in a series.
Pub date: 01 July 2025D
From the publisher:
A college history professor must solve her superstar colleague’s murder before she becomes the next target in this funny, romantic debut mystery, perfect for readers of Janet Evanovich, Kellye Garrett, and Ali Hazelwood.
As a newly minted junior professor, Daphne Ouverture spends her days giving lectures on French colonialism, working on her next academic book, and going on atrocious dates. Her small world suits her just fine. Until Sam Taylor dies.
The rising star of Harrison University’s anthropology department was never one of Daphne’s favorites, despite his popularity. But that doesn’t prevent Sam’s killer from believing Daphne has something that belonged to Sam—something the killer will stop at nothing to get.
Between grading papers and navigating her disastrous love life, Daphne embarks on her own investigation to find out what connects her to Sam’s murder. With the help of an alluring former-detective-turned-bookseller, she unravels a deadly cover-up on campus.
This well-crafted, voice-driven mystery introduces an unforgettable crime fiction heroine.
From the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
Review
Praise for History Lessons
A New York Times Editors’ Choice A Library Journal Mystery Debut of the Month
“History professor Daphne Ouverture might be your next favorite unsuspecting sleuth.” —USA Today
“History Lessons brilliantly mixes pointed satire, fabulous characters (especially Daphne’s two besties) and a thoughtful meditation on whose fortunes get to rise, and whose are ground down on the altar of power.” —Sarah Weinman, The New York Times Book Review
“Wallbrook has crafted a campus mystery that’s both propulsive and cerebral. The book blends classic whodunit pleasures with a reflective exploration of race, power and who gets believed. Also: ‘Drag Race’ jokes, squirrel riots and a simmering romance with a bookish ex-cop. Top marks.” —The Seattle Times
“Clever, quirky, and full of heart, History Lessons is a cozy mystery for the academics and romantics among us.” —Shondaland
Benjamin Stevenson offers his fans a Christmas mystery. Favorite characters are back and the pages turn.
This time, Ernest’s ex-wife has been accused of murder. Ernest lies to his current partner Juliet in order to help Erin whose explanation for what occurred does not sound all that believable.
A magician becomes central to the case. Interestingly, a relative mentioned him to Ernest as a kind of wedding entertainer. Said magician also will get Ernest ever more deeply involved when Ernest attends his show.
There is murder along with a wry narrator in this very enjoyable entry in the series. Interestingly it is set up like an advent calendar which adds to the fun.
Recommended for mystery lovers and those who enjoy holiday themed stories.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
The Old Success follows The Knowledge, a book that I really enjoyed. The Old Success is not quite as good but will still be welcomed by fans of Richard Jury and his eccentric circle of friends. Old readers, for example, will probably love Melrose’s latest attempt to get at his aunt. You do not have to have read all the books in the series to pick this up but it may help to know a bit about the cast. In this novel, there are three murders. One takes place in the Scilly Islands, one in Exeter Cathedral and one on a family estate. Are they linked, and if they are, what is the connection? As usual, there are characters who are children and essential to the story. In this case, the reader meets Zillah and Zoe. What did they witness? What is their connection to the bigger mystery surrounding the deaths? The title of the book comes from the name of a pub, as is usual for Martha Grimes. Those in the pubs are witnesses and friends, including a retired police officer who solved all his cases. There is also his granddaughter who is talented at working with horses. Quite a mix. Of course, all is solved. I read this book quickly. I rate it at 3 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance read in exchange for an honest review. The book publishes in November.
90-Day Challenge to Strengthen Recall and Improve Cognitive Skills
by Julie Demyanovich
#BrainTeasersforMemoryFitness #NetGalley
From the publisher:
Improve your memory—and have fun!—with 90 days of brain teasers.
Forgot where you put your keys multiple times this week? Having difficulty remembering your to-do list? Boost your ability to recall details and strengthen your long-term memory with Brain Teasers for Memory Fitness, the ultimate 90-day mental challenge that increases in difficulty from easy to hard. With a variety of fun brain teasers, including trivia, word games, recall tests, sudoku, logic puzzles, and more, you’ll be amazed by the improvement you see in how you process and recall information. Get started on your journey to better memory fitness today!
Brain games focused on memory. Developed by a puzzle expert, these brain games are specifically designed to exercise and strengthen your memory functions.
90 days of brain teasers, plus bonus puzzles. With puzzles that go from easy to hard, this challenge will help you develop a consistent mental exercise routine.
Variety of activities. Enjoy a mix of trivia, word puzzles, memory games, recall challenges, sudoku, mazes, crosswords, and logic puzzles.
The perfect gift for any age. Enlarged, clear print and quality paper make this an ideal gift for adults of all stages, including seniors.
Keep your good habit of daily brain exercise going with the other top-selling titles in the series: Sudoku for Brain Fitness, Crossword Puzzles for Brain Fitness, Logic Puzzles Book for Brain Fitness, and Word Search Puzzles for Brain Fitness.
My thoughts:
Whether you want to improve your memory or you just enjoy the challenges of puzzles, this title is worth a look. Graded from easy to hard, find the puzzles that you will most enjoy or do the challenge as it is intended by the author. Either way, there are fun activities in these pages.
I recommend reading the introduction. There is interesting information to be found there. Then start puzzling.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Zeitgist for this title. All opinions are my own.
I am very excited to be a part of this blog tour. I have enjoyed everything that I have read by this author. Fans of historical fiction will too. This book is definitely worth a look!
Many thanks to everyone at HTP for this opportunity.
About the Book:
A heartwarming story about a mother and daughter in wartime England and the power of books that bring them together, by the bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London.
In Nottingham, England, widow Emma Taylor finds herself in desperate need of a job. She and her beloved daughter Olivia have always managed just fine on their own, but with the legal restrictions prohibiting widows with children from most employment opportunities, she’s left with only one option: persuading the manageress at Boots’ Booklover’s Library to take a chance on her with a job.
When the threat of war in England becomes a reality, Olivia must be evacuated to the countryside. In the wake of being separated from her daughter, Emma seeks solace in the unlikely friendships she forms with her neighbors and coworkers, and a renewed sense of purpose through the recommendations she provides to the library’s quirky regulars. But the job doesn’t come without its difficulties. Books are mysteriously misshelved and disappearing and the work at the lending library forces her to confront the memories of her late father and the bookstore they once owned together before a terrible accident.
As the Blitz intensifies in Nottingham and Emma fights to reunite with her daughter, she must learn to depend on her community and the power of literature more than ever to find hope in the darkest of times.
Start reading:
PROLOGUE
Nottingham, England April 1931
JUST ONE MORE CHAPTER. Emma lingered in the storage area on the second floor of her father’s bookshop, Tower Bookshop, with Jane Austen’s Emma cradled in her lap. Sadly, not her namesake—her parents had named her Emmaline for an aunt she’d never met, who had died on Emma’s seventh birthday ten years ago.
Still, the book was one of Emma’s favorites.
“Emma.” Papa’s voice rose from somewhere in the bookshop, sharp with irritation.
She frowned. Papa was seldom ever cross with her.
Perhaps the smoke from the man who had come in with his cigar earlier still lingered in the shop.
She settled a scrap of paper into the spine of her book.
“Emmaline!” Something to that second cry snapped her to attention, a raw, frantic pitch.
Papa was never panicked.
She leaped up from the seat with such haste, the book dropped to the ground with a whump.
“I’m in the warehouse,” she called out, racing to the door.
The handle was scalding hot. She yelped and drew back. That’s when she saw the smoke, wisps seeping beneath the door, glowing in the stream of sunlight.
Fire.
She put her skirt over her hand and twisted the knob to open the door. Thick plumes of smoke billowed in, black and choking.
She sucked in a breath of surprise, unintentionally inhaling a lungful of burning air. A cough racked her and she stumbled back, her mind reeling as her feet pulled her from the threat.
But to where? This was the only exit from the storeroom, save the second-floor window.
“Papa,” she shouted, terror creeping into her voice.
All at once, he was there, wrapping a blanket around them, the one she kept in the shop for cold mornings before the furnace managed to heat the old building.
“Stay at my side.” Papa’s voice was gravelly beneath the blanket where he’d covered the lower part of his face. Even as he led her away, a great cough shuddered through his lean frame.
Beyond the wall of smoke was a vision straight out of Milton’s Paradise Lost as fire licked and climbed its way up the towering stacks of books, devouring a lifetime of careful curation. Emma screamed, the sound muted by the blanket.
But Papa’s hand was firm at her back, pressing her forward. “We have to run.” Not slowing, he guided her to the winding metal staircase. She used to love clattering down it as a girl, hearing the metal ringing around her.
“It’s hot,” Papa cautioned. “Don’t touch it.”
Emma hugged against his side as they squeezed down the narrow steps that barely fit the two of them together. It swayed beneath their weight, no longer sturdy as it had once been. The blazing heat felt as though it was blistering Emma’s skin. Too hot. Too close. Too much.
And they were plunging deeper into the fiery depths.
The soles of Emma’s shoes stuck to the last two steps as rubber melted against metal.
What had once been rows of bookshelves was now a maze of flames. Even Papa hesitated before the seemingly impassable blaze.
But there was nowhere else to go.
The fire was alive. Cracking and popping and hissing and roaring, roaring, roaring so loud, it seemed like an actual beast.
“Go,” he shouted, and his grip tightened around her, pulling her forward.
Together they ran, between columns of fire that had once been shelves of books. An ear-shattering crack came from above, spurring them to the front as fire and sparks poured down behind them.
Emma ran faster than she ever had before, faster than she knew herself capable. Papa’s arm at her side yanked her this way or that, navigating through the fiery chaos. Until there was nowhere to go.
Papa roared louder than the fire beast and released her, running toward the blazing door. It flew open at the impact, revealing clean sunny daylight outside. He turned toward her even as she rushed after him and grabbed her around the shoulders, hauling her into the street.
Emma gulped in the clean air, reveling in the cool dampness washing into her tortured lungs. A crowd had gathered, staring up at the Tower Bookshop. Some came to Emma and Papa, asking in a frenzy of voices if they were hurt.
In the distance came the scream of emergency sirens. Sirens Emma had heard her entire life, but had never once needed herself.
There was need now. She held on to Papa’s hand and looked behind her at the building that had been in her family for two generations and was meant to become hers someday. Her gaze skimmed over the bookshop to the top two floors where their home had once been.
The fire beast gave a great heaving howl and the top floor crumpled.
Someone grabbed her from behind, dragging her back as the rest of the structure came down, ripping her hand from her father’s. She didn’t reach for him again, unable to move, unable to think, her eyes fixed on the building as it crashed in on itself in a fiery heap. Their livelihood. Their home.
All the pictures of her mother who had died after Emma was born, all the books she and her father had lovingly selected from bookshops around England on the trips they’d taken together, everything they’d ever owned.
Gone.
Emma choked on a sob at the realization.
Everything was gone.
“We need a doctor.” A man’s voice broke through her horror, pulling her attention to her father.
He lay on the ground, motionless. Soot streaked his handsome slender face, and his thick gray hair that had once been the same shade of chestnut as hers was now singed in blackened tufts.
“Papa?” She sagged to the ground beside him.
His eyes lifted to her, watery blue and filled with a love that made her heart swell. The breath wheezed from his chest like a kettle’s cry. “You’re safe.”
Once the words left his mouth, his body relaxed, going slack.
“Papa?” Emma cried.
This time his eyes did not meet hers. They looked through her. Sightless and empty.
She shuddered at how unnatural he appeared. Like her father, and yet not like her father.
“Papa?”
The wailing sirens were still too far-off.
“I’m a doctor.” A man knelt on the other side of her father. His fingers went to Papa’s blackened neck and the man’s sad brown eyes turned up to her.
“I’m sorry, love. He’s gone.”
Emma stared at the man, refusing to believe her ears even as she saw the truth.
It had always just been Emma and her father, the two of them against the world, as Papa used to say. They read the same books to discuss together, they worked every day at the bookshop together, friends and colleagues as much as they were father and daughter. Once Emma had completed her schooling, she’d even traveled with him, curating books like the first editions they were still waiting on to arrive from Newcastle.
Now that beautiful light that shone in his eyes had dulled. Lifeless.
Madeline Martin is a New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author of historical fiction and historical romance with books that have been translated into over twenty-five different languages.
The Maid has garnered so much praise both before and after publication. It is a book that is definitely worth reading. Those who enjoy The Thursday Murder Club and Ruth Galloway mysteries are certain to love this novel with it quirky, idiosyncratic and (morally) good protagonist.
Molly sees the world in her own way. She appears to be “on the spectrum,” though I hate to use that term and do not want to make Molly anything other than the unique woman that she is. Molly has trouble reading social cues and people’s facial expressions. This can lead to her being naively trusting. Molly speaks with a beautifully old fashioned syntax and sometimes makes rhymes as, for example, “a tissue for your issue.”
Molly lives with her grandmother who works as a domestic. Molly is herself a maid, working at the Grand Hotel. It is a job that suits her orderly personality and Molly takes great pride in her work. (She will hopefully leave readers with more respect for those who toil in hotels for the benefit of the guests).
Molly becomes involved in a series of events that leave her in over her head. There were times when I wanted to yell “stop” to Molly when she trusted some of the hotel staff and guests but, of course, could not do so. The fact that I wanted to is a tribute to the author’s ability to create characters for whom readers will care.
Who will protect Molly? Will she get out of this mess? Will she or the hotel ever be the same? Read this charming, heartfelt novel to find out. To use one of Molly’s favorite words, it is “delightful.”
I sincerely hope that the author’s next book is published soon. I give this first novel of hers five stars.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.
This book has already been greeted enthusiastically by many. Among these readers is Oprah Winfrey who has made it her book club pick. It has been reviewed widely and anyone who read (or saw the movie) Brooklyn will want to spend time with this novel.
This is a story of Eilis twenty or so years after the events in Brooklyn. She has found herself a housewife (with occasional work), mother of two and is still married to Tony; his boisterous clan makes their presence in her life rather prominent.
The catalyst for what happens is that Tony has impregnated another woman. Needless to say Eilis is not pleased. One way that she copes is by going back to Ireland. Yes, she does again meet up with Jim while there.
What will happen to this family as they face a crisis? Eilis once left but returned to Tony. What will she do this time?
I found the writing in this book to be deceptively simple. There is much behind what each character says and does. It is a paean to well written prose.
Even if a reader has not yet enjoyed Brooklyn, they can still read this one. I recommend it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for this title. All opinions are my own.
Anyone who has read one book by Elizabeth Strout will surely read all of her others. I found this one to be a special treat because it brings together characters from earlier titles including (my favorite) Bob Burgess, Olive Kitteridge, Lucy Barton and others.
The prose is beautiful, the story is engaging and the visit to Crosby, Maine is most welcome. I was delighted to follow the challenges and relationships in this small community.
I find Strout to be such a wise author. This is definitely a book to add to a fiction lover’s TBR list.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
Where does the title come from? Find out below. Think too of the different meanings it might have.
Picoult is an author who does not write the same book twice. That said, she has a knack for writing interesting novels that are often quite topical (school shootings, abortion and more).
In this latest work, Picoult examines ways in which women’s work is often taken to be less valuable. How might this play out in two time periods? Turn the pages to find out.
In the earlier time period, Picoult postulates that Emilia Bassano was never credited but wrote many of Shakespeare’s plays. Could this be true?
The world of her and Shakespeare’s time is very authentically portrayed here. Picoult did her research. Details of clothing, education, women’s roles, the power of men and more come alive.
Emilia faced many obstacles after her father died and her mother left her. She was educated but faced many constraints. How did she survive?
In the present day, Mel, who is a budding playwright, faces many challenges. She has learned that Emilia was a relative and has written a play about her. How are their lives the same and different? How do they each face their creative obstacles? Read this long novel to find out.
Be sure to look at the notes at the back of the book. There are lots of details on Shakespeare related references.
Those who are already fans of the author will likely buy this book. I hope that those new to her will also pick this up.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 