Katy Watson, Author

One last cuppa in front of the Christmas tree before it comes down. Using my very favourite Christmas present from my lovely daughter, of course.

⭐️2023 Round Up⭐️

2023 has been such a STUNNING year for me professionally, I wanted to put together a little round up - in gratitude for all the good things, to thank everyone who has helped them come to pass, and maybe as a reminder of how far my hard work has brought me.

So, in vaguely chronological order, some highlights...

1️⃣ At the start of the year, the very talented took my new author photos
2️⃣ In April the paperback of The Three Dahlias was released - and was named Thriller of the Month for May!
3️⃣ In July, the Dahlias second adventure, A Very Lively Murder was released in hardback (look out for the paperback in February 2024...) to lovely reviews
4️⃣ And later that month I got to take part in the Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival to talk about it!
5️⃣ In August, I FINALLY got to visit my very favourite bookshop, Browsers in Porthmadog, and sign copies of my books there
6️⃣ At the start of September, I took a dahlia flower arranging class - and serendipitously got the call to tell me that we had a contract for three more Three Dahlias Mysteries!
7️⃣ Later that month, I headed north to Stirling to speak on a panel at the Bloody Scotland festival - and got to take part in the incredible Torchlight Parade
8️⃣ In October, I travelled to Paris and met my fantastic French publishing team at
9️⃣ And then I took part in the Le Mans book fair - and sold out of books!

A huge, huge thank you to every reader, fellow writer, blogger or bookstagrammer, reviewer, librarian and bookseller who has helped make 2023 so spectacular for me and the Dahlias - not to mention all the friends and family who have cheered me on along the way!

Extra special thanks, as always, to the teams at Constable in the UK, Mobius Books in the US and Cherche Midi in France, not to mention Super Agent Gemma Cooper, of course. I can't wait to see what we all get up to together next year!

One final item to round up - my annual word count. In 2023 I have written over 316,000 words (as of this morning). That works out at an average of 866 words a day.

I wonder if I can make it 366,000 - 1000 words a day - in 2024...

Today was Boat Sunday. (Yes, I know it’s Saturday. Just go with it.)

Every year, just before Christmas, my extended family get together to celebrate the season. The very first time was 51 years ago, for my mother’s 18th birthday (which is actually on Christmas Day) but by the time I remember, we used to hold it at a restaurant called The Boat on the Sunday before Christmas. And so the name stuck.

These days, it’s held at the hotel where I had my wedding reception, on whatever day suits everyone travelling in from around the country and the globe.

But certain traditions are upheld, every year. Like taking a photo of all the grandchildren on the stairs. The long (slightly boozy) lunch. The Secret Santa exchange. And, most importantly, the singing.

It’s not Christmas for me until I’ve heard my cousin David sing ‘O Holy Night.’ (I’ve heard many versions, but no one else comes close.) It’s not Christmas until Uncle Stephen has played ‘Silver Coin,’ until we’ve all sung ‘Bread and Fishes’ and my cousin Emma has performed ‘American Tune.’

It’s important that we sing ‘American Pie’ but not remember the words. My brother should certainly sing ‘At Last,’ because his version honestly rivals Etta James’s. And we still sing all the songs my Grandma requested even though she’s no longer here to ask for (demand) them.

There are new songs too - or new performers perhaps. This year, Holly played and sang ‘Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,’ complete with kazoo solo, and I already know it’ll be requested again next year. A new tradition.

Every year is the same, a programme of traditions to follow and enjoy in order. And every year is different, as children grow and change, and we all age a little more. During lockdown, we held a virtual Boat Sunday over zoom and I cried all day.

Because as my Uncle Al told me as we said goodbye after congratulating each other on another fine celebration, “I don’t wish it could be Christmas every day. I wish it could be Boat Sunday instead.”

And I agree. Because it is the most wonderful day of the year. I’m already looking forward to next year.

Boat Sunday is on a Saturday this year. And still not on a boat. Yes, I know.

Are you counting down to Christmas? In the mood for a festive mystery to see you through?
Well, have you read DAHLIA DECKS THE HALLS yet?

First published last year, this FREE Three Dahlias/Dahlia Lively mashup short story sees Rosalind, Caro and Posy together for Christmas Eve, and trying to solve a previously lost - and incomplete - Dahlia Lively mystery.

Follow the link in my bio to download the story, or you can find it at katywatson.co.uk, under the Dahlia Extras section!

It's *almost* time to sign off for the holidays over here - the kids just have a few days left in school, and then it'll be all Christmas all the time.

Well, maybe not all the time. Because even if my laptop stays (mostly) closed, I'm going to be spending a lot of time with this little notebook over what's left of this year.

Inside this gorgeously festive red leather cover is my current Three Dahlias Mysteries notebook, with notes on the next three books in the series. The first of which is a Christmas book, so this feels like the perfect time to get it all planned out ready to start writing in January!

Today, I'm making lots of notes on Christmas traditions, and festive notes to include. My family has a whole host of traditions for this time of year, so of course I'm starting there. But I'm always on the look out for new ones...

⭐️ What Christmas/holiday traditions do you have in your family? Let me know in the comments!

P.S. The notebook cover is from and I am very in love with it. The notebook inside is a pocket .

⭐️LISTEN FOR THE LIE by Amy Tintera⭐️

I am SO glad I got to read an early copy of this book - I absolutely devoured it!

Listen for the Lie is such a clever, compelling mystery.

I loved the combination of cold case true crime podcast and amnesiac prime suspect, and how, in the end, they had to work together to reveal the truth.

It also has important things to say about who we listen to, who we believe, and why.

Darkly funny and utterly engaging, I couldn’t put this book down.

It's out in March, and you absolutely have to read it.

Thanks to and for the advance copy.

Well, we have a tree. We've decorated it. We've made Christingles at church (with real candles this year rather than glow sticks, but no disasters I'm pleased to report). We've celebrated Roystmas (our pre-Christmas celebration here at home with my parents). Crackers have been pulled. And I've sung in my Christmas choir concert with the brilliant Stevenage Ladies Choir and our fantastic MD, Ann Marie (and I even remembered all the words).

Now, if only I had bought and wrapped all my presents, I'd be ready for Christmas!

How are your Christmas preparations going?

🎄MURDER UNDER THE MISTLETOE, by Liz Fielding🎄

This is the sequel to the brilliant Murder Among The Roses, released this summer, which established Abby Finch as one of my favourite amateur sleuths, and the Maybridge Murders series as an autobuy for me.

Liz Fielding weaves a clever, twisty mystery around characters you care for, and a sleuth you can't help but root for. (In this book, she also gets a sleuthing hat, which is now on my Christmas wish list.)

Starting at surprisingly lethal tree decorating session at the local church, this festive read has Abby fighting to prove her innocence when all the evidence points her way. She also uncovers some surprisingly dark secrets in her picture-perfect English village.

A must read!

Dr Watson and I sloped off recently for a few days of pre-Christmas relaxation in Suffolk. We stayed at the beautiful and used it as a base to explore Bury St Edmonds, Ipswich and the gorgeous village of Lavenham.

Highlights included:
❄️ St Edmondsbury Cathedral and the abbey ruins at Bury St Edmonds (especially the Lego replica they're building!)
❄️ A visit to The Nutshell - one of England's smallest pubs
❄️ A very fancy dinner at Hintlesham Hall
❄️ Spending at least an hour and a half in and meeting their lovely booksellers (yes, I signed the books)
❄️ Visiting Christchurch Mansion and seeing their animals in art exhibition
❄️ Discovering the story of the Kersey Time Slip as we drove through the village
❄️ The fantastic Lavenham Guildhall (even if I did get put in the stocks... it was worth it for the Ginger and Parsnip cake in the cafe!)
❄️ Reassuring ourselves that we still have plenty to talk about, and enjoy spending time together, even when the kids aren't there...

We had such a wonderful trip, and I can't wait to go back and explore more of Suffolk another time!

🎄THE CHRISTMAS APPEAL, by Janice Hallett🎄

For all of us who loved The Appeal when it was published in 2021, now there's a chance to find out what the Fairway Players have been up to since!

This Christmas, they're putting on Jack and the Beanstalk for their annual pantomime. There are new power players in charge, new conflicts and old secrets arising, and a lot of confusion and hilarity throughout.

I loved being back in Lower Lockwood, and the familiar structure of emails, messages and round robin letters drew me right in, as lawyers Femi and Charlotte examined the evidence.

A perfect read to get you in the festive - if slightly murderous - spirit!

Thank you to .hallett, and .books for my copy.

So excited to see A Very Lively Murder landing in December's Fresh Fiction box over in the US! I hope subscribers enjoy sleuthing with the Dahlias...

☀️REVIEW: Murder On Lake Garda, by Tom Hindle☀️

The tension rises with the heat in this suffocating summer murder mystery from Tom Hindle. Set at a high society wedding on the glorious Lake Garda, every page is filled with suspicion and intrigue, as outsider wedding guest Robyn tries to make sense of all the secrets her boyfriend’s family are keeping - until a scream on the wedding day and a dead body shows there’s more at play here than a common family disagreement.

Clever, compelling and brilliantly atmospheric, this is a classic whodunnit in the best sense.

Thanks to .Hindle and for the advance reading copy!

🚨Attention U.S. Readers!🚨

Don't forget that you can still read for just 99¢ on kindle right now, until the end of the month!

Here's what it's all about:

🌺🌺🌺
Three rival actresses team up to solve a murder at the stately home of the author who made them famous - only to discover the solution lies in the stories themselves. A contemporary mystery with a Golden Age feel, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Jessica Fellowes.

In attendance: the VIP fans, staying at Aldermere; 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 Lettice's 1930s detective, Dahlia Lively.

National treasure Rosalind King, from the original movies. TV Dahlia for thirteen seasons, Caro Hooper. 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 - but this English summer weekend they will have to put aside their differences, as the crimes at Aldermere turns anything but cosy.

When fictional death turns into real bodies, can the three Dahlias find the answers to the murders among the fans, the film crew, the family - or even in Lettice's books themselves?

⭐️REVIEW: The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder by C L Miller⭐️

I’ve been woefully slow in writing up my review of this brilliant book from C L Miller, given that I read in when I was in Paris last month! But the fact that the story has stayed with me so completely shows that it’s a book well worth reading, in my opinion.

I’m always a fan of mysterious antiques and artefacts, so the fact this story centres around a suspicious death in an antique shop meant it was right up my street. Add in a country house weekend with shady and secretive guests, and I was completely sold.

Freya and her eccentric Aunt Carole are smashing amateur sleuths, taking up the hunt to follow the clues, find the missing antiques, and solve the mystery of their friend and mentor’s death.

This is a mystery for anyone who always wonders where all those people on The Antiques Roadshow REALLY found their treasures…

The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder is out in February, and I’m already impatiently waiting for Freya and Aunt Carole’s next adventure.

Thank you so much to and for letting me read this one early!

🚨Attention U.S. Readers!🚨

Readers in North America can get for just 99¢ on kindle right now!

Run, don't walk, if you're a fan of golden age crime with a contemporary twist! (Even the Daily Mail thought 'Dame Agatha would approve.')

One murder mystery convention - and three very unconventional detectives...

We're sailing into November like Vikings - I've got my horned helmet out ready for , for starters. (Yes, I know they didn't really wear them, but I've been using it since lockdown to denote when I really don't want people to interrupt me when I'm writing. It doesn't work, obviously, but at least I can point at the hat when they do interrupt, and then they feel bad about it.)

But what is Dr Watson on the lookout for, do you reckon? I think it's the November issue of the Dahlia Diaries, which will be hitting inboxes late tomorrow afternoon. Make sure you're signed up at www.katywatson.co.uk to hear all about the latest Dahlia related shenanigans - including a behind the scenes peek at my trip to Paris, what I'm working on for NaNo this year, and what's coming next for Rosalind, Caro and Posy after their adventures in Wales...

THEY CALL ME THE LUCKY ONE. THEY DON’T KNOW I LIED.

Nine years ago, with the world's eyes on her, Charlie Colbert fled. The press and the police called Charlie a 'witness' to the shocking events at her elite graduate school on Christmas Eve - events known to the public as 'Scarlet Christmas' - though Charlie knows she was much more than that.

Now, Charlie has meticulously rebuilt her life: she's the editor-in-chief of a major magazine, engaged to the golden child of the publishing industry and focused on never letting her guard down again. But when a film adaptation made by one of Charlie's former classmates threatens to shatter everything she's worked for, Charlie realises how much she's changed in nine years. Now, she's not going to let anything - not even the people she once loved most - get in her way.

EVERYONE WHO CAN FORGIVE ME IS DEAD is a compelling and engrossing story of a woman who thinks she’s put her past behind her, only to discover that some lies can’t stay buried.

I was absolutely drawn into Charlie’s story, wanting to understand the events of Scarlet Christmas, and just who was behind them. From the dark academia feel of the flashback scenes to the glossy, magazine world of the present, this book had me constantly uncomfortable and off balance - in exactly the way I imagine the author intended!

The book is out in February, and I already know that everyone will be talking about it once it hits the shelves.

I am over the moon to discover that Waterstones have named The Three Dahlias one of their best paperbacks of 2023!

Waterstones booksellers have gone so far above and beyond to get Rosalind, Caro and Posy into readers' hands this year, and I'm incredibly grateful to every one of them. This news is just the icing on the cake of an incredible 2023 for me and the Dahlias.

Check out the full list of titles - and get 20% off them - in your local store, or on the Waterstones website. (It makes a great Christmas present for that hard-to-buy-for relative. Just saying...)

This charming new mystery from award winning author Kate Hardy () is out tomorrow!

I was lucky enough to read it early (because Kate is a darling like that) and I was thrilled to discover that it has all the wit and warmth of a Kate Hardy romance, wrapped up in an engaging mystery with a slightly supernatural twist - in the form of a ghost that only the heroine can hear through her hearing aids!

Here's what it's all about:

Georgina Drake's retirement plan: join a pilates class, take up gardening, and... solve a murder?

Widowed Georgina Drake has no regrets about moving to beautiful, sleepy Little Wenborough in rural Norfolk. Until she opens the door to her guesthouse and finds the dead body of her latest guest, irritable university professor Roland Garnett. And on top of that she’s suddenly hearing a woman’s voice through her hearing aids.

Completely shaken by the discovery, Georgina can hardly believe it when the police conclude that Professor Garnett was poisoned, with a dinner delivered by Georgina herself. Is she about to be accused of murder? Georgina needs to pull herself together, try to ignore the distracting voice, and clear her name!

Asking around, it seems Roland Garnett offended half the village during his three-week stay and made unwelcome advances to the rest. But who was provoked enough to poison him? Georgina’s best lead is the deadly oleander found in Roland’s system. Her gardener, Young Tom, had access to the plant, but before she can talk to him Tom becomes the killer’s next victim.

As the crimes mount up, so do the clues, but does Georgina have what it takes to follow them to their conclusion? Even when her amateur sleuthing puts her next in the killer’s sights…?

REVIEW: The Dog Sitter Detective by Antony Johnston ()

"Meet Gwinny, an unlikely bloodhound, and her four-legged friends determined to dig up the truth.

Penniless Gwinny Tuffel is delighted to attend her good friend Tina’s upmarket wedding. But when the big day ends with a dead body and not a happily-ever-after, Gwinny is left with a situation as crooked as a dog’s hind leg.

When her friend is accused of murder, Gwinny takes it upon herself to sniff out the true culprit. With a collection of larger-than-life suspects and two pedigree Salukis in tow, she is set to have a ruff time of it.

PS nothing bad happens to the dogs!"

I had such fun sniffing out the solution to this one with Gwinny and the dogs!

Delightfully warm-hearted, this is a cosy crime to curl up with a cuppa, a blanket, (and maybe a furry companion or two) and just enjoy.

With larger than life characters, gentle humour, and a twisty case to solve, it was simply a treat to read.

Thanks to for the review copy, and to for posing with it!

🔍🔎🔍
P.S. I'm reading an early proof of book two - The Dog Sitter Detective Takes The Lead - right now, and already loving it. Watch this space for a review soon...

REVIEW: Helle & Death by Oskar Jenson ()

I'm incredibly grateful to the lovely Miranda Jewess () for letting me read Helle & Death early! I'm not sure I could have withstood the wait until release day. (Which is January 18th, if you want to get your pre-order in now. Otherwise, save those Christmas book tokens for this, because...)

I loved this book. So much. It's such a wonderful mix of golden age tributes, scandi not-so-noir, puzzling mystery, and a study of the sort of friendships that linger across the years, often against the odds. It also gets extra points for mentioning both my favourite movie and one of my top two TV shows ever. (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Buffy, respectively.)

Oskar has written a belter of a book, and I'm already anxiously awaiting the sequel. I can't wait for you all to read it so you we can discuss!

Thanks to .books for the review copy.

REVIEW: The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp, by Leonie Swann ()

🐢 One murder to solve and another to cover up. It’ll be tricky, but the OAP residents of Sunset Hall are going to give it their best shot.

"Sunset Hall is a house-share for the old and unruly, led by Agnes Sharp. It’s an eventful day when this group of idiosyncratic geriatrics gets a visit from the police to inform them of some shocking news: a body has been discovered next door. Everyone puts on a long face, but they are secretly relieved that the body in question is not the one they’re currently hiding in the shed (sorry about that, Lillith). Now the answer to their little problem with Lillith may have fallen into their laps. All they have to do is find out who murdered their neighbour, so they can pin Lillith’s death on them, thus killing two old birds with one stone."

Doesn't that summary make you want to read it straight away?

The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp is a lovely novel - a quirky and charming cosy mystery with a thoughtful portrayal of aging. I loved getting to know the residents of Sunset Hall - with all their aches, pains, fears and dreams. And it had the bonus addition of my favourite character, a tortoise named Hettie!

Thanks to for the review copy.

One highlight of my trip to Paris was the Cosy Mystery Day my publisher had arranged. They'd brought together a group of thirty or forty readers, reviewers, bloggers and so on to discuss books, take part in murder mystery games, and eat cake.

The final surprise of the afternoon, though, was... ME! Yes, I got to be a surprise guest - and the attendees honestly looked both surprised AND pleased to see me! (If you want to watch the moment I walked in, check out my France 23 highlight in my profile. I have never felt more like a rockstar.) We had a brilliant Q&A and book signing, and I got to meet so many lovely readers.

But the readers weren't the only ones who got a brilliant surprise that afternoon. Because will you just LOOK at some of the decorations my publisher had put up for the day?

That's right. They designed actual Lettice Davenport book covers for the event, all named after the books mentioned in the quotes at the start of each chapter in Meurtres à Aldermere House (or The Three Dahlias, over here). They were MAGNIFICENT, and I stole them all to bring home and put up on my study walls.

Of course, they also make me want to write Dahlia and Johnnie's adventures for real...

If you were following my stories over the weekend, then you'll already know what a fantastic time I had visiting my French publishers, le Cherche Midi, in Paris! (If you missed it, you can catch up by watching the France 23 highlight in my profile.)

It was such a joy to see my Dahlias translated into French, and more than that, to see French readers eager to spend time with them. (I think we can all agree that Rosalind, Caro and Posy would have an absolute ball together in Paris, right?)

I've got lots more photos and stories from my weekend to share, but for now I just wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone who made the trip possible - to Marie and Aurelie and everyone else at le Cherche Midi for being so welcoming, to Robin for being the best translator a girl could want (and having the best t-shirts), to Estelle and Florence for their superb interviewing skills, to everyone at the Le Mans book fair who worked so hard, and to all the lovely, lovely readers I got to meet and chat to while I was there.

But most of all, I'd like to say thank you to the wonderful Benoit Andre, for organising everything so brilliantly, for all his PR genius, for learning so quickly that I'm motivated by cookies and praise, for being such great company the whole time - and for giving me the best entrance ever as the surprise guest at his cosy mystery day! Oh, and also for the macarons...

I'm very behind on my reviewing, although I promise I have been keeping up with my reading over the summer months! So I'll be trying to share my thoughts on some of the books I've enjoyed recently over the next weeks. Starting with...

THE MAN WHO DIDN'T BURN, by Ian Moore ()

While Ian is better known for his funnier books (Death and Croissants, etc) this is his first foray into more serious crime, featuring juge d’instruction Matthieu Lombard as his detective.

The Man Who Didn't Burn is a twisty, engrossing mystery that combines the restless heat of a French summer with the wry, dry wit of its half English protagonist. The landscape and history of the setting is expertly brought to life, populated with a cast of compelling suspects. This is a police procedural with a Gallic twist, and I loved discovering how the investigative team worked together, so differently from in the UK.

A mystery to lose yourself in, wishing you were summering in France, instead of holed up in rainy Britain! It's out on October 12th, so get those preorders in now.