Coming up, a cozy festive crime story set in Scotland.

A literary writer takes on a science fiction trope.

Plus our distraction of the week.

I'm Mel.

I'm Dave. This is the Library of Lost Time.

Last fall, I recommended the three dahlias by Katie Watson.

Yeah.

It's a modern take on a Golden Age crime novel, which is one of my favorite tropes.

Yeah.

The world created in that book, because there's a series of them now,

features a lady detective named Dahlia Lively.

She's like a blonde version of Friney Fisher from Miss Fisher's murder mysteries.

And the author who created her in the world of the book is a fictionalized version of Agatha Christie.

So it's a book within a book.

Kind of.

The world of the book is there was this author, she created this character, and now there are three actresses who play her, and they are the three dahlias.

Okay.

In that first book, the three actresses are at a fan convention at the author's former estate, and they get caught up in a murder mystery.

There are secrets and betrayals and plenty of moxie to go around.

Very fun, light, fast, frivolous, frothy read.

This year, the author Katie Watson has gifted us with a new adventure starring the Three Dahlia's.

It's called A Lively Midwinter Murder. And this time, the action takes place at a remote Scottish castle with a

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