This one was ok, I found myself extremely engaged at various parts of the book...but also struggled to get through other parts! I'd recommend this one to anyone looking for a historical fiction mystery

I loved the premise and wow, did this open with a bang! The first page completely drew me in and it didn't let up. The comparison to Knives Out is spot on and I'd recommend this one to any fans of cozy mysteries.

Annie Adams is despairing of making a go of her writing career when she gets an unusual summons. Her Great Aunt Frances apparently wants her to come up from London to visit the village of Castle Knoll, where Frances has long made her home. Annie and her mother Laura have always been under the impression that Laura would be the sole beneficiary of wealthy, eccentric Frances’ will, but this summons hints at a recent change of heart on the older woman’s part.

Ever since Frances was seventeen, she’s believed that she would be murdered, after a fortune teller predicted that fate for her at a county fair. Nearly sixty years have passed since then, and Frances has kept her hometown hopping with her paranoia in the interim. Annie, having never met the woman, is unsure of exactly what she’s walking into as she prepares to finally meet her great aunt for the first time. The townsfolk seem to regard Frances as annoying but mostly harmless, which does little to prepare Annie for Frances actually being murdered shortly after Annie arrives in Castle Knoll.

Even worse, Annie is quickly pitted against Frances’ nephew, Saxon Gravesdown, in a race to figure out who killed Frances. According to Frances’ recently updated will, whoever brings the killer to justice first inherits everything. If, however, neither can solve the case within a week, Frances’ sprawling estate – including Annie and Laura’s London home, and the lands Frances administered for the benefit of the villagers – will be sold to property developers instead:

QUOTE
From a certain perspective, if I can’t solve this murder, Saxon is probably the next best choice. Perhaps I can make some kind of deal with him if he wins, and he’ll let us keep our house. I’m still determined to do the best I can, but it’s smart to consider all the possible outcomes. The property development company just sounds like a horrible way for this to end. And there it is–another stroke of Great Aunt Frances’ genius.

The whole town will give us whatever information they can, once they find out what will happen if we fail. Aside from the murderer, of course. But it’s extremely cunning. Great Aunt Frances really has forced everyone who ever doubted her to take her seriously now.
END QUOTE

As Annie investigates, she discovers evidence that inextricably links Frances’ death to the disappearance of the older woman’s best friend almost sixty years before. Emily Sparrow had been beautiful, bright and perhaps not as good a friend to Frances and Rose, the other girl in their tightly knit circle, as she might have been. Much of this was due to the influence of Emily’s mother Fiona, whose abuse of her daughter was an open secret among the girls as they blossomed into young women. As Frances confides in her diary:

QUOTE
<i>But after that, Emily’s games got darker and more intense. Not all at once, but gradually, and in a way that was thrilling at first. Our early teens passed with Emily inventing the best scary stories, and leading Rose and me in summoning ghosts or dabbling in made-up black magic. We spied on people in the village and gossiped together when we uncovered secrets that we knew were half-invented. But we never hurt anyone, and we never hurt ourselves.

“We can’t blame Fiona for everything Emily does,” Rose said. “She’s not here, making Emily’s choices.”

“Maybe not,” I said. “But I sometimes wonder whether Emily toys with us just to feel she has some control over her life, outside of Fiona’s reach. Or perhaps it’s a way of punishing us for knowing too much.”</i>
END QUOTE

Emily disappeared when the girls were eighteen. Many assumed that the headstrong young woman had simply gotten tired of her mother and life in Castle Knoll, and had taken off for more glamorous parts of the world. But Frances had always feared that Emily was dead, and never stopped trying to figure out what had happened to her. Could Frances have finally deduced Emily’s fate, and could that have caused someone to fulfill a prophecy made over a half a century earlier?

Annie must try to find out, navigating the present with its confounding characters, and the past with the help of Frances’ teenage diary. The stakes are high, and are only raised when Annie finds herself in the killer’s crosshairs. Will she be able to secure her family’s future, or will she be the next to die?

I can definitely see the comparisons between How To Solve Your Own Murder and the blockbuster movie Knives Out, as multiple heirs vie to solve a killing in order to inherit vast riches. And while I appreciated the narrative device of having chapters from Frances’ diary interspersed with Annie’s modern-day investigations, I felt oddly disconnected from most of the characters. Still, this was a clever enough puzzle that illustrates how any prophecy can be self-fulfilling given an adequate amount of time. Its bucolic English setting, moving back and forth between centuries, is also a big plus for fans of both the genre and milieu.

A young mystery writer named Annie Adams finds herself in Castle Knoll, a small English village, in a competition to solve her estranged great aunt's murder. The catch? It must be solved within the week. The conflict? There are many people involved in the game with their own stakes, their own schemes, and their own secrets. The intrigue? Frances was told nearly 60 years ago by a fortune teller that she would be murdered, causing her to become reclusive and suspicious of everyone in town for the rest of her life. She had also been trying to solve the disappearance of her friend Emily for years and years. The fun? There's a double murder plot to unravel! One set in the past, in the 1960's; the other set in the present day.

The question is: can Annie solve them both?

If you're a fan of cozy mysteries with an Agatha-like pace, then you'll find this one enticing. While the plot did feel overly crowded at times, with the lies and betrayals of less important characters taking up too much space, I enjoyed the small town antics, the inheritance questions, as well as the false leads and numerous suspects. Annie is a likable, enthusiastic character. She may not be the best at following clues or sussing out people, but she makes up for it with her inquisitive charm and her mystery writer turn of mind.

3.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for the ARC in exchange for my review.

Frances, a teenaged girl in the early 1960s has her fortune told at a carnival, and becomes obsessed with it—because it foretold her murder. And so she spends the rest of her long life learning secrets about the people around her, because surely one of them will eventually kill her. Frances even arranged to set up her will so that her large fortune will go to one of two people, either her great niece or her husband's ward—whichever one can solve Frances's murder first.
So when Annie is invited to the reading of her great aunt Frances's will, she is lured into Frances's paranoia and death, but also into a decades old mystery. And the killer would prefer that neither mystery is solved.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I truly enjoyed this mystery book! Will definitely be following this author, as to not miss her next book!

It was interesting to understand the murder victim through her own teenage eyes (diary) and get to know her at the same time as the main character.

The back and forth from present day to the past (diary) was well done, it wasn’t jarring. I enjoyed the true whodunnit of this book, a la Agatha Christie. And the twist of who the killer was, unexpected!

Confession: I almost didn't want to read this because for some reason, I hate the cover. I'm really glad that I didn't give into that impulse, because I had a great time reading. This is a quirky mystery and I loved the writing. Something to be aware of is that we do have a present day narrative interspersed with historical journal entries. It's a big enough portion that if that's not your thing, you probably wouldn't enjoy this one. Such a roller coaster getting to the final outcome

I have been trying to get into murder mysteries lately, but sometimes they can feel very formulaic. That is not the case with How to Solve Your Own Murder!
My favorite part of this book was the dual
POV/timelines. I loved getting to be in young Frances’ head. The second timeline followed Frances’ great niece, Annie Adams, in present day. Annie has just been summoned to meet with her Great Aunt in Castle Knoll so they can discuss her place in Frances’ will. Annie is overall unfamiliar with her Great Aunt, having never met her. Being a currently unemployed, aspiring murder mystery writer, Annie has plenty of time to take the train and meet her Great Aunt.
Sixty years ago, Frances had her fortune told at the Castle Knoll Country Fair. Whether it was an honest to god true fortune or if it was a self-fulfilling prophecy is a mystery that we will
not find the answer to in this book. This fortune changed the direction of Frances’ life. Reading her diary entries gives you the impression that she thought of the fortune always and was worried to the point of paranoia about it coming true.
On the day Annie and Frances are set to meet, Frances finally meets her fate and it seems as if her fortune has been fulfilled. In her will she has left instructions that whosoever solves her murder first is set to inherit the house, or turn it over to property developers.
I found the premise of this book very fun! It felt a little on the nose that Annie was trying her hand at writing murder mystery novels and then found herself immersed in a real life one. There were a lot of characters in this book and some of them could have been fleshed out a little bit more for my liking, but overall I understood everyone’s motives for their actions and their differing personalities helped to tell them apart throughout the story. The pacing of the book was perfect for me, it kept me interested and I never felt like the story was growing dull. I appreciate how much Annie relied on her great aunt’s diary and the other research she had done on the people of Castle Knoll prior to her death.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and it felt well done. I enjoyed Frances’ POV and wish that there had been more of her in the book. Annie’s personality felt a little lacking, but the large cast of characters and the history we learn about them kept me interested.
Give this book a read if you enjoy small town mysteries, dual POVs stretching across different timelines, fast-paced books that last, and twists & turns.
Thank you so much to Dutton books and netgalley for gifting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I didn't guess it- and that, to me, is the sign of a well crafted and twist mystery. Told alternately by Annie in the present and by the diary of France, her murdered aunt, it's a story about a woman who always believed in a fortune she was given as a teen. And murder. Annie had never met her great aint Frances and now she's going to inherit her whole very large estate if she can solve her murder. But she's got to beat Saxon to the answer. No spoilers about how the events in the diary ping up in the present. I admit to having had a bit of trouble keeping everyone straight initially (and then again later)- it's a large cast- bu this confusion added to my enjoyment because I was always conscious that there might be a ringer. Annie's great, Frances' voice makes her feel real, and the others- well they're a hoot. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed this one- it's quite clever.

I loved everything about this book from the creative premise to the engaging characters and the well paced plot. It sucked me in from the first page and didn't let go until I had read the entire book in one sitting. Told from two different perspectives over two timelines that intermingled perfectly to keep me moving quickly from chapter to chapter. Highly recommended

Thanks to Net Galley and Dutton Press for an advanced reader copy.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

a lovely cozy mystery!

we follow Annie, who is such a refreshing protagonist. the author’s writing style conveys her personality very well as we go on to explore the mystery alongside her. it read like a long monologue, the character speaking directly to us and thinking it through what she was saying as she was doing it.

it’s rare that I see diary entries, which in this case are of the victim, done so well. they felt surprisingly natural and captivating, especially because Annie was reading them alongside us.

I was able to predict the ending due to the few bread crumbs left for us, but, though the multitude of characters was confusing at times, all the suspects seemed plausible and had interesting motives.

though the ending was a bit rushed, overall, this was a very nice cozy read :)

Kristen Perrin's "How to Solve Your Own Murder" drew me into a captivating maze of mystery and family secrets that kept me engaged from start to finish. The story revolves around a chilling prophecy delivered to Frances Adams in 1965, setting the stage for a gripping narrative spanning six decades.

Told through the eyes of Frances's great-niece, Annie, in the present day, and Frances's journals from the 1960s, the story unfolds with a blend of old-school mystery and contemporary intrigue. Perrin skillfully creates a small village setting filled with inheritance disputes and a diverse cast of characters, each hiding their own secrets.

Annie emerges as a relatable protagonist, driven by her dreams of becoming a mystery writer and fueled by her determination to solve her great-aunt's murder. Through Frances's journals and memories shared by others, Perrin breathes life into her characters, adding depth and complexity to the story.

The plot moves briskly, with Annie racing against time to uncover the truth while navigating familial relationships and uncovering buried secrets. The alternating chapters between past and present add layers of tension, keeping readers on the edge of their seats.

Although comparisons to other mystery novels may not fully capture its essence, "How to Solve Your Own Murder" stands out as a captivating and thought-provoking read. Perrin's storytelling is complemented by a vibrant cover design and picturesque writing style, creating an immersive reading experience.

In conclusion, "How to Solve Your Own Murder" is a must-read for mystery enthusiasts, offering a thrilling journey into the heart of a decades-old enigma.

My thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Group Dutton for allowing me to delve into this captivating tale.

4.5 - Super solid mystery with a classic feel. A lot of characters to keep up with, but I liked the "small village" feel with the endless possibilities.

Great Aunt Frances is iconic - I wish she wouldn't have been dead when the story begins. I liked the balance of present & past flashbacks, and think it was executed pretty flawlessly.

Annie as a main character doesn't stand out as much to me, so I'm not sure how memorable this will be.

I do appreciate that there wasn't an overwhelmingly overwrought romance element to the book like we frequently see in mysteries.

Recommend for fans of Knives Out and mysteries with a classic, cozy feel!

Thank you to the publisher for granting me access to an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions remain my own.

Featured in this reading vlog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GLfWvoxbXM

This was an interesting read. I loved the writing style and it felt so cozy to me. It was a fun read, but I don't think it's the kind of read that's going to actually stick with me for a while.

This book was so much fun!

It reads like a classic who-done-it mystery with a lovably flawed main character. It features passages from a diary that are so scandalous and so entertaining! There was the perfect amount of twists and turns to keep you on your toes without feeling forced or overdone.

The book bounces between the perspective of Francis, a teenager in 1965 that just received a cryptic fortune predicting her murder; and Annie, her great niece who 60 years later is tasked with solving her murder. In a way this should be easy, Francis has been keeping tabs on everyone in her life for the past 60 years out of fear of this exact situation. However, it seems most people in town have shameful secrets that could easily translate to motives for murder. As Annie goes through Francis’ diaries she is thrown into an even more complex web; back in 1965 one of Francis’ best friends mysteriously disappeared and was never seen again. In order to solve her Great Aunt’s murder she must first solve this decades old mystery, all within one week while simultaneously trying to not be killed herself.

This book had me annotating everything, questioning everyone, and left me constantly thinking about it every time I put it down. The ending was the perfect balance of leaving you completely satisfied and excited to read about where the characters go from there. I’m really looking forward to the next book in the Castle Knoll Files series!

Such a fun murder mystery decades in the making!!

This story is told non-linearly with two narrators. Half of the story is diary entries from the '60s and the other half is current day with a great niece trying to solve her great aunt's (who she has never met) murder in a week! If the week goes by without an answer to who killed Frances then the entirety of the estate, including a family's farm, and Annie's own house!

I loved the mystery and had no idea who did it until the VERY end of the book- which kept me reading because I needed to know who did it and WHY!!!

Also, I would love to read more about what is going on in Castle Knoll because it seems like there are SEVERAL mysteries in that small town just waiting to be solved.

A great cozy mystery about a murder that was decades in the making so that when the victim, eccentric Great Aunt Frances does die, the reaction by all is "Finally, I guess she was right!" Foretold as a young girl at 17 by a fortune teller at a carnival, Frances lived her life with this hanging over her head. When Annie is set to inherit her fortune, so too is France's nephew and a few others who are in the room. This is reminiscent of a good Agatha Christie plot or "All Knives Out" as someone in the room is guilty but Annie needs to uncover who by following all the clues. Everyone has an idea. This is just a fun fun mystery. Not sure how it could be a series, but I look forward to more from this author. I throughly enjoyed it. Many thanks to #netgalley #howtosolveyourownmurder #kristenperrin for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is good! Typical whodunit but with a twist over an extended timeline! I wasn’t too excited to read this because I haven’t gotten into a thriller in awhile. But this was a great way to get back into them!

A cozy mystery of sorts about a young woman desperate to solve her great-aunt’s murder, a murder that everyone saw coming. I found so much of this book delightful. It has a quirky cast of characters and a gorgeous setting. The pacing is right on & things develop quick enough that the plot doesn’t drag. A nice fun read!

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are mine alone.

I am not really sure how this is going to be a series, because i felt like it made such a great standalone! I was hoping for a little more originality and goofiness, but it was a fun agatha christie-esque book! It gave me The Immortalist vibes but in a mystery setting. The beginning had a great hook, and it was a quick read!