This was the first cozy(ish) mystery book that I've ever read, and given how burnt out I've been with traditional mystery thrillers lately, I was surprised at how much I liked it! The book alternates between Frances' POV in 1965, where a she receives a fortune that she will be murdered, and Annie's POV in the present, where she has to solve the murder of her Great Aunt Frances. The plot twists were all really well done, and since Goodreads has this labeled as #1 in a series, I'll definitely be continuing!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for sending me this ARC!

Great mystery that had me guessing until the big reveal. I wish I had taken notes on characters and their connections early in the book, there were so many to keep track of!
I thought the dual timeline was well done and I enjoyed the flashbacks, sometimes more than the present day.
I probably could have done with less around the middle of the book, but overall it went pretty fast.
Releasing in just a few days, I'm excited to discuss with other readers.

How to Solve Your Own Murder is a delightful, cozy, murder-mystery with an amateur sleuth I would love to see again. As Annie Adams becomes the sole benefactor to her great-aunt's estate, she is summoned to visit Aunt Francis for the first time in the village of Castle Knoll. When she arrives for the meeting at Francis's home, she finds the great aunt, she has never met, murdered. This would have been no surprise to Francis, as her murder was foretold at the age of seventeen by fortune teller at a county fair. This story moves back and forth in time as Annie works the case, delving into Francis's past and sifting through the details at present. The supporting cast makes its mark as people whom you would love to meet. And with that, a great read and hopefully just the beginning of Annie Adams solving mysteries that need to be solved.

4.5 stars

Annie must determine who her great aunt Frances’ killer is in order to save the estate as well as her and her mother’s home. She has to work quickly and carefully as it seems the killer may be out to get her as well.

This book is Agatha Christie mixed with Nancy Drew in the best way! I was pulled in from the start. I loved the back and forth between Frances’ journal entries and Annie’s actions in the present. It made the reader feel as though they were solving the mystery alongside Annie, piecing the clues together.

I really enjoyed the 1960s setting and descriptions as well. Those were my favorite portions of the book. I was able to imagine the characters easily as they were well written and distinct.

Overall, I really loved this book and will definitely be looking forward to reading more from Kristen Perrin!

Content Warnings: murder, infidelity, drug use

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

If fiction has taught me one thing about small English villages, it’s that they’re filled with liars, thieves, and killers.

Castle Knoll is no exception.

How to Solve Your Own Murder follows the lives of Annabelle Adams and her great-aunt, Frances Gravesdown. In the 1960’s, Frances was told by a fortune teller that she would one day be murdered. For nearly sixty years, she built her life around that idea, expecting death to lurk around every corner. She believed in this fortune religiously, to the ridicule of all, until the day that it finally came true.

The morning that Frances is supposed to meet with her solicitor and the heirs to her vast fortune, she is found dead in her own home. What appears to be natural is soon determined to be exactly what she always expected: murder.

But this is only the first surprise in store for Annabelle, Frances’ estranged great-niece. The second surprise comes the next day: only the person who solves Frances’ murder will inherit her wealth. If seven days pass and neither Annabelle nor Frances’ nephew Saxon solve the mystery, then the Gravesdown estate will be sold to land developers and her money will go to the crown.

So begins aspiring author Annie’s investigation into her great-aunt’s murder. With no shortage of suspects or motives, and mysterious ties to a decades-old cold case, the mystery of Frances Gravesdown’s death is an intriguing one.

Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this as much as I wanted to. While the mystery aspect was interesting and I wanted to know who killed Frances and what happened in the past, I just could not connect with any of the characters. I found Annie to be bland as a narrator, and the dialogue felt forced and unrealistic. The only characters that I really found myself interested in were Jenny and Oliver.

That said, I would probably read more of Kristen Perrin’s books. I know Goodreads lists the Castle Knoll Files as a series, and I would return to that world if another book came out. Perrin’s writing is lighthearted and reminiscent of the golden age mysteries I so enjoy.

If you’re looking for a quick contemporary mystery that reminds you faintly of Agatha Christie, check this one out.

This was such an exciting and different "whodunnit!" The premise and writing was very clever and I really enjoyed all the characters. I highly recommend this book! Thank you, NetGalley

How To Solve Your Own Murder is a clever take on a whodunnit mystery. The back and forth between 1965 and present-day weave together a story of friendship, lies, and murder. Annie learns about her eccentric and reclusive great-aunt Frances through her diary and clues left behind to solve her own murder. Annie is introduced to the various residents of Castle Knoll and considers what roles they may have played in the demise of her great-aunt. It seems that many people have a motive, and I was pleasantly surprised at the twists leading up to the ending! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and I am hopeful that Perrin indulges readers with a possible sequel (or two)? Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton Publishing for allowing me to be an advanced reader to this fast-paced page-turner!

How to Solve Your Own Murder, is a very captivating title and I do not know what I was expecting this book to be but it was a different take on the murder mysteries I usually read.

It all started with a fortune reading "Your future contains dry bones. Your slow demise begins when you hold the Queen in the palm of your hand. Beware the bird, for it will betray you. And, from that, there is no coming back. But daughters are the key to justice, find the right one and keep her close. All signs point toward your murder."

Frances lives her life trying to prevent her own murder, after hearing this fortune at the age of seventeen. When she dies her great niece, Anne, is tasked to try to find out who murder her great aunt Frances.

I really liked the diary entries, I felt like they gave the readers insight into the dynamics of Frances life as a teenager and her relationship with her friends. Also, it kind of gave us the feel that we were also solving the murder along with Annie. The book overall was a fun read and very interesting to go along with Annie as she tries to solve old mysteries and how they tie to this new one.

I will definitely be reading the next books from this saga, as I cannot wait to see where the story takes us and what other secrets did Frances uncover in her life and wrote about in her diaries.

Rating: 3.5 stars, as Goodreads does not do half stars I rounded it to 4 stars.

I want to thank Penguin Group Dutton and Netgalley for this arc, the above review is my true thoughts in regards to the book.

Annie is summoned to her Great Aunt Frances' home when she is surprisingly added to her will. Shockingly, she is found dead, and when her will is read, the race is on to solve the case of who murdered her. Frances led a life fixated on a fortune that predicted her murder and this novel ties in the past and present very well. The nonlinear timeline weaves her life together, and clues start to cement the truth in place.

This was a much different type of mystery within a mystery that I very much enjoyed! I was trying (and was partially successful) in solving the mysteries. Fantastic read!

This was my first book by this author and I was really impressed. How to Solve Your Own Murder is kind of a misnomer because it doesn't involve the murdered person solving their own murder directly, but the murdered person does set up their will in a way that results in their murder being solved.
I was drawn in to the story and rooting for the main character from the beginning, which always bodes well for an advance read. I don't like to repeat the synopsis of the book because you've likely already read that. However, I can say that this was a thoroughly enjoyable read from beginning to end and I will pre-order any future murder mystery books published by this author.

How to Solve Your Own Murder is the story of Frances Adams and how a fortune told at a country fair in 1965 changes the course of her life.

When we meet Frances, she and her friends, Emily and Rose, are queens of the school with a bright future ahead of them. After she receives a fortune predicting her murder, her life her and relationships begin to unravel. Just as she begins to think things cannot get worse, one of the girls disappear.

In the current day, we are introduced to Annie Adams, Frances’ estranged great niece raised by her Bohemian mother in Frances’ Chelsea house. Annie’s mother has been Frances’ sole heir until Annie receives a summons to meet with her and learn of her new will. Before Annie can meet with Frances, the elderly woman is murdered. Hijinx ensue as Annie races to solve Frances’ murder both helped and hindered by a colorful cast of locals.

What a fun little cozy murder! I wanted something that would make me think, but not take itself too seriously. This book was exactly that!

Thank you to Dutton and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

How to Solve Your Own Murder is a delightful novel, with both mystery/suspense as well as a little humor. With a dual timeline, the novel addresses both a murder in the present day as well as a murder in the 1960s. How these two deaths are related is, of course, the whodunit aspect of the book. Our main character, Annie, has been named as a beneficiary in her great aunt’s death. However, in order to inherit a substantial estate she must first solve the mystery of great aunt Florence’s death. In doing so, A is also able to solve the cold case of Emily Sparrow.

Readers will definitely enjoy the book if they like having multiple suspects, truly not knowing who the real “killer” is until the very end. The ending wasn’t rushed and i found Annie to be a very like able character.

Overall, I give this book 3.5 stars rounded up
for GoodReads. Thank you NetGalley and Dutton books for the ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I admit it: the title grabbed me, but the story kept me engaged. Although the title could indicate a time travel book, instead, it is a cleverly plotted whodunit.

Frances, Rose, and Emily are best friends. In 1965, they were at a fair in the English hamlet of Castle Knoll when Frances has her fortune told--one that predicts she will be murdered. She spends the rest of her life trying to find out what happened to Emily, who disappeared soon after the fair and trying to prevent her own murder. Unfortunately, she fails at both.

Flash forward to the present day. Annie Adams, Frances's great-niece, is summoned to Castle Knoll because Frances has changed her will and named Annie the prime beneficiary, which is odd because they have never met. Upon arrival, Annie and others designated in Frances's will find Frances murdered at her country estate. In a letter from beyond the grave, Frances pits the three most interested parties to her vast estate against each other: whoever solves her murder gets it all.

This book was a page-turner for me. It is an imaginative, well-written story with twists and interesting characters, especially Annie and Frances. The subplot of Emily's disappearance moved the story along, and the past, as recounted in Frances's journal, made me wonder how the disappearance and murder were connected. It is apparent that the author is not finished with Annie and company, and I look forward to the next book in this new series. 4/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Dutton, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The publication date is March 26, 2024.

This (I think) is an issue of "not the book, just not my vibe." I had a hard time getting into this and felt like a slog to get through. I agree with other reviewers saying that the Knives Out comparison was a little far fetched and it was difficult to keep track of everyone. I think the title is a bit misleading with what the book actually is.

Also, I had a difficult time PHYSICALLY reading this as my eARC had very small paragraph indentations, making it difficult to phrase out what was what (so maybe that'll be fixed before it's published?)

Thanks to the publisher/NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it. It took a bit of time to understand all the characters in the two time periods, but once the book got going, it was hard to put down.

At 17, after hearing a fortune that she will be murdered Frances Adam’s life becomes intent on trying to prevent the fortune from coming true. After she is found murdered, her will gives a few people, including her great-niece Annie, a week to solve the murder and gain her fortune, or her land will be sold and all money donated to the crown.

Told in alternating time periods, this book was so good! Each time I thought I had an idea as to who might be responsible, another twist would pop up and throw me off. I was very satisfied with the ending and I didn’t see it coming! Definitely a must-read.

"Your future contains dry bones. Your slow demise begins right when you hold the queen in the palm of your hand. Beware the bird, for it will betray you. And from that, there's no coming back. But daughters are the key to justice, find the right one and keep her close. All signs point toward your murder."

From fortune to fate, secrets will be uncovered - the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The jumps between reading Frances's diary from her late teens to Annie as a young woman trying to solve her great aunt's murder created the wonderful roadmap for story telling. With intriguing characters, just the right amount of twists, and the charming backdrop of Castle Knoll, the author crafts a mystery for us grown-up lovers of Nancy Drew.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Author and Penguin Group Dutton for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of How to Solve Your Own Murder!

This is going to be a lot of peoples' cup of tea, it just wasn't mine. It's definitely an 'it's not you, it's me' issue - I think I picked up this book at the wrong time and my heart wasn't in it.

The premise is very captivating - the book opens with the ominous fortune that Frances received as a teenager, detailing her impending murder. Decades of unsolved mysteries accumulate into one catalyst event: the death of Frances.

The pacing of the story threw me off a bit. I'm tempted to say it was a slow paced murder mystery, but there were times when a lot was revealed all at once. I still think it has cozy mystery vibes, and this will be a really great autumn read.

Overall, I think a lot of people will like this one. I was a bit disconnected from it, but would still give a solid 3 stars!

How to Solve Your Own Murder was such a fun and entertaining whodunnit! I really enjoyed many aspects of this book!! The plot was unique and kept me really engaged! Thank you for allowing me access to this ARC!

Strong debut! Well written and interesting story line which kept me intrigued. The plot was well developed with a dual timeline structure. The characters were also complicated and well developed. This is not my typical genre, but I look forward to reading more works by this author.

4 stars!

This book is described as being for fans of Knives Out and if there's one Knives Out fan it's me, if there's no Knives Out fans I'm dead. I think a lot of books use Knives Out as a comp title because of its popularity, but in this case I feel like it was a pretty fair comparison. I thought this was so good and unlike some mystery/thriller books I've read recently, I was truly rooting for the main character Annie.

I was also very compelled by the journal entries from Frances, and every chapter I was like why are the journals ending on cliffhangers?? I need to go back!

Overall, I felt like this was a fun read. I did put it together a little bit before the main character and so I wanted her to figure it out a bit quicker, but I was very impressed by this debut and I will definitely be reading more from this author (and continuing this series? since goodreads has now told me it is a series?). Additionally by the cover and comparison to Thursday Murder Club, I thought we were going to spend more time in Frances' head as an elderly person and this was going to be more of a cozy mystery but I was most definitely wrong.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!