It took me a little bit to get into the book, but I ended up loving it. I found it a little bit hard to keep track of all the characters towards the beginning. But as the book progressed, I got drawn into plot. The book had good pacing. The flashbacks with the diary entries were really well placed. I ended up finishing the book in a day and was surprised by the ending.

What a mystery! How to Solve Your Own Murder is incredibly clever, with excellent twists. I did not predict the killer (of Emily or Frances) at all! I really enjoyed getting to know the cast of characters from the small town of Castle Knoll. Everyone had their motivations, clearly, and I loved Annie’s persistence and dedication to solving the crimes through the eyes of Frances. I also thoroughly enjoyed the flashbacks through the pages of France’s diary.
I am not typically a mystery reader but I truly enjoyed this one!

It took me forever to get through the first few chapters. I have no idea why. Just couldn't get into the writing style for some reason. I put it down for about a month and then picked it up again and read the rest of the book in a day. I very much preferred the parts with Annie as the narrator. I did not figure out most of the mystery until the end, partly because they kept adding potential suspects. Overall, a little scattered, but not bad.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review, but all opinions are my own.

3.5 stars.

This is usually the kind of read that I really enjoy, unfortunately this one didn't quite do it for me. The story was fast paced and the plot was a fun idea. I think my issues are with the characters, there are a lot of them and most felt very undeveloped and I found myself having a hard time keeping track. As a result I had a hard time connecting and found myself pretty neutral to all of them. While this one didn't work all that well for me, it will for others.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book.

This was a delightful whodunit and a solid debut novel. I definitely couldn't put it down.

Cozy mystery fans will love this story. It's fun and sharp, and it has a large cast of characters, all of whom could hold a grudge against the town rich lady and have the motive for murder.

I found the story enjoyable and easy to follow despite the many characters. The protagonist is likeable and you'll find yourself rooting for her. There's a touch of potential romance which adds to the story.

I did think the journal was written in a way that was too literary to be believable as a journal, so you have to suspend that belief there. And some of the clues were a bit farfetched and seemed planted to make the story work. But I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I'm looking toward to more novels from this author, and I can imagine her mysteries becoming more sophisticated as she gains more experience as a mystery writer.

As a teenager Frances receives a fortune telling of her death. Many years later her possible heirs are tasked with finding her murder.

I'm not a huge fan of hardcore mysteries, they're too dramatic for my leisurely reading. This mystery is cozy enough that I was drawn in, and thrilling enough that it kept my interest.

The characters are a mix of young and old. The journal flashbacks give you a look at their younger lives, and then you see those characters in real time seeing how their lives turned out. The younger characters are decedents of the OGs. It's a wonderful mix of eclectic, suspicious characters that will keep you guessing.

I really loved this book and am excited to see what comes next in this Castle Knoll's series! Thank you to Penguin House, Dutton for this ARC provided through NetGalley!

Oh I hope this is the start of a new series! I loved this book and its quirky characters. I can’t stop thinking about Castle Knoll and Annie’s future. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This isn’t your everyday cozy mystery! This book was an easy read with a few twists and turns. I loved the setting descriptions. The characters were realistic and not perfect but still likable . I enjoyed this book!

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.