A classic whodunit involving 2 crimes, a long ago missing friend and a dire fortune teller's prediction. There are essentially 2 main characters. One is the rich old aunt in her youth before she spends most of her adulthood obsessing over her own future demise. The second is her great niece who is tasked with figuring out the great aunt's death. There are twists abs turns and danger and a love interest. And everything ties up in a nice bow at the end. In short, a fun read

There are a couple of hints towards the end of this book leading me to believe that this need not be our last interaction with Annie Adams and her new found friends and enemies in the sleepy village of
Castle Knoll. Seeing the entry for How to Solve Your Own Murder (Castle Knoll Files #1) in GoodReads gave me more concrete hope. I will be looking forward to more installments with our queasy writer turned amateur sleuth. This is no hard-boiled detective. Annie has a tendency to faint when finding a body or being confronted with a killer. That doesn't stop her from putting the pieces together to solve the mystery of her great aunts demise in brilliant fashion although with a great deal of humor along the way. This book is funny, fast-paced, suspenseful, eery, and sometimes oogey, with enough read herrings to keep everyone guessing. I look forward to more!

Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for making an advance copy of this title available for an honest review.

Annie always heard how her great-aunt Frances learned from a fortune teller that she’d be murdered, turning Frances paranoid as she tried to avoid her fate. Annie can inherit her great-aunt’s money if and only if she solves the murder. This fun mystery jumps back in time to Frances’ life when she first heard the fortune, leaving clues for who would eventually kill her decades later and exposing the eccentric characters of her local village. An intricately plotted debut with likable characters for fans of "The Thursday Murder Club."

The story takes place during two time periods. One is written through journal entries from Frances in the mid 1960s. Frances visits a fair with her friends where the fortune teller predicts her murder. Frances spends her life obsessed with solving the mystery of her own murder before it happens. In present day, Frances' grand-niece, Annie is called called to her estate for a reading of her will, when France is found murdered. The will stipulates that whoever solves her murder, will receive everything. The race is on to see who can solve the mystery first.

This mystery just didn't quite do it for me. The idea was an interesting one and had a lot of the pieces of a good mystery, but it didn't quite read as I'd hoped. I enjoyed going back and forth between present day and the diary entries to reveal the answers. There were too many characters in the book that I didn't feel like I understood well enough to connect with. It was hard to keep track of at times.

Wow! What a fantastic book. It completely drew me in and had me totally eager to solve the murder... someone predicted her death 60 years in advance, and the poor woman lived in fear her whole life. Nearing old age, she decides to set some traps, knowing the killer will strike soon. Which family member of friend had a grudge they couldn't let go? Chapter by chapter, I kept thinking... this is a 5-star book... I'm loving the mystery, the suspense, the drama. And as the details drew to a close with the extended family and the secrets from 60 years ago, things looked highly promising. A second body is found, and a mysterious disappearance is solved, but who would go to lengths to keep anyone from finding out so many years later? Had me until the end, and then it teetered a bit on not strong enough for all the previous drama and scenes, so it's more like a 4.5 star-book. Still totally worth reading! Can't wait to see more from the author too.

How to Solve Your Own Murder starts with the premise of sixteen year old Frances hearing a fortune teller tell her she will be murdered. What she doesn’t know is it will take 60 years for the forecast to come true. The title is a bit of a misnomer, because the way Frances sets up her will, it’s left up to her relatives to solve her murder. Whoever solves it first stands to inherit everything. If they can’t solve her murder within a week, or if the police solve it before one of them, everything will be sold off.
The story is told from the perspective of Annie, her great-niece, in the present day and from Frances’ journals from 1965-66. The journals detail the time leading up to the disappearance of Emily, one of Frances’ best friends. Despite being told in the present day, this definitely feels like an old school mystery - a small village setting, inheritance issues, plenty of suspects, everyone with a secret of some sort. It was fun and entertaining.
Annie is an engaging character, hoping to become a published mystery writer, and young and brash enough to take some crazy chances. Perrin also did a good job of fleshing out Frances. Not as easy to do as everything we learn about her is through her journals, her files and others’ memories of her. The plot moves along at a brisk pace, with Annie trying to determine who she can trust while staying one step ahead of both her competition and the detective on the case. I’ll admit to being flummoxed and not figuring out the culprit before Annie. The ending was well thought out and not rushed.
I’m not sure the comparisons to Knives Out or Thursday Murder Club are apt. Don’t go into this expecting lots of humor.
My thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Group Dutton for an advance copy of this book.

This book was a classic whodunit. I really enjoyed the flashback elements of the book from a different perspective. It felt like a fun game of clue. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys murder mystery books.

This was a very middle of the road mystery novel for me. It checked off a lot of the standard boxes - mysterious death, sketchy relatives, red herrings galore. The overall concept grabbed me before I began. It just didn't play out in a way that quite worked for me.

I felt like the flashbacks dragged the story down at times and would've preferred not to have so many of them. I liked the present day parts and found myself skimming the past bits a lot.

I didn't have the ending all figured out by the time I got there, but it was still a bit of a letdown. I was expecting something more epic, given the scope of the tale. I did enjoy the story's cozy vibe though and would be interested in seeing more mysteries in that setting.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

How to Solve Your Own Murder is a cozy mystery that takes place in two time periods. In a modern time where our protagonist, Annie, is competing to win an inheritance from her great-aunt Frances by solving her murder. The other period is 1967 in Frances' diary which Annie is using to help solve the murder.

This was definitely a small-town, cozy mystery and if you are a fan of either of those, this is right up your alley. This is not a typical read I would choose and I would not really compare it in any way to Knives Out. Even though cozy mysteries are not what I normally enjoy, I did like this book. It was a bit slow to start and I wish there had been a list of characters because there were so many that sometimes it was hard to keep track of who was who.
I really did enjoy it after around 40% and I found the solution and ending really creative! I enjoyed both perspectives in the book and I never guessed whodunit.
One thing I want to note is that the protagonist has a realistic reaction to death and dead bodies which I very much appreciate!

Overall, I enjoyed the book despite it not being what I thought it would be. This is for the cozy mystery girlies for sure.

Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley for the ARC!

Fun, engaging debut with a great premise – I finished reading it in one day! Great Aunt Frances is such a lively presence even though she gets murdered before the main events of the novel.

A weak point of the novel was the blandness of the main character, Annie... We know that she wants to be a murder mystery writer, but she's not particularly interesting, and she acts in kind of incomprehensible ways. If you think you've found the murder weapon, why would you pick it up, put it in a plastic bag, and carry it to the police station instead of having detectives come take a look? Especially if you're supposedly interested in how murders are solved! Jenny, Annie's best friend, is introduced in the beginning and seems like she'll be important, but honestly she could have been edited out completely.

The revelation about who killed Emily feels like it comes out of left field... we see the murderer acting like a major creep (in flashback/diary entries) a few pages/chapters before we find out they're the killer, but the creepy behavior doesn't seem to be there from the beginning, so it feels like a very abrupt change. That being said, the book does a great job showing why Emily got killed. Her behavior was SO awful in 1965/66 but so in line with how a troubled and insecure teenage girl might act; we can see how she could have changed if she'd been given the chance.

Overall a really enjoyable read with a few areas that could have used further revision. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who's looking for a fairly cozy mystery from a new writer!

This was an interesting concept, especially with the back and forth of the timelines. I just personally had a hard time connecting to the story.

What would you do if a fortune teller predicted your murder? For Frances Adams, that meant not going down without a fight. Complete with her very own “murder board” full of connections and clues, Frances set out to solve her own murder before it happened. When she is found dead, her great-niece Annie soon discovers a life of paranoia and evidence gathering has made her aunt no shortage of enemies, and therefore potential suspects. Tasked with solving the murder, Annie goes down a path of discovery. Old journal entries connect events and mysteries from the past and present and give us glimpses into Frances and her ultimate search for justice. The book takes you on an adventure with Annie and she quickly realizes that nearly everyone in town has some sort of motive. Who can she trust? What are the unanswered questions? Is it greed, revenge, passion or self-preservation that led to Frances’ murder sixty years after that fateful fortune-teller’s prediction?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had several twists and was a fun read. Each chapter I was suspecting someone new and not sure who to trust. Annie was a relatable character who seemed to be finding her place in the world (her family, her writing career, her home). It seemed as though Annie was intent on solving this mystery not just for her Aunt Frances, but also for herself and as proof that she can cut it in the murder writing world. It’s easy to root for her to solve the case. Frances completely steals the show though, both from her journal entries and how she was told through the eyes of the community members. She comes off as the feisty, eccentric aunt you always wanted. Not afraid to be herself and stand up to her friends, but also with her own insecurities and fears that ran her life. Just like Annie, I felt the sense of loss of not getting to know her in the present.

If you’re in the mood for an escape to a countryside estate to solve a current murder and past disappearance, this book is the perfect getaway! A classic cozy mystery!

Thanks Netgalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the early read!

ARC thanks to NetGalley.

A murder mystery in a small town where everyone knows everyone. Frances has her fortune read in 1965 and spends the next 60 years expecting her murder.

I enjoy multiple timelines and learning things about the mystery from multiple perspectives, Anne in the present and Frances in the 60s.

I liked the writing and the who-done-it atmosphere. Trying to guess who the killer was then adding in another murder. At times could be a little confusing with so many character in play in the 2 timelines.

What an interesting premise to this book. Frances wholeheartedly believes the fortune teller’s prediction of her murder and devotes her life to proving its validity. After her death, she passes the responsibility to her great niece Annie. Annie is soon wrapped up in the “game” of unearthing secrets and figuring out the truth.

I love that Annie was learning about her late great aunt through Frances’ handwritten diary and old photos. She is determined and motivated by justice, not winning the inheritance. She has a pure heart, mirroring Frances in her youth.

The story was entertaining, even though I did guess some of the twists. The characters were intriguing and I loved trying to make all the connections as the story unfolded.

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

How to Solve Your Own Murder is a fun, fresh take on the cozy mystery genre pushing the traditional amateur sleuth meets real-life murder beyond fresh baked goods and bookstore settings. I love this recent trend, lending the cozies to a slightly more realistic feel.

In this story, we meet Annie an aspiring mystery writer who through a series of accidental events finds herself traveling to the English countryside to meet a long lost relative. However, upon arrival said relative shows up – dead. And so, the sleuthing begins.

With well-executed dual timelines, a large cast of characters - both likable and unlikable – a somewhat creepy English manor and some excellent deduction that is capably explained on the page, this book really delivered.
For those that like their cozies with a dash of edge, this will be a perfect choice.

Thank you to the Penguin Group and Kristen Perrin for an advanced reader copy of this book.

A solid Five Stars. If you're a fan of MC Beaton and Richard Osman, you'll want to snatch this up on release date and not put it down until the last, satisfying page. There's family secrets, drama, intrigue and a fair bit of humor. I loved the multiple suspect angle and honestly couldn't deduce who the criminal was which is rare and refreshing. A wonderful cozy mystery with a lot going for it. On release date, I'll be buying a few copies on release date to send to my relatives as this is exactly the sort of read they gobble up

Annie Adams isn’t close to her extended family as there is so little. So it was a surprise to be notified she is being summoned to meet her great aunt Francis. Francis has changed her will to make Annie her heir. Unfortunately it’s not so cut and dry. Over fifty years ago Francis’ friend, Emily, disappeared leaving Francis trying to solve the decades old mystery. Francis is also convinced she herself will be murdered based on a fortune teller’s prediction from her teenage years. Unfortunately Francis has been making progress, as she is found murdered in her kitchen. Now Annie must solve the murders before she too becomes a target.

This book was so good! I was hooked from start to finish. I loved the way this author was able to fully grasp my attention and didn’t let go

I’m glad to see this listed as “Castle Knoll Files #1” and look forward to reading future books in this series. I enjoyed the characters and their interconnectedness. As with pretty much every mystery novel I have read, I did not correctly guess whodunnit.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I tend to avoid cozy mysteries but this is the kind I can get into. I would categorize How to Solve Your Own Murder as a cozy-spicy mystery.

Annie goes to Castle Knoll after she received a letter regarding her great aunt's estate. She's never met the woman and doesn't know why she wants Annie to inherit everything. Once there, the body of Great-Aunt Francis is discovered in her home. Her will stipulates that if Annie solves her murder, she gets everything. But Annie is not the only one who could solve it and take all.

So it becomes a race against time, Annie has to figure out who wanted Francis dead more. She mainly depends on a journal Francis kept in the 60s. It's all about her and her bored friends stuck in a small village. Annie only reads it in bits and pieces and decides on various people's guilt based on the feelings and motivations she's attached to all these strangers.

It's a solid three stars, I liked it. But it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. I agree with others that the premise is good but the execution.. It's mostly my personal preference I'm sure. And since it's a series there's opportunity to really get to know Annie and the other villagers better.

Thank you Dutton and NetGalley for the e-ARC.