I would give this book a solid four stars. It was very enjoyable. A true whodunnit in the likeness of a Nancy Drew, Hercule Poirot, or Sherlock Holmes in that although you follow the clues along with the main character, you don't know the full scope of their investigation until all is revealed at the very end. It's an easy, lite read. I noted one or two grammatical errors but overall, very well edited.

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. The book did not feel long at all as the plot was very fast-paced - I could not put it down. I think the writing with the current timeline and also Frances' journal entries made the story really compelling and I really loved that there were 2 murders that were being solved and how they were all connected. The characters and the secrets around Castle Knoll kept me guessing for this who-dun-it.

Just like Annie, I felt like Frances was a companion for the entire story even though she is murdered at the beginning. The ending made me sad knowing that we were finally saying goodbye to her as well but at the same time very uplifting when Annie decides to pick up her pen and start her own journalling.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Dutton & NetGalley for approving this ARC.

How To Solve Your Own Murder follows Annie Adams, who was invited to her Great Aunt Frances’ estate to update her will, only to find that Frances was murdered. Years ago, when Frances was a teenager, she got her fortune told which spoke of her murder. After spending years obsessed with finding her murderer before they struck but ultimately being unsuccessful, it’s now up to Annie to figure out what happened to her mysterious great aunt.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book. It felt a lot like Knives Out but it was also a really unique plot for a murder mystery. I found it to be a bit slow, though, and it didn’t capture my interest the entire time. Ultimately I’m glad I finished it because it picked up for me in the end and kept me interested.

Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton, Kristen Perrin, and NetGalley for the eARC!

I could not put this book down! From the beginning, the story was fast paced enough to keep me hooked without leaving my behind. I didn’t see the twist coming, and at times it was hard to keep all the people straight when switching from reading about them as teenagers and now adults. This book left no questions unanswered and I really enjoyed it!

Envoking the classic brilliance of Agatha Christie, this small-town mystery shines with intelligence and charm, easily securing a well-deserved 4.5-star rating. The narrative effortlessly draws readers into a captivating world, where the endearing Annie Adam takes center stage, making the unfolding events thoroughly engaging to read.

The mystery at the heart of the story is nothing short of chilling, with a cast of characters that adds depth and charm to the overall narrative. Annie's connection to her eccentric great-aunt Frances and the lingering prophecy, spanning six decades, creates an atmosphere of suspense that captures the reader's imagination from the very start.

The storyline unfolds with precision, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as Annie navigates through intricate family dynamics and the ominous specter of murder. The pacing is impeccable, delivering a thrilling experience that builds anticipation until the final, unexpected resolution. The clever execution of the plot, filled with twists and turns, adds an extra layer of intrigue.

Beyond the captivating mystery, the narrative introduces compelling elements such as the fate of Gravesdown Estate, psychological games orchestrated by rivals, and Annie's collaboration with the charismatic Detective Crane. These elements contribute to the story's depth, creating a multifaceted and exciting reading experience.

As tension escalates and the race against time intensifies, Annie's journey becomes not only a quest for justice but also a fight for her own survival. The book seamlessly weaves together these elements, resulting in a addicting whodunit that merits its impressive 4.5-star rating.

In conclusion, this fanastic mystery showcases the author's storytelling abilities while leaving this reader eagerly anticipating further adventures with the remarkable Annie Adams.

A sincere thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for providing a digital reviewer copy of this outstanding book in exchange for an honest and enthusiastic review.

How to Solve Your Own Murder felt like a Knives Out book. It was a little slow in the beginning, but I was soon invested in the story and needed to know "who dun it." I thought the characters were well flushed out and I really enjoyed the aspect of getting to see them throughout time and aging. It was a unique twist.

Annie has never met her great-aunt Frances, but she knows all about how a creepy prophecy she heard as a teen led her to obsess over her own murder. It took decades, but in the end her paranoia and cataloging of her neighbors' sins caused someone to snap and kill her. Now Annie has a week to solve the case and inherit a fortune. Frances helps her from beyond the grave via her teenage diary, which is full of juicy gossip about the villagers. They all still live in the area . . . except for Emily, whose disappearance was never solved. An enjoyable double mystery.

I highly recommend this cozy mystery. It had an excellent mix of who done it type vibes and character development. I found the pacing steady throughout and really enjoyed the integration of past and future story lines. Also, I think the writing was great - easy to read but descriptive enough to clearly picture the story unfolding.

I cannot wait for the author to write another mystery.

This book is Agatha Christie and Knives Out with the small town feel of The Ex Hex. I absolutely adored it.

From the very first pages you are introduced to a young Frances and transported back to the 1960s. You are immediately intertwined in her fortune and want to protect Frances from what is to come in her life. Her young niece is called to the small town of Castle Knoll to meet her great aunt for the first time, but by the time she gets there she is too late. It is up to Annie to solve the mystery of her great-aunts death. What she finds through her investigation is that small towns are full of big secrets.

I loved the fast pace of this book. Each new piece of evidence led me to believe I was finally on the right track, but I never was. (I must admit though, I am not very good at solving these mysteries). Nonetheless, the ending was a big shock to me.

Another thing I really enjoyed about this book was getting to see the growth in Annie, and I must say, I am a big fan of her being a murder mystery author! To me, she embodied what it is to be a strong woman in a long line of strong women. She was driven, smart and courageous. Qualities that made her the perfect pick to help solve this mystery.

I would recommend when reading this to cozy up by a fireplace with a cup of warm tea- it will really set the mood. Especially for those flashback chapters- I loved feeling transported into the big library near the fire.

Overall, I wanted to rate this book 5/5. The only reason I ended up rating it 4.5 is because the dates on the flashbacks confused me. I am not sure if they were supposed to line up with the events they were discussing or not. I would recommend ignoring the dates and just looking at the flashbacks as "when Frances was young." I did round up and give this book a 5/5 on Goodreads.

4.25 stars!

This was a really enjoyable, well plotted cozy mystery! I found our main character, Annie, very endearing and easy to root for. I especially enjoyed the chapters from Frances's diary; the dual timelines and plots were very interesting and I loved trying to piece everything together. Most importantly, all the clues are presented to the reader at the same time as Annie yet the ultimate "whodunit" was still truly a surprise!

There was a loose end or two left at the end, but maybe they're a set up for more books to come? If so, I fully plan on reading them to see what else our characters get up to.

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

This was a classic cozy who-done-it murder mystery that blended flashbacks, an old unsolved case, and a current day killing that had been predicted decades before.
While the characters didn't fully grab my attention and the plot felt a bit overladen at times, this was still an enjoyable and easy read! If you want to curl up in a big chair during a cold rainy night with a mystery that isn't scary, this is a good pick.

Thanks NetGalley for the book!

I loved this multigenerational murder mystery! It was cozy and engaging at the same time-it kept me guessing and I was really invested in Frances & Annie as narrators. Would definitely recommend!

This was a phenomenal story. Cozy, mysterious, and very well written. Loved every minute of it and I feel this could be the beginning of a series.

Two murder mysteries for the price of one! Surrounded by deep and complex characters, a family history that takes volumes to uncover, and little to aid her but determination and clever resourcefulness, the protagonist is forced to navigate a gauntlet of challenges that become more and more complex as the story goes along.

I was once told that if I encounter a literary character I despise so strongly that they evoke real, physical emotion - the writer has done their job. Kristen Perrin has clearly gone above and beyond with this one. The list of characters I liked was significantly shorter than the list of those I disliked.

A fun ride, deep enough to hook the savviest of amateur sleuths (I did NOT get the answer correct), and paced in a way to drive the exciting narrative, this one was a real treat.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Dutton and Netgalley for the ARC of this novel.

While the premise of this story was intriguing, I felt unconnected to the characters and struggled to engage with continuing. It was a slow read, although easy enough for a cozy mystery.

How to Solve Your Own Murder is a mystery about a woman who spends her entire life trying to prevent her foretold murder only to be proven right sixty years later, when she is found dead.

I love the premise of this book and I love the alternating points of view between the diary entries and the present day. The plot is so creative and makes one wonder how these authors come up for these ideas! My trouble with the book was the sheer number of characters, and the multiple generations, I found it hard to keep up with the subplots and who was who. Some of the characters were not very interesting, and also not very well developed. I lost interest and even a tad bored in the last 30% of the book.

If you are a fan of Agatha Cristie type cozy mysteries, this book is for you. It was described in the description for "fans of Knives Out and The Thursday Murder Club"

A cozy murder-mystery about an heiress solving her Great Aunt's murder. The characters were not relatable and the plot was challenging to follow as an e-reader. Thank you to NetGalley, Kristen Perrin, and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for this ARC ahead of it's release date.

That’s the thing about all of us—all of us except you. We’re all guilty of something.” In many ways, “How to Solve Your Own Murder” being compared to “Knives Out” was appropriate. There were similar character tropes and I suspected pretty much everyone at one point or another. Also, much like “Knives Out,” there are some aspects of meta fiction included in the narrative. It wasn’t as in-your-face as Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” or, more recently, Alex Michaelides’ “The Fury”, but the inclusion felt organic, and I enjoyed it.

Characterization
Loves:
The two main characters, Annie and Frances, had gumption and I dug it. I like how Annie’s brain worked and her approach to her task. However, that being said, I gravitated more toward Frances as a character. She felt more well rounded and her experiences, heartache and all, felt more real to me. She was dynamic, and I was hoping that she was actually alive and that this whole story was just a human chess game that she had orchestrated.

Issues:
Several characters with the same last night spread over two timelines was confusing. Some characters, while I enjoyed them (Jenny and the cab driver) felt slightly superfluous. I also feel like Perrin couldn’t quite decide what kind of person Oscar should be, so he acted in ways that didn’t quite make sense.

Writing
Loves:
The writing was approachable. Perrin’s use of imagery is perfectly balanced within the narrative. I found myself really enjoying the visuals she created.

Issues:
The roses in the beginning seemed extreme and their origins remained unexplained. Also, while many of the red herrings were fun to puzzle through, several (missing items and trashed library) seemed unnecessary.

Overall
I was able to guess Emily’s murderer before the great reveal, but I don’t think that is necessarily a bad thing. That was only a single piece of the puzzle. Frances’ murder reveal still felt fresh. I enjoyed the final reveal and how everything fell into place.

This was the first cozy mystery that I have read, and it was a delight. Thank you so much to NetGalley and DuttonBooks for this eGalley! It truly was an unputdownable read.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy of this book! All thoughts/opinions are my own!

I thought that I would LIKE this book ~ but it turned out I ended up LOVING this book! If you enjoyed the movie “Knives Out” you will absolutely devour this book!

“How to Solve Your Own Murder” starts with a seventeen year old Frances Adam’s being told my a fortune teller that one day she will be murdered. This haunts Frances for the next 60 years and she tries to prevent this crime from happening - but ultimately fails. We follow two timelines throughout this book

1. Frances Adam’s past starting at her fortune telling
2. Annie in the present (Frances Adam is her Great Aunt)

Annie ties in perfectly with this story to help solve the crime of her Great Aunt Frances - SHE HAS A LOT TO LOSE & A LOT TO GAIN.

At first I was a bit overwhelmed by all the characters and the family tree but as the story goes on it’s easy to pick up!

This was a fantastic debut adult novel for Kristen Perrin and I will definitely be reading more from her!

Originally gave it a 4.5 ⭐️ but I have to bump it up to a 5 ⭐️ because I can’t stop thinking about this book!

How to Solve Your Own Murder was a mystery reminiscent of a crime novel from the 1920s-50s with a unique and intriguing premise.

In How to Solve Your Own Murder, Frances and her two best friends visit a fortune teller. Frances is left with some cryptic clues and the prediction that she will be murdered.

Now, many years later, Frances summons her great-niece Annie (whom she has never met)to her estate in the English countryside. Annie has grown up hearing about her eccentric aunt and her belief that she will be murdered, so when she arrives and finds her aunt actually was murdered Annie is determined to solve the mystery for more than one reason.

The novel weaves the past with the present as Annie discovers her great-aunt’s journal and uses it to solve her murder.

This was a fantastic story! I read it one sitting because I wanted to see how it all came together in the end.

4.5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book which publishes March 26, 2024.