In 1965 Frances is at a country fair with friends when she ducks into a fortuneteller's tent and is given a fortune that predicts her murder. She becomes obsessed with figuring out who will murder her. Years later when she sends for her great-niece she starts a race against time for her murder to be solved. Original and witty and a real page-turner.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. From the moment I started it I got sucked into the atmospheric mood of this book. The pacing was mostly really good and kept my attention, with only a few spots that dragged a bit. I was shocked by who the murderer was and never saw it coming. I was left with a few unanswered questions in the end though, which can be disappointing. I don’t get the impression that there were any cliffhangers, just mysteries that were never acknowledged again. I still recommend this book and really enjoyed it. Thank you so much, Netgalley and Penguin Books!

This is a really fun and captivating mystery. Annie is really well rounded character and the plot is intriguing yet easily able to follow. Full with fortune tellers and lots of mystery shenanigans, this book is an awesome read! I’d reccomend!

Frances has been haunted for decades by the prospect of her own murder. Although her best friends, Emily and Rose, try to keep her mind off of it, Frances dedicates her life to avoiding her murder using all of the clues in the fortune. But when Frances is found dead in her study in her old age, it turns out that fortune may have been true after all. Now, it's up to her great niece, Annie, to solve her murder before anyone else to keep her estate and bring justice to Frances.

This was the first book I had read by this author, but chose it because I am a big fan of a murder mystery. Although I have never read an Agatha Christie novel (I know, a huge oversight on my part), I get the sense that How to Solve Your Own Murder is certainly Christie-esque. Isolated in a small town, a large cast of characters, and a murder at the center--all of the elements of a classic murder mystery. That said, I felt that this book also had a lot of unique elements: the story, itself, as well changes in time and perspective, made this an interesting and unpredictable read.

I will say, I had a very difficult time keeping track of the characters. Not only are there many characters in the modern day who all may be implicated in the murder, but there is an entirely separate timeline with almost entirely different characters. I found myself struggling to keep track of everyone, and think that the reveal at the end was less thrilling for me because I had forgotten about that character by the end of the book! That may be a personal issue, but if you have trouble keeping track of names when reading or watching TV, then you might want to make yourself a chart as you start this book out.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was unique, unpredictable, and satisfying by the end. While I may not necessarily recommend this for the casual reader, I think this is the PERFECT pick for your next book club and is sure to spark heated discussion over who actually murdered Great Aunt Frances!

If Knives Out was set in the UK, this could be the inspiration. It started out like any other book about a young writer trying to break her block, but then an unexpected inheritance takes her life (and her family history) for a loop. I absolutely loved how you get the viewpoint from the 1960s from Frances and then modern day from Annie, and just like any good murder mystery, they all tie together.

What I enjoyed about this book is the symbolism, and how something as simple as a bird for a last name, can throw the fear of death right into your heart. At times I needed to slow down and try my best to piece together Annie's findings, but in all honestly, I did not want it to end. Maybe an epilogue would help answer some questions.

Also, this book shows you just how far people can go when it comes to love, friendship, greed, and crime.

I do not want to give anything away, but if you do read this book, do so without distractions so you can really feel like you are exploring the estate with all of its hidden secrets.

Kristen Perrin is an expert at crafting a world of mystery that drags you in and makes you feel entirely immersed in the story and its characters. She had me entirely gripped with every page until the very end, and as confident as I usually am at solving murder mystery's, I honestly didn't see the twist coming until it hit me! Also, on a more critical standpoint, Perrin's writing is creative, sophisticated, and entirely her own. It helps bring the readers into the world she is crafting and ensures a unique voice for her novels. "How to Solve Your Own Murder" felt like an entirely new story that I had never truly experienced. It tied together an old, gripping murder with a new, emotional mystery, intricately weaving the two stories with alternating voices each chapter. Not only did the modern murder have my attention in a choke-hold, the old murder sparked an emotional attachment for the characters that I would pay to experience for the first time again. I feel like I am officially a part of the Gravesdown family after having read this novel, and am so grateful to Kristen Perrin for creating this world that I got the chance to live within over the last 3 days.
I would HIGHLY recommend "How to Solve Your Own Murder" to all fans of traditional mystery novels, as well as those seeking to get into new-age thriller writing. It's the perfect mix of an Agatha Christie-esque "who-dunnit" and a contemporary murder mystery and I can't wait to get everyone I know to get invested in Annie, Emily, Frances and their story!

this wasn’t bad it just wasn’t as fast paced as i’m used to with other thrillers. i would be interested in seeing how the series progressed

Though I very much looked forward to this book, it was not for me. I love mysteries and enjoy clever takes on the genre. In this case, I could not buy into the main premise - that a woman becomes so obsessed with a fortune told to her as a teenager that she spends the rest of her life trying to figure out who will make it come true - ie., kill her. The characters are flat and I never really came to care about them. I see that the book has gotten great review from others so I'm going to chalk this up to personal taste.

"How to Solve Your Own Murder" by Kristen Perrin is a captivating cozy-esque read that gave me strong Agatha Christie vibes. The abundance of characters did make it a bit challenging to keep track of everyone, but the setting/atmosphere and unexpected ending made up for it. I found myself pleasantly surprised by the twists and turns throughout the book. Overall, I would give it 3.5 stars out of 5. It's definitely a book that mystery lovers should consider adding to their reading list!

Rating: 3.5 ⭐️

I enjoyed this book! I’ve read my fair share of mystery and thriller books. I know what aspects draw me in and which tend to put me off about them.

This book follows Annie as she is enlisted to solve the murder of a great aunt she never knew. Francis (the great aunt) got her fortune read when she was a young girl and was told she’d be murdered. Ever since then she dedicated her life to figuring out who was going to kill her and when her prophecy would come true. When the time comes, she writes in her will that whoever can solve her murder will inherit her estate.

A few things I liked about this book were the characters and the diary entrances written by Francis. The characters were all, for the most part, enjoyable people or suspicious enough that I wanted to know more about their motives. As for the diary, I loved getting glimpses into the past and slowly connecting it to the main story as I read.

A few things that bothered me about this book was mainly the pacing and the language used at times. I found it very hard to get into it because despite starting with a murder, the middle part was a bit too slow for my liking. It took me a while to get through it and I found myself putting off reading it. That’s more of a personal thing though as I need something that will hold my attention the whole time. The language, on the other hand, felt a bit too modern for me when reading Francis’s diary entries. These entries were written and took place in the 60’s in Europe, but if it weren’t for the font change and chapter titles, I very easily would’ve believed I was reading an entry from the current day.

The ending was both exciting and confusing. Finding out Joe was the killer definitely felt like a random choice until it was explained, however I did have to reread the explanation a few times to understand what they were trying to say. Looking back on the story I see that it all ties together, but it threw me for a loop for a little as it seemed like a plot twist that made no sense.

All in all I thought this was a decent read and a very cozy mystery. I’m not sure if I’d read any future books published within this series but I could see myself giving it a second try.

After the death of their father, three sisters return to the Hotel they grew up in. Between the arrival of a hurricane, discovery of a mysterious stranger, and departure of the majority of the staff leave the sisters alone and in danger.
This book was a very easy read and an enjoyable mystery, if not slightly predictable.

1965, Frances and her friends go to a fortune teller, who predicts that Frances will be murdered. She spends the next 50+ years obsessing over the fortune. In the present day, she changes her will to include her great-niece Annie, whom she has never met. When Annie arrives to find out more, she finds that Frances has been murdered and takes up the task of solving the murder that Frances has already pre-investigated for years. This was good, clever and interesting, not super predictable and obvious. I see on Goodreads that this is listed as #1 in the Castle Knoll Files series, which makes me wonder if Annie will later find out more info in Frances's files that lead to other investigations. I would definitely read more. 4 stars.

This engaging murder mystery grabbed my attention immediately. Annie Adams, the protagonist, is likeable and easy to relate to as she stumbles through trying to solve the mystery of her great-aunt's death. There are many red herrings along the way to mislead readers which adds to the fun. Hopefully a sequel is in the works!

Thank you Netgalley. This was such a fun read! The story was excellent and the characters were fabulous. The dual POVs were expertly crafted and left me wanting more after each and every chapter. I can not say enough about how great this was to read.
Highly recommend

I absolutely loved this book. Annie was such a fun character to navigate her great aunts murder with. And she had help through her aunts journal from the time period where everything kicked off.

I think this is a really well done whodunit. I had a lot of theories as the story progressed but I flip flopped so much I can't admit to having solved it before they revealed it. Mostly because was there one killer or two? Was the missing friend related to the murder? Perhaps I should've kept my own journal so my thoughts could've been organized.

If you like whodunits at all, pick this one up

Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin Group Dutton and of course Kristen Perrin for allowing me access to this wonderful ARC to review!

How to Solve Your Own Murder will be in stores and your local library on March 26, 2024!

How to Solve Your Own Murder is a charming whodunnit set in the idyllic English countryside with a rather unique premise: What would you do if you could predict your own murder?

In 1965, a teenaged Francis Adams visits a fortune teller with her friends and receives some troubling news; someday she is going to be murdered. She spends the rest of her life trying to predict who is going to murder her and why. Unfortunately 60 years later, her fortune comes true and now it's up to her great niece Annie Adams to solve the case. Armed with her great aunt's fortune, diary, and her murder room, Annie sets to work. It seems with Francis's penchants for digging up dirt on her family and friends, there are plenty of people who would like to see Francis out of the picture. What alluring secrets will Annie uncover? Is it possible the fortune teller was right all those years ago? Why in the world does Annie's great-aunt have a murder room?! I'll leave that, dear reader for you to find out!

Oh man this is such a cute whodunnit! The details of her aunt's murder are quite unique and original and had me hooked from the beginning. The various twists and turns were definitely unique and unpredictable, and I just needed to know more! The cast of quirky characters were charming and memorable and I enjoyed following Annie as she dug up everyone's secrets. The Author did a wonderful job with the pacing and trickling intriguing details to keep the reader's attention; I definitely read this one in one sitting! I also really enjoyed reading the alternating chapters of young Francis's diary with what Annie was doing in the present. I think that it was a clever way to move the story forward and add another layer of intrigue. I quite enjoyed our MC Annie, and how tenacious and resourceful she could be. I also enjoyed the relationship she was building with the detective of the story; it was quite sweet.

There really wasn't anything that I found wrong with the story, except for the MC making some questionable decisions that puts her in unnecessary danger, but that's most MC in cozy mysteries :'D . I also like that it leaves with the possibility of future installments, since I would love to see what Annie Adams is up to next.

If you want a fun and unique mystery, with quirky characters, a rich and intriguing history and unpredictable twists and turns, then How to Solve Your Own Murder is right for you!

"How to Solve Your Own Murder" by Kristen Perrin is a wonderful murder story that explores themes of family, friendship, and betrayal. The narrative centers around a woman in her 70s who, after being forewarned by a psychic that she would die, becomes consumed by the obsession to unravel the mystery and Annie, a writer, takes on the challenge of solving a murder. I obtained this book as an ARC based on its intriguing description— a decision I am truly grateful for. The novel carries the vibe of a murder mystery in a small town, a blend that I found utterly delightful. The gradual development of the story, weaving seamlessly between the present and the past, contributed to my absolute enjoyment of the book.

The writing in this story is commendable, capturing my attention with its palpable tension and skillful development throughout the narrative. The thoughtful arrangement of the story allowed me to engage with it gradually, making the reading experience thoroughly enjoyable and accessible.

In conclusion, I am inclined to label this book as amazing. I appreciate the meticulous construction of the world within the story and the intricacies of a small-town murder. The unfolding of the narrative further solidified my admiration. I firmly believe that this book is a worthwhile read, and I eagerly anticipate more works from Kristen Perrin in a similar vein. This literary gem is a perfect recommendation for fans of "Knives Out" or "Nancy Drew".

What a fun cozy mystery! Highly readable and enjoyable!

Told in dual-timelines, Annie must solve the mystery of who killed her great-aunt Frances - a woman she's never met in person and knows little about! Both lives and fortunes are at stake as she only has a week to figure it out.

In the meantime, Frances has left behind clues in a diary that Annie must decipher. As we learn with Annie, we are also drawn in to the story of Frances in the mid 1960s.

Solidly written and character-driven, the plot moves quickly as we meet all the current members of the small village where not just the murder of Frances, but the disappearance of Frances' friend Emily, are all intertwined with the past.

Highly recommend for mystery book clubs! 4.5 stars
Book equivalent of PG-13 for the topic of murder and related violence; mild-to-no romance, mild cursing

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC as a reviewer for NetGalley. #sponsored

What a fun read! I really enjoyed this book and am glad it looks like there will be a sequel. Well written, interesting characters, small town double homicide with Agatha Christie vibes? What’s not to like? Was hooked from the first chapter. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Penquin Random House for the ARC of this book!

This was my first cozy mystery. The title of the book was what intrigued me. Personally I don't think cozy mysteries are for me. I prefer more thrills and twists. It was a bit too slow for me. However, if you enjoy cozy mystery, you will definitely enjoy this book. The book gives off Clue and Nancy Drew vibes.

Overall I enjoyed the read.