I love whodunnits so this was perfect for me. I also like eccentric and unique characters which this book had but I think there were a few too many characters to keep up with, I can see this translating really well to a movie and I would enjoy watching that as much as I did reading the book.

This book was such a pleasant surprise and what I want in a cozy mystery. I’m a huge fan of the movie Knives Out and I definitely got those same vibes with this book. I thought the concept was such a fun idea and I really enjoyed all the characters throughout the story. I loved Annie and following her along to try and figure out who the killer was. I also enjoyed the little dash of romance that was sprinkled in.

Overall, I really loved this cozy mystery and think it’ll be perfect for a winter/fall read!

Thank you for this NetGalley ARC! I have mixed feelings about this book. First of all, spoiler alert: dead lady does NOT solve her own murder.

The story weaves all over the place, throwing red herrings, as you’d expect. But the plot is overcrowded - so many characters, I felt like I needed my own murder board. And even though many of them remain underdeveloped, I really liked these characters, although I wasn’t prepared to scratch a single one of them off the suspect list. Also, it doesn’t feel very British, which is a weird observation and I’m not sure how to explain it, but about 30% in, I looked up the author bio to see if she was American …spoiler alert #2, she is. Finally, the diary/alternate timeline, which the MC used to solve the murder, feels unfinished. I do not understand how Frances married the rich guy with questionable morals. There’s more to that relationship that isn’t explored.

Overall, it was a fun book, an interesting premise, and pretty neatly tied up, but getting to the finish line required some convenient leaps of faith.

This book centers on a girl named Annie who is determined to find the killer of her great- aunt Frances. Annie is requested to attend a meeting at her Aunt’s estate in England but when she arrives she finds out that her aunt has been murdered. Annie finds one of her Aunt’s old diaries which gives her a clue to her life as a teenager. Many characters are introduced along the way. I had a hard time keeping up with the plot at times because of this. But overall this was a good book that I would recommend. Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

The premise sounded so promising, but the enormous cast of characters kind of ruined the reading experience for me.

I was fortunate enough to receive this book as an ARC from NetGalley!

How to Solve Your Own Murder is about a woman who tries to prevent her predicted murder in a fortune for 60 years! But when her fortune is finally comes to fruition and is murdered, her great niece might be the only one to find the killer!

In my personal opinion, this book was a great mystery! I felt like this was very unique concept I hadn’t read before! Loved the two timelines, characters, and location! A great cozy little mystery!

I would recommend this to those who love cozy mysteries but, also for beginner mystery readers!

Couldn't put it down! Really interesting characters that I felt attached to right away. Loved the cover art as well

I loved this book. Great premise, engaging characters and nothing felt forced as some murder mysteries do. I read the book in one day because I couldn’t put it down.

How to Solve Your Own Murder is a nice cozy mystery that spans two timelines. In the modern day, a young woman is called out to her great-aunt's estate and finds her dead. Her great-aunt always thought she would be murdered, and the niece sets out to solve the mystery. The story also flashes back in time to the 1950s when the great-aunt was a teenager and a friend of hers goes missing.

What a fun cozy mystery-esque book! I really liked how the storyline felt similar to an Agatha Christie story with its interesting characters, riddles and murder. At times I felt like I was confusing some of the characters and having to go back to see who was who. Maybe for Kristen Perrin’s next book, she should keep the plot less jammed pack. I still had fun reading this book and look forward to her next one! Thank you NetGalley, Kristen Perrin and Dutton for this digital copy.

Wow, I enjoyed this book immensely. It sucked me in so quickly and I was hooked the whole way through. The dual timelines and POVs were perfect and I was just as interested in one as I was the other. This might just be my favorite mystery/thriller I’ve read in 2023.

“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 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.”

It was all supposed to be just a bit of fun, when three teenage friends visit Madame Peony Lane at the Castle Knoll Country Fair in 1965. But, when Frances is given this grim prediction, she becomes fixated on its message. For the remainder of her life, she will try to outrun death, and solve her own murder.

Was the fortune teller right? Or was this a self fulfilling prophecy?

Sixty years later, Frances has summoned her great niece , Annabelle (Annie) Adams to her solicitor’s office. Although she has never met Annie, she has decided to make her the sole benefactor of her estate and assets.

But before the Will can be read, Frances is found dead.

Now, Annie must figure out who murdered Frances buy deciphering the riddle of the fortune, and by unraveling the clues which can be found in a diary from 1966 (“The Castle Knoll Files”) and from not one, but TWO murder boards that her great Aunt had been keeping.

But, not everyone wants this murder solved.

The story alternates between Annie’s perspective and the diary entries.

This was a story where the premise was better than the execution for me. I struggled to become invested, and when you are not invested it makes it more difficult to keep track of a large cast of characters, which this book has.

Most reviewers seem to prefer the diary entries to the present day, but they are written by a seventeen year old who is coming of age, which is not a favorite for this reader.

I preferred Annie’s chapters, BUT, I didn’t find the characters in either timeline to feel authentic which is a problem for me-or in other words, they seemed like “characters” as opposed to people you might actually meet.

So, despite a fun and original premise, this cozy mystery just wasn’t a great fit for ME. Other reviewers are rating this higher, so be sure to read a sample of reviews to see if it might be a better fit for you.

EXPECTED PUBLICATION DATE: March 26, 2024

Thank You to the Publisher, Dutton, for providing a gifted copy through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

I adored this cozy little slice of English countryside, paired with a murder mystery, a huge inheritance at stake,, and completely believable characters. It moves along at a nice pace, no boring interludes, and the mystery keeps you engaged at every step.

There did start to be so many characters that I began to lose track of who was who, but, I loved this, and will be looking for more from this author

How exciting that I've gotten so many great ARCs! 2024 is shaping up to be a good year for reading (fingers crossed). This was very clever. The main character was likable, it had this sort of creepy, sinister undertone to it that I enjoy greatly in a Halloween read (even if you don't read this on Halloween. Halloween is a mindset, not just a holiday enjoyed by millions). It had a little bit of a romance, and I was generally impressed by the thoughtfulness of the whodunit. 4 stars even, since it dragged a little bit more than I please, and the pacing was a little odd at times, but all-in-all, color-me-impressed.

I really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately it fell a bit flat for me. The characters weren't very engaging and something about the writing style just didn't grip me. A shame because the plot was pretty good!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy.

Annie and her mother have always had family money to fall back on when the popularity of Mom's art wanes, or Annie unexpectedly loses her job. When wealthy Great Aunt Frances decides that Annie should be her heir instead of Annie's mom, the change is nominal at best since they live together in a house owned by the estate anyway. When Annie arrives in the countryside to meet Great Aunt Frances for the first time, it is to find her deceased. The stipulations of the new will leave her racing against a distant cousin and a police inspector to solve the murder and save not only herself and her mother, but also the whole estate from developers. Shouldn't be too hard for an aspiring murder mystery writer.
This book was fun to read. Alternating between memories in Frances's journals and Annie's modern day search for a killer, it was hard to put down but fleshed out enough that was still easy to follow. The characters were interesting, and had motives and personalities that were quirky but sympathetic and believable. I really loved the description of the estate and countryside, it had me checking out the area on Google Street View, and even looking at vacation and employment opportunities in the general area.
Thank you to NetGalley, Kristen Perrin, and Penguin Random House for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own and given freely. I can't wait to share it with the mystery lovers at my library.

Kristen Perrin's How to Solve Your Own Murder is a clever and engaging novel that will keep you guessing until the very end. With its unique plot, well-developed characters, and suspenseful atmosphere, this novel is sure to please fans of psychological thrillers and murder mysteries alike. If you loved Knives Out, then this book is for you!

The plot of the novel is original and engaging, with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. Perrin masterfully weaves together past and present events, creating a suspenseful and unpredictable narrative.

Overall, How to Solve Your Own Murder is a well-written and suspenseful novel that will appeal to fans of the genre. With its unique plot, complex characters, and unexpected twists, this novel is sure to keep you guessing until the very end.

Annie Adams has never really known her crazy great aunt Frances. But when Frances changes her will to include Annie, summoning her to her old castle like estate, Annie quickly finds herself in over her head. Frances has always believed in a cryptic message from a fortune teller that predicted her death, and this fortune seemingly comes to pass when Annie stumbles upon the dead body of her great aunt. Was it murder? Did the fortune teller’s prediction come true? Or did Frances’s paranoia catch up to her? Only Annie can find out the truth. Told in alternating timelines of the present and past (as if Annie was reading her great aunt’s journal), Perrin delivers a solid mystery and introduces a slew of new characters in what is likely to become a series!

I really enjoyed this mystery, especially the dual timelines. I loved reading about the past from Frances’s point of view and thought this was where the writing was best. The characters in the past felt well rounded and had understandable motives. Annie’s timeline did not feel as strong, especially in terms of character development. Some of the present day characters felt one dimensional, even Annie. But I came for the mystery, and while I guessed who the killer was I had no clue on motive and thought everything was wrapped up quite nicely. I hope Perrin continues to write about these characters in the future and to continue developing them. There’s a lot of potential here, and I would love to read more! Perfect for fans of The Thursday Murder Club, Knives Out, and even Nancy Drew!

Release date: March 26, 2024
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you @netgalley and @duttonbooks for an ARC of this book!

3.5 *'s Interesting premise, decent mystery, tricky execution...I suppose I wanted something more from this story, I wasn't especially drawn to any of the characters.

i'm not typically a mystery girlie, i'm more of the thriller type of reader. so the whodunit, agatha cristie vibes weren't necessarily my favorite, but that's simply because it's not my cup of tea. i still had a good time with this and by no means is it a bad book!