I loved this murder mystery! It definitely gave me Knives Out vibes while reading. I loved the setting, the mystery was intriguing, and it was absolutely not predictable. Switching back and forth between the two different times really had me invested in the characters who were murdered.
The only drawback for me—I wish some of the characters were a little more fleshed out. With a cast this big, it’s hard to keep track of smaller characters without anything too identifying or memorable to hold onto. There were times when I was confusing some people for others in the lineup while trying to put clues together myself.
I will definitely be picking up the sequel to see if I can solve the mystery first this time!

Ah no thank you. This was not the book for me. I really struggled with this one. The atmosphere was good but I couldn't tell the difference between any of the characters! They all just felt like the same exact person.

And can we talk about how much the MC shouldn't be writing crime fiction? Instead of calling the police when finding important evidence she would remove evidence from the crime scene and take it to the cops to turn in? Who even does that?

A couple of murder mysteries in the English countryside packed into 1 story spanning several decades plus a curse plus a love triangle plus an inheritance plus a race to solve the crimes. I don’t know, maybe too much going on in this one? It was fine, but I thought it would hold an element of humor (due to the KNIVES OUT comp) and it just didn’t. I was also pretty underwhelmed by the big reveals.

Murder mystery? Yes, please. Small-town murder mystery? YES PLEASE. A collection of characters, situations, and connections in a true turn-pages book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! I was so excited for this book. The premise sounded so intriguing and initially it sucked me in completely. As the story continued though it started to feel long winded and pulled in so many directions that I started to feel less connected to the story. Ultimately it was just okay for me.

I really liked the dual POV/timeline of this book and felt like the mystery unfolded naturally. Good cast of characters, and I would be interested in reading more in the series if there will be a sequel!

A young women travels to the home of her recently deceased great aunt to solve her murder... a mystery that began over half a century ago!

What a fun premise, and while there were some dips and dull spots along the way, the interwoven stories, that of Annie and her great aunt Francis, is still propulsive enough for a gripping read. The main characters are sympathetic, fragile enough to be believable but not so flawed that the reader gives up on them entirely, and the author graces the supporting cast with sufficient substance to make them interesting (but not so much that you find yourself wishing that they received more plot real estate). All in all, a satisfying read that will definitely have me looking for the author's next book.

I've seen a lot of media compared to Knives Out, and maybe because it is my absolute favorite movie I always am disappointed. But this book? Yeah I totally get the comparison and I enjoyed this book a lot. It was complicated and layered and dark and funny. And while yes it could just be that fun book like Knives Out, this book stands as it's own. The entire book was well though through from the setting, characters, red herrings, and I especially loved he layering through of Frances' diary.
This is a great book for anyone who loved Knives Out, as well as for those who love the bit darker cozy mysteries like Richard Osmon's.

Such a clever mystery. This one is great for people who want a cozy mystery (nothing gory), but don't want anything "twee" (no tea shops or magical inns please).

I was immediately pulled into this story and the characters. I loved the dual timeline and the little bits of the mystery we were being fed. I though the requirements of the will were very unique and fun for us as the reader. The twists along the way kept me wanting more. I was very surprised by the ending and how everything wove together. I look forward to the next book in this series and to hopefully see more of the side characters again!

I thought this was a great, cozy mystery. The flashbacks to Aunt Frances in the 60’s were my favorite. I found Annie to be a plucky heroine and I was cheering for her the whole time. I don’t see the twist coming which always makes for a fun reading experience. Well done!

Dnf at 30%.
This wasn’t exactly what I had expected, it’s very slow going and just not holding my interest sadly.

Short summary:
This follows past and present perspectives when a woman has been threatened she will be murdered and spends her whole life trying to solve who it is. Until she is indeed murdered in the future part of the story. Then it leaves off with Annie her great niece trying to discover what happened to her.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I'm a sucker for a good whodunit and this did not disappoint! Greatly engaging and bring its own fun and quirk like a Christie novel, begging the question, "How can you find a killer when everyone is a suspect?" Channeling my inner Shawn Spencer, I was ready to take on the challenge with Annie and figure it out. The journey to that discovery was unexpectedly fast as I sped through this book looking for clues everywhere. I found Annie to be so determined and strong as she fights to protect everything. I was so looking forward to her triumph that I was hooting and hollering by the end. Fingers crossed I get to meet Annie again someday. :)

How to Solve Your Own Murder is a fun murder mystery with themes of friendship and family. The book follows Annie Adams while she tries to solve her great aunt’s murder, and intersperses this with chapters of young Great Aunt Franceses’s diary. I found this formatting choice to be very successful, as I discovered clues from the diary along with Annie. I also fell for the “competition” trope and many other readers will intrigued by that, too.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a mystery similar to Knives Out but with more of a small town cozy vibe.

This one was really fun! I absolutely loved the dual timelines and POVs. It made the story come together beautifully. I grew to love Aunt Francis so much through her diary entries.

The murder mystery was good. I honestly didn’t see it coming. I love being surprised and this one definitely surprised me.

It was a little slow and took me a minute to get into, but it was a really enjoyable read! If you enjoy murder mysteries, give this a read!

Annabelle Adams is sure that it is a mistake. That letter that she has received should be addressed to her mother Laura. The letter asks that Annabelle, Anne to her friends, attend a meeting with her Great Aunt Frances to discuss Frances's will. Laura is Frances's niece, Annabelle is a great niece. Why not Laura?
Thus begins the introduction to the very strange life of reclusive Aunt Francis.
Back in 1965, Frances and her two best friends, Emily and Rose, go to the local county fair. On a lark, they each have their fortunes told by the Fortune Teller at the fair. The fortunes for Rose and Emily were standard "I see many children in your future" kind of could mean anything statements.
For Frances, the fortune was real, detailed, sinister and harrowing. Her belief in that fortune would dramatically alter her life.
She was told: Your future contains dry bones. Your demise begins right when you hold the queen in the palm of one hand. Beware of the bird for it will betray you and from that there is no coming back. But daughters are the key - find the right one and keep her close. All Signs Point Toward Your Murder.
Frances believes the fortune. There is no reasoning with her. The threatening note that Emily receives and the sudden disappearance of close friend Emily are very unsettling and add to her fear. From this day forward she has two goals: find out who will kill her abd how can she avoid her own murder. For over 60 years, Frances has been actively persuing those goals. She investigates everything and everyone. She becomes a rich recluse with the "dirt" on all the residents of Castle Knoll.
Now Frances wants to meet with Anne to discuss Anne's inheritance from her will. Anne agrees to go, afterall she and her mother are broke, Anne hasn't got a job and her attempt at a novel was rejected.
Arriving at the lawyers office Anne is dismayed to learn that Auntie Frances has not shown up. She also learns that she is not the only heir abd there are conditions.
The attorney asks all to meet him at Frances's home. They can go over the planned items there,
Surprise, open the door Frances's house. Go to the library. Find Frances dead on the floor. She's been murdered. The fortune has come true.
Now police have to get to work and solve her murder, Natural response. But Frances in her will has a stipulation. She wants her death solved for sure. Therefore in order for Alice or Saxon Granesdown to inherit her entire estate, one of them has to solve her murder within one week after the event. If neither of them do, the entire estate would be sold off.
The hunt for clues begins and there are millions. In the library are dozens of file cabinets filled with information about everyone in town as well as reports about various events and actions Frances had reported or noted.
Who killed Frances? Would Anne be able to solve the murder? Would Anne, a failed mystery writer take the tones of resources Frances had accured and use it to become a successful author? Or would the Fortune Teller have the last laugh?
Read Kristin Perrin's book. It is interesting, intriguing and intelligent.
#HowtoSolveYourOwnMurder #NetGalley #Review

How to Solve Your Own Murder is set in a small-town British and is a murder mystery with a clever twist. A woman received an eerie fortune as a teenager and has spent her life trying to stop her own murder. I did find it a little slow but I think that is because I'm not sure cozy mysteries is my favorite genre. It also got a little confusing at the end. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

When Francis was a teenager she like most teens had their fortune told. However, her fortune predicted her murder. So she lived her life cautiously but ultimately she was murdered. Francis left breadcrumbs leading to who she suspected in her life would have a motive or the means to murder her. Annie must follow her Aunt Francis's clues to help determine what happened to her aunt. This is a slow-burn novel and it reminded me a lot of the game of clue; everyone is a suspect and should be looked at closely.  While Annie is following the clues and looking at all the friends and family, she finds Francis's diary and while reading the diary there are time jumps between the now and the teenager Francis and how the events happen. This is a compelling read that is full of mystery and fun! While I saw the ending coming I have also always been a sucker for cozy mysteries and I am excited to see the next installment of the story! I want to thank Netgalley and Penguin Group for the opportunity to read and review this book!

It is England, there is a fair and a murder predicted for the future.
It is cozy and I really liked the characters.
Recommended for fans of Agatha Raisin.

This book's blurb grabbed my attention with the interesting premise of how a fortune teller's prediction of your future murder can shape your life. I really enjoyed the first half of this book, getting to know the main character Frances and the current day MC Annie. The second half of the book sped up towards the conclusion and discovery of the murderer, there were so many characters that were suddenly given back stories and I had trouble keeping up with it all. Overall it was a great story that I couldn't put down. I'll be interested to read the next book in the series to see what happens to Annie next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for providing me with the digital reviewer copy of this exceptional book in exchange for my honest review.