I loved the strong writing in How To Solve Your Own Murder in this murder mystery. The character development was great, too. This is the type of book that has something for everyone. This had a clue-like vibe to it. I would describe this as a cozy murder mystery.
In 1965, Frances went to a fair where she went to the fortune tellers booth, who told her she'd be murdered. Frances talked about this all throughout the years and no one believed her when she would profess that it would happen. They finally realized she was correct when she was found murdered.
The book cuts to the present when Frances great niece, Annie arrives in London for the will reading. Whoever solves the murder inherits Frances estate and fortune.

I could not put this book down! I was still trying to put the pieces together of the murder mysteries until the very end! I was impressed because usually I know way before that! I was truly impressed with the pace of this story.

The cast of characters is spectacular, including the house and the grounds! They were characters in their own right!

This story was clever, unputdownable, and so much more! I can't wait to see what Kristen Perrin does next!

I really enjoyed this one… a classic whodunnit with a unique plot and format. It didn’t feel too heavy or too light… it was the perfect balance of mystery without taking itself too seriously. I would definitely recommend for all the mystery lovers out there. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for my very first ARC!

★ ★ ★ ★ //5
How To Solve Your Own Murder
by Kristen Perrin

THOUGHTS:

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for giving me the opportunity to read an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Do you love a book that has :
-Dual Timelines
-Multiple POV
-Mystery
-Twists & Turns
-Gothic Mansions

This book is most definitely for YOU!

Oh my my what an adventure this book was. I love a good mystery book and this one did it for me. I read this wonderful gem in one sitting from morning to mid afternoon and barely came up for air. This book had me on my seat while I went around in this little world with Frances and Annie. I loved how this book was told is dual POV and dual timelines, absolutely kept me on my toes. I enjoyed every single one of the characters and can’t think of a single thing I would change about this book. I hope that everybody who opens this book enjoys it just as much.

Gah! I loved this book. It’s the kind of whodunnit mystery in which nearly everyone is a suspect.

The storyline was clever and fun, with nostalgic elements of Clue, Nancy Drew, and Agatha Christie.

Truly unique and thoroughly enjoyable!

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"How to Solve Your Own Murder" by Kristen Perrin is an engaging mystery novel that weaves together elements of fortune-telling, premonition, and an unsolved crime spanning decades.

The story begins in 1965 when teenage Frances Adams attends an English country fair with her friends, only to have her life take a sinister turn when a fortune-teller predicts her murder. Fueled by this chilling prophecy, Frances spends her life collecting information on everyone she encounters, all in an effort to prevent her own murder. However, her warnings fall on deaf ears until nearly sixty years later when Frances is found dead, just as she had always foretold.

In the present day, Annie Adams, Frances's great-niece, is summoned to her reclusive great-aunt's country estate in Castle Knoll. But upon her arrival, she discovers that Frances has been murdered. Determined to uncover the truth behind her great-aunt's death, Annie is faced with a village full of eccentric and secretive residents, each with a possible motive. As Annie delves deeper into the investigation, she must confront the possibility that she might be the next target.

Kristen Perrin masterfully builds a web of secrets, lies, and potential motives, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as they try to solve the mystery alongside Annie. The blending of past and present timelines adds depth to the narrative, and the characters are well-drawn, each with their quirks and hidden agendas.

The novel offers a compelling mix of suspense and charm, making it an enjoyable read for fans of classic mysteries. As Annie races against time to uncover the dark secrets lurking in Castle Knoll, readers will be drawn into a complex and intriguing puzzle that keeps them guessing until the very end.

If you're a fan of mysteries with a touch of the supernatural and a cast of memorable characters, "How to Solve Your Own Murder" is a must-read that will keep you entertained and engrossed from start to finish. Kristen Perrin delivers a clever and captivating tale that pays homage to the genre while adding its own unique twists and turns.

I finished this in 24 hours. I just needed to know! The red herrings were laid out with such care I didn't even recognize most of them! I don't normally try to solve the crime before the protagonist can, but I couldn't stop myself this time.

This was a quirky, unique murder mystery that I had a blast reading. This follows Annie Adams as she tries to solve the murder of her great aunt Frances, who was obsessed by a prophecy that she would be killed. The book follows Annie's present day attempts, while also flashing back via Frances' journal to her younger years, and a mystery that happened then as well.

The author captured a small town extremely well - unique characters who all know each other, and all happen to be hiding something. This kept me guessing until the end, and I would love to read more stories center around this world and its characters. I would have liked a little more backstory regarding the second mystery, but I think everything came together very well.

A really outstanding book for people who like Knives Out, Clue, The Thursday Murder Club series, etc.. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review!

Fun and unique thriller! I enjoyed the characters and the setting really helped build up the atmosphere. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the ARC.

I had the opportunity to read an ARC copy on NetGalley. This was a thoroughly enjoyable fall read, a cozy mystery that felt like a game of Clue. The plot twists are well executed and the dual timeline plays out revealing clues at the right speed to keep me hooked.
Francis Adams has lived her life trying to avoid her fate and decipher a cryptic fortune that foretells her murder. A fortune she receives the same year one of her best friends goes missing.
Annie Adams is an aspiring writer who finds herself called to solve her great aunt Frances' murder after receiving a mysterious summons to discuss changes to her aunt's will.
There's a mansion filled with clues, characters with hidden ties and motivations, family ties to unravel, cryptic threats, and an old diary. Overall, it was a cozy and atmospheric murder mystery that I'd recommend giving a shot!

Oh my goodness I loved this book! What a perfect way to begin October & spooky season. This book 100% gave Knives Out vibes and that exactly what I was looking for. I was STRESSED trying to figure out who the killer was. Well safe to say I was very wrong. If you like easy to follow murder mystery it’s definitely one to read!

Frances visits a fortune teller where she’s told a riddle that says she’ll be murdered. After years of paranoia, a friend disappearing, she becomes obsessed with figuring out who will kill her, and solving the disappearance of her friend. When Frances ends up dead it’s up to her family members to solve her murder.
Who will Anna trust??? I surely didn’t know 😅

Thank you so much NetGalley and Dutton for the ARC of this book!

I loved this book. Definitely had me on my toes from start to finish. This book is not like any other murder/mystery I have read. Highly recommend!!

thanks to netgallery & penguin group for the free earc in exchange for a fair and honest review!

most of the time, when I read mysteries, I'm a little thrown off by lack of motive. every time a suspect is evaluated by the protagonist in this book, she thought about whether the motive was big enough to warrant murder - something weirdly under-explored in mystery novels. of the little details the author paid attention to in this book, this was one that i appreciated a lot, as it made the novel feel more realistic and palatable. of the mystery books i've read this year, this is probably one of my favorites. the only thing holding it back from 5 stars is not enough character development - although it's pretty good even in that department. honestly i'm really harsh with mysteries, but this is genuinely a good one. annie is one of the best protagonists i've read in a long time, because she's smart and doesn't make the stupid mistakes most protagonists in mystery novels make, which i really appreciated. make sure to pick up this book when it's out.

Great read. I really enjoyed it. Its not fast paced, but you'll enjoy the ride.

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

“ But daughters are the key to justice, find the right one and keep her close. all signs point toward your murder”
Up-and-coming mystery author Annie Adams finds herself thrust into a murder mystery straight out of one of her books. When her reclusive great Aunt Francis unexpectedly invites her to her countryside manor in order to discuss her estate, Francis is found dead.
Told in dual timelines of present-day Annie trying to solve her great aunt's sudden death by using past diary entries and a mysterious fortune that predicted her death. Will Annie decode the mystery in time to catch the killer?

This book unfortunately fell a bit flat for me. It was pitched as being similar to Knives Out which initially intrigued me. I do see similarities and I can see why it was compared, the matriarch/ patriarch of a wealthy family unexpectedly dies, and familial chaos ensues. Where they start to differ, is many of these characters felt very one-dimensional and bland. To me, there was no real differentiation in the tone, and it was hard to root for anyone. The mystery felt a bit frantic and rushed, the pacing was a bit off. However, I did enjoy the speculative aspect of the story involving the fortune. I wish they played that up a bit more. I personally thought the past diary entries of Francis were more interesting than present-day Annie.

I would recommend this to people who want a slower-paced fun cozy mystery during these upcoming fall months. If you enjoy BBC shows like Midsomer Murders this may be for you.

Rating: 3⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for providing me with this book for review.

Three and a half stars overall, rounded up because I do believe the ending brought together almost everything very well.

The plot itself was a bit of a roller-coaster ride for me, where as a reader I went through sections feeling like it was all too implausible for the story to sustain itself followed by sections where I found myself more engaged and willing to suspend my disbelief. I believe that, in the end, most of the parts I had found illogical were somehow explained in an acceptable way. Without giving anything away, however, one back-and-forth aspect I found entirely frustrating was the fortune-teller's prediction: it was at times crucial to the entire story and taken with complete seriousness, yet at other times it was almost like an irrelevant red-herring. I ended the book not entirely sure how the main character, Annie, really felt about it and not entirely understanding why the murder victim (Frances) was so driven by it.

There seems to be a bit of a set-up for more books with these characters, although I'm not certain this was intended. I'm not certain I'd go back and read any more books about these characters - but I might. I do think this author shows a lot of promise and I'd expect her next book to be a good one. Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for review.

I loved this book! It’s not often lately that a book grabs my attention from the start and this kept me glued. A mystery that bounces between timelines and I loved them both equally.

When Annie stumbles into solving her great-aunt’s murder, she’s on a deadline, and being threatened as well. There are numerous suspects but it kept me guessing to the very end.

This book is truly clever and I loved to see the plot unfold and then follow the unraveling of the mystery. The author is truly gifted at creating and solving her own puzzles.

It’s been a long time since I’ve read a mystery this fun and I’d be on board for this to turn into a series. I also have been playing out the movie version in my head, would love to see it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for letting me read this ARC.

What a great book. I would describe this as a cozy mystery and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to reach this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Kept me second guessing the details when looking for foreshadowment! I wanted to know what was going to happen by guessing it but was still surprised!

This book was gifted to me by the publishers through NetGallery.

when frances visits a fortune teller, she is told that is she going to be murdered. sixty years later, it happens, and her niece must solve the case.

sadly, i didn't care about any of the characters. they were so underdeveloped and dry. the mystery was solved far too easily and i just did not care. at all.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.