Clue meets Knives out- the perfect murder mystery who dunnit. Annie Adam’s is summoned to her great Aunt’s estate for a meeting but upon arrival nothing is what it seems. This follows along as multiple characters try to solve a murder and have to watch their surroundings since no one is safe. This was such a fun read and not predictable which bumped it up for me. I can’t wait to start the next book in the Castle Knoll series.


Thank you to NetGalley, Kristen Perrin, and Penguin Group Dutton for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

I adored this novel. This book is the perfect cozy mystery to cuddle up with on a cold winter’s day. It’s twisty, fun and has major Agatha Christie vibes. The protagonist, Annie, has a great aunt whose murder was predicted by a fortune teller long ago. Fast forward to now, and Annie find herself living out a murder mystery and it’s a race to find out who is responsible for her great Aunt’s death. Nothing and no one are what they seem, and this book kept me captivated until the very end. I can’t wait to read more from this author. Thank you kindly to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this one early, I can’t wait for this authors next release!

Thank you NetGalley and Kristen Perrin for the eARC.

Ultimately, I have decided to DNF this book at the 35% mark. I started this almost one year ago and gave up on it and then started back from the beginning yesterday and I just can’t get into this book. Essentially what it boils down to is it is so confusing and I really am not able to follow along. I’ve read it now by both reading it on my Kindle and trying on Audiobook as well and either way I’m just not following the storyline. It is told in two different timelines and then there are SO MANY characters. And then more and more keep popping up as the book goes on and I just can’t keep up and keep them all straight. I do not think I would recommend this one.

Unique plot with fun, although sometimes underdeveloped characters. Overall a quick and enjoyable read with some good twists along the way!

I absolutely loved this book! If you're a fan of Knives Out or The Thursday Murder Club, this is a must-read. It’s an incredibly fun and clever mystery that kept me hooked from start to finish. The premise—a woman who spends her entire life trying to avoid a foretold murder, only to be proven right decades later—is both intriguing and thrilling. The twist of her great-niece stepping in to solve the crime adds an exciting layer of mystery. With sharp wit, a fantastic setting, and a compelling plot, this book delivers a perfect blend of suspense and charm.

This book took me by surprise! The plot sounded good. It was a little like a Knives Out murder mystery, but on a slightly cozy side (but no too cozy either). It was a nice balance and kept me guessing to the end. I really enjoyed the dual timelines between past and present. I actually quite enjoyed both timelines even though I usually prefer one over the other. There were a lot of suspicious characters/suspects and I was left guessing throughout who the culprit could be.

This was a really interesting premise for a book. I really would like to thank NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy before the book came out. This story was interesting and kept my attention till the very end. I can’t wait to see more of what the author does in the future.

This felt like a cozy but also felt like more than a cozy as well. I thought the plot was unique and fun but not too complicated. Such a great ride, and I look forward to continuing on with the series.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

4.25 stars.

This was a great mystery novel. The premise was familiar, but the execution was very unique and original. This ends up being more than just a whodunit for poor old Great Aunt Frances. The writing was spectacular and the dual timelines really enriched the reading experience.

The biggest thing that makes this not a 5 star read is the fact that it took 120 pages, or over 30% of the book to finally read Aunt France's will and start the murder mystery. The beginning really dragged on and I found myself putting it down often. However, once the plot finally kicked in, I was enraptured.

Another thing is that I guessed one of the plot twists. I only guessed about 20 pages before it's revealed, so it's not like I was sitting on it for the whole book, but it was still 20 pages of me reading trying to confirm my guess.

The premise of this mystery is a real winner. Frances Adams, having spent her entire life preparing for a murder that a fortune-teller once predicted, is found dead decades later just as she’d foretold. Now, her great-niece, Annie, is tasked with solving the murder—only to find that everyone in the small village of Castle Knoll might have a reason to kill her aunt. The setup is both clever and intriguing, and with comparisons to *Knives Out* and *The Thursday Murder Club*, I was definitely hooked.

However, despite the great premise and a solid mystery, the book didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I was expecting a bit more fun, especially given the blurb, which promised a "wildly entertaining" experience. The thing that made those other books so enjoyable was the humor, the charm, and the larger-than-life characters. Unfortunately, this one didn’t deliver on that front. The tone was much more serious than I anticipated, and while that’s not a dealbreaker, it did leave me feeling a little disconnected from the story.

Kristen Perrin has clearly crafted a tight mystery with plenty of twists and turns. The clues are there, and the solution is satisfying once all the pieces come together. The dual timelines were a nice touch, offering both a glimpse into Frances’s life and the present-day investigation, but I couldn’t quite connect with Frances herself or any of the other characters, including Annie. Despite being central to the story, Annie's motivations and her relationship to Frances felt a bit underdeveloped. I struggled to understand why she was so invested in solving the mystery of someone she had never met.

Despite a few missed emotional beats, the story is still a strong mystery at its core. The writing is solid, and the premise is clever enough to keep you intrigued. If you're a fan of more straightforward whodunnits and enjoy a bit of a slower, more deliberate pace, this could be right up your alley.

In the end, I’d give this one 4 stars. It's a good start to a series, with enough twists to satisfy fans of classic mysteries. It wasn’t the "enormous fun" I was hoping for, but it was still an engaging read. I’d be curious to see where the author takes the series next.

THANKS NETGALLEY!!!
Okay, so How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin was such a unique read. The concept was wild and kept me curious the whole way through. It’s got this quirky, almost dark humor vibe that I wasn’t expecting but totally enjoyed. The pacing was decent, though it felt like it dragged in a few spots, but honestly, the clever twists made up for it. If you’re into something a little offbeat and different, it’s worth checking out. Not perfect, but definitely fun!

Also!!! This got me out of a book slump :)

Overall good story / who done it? But loses the initial plot of the fortune teller . Enjoyed the character development and interlinking storylines .

This was a fun cozy mystery! I enjoyed setting and the many characters. Annie was determined. Love how this played out!

A slightly misleading title, but I love the premise. In the 1960s Francis was given a fortune that she would be murdered and ultimately that impacted the rest of her life, causing her to always be searching for clues to her murder including the “daughter” who could solve it all. Fast forward to present day and Francis actually is murdered and Annie who’s been selected as the heir is tasked with solving the murder in order to inherit it. Annie is a murder writer (aspiring) so she has the knowledge and thought tools to do it. I enjoyed how the past and the present tie in to each other and the little clues even though Annie understood them I could never guess who actually did it. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it for any who love a good murder mystery..

I really can't get into this writing style. it was so infodumpy in a middle-grade story way. Like the dialogue never felt natural, I could tell everything was just to transmit information to the reader and that pulled me out of the story.

This book made me a member of the bad decision bookclub again. I was up until 2am because I needed to see how both mysteries turned out. I don't always love first person narration, but Perrin did such a great job with Annie's voice. I am excited to see what she solves next!

How To Solve Your Own Murder is a classic whodunit — a fast paced murder mystery told from two perspectives as it flicks between past (through the voice of Frances) and present (through her great niece, Annie).

Frances has long known she’d be murdered, but it falls to Annie to figure out by who and why. Everything changes for them both when Annie returns Frances’ belongings (stored at the London house where she grew up). A lot of details are thrown your way throughout both narratives, but it’s fun seeing whether you can figure it all out before the grand reveal. It makes for a satisfying challenge, with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. And, of course, there’s a good old fashioned wrap up at the end.

Be prepared to love the main character, Annie, who finds herself in an unexpected race to put the clues together. Thrown in at the deep end in a small village where everyone knows everyone else’s business, it’s hard for her to know who she can trust. Annie’s open nature is one of the things that will hook you right from the start. She’s young but savvy, meaning the more powerful players in the game underestimate her. A great twist to have a murder sleuth who is scared of blood!

The story is packed with amazing characters. It’s definitely one of the book’s biggest strengths, and makes the whole thing very readable. I found myself itching to go back to it every time I had to put it down.

Frances’ story reveals itself through her diary, which Annie finds. It journals one summer filled with teenage misdemeanours and the resulting fallout. All Frances’ friends — but one — are still circling the same small village. Frances has made it her business to find out everyone’s secrets in an effort to discover what happened to her missing friend, and ultimately, to attempt to solve her own inevitable murder.

Can Annie unpick the complicated lives of this group of friends? You’re willing her to succeed right from the beginning, especially as she’s not even sure who she can trust. It’s so relatable, like when you start a new job and you’re trying to figure out the office dynamics. Who you really don’t want to annoy and who’s game for a laugh!

Through both narratives, there’s a subplot of finding love. One more obvious than the other! But even when the story ends, you get the feeling that there’s a much more fulfilled life waiting for Annie the other side of all this. For a murder mystery, it has a positive vibe and an overall hopeful message that, no matter what happens, we can make the choice about how we tackle challenges to change for the better.

How To Solve Your Own Murder is a must read, and I can’t wait for the next in the series. It’s a gem of a murder mystery, with a killer hook and satisfying ending. More, please!

It's a clever whodunit mystery that will leave you guessing. Francis's death was foretold long ago. In fact she has spent her life attempting to prevent her own murder. Can you imagine? Sixty years later Francis has the biggest "I told you so" when she is found murdered in at her sprawling estate. Now it is up to her great-niece to unravel what happened to Francis before it is too late for her.

I had so much fun reading this book. I was left guessing (and often wrong) as I went through the chapters. It is definitely worth the read.

Kristen Perrin's How to Solve Your Own Murder is a delightful blend of cozy mystery and dark humor that fans of Knives Out and The Thursday Murder Club will undoubtedly appreciate. With its charming English village setting, a sprawling estate full of secrets, and a quirky cast of suspects, the book captures the essence of a classic whodunit with a contemporary twist.

The premise is both intriguing and unconventional: Frances Adams spends her life attempting to outwit a fortune-teller's ominous prediction, only for the prophecy to come true decades later. Enter her great-niece Annie Adams, who must untangle the web of her aunt’s eccentric investigations while navigating the dangers of a tight-knit community filled with hidden motives.

What Worked Well:
The novel shines in its clever premise and atmospheric world-building. Castle Knoll and its colorful residents feel vividly alive, adding layers of intrigue and charm. Perrin’s writing has a sly wit that keeps the tone light, even when the stakes are high, making it a perfect pick for cozy mystery book clubs.

Room for Improvement:
While the concept is fresh and the plot enjoyable, the pacing occasionally falters. The middle section drags as Annie works through a mountain of clues, and some characters—though entertaining—come across as archetypes rather than fully fleshed individuals. For readers who prefer a fast-moving mystery, this may feel like a slog at times.

Final Thoughts:
How to Solve Your Own Murder is an entertaining, if slightly uneven, read that balances suspense and humor with a touch of heart. While not a standout for me personally (I rated it 3 stars), its charm and clever twists make it a solid choice for readers who enjoy cozy mysteries with a hint of the macabre. Perfect for book clubs looking to spark spirited discussions about fate, secrets, and the lengths one might go to avoid their destiny.