What a fun read! Lots of twists and turns. The description said it was for fans of Knives Out and that definitely rang true. It was reminiscent without feeling like a carbon copy. Can't wait to have friends read it so that we can all discuss. Pick this one up!

A very interesting premise that sadly left a lot to be desired. Interesting cast of characters, however the story was not captivating so it made it hard to keep them all straight. Overall not a horrible read, but not the best.

A fun story though I am not a fan of jumping back and forth in time. I quite enjoyed Annie as a character. She's in her mid-20s and thought she'd have life figured out at this point but she sure doesn't. When visiting her (possibly somewhat flaky though we don't see her much in this book) mother, Annie sees some mail addressed to her. It's from her great aunt's lawyers. Though Annie's mother has, for decades, been thought to be her great aunt's presumptive heir, it seems that a last minute change is being made and Great Aunt Frances would like to see her and the other heirs to talk it through. So Annie travels to Castle Knoll, only to discover that her aunt has been killed and the person who solves the crime will inherit a fortune.
I didn't think this was fairly clued but the story was intriguing nonetheless. Lots of options for sequels: Annie's mother's history, Annie's father, her best friend, more about the Great Aunt's stepson.

Four stars
This book comes out March 26, 2024
Castle Knoll Files #1
ARC kindly provided by Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for an advance copy of this book to review.

This wasn't the book for me, and that's okay! I had a hard time maintaining interest and keeping track of the extensive list of characters. The idea behind this book is great, but the execution fell a bit flat for me.

3.5 stars rounded up.

I enjoyed this story and the way it was told through Annie’s present day POV and Frances’s POV with journal entries she wrote many years ago.

Strong Agatha Christie vibes with this one - small town setting, an inheritance up for grabs with strings attached, mysterious murder to solve.

I would’ve loved getting to know Frances more. I really enjoyed her journal entries, and thought she was incredibly clever.

I look forward to reading more in this series as future books are released.

Thank you @duttonbooks for sending me a @Netgalley widget to read an e-ARC of this book.

Agatha Christie would be very proud of this book. The author is most likely a devout fan of Christie because she has completely captured the mood and spirit of her mysteries, while also giving it a fresh feel. In this tale, Frances Adams receives a prediction from a fortune teller that she could have done without: one day she will be murdered, just lovely! She spends her entire life trying to prove the prediction correct, until finally she gets her wish! She’s been murdered and it’s up to her grand-niece Annie to ascertain who’s the killer.

This mystery is pure fun as it’s full of quirky characters, some likable, some not so likable. There are also two mysteries to solve as there is also the strange disappearance of Frances’ friend Emily, which occurred in the mid-sixties. There are plenty of red herrings and all sorts of twists and turns. This book should please most mystery lovers, especially readers who favor the golden age of British mysteries.

My only complaint is that there were too many characters to keep track of, but this is just a minor quibble. In no way does this detract from enjoying this delightful mystery.

I absolutely love a layered detective novel and this one didn’t disappoint! It had all the classic mystery elements, from the eccentric aunt to an evidence wall, a lot of suspects with good motives and even some hemlock. While the mystery is solved in the present, I absolutely loved the glimpses into the past and how well Perrin captured the vibe of the era. I also loved the extra layer of motivation that Perrin added to the story for solving the mystery.

Thank you Dutton Books for the ARC.

As a mystery fan, I constantly find myself wishing for books with both a human element and a really tricky puzzle. Modern mysteries frequently seem to focus on one or the other. Cozies love human connection, but their puzzles are often predictable, especially reading at a meta-level. And modern stories that focus on the crime solving often lose on the emotional elements of discovery. (Does Google obviate conversation? I'm not sure it needs to...)

There are a few modern mysteries that hit the sweet spot, however. Frequently, as they’re written by fellow traditional mystery lovers, they involve a manor house in the English countryside, often inherited. There’s your typical cast of English country village stereotypes, each as comforting and familiar as the next. And because of all the history tied up in English country houses, there’s often a parallel-tracked cold case. (This also allows reinforcement of the human element, as the protagonist must learn what happened in years prior, often orally.) There’s often a closed circle of characters and the mystery’s solution is as psychological as it is physical or logical.

You’d think after one or two of these stories, I might get bored - but they’re my literary comfort food. On my shelf right now, I have The Framed Women of Ardemore House (the autism one), Grave Expectations (the funny paranormal one), The Three Dahlias (the one with a mystery convention), and a series of Christmas mysteries. So, of course, when I saw How to Solve Your Own Murder, with an inherited country house and a parallel historical mystery, I had to try it out.

Well-trodden mystery paths…

The “it” factor of How to Solve Your Own Murder is the victim’s belief in a prophecy about her death. Wealthy Aunt Frances, having heard a fortune-teller prophesy an untimely end, has spent her whole life trying to avoid and/or document the murderous deed. When she dies, she bequeaths her estate to whoever solves the murder, with full access to her life's research.

So we have a murder mystery hunt with a manor house inheritance in the balance. It’s a tried-and-true formula, bringing to mind classics like The Westing Game alongside more modern mysteries like The Christmas Murder Game. Perhaps the truly unique factor here are the local research files Frances lets her contestants use, and the incentive she creates for the village to help them solve her murder. If neither of her putative legatees can solve the murder in a week AND before the police do, the entire estate gets sold to developers.

Still, the title sets up a hard bar to clear, especially given some of those prior comparators. In The Westing Game, for example, Sam Westing definitely sets up the puzzle and there’s no question of the solution. No judge is required, because there’s no uncertainty to be had. Sam Westing, too, know his contestants and had reasons to think they might be able to tackle a puzzle - unlike Aunt Frances, who basically just springs the requirement on her family as a surprise.

How to Solve Your Own Murder sets itself up for a bit of puzzle disappointment. While Perrin writes a perfectly serviceable puzzle, it’s hard not to feel a little let down when her legatees solve her murder, mostly using present-day info and a single diary. I won’t spoil the solution - but suffice it to say the files are less useful than one might want.

…in a person-first story

What about the community aspect of the story? In many ways, How to Solve Your Own Murder tries to have its cake and eat it too here. Our modern protagonist, Annie, is an outsider, so we get to watch her move into a small community and try to win the residents over. At the same time, she’s reading excerpts of Aunt Frances’s diary, getting the ultimate insider POV.

One traditional element that stuck out well was how the historical mystery forced Annie to take in more oral history and really learn about the principal characters. Watching Annie learn more about the villagers and their relationships with Frances was strangely comforting - because it required contextualizing the facts already filed away. Skipping the step of scandal discovery made the story more human, in a way similar to how Miss Marple’s educated guesses made it easier for her to focus on motives and character. (The time crunch factor probably supported this community element as well, as it forced villagers to cooperate more, and hide less.)

Another element I appreciated here was Perrin taking the time to really conclude the novel. The conclusion lasted multiple chapters, including both a solution and a character wrap-up. That wrap-up felt more satisfying because the process of investigation required opening so many tense threads. In that spirit of community and of new growth, it’s nice to see them all closed up before the final chapter. Unlike many modern mysteries, Annie’s felt like a complete story - and I’m not sure how much a new series entry would make sense today.

Reader’s notes and rating (⭐️⭐️⭐️✨)

This was a well-executed and solid traditional murder mystery. Reading it was like Chicken Soup for the Golden Age Mystery Lover’s soul. Not as new or innovative as some reviews seem to have mentioned - but a solid, serviceable mystery with an interesting historical twist. Three and a half stars.

Read this if...

You love a manor house murder

You appreciate the outsider's perspective

You enjoy stories where the past and the present connect

Skip this if...

You want something that breaks the mold

You're looking for the trickiest puzzle to solve

How to Solve Your Own Murder was published on March 26, 2024.

*This will meet "a plot similar to another book" for my 52 Book Club challenge this year - it made me want to re-read The Westing Game, so we will see that coming down the pipe!

This was a fun book that had an original concept. I really liked the two mysteries in different eras. I didn't really understand why everyone was obsessed with Frances though. I wish that was explained better.

I enjoyed this book for the most part - but I did find it dragging in some of the flashbacks to the past. Decent twists and solid writing. Would definitely check out other books by the author. Thanks to Net Galley for the advanced copy.

I enjoyed this cozy mystery. Well developed characters and easy to read. Similar to the style of Agatha Christie.

think the cover of this is so cute, and the title and premise sucked me in. Unfortunately, the story fell a little flat for me.

I don’t usually mind dial timelines, but with the number of characters introduced, some who appeared in both timelines, I had a hard time keeping track.

The story itself was a little slow and didn’t keep me interested. There were lots of red herrings. Overall not a bad book for the mystery lovers, just a miss for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book!

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up liking this book! It took a little bit to get into it, but within 10% or so, I was shocked by how quickly I read through it. The flashbacks via journal entries fleshed out the story well while also leaving some details a mystery. I enjoyed the cast of characters and appreciated that the main character was realistic and used their knowledge of mystery stories to avoid classic mistakes. I also felt that the reveal was well developed and not so obvious that I immediately guessed it. I’m hoping, based on the goodreads listing, that there will be a sequel? And maybe we’ll see more of Detective Crane?!?

Oh man! I wanted to love this one so bad. The premise, the title, the cover - I had such high hopes! I DO think this was a good book, just perhaps not a good book for me. It was well-written and paced, and the flashbacks were interesting and kept the story propelled forward. If you are someone who loves a good cozy mystery, this would probably be a 4 or 5 star read. Unfortunately I don't particularly enjoy cozy mysteries, so this just didn't work for me, 2.5/5 stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group DUTTON for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

What a fun and clever murder mystery.

Annie is called to the house of her eccentric aunt Frances to learn about the elder woman's updated will. Of course, before they meet for the first time, Frances is found dead, Even more interesting, her death had been predicted when she was a teen by a local psychic. Frances had spent the rest of her life trying to solve it. Of course, there are quite the cast of characters who could be behind the murder. A budding mystery writer, Annie decides it's on her to figure out who killed her aunt.

This story is a delightful read. The cast is quite fun, and the plot is quite clever. As you read, you're not only learning about Annie's investigation but about Frances' youth as well, especially how her best friend goes missing around the time she meets her husband.

I have nothing negative to say about this book. It's that good!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing an advanced readers copy to me! It was greatly appreciated.

I absolutely loved the premise of this mystery novel. It was giving Agatha Christie and Knives Out vibes in terms of gathering for a reading of the will of the protagonist’s distant great-aunt, set to have her inheritance given to her. When great-aunt Francis is found dead, our mystery begins!

The story contains two time lines, both of which, admittedly, are tough to follow just given the amount of characters we get introduced to. When we go back to the present day, we’re working alongside the main character Annie trying to figure out who is related to who, who had kids with the other person, town secrets and all while trying to figure out who murdered our aunt! It’s a lot. That said, it was quick to get to the premise, an extremely slow buildup and then finally….and ending that almost seemed unsure of itself. I had really high hopes but I was left feeling like I didn’t quite get enough of what I was looking for. Overall, fun premise but fell short.

I almost couldn’t finish this book. I will keep it simple, as there are far better 1-2 star reviews that break down all of the absurdity of this book. The most crucial things you need to know are as follows:

1) The pacing of this book DRAGS ON FOREVER without anything relevant happening.
2) The language and tone is incredibly immature and childish, even though the protagonist is supposed to be a smart and fully grown woman. The more “mature” language is used in the flashbacks meant to be written by a 17-year-old, so even more incongruous.
3) The love interests (yes, the alluded TWO of them in a dreaded love triangle) are both profoundly dislikeable and I find at least one of them to be an absolute asshat.
4) This book is supposed to be about a mystery-writing woman solving a murder mystery in her own life, yet at every turn, she eschews every possible rule of murder-solving!!! It removes credibility, it eradicates trust, and makes her seem like an actual imbecile that I as a reader could not root for less.

By the end of this book, I didn’t even care who had or hadn’t murdered Aunt Frances. I just needed it to be over. Please spare yourself the slog of this book, no matter how curious the title makes you (as it did me).

1.5⭐ on this one, rounded down to 1 on Goodreads cause it just made me that mad.

*Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

This was such a fun murder mystery book! The only thing that kept it for being a 5 star read was that I found the flashback timeline confusing, and there were too many characters.

When we are reading Frances’ diary, the timeline was confusing to me. Within the diary, she talks about flashbacks, so it was hard for me to keep track of the order of events. For example, we learn about Tansy’s baby before we even know Emily is pregnant.

There were a lot of characters to keep track of as well. I would have loved to see a picture of the murder board or a family tree to keep everyone straight.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reading copy.

As a teen, Frances visits a psychic who tells her she will be murdered. Two timelines unfold to solve a mystery first predicted sixty years earlier. It's story of a small town, different classes, and taking what you want. A cozy-ish mystery.

“Your future contains dry bones. Your slow demise begins right when you hold the queen in the palm of one hand. Beware the bird, for it will betray you. And from that, there’s no coming back. But daughters are the key to justice, find the right one and keep her close. All signs point toward your murder.”

A fortune teller reading gone astray leads Frances to spend her life trying to solve her murder before it happens.

Are the people she chose to spend her life surrounded with there because she trusts them completely or because she feels the need to watch them?

I enjoyed a great deal of this book. It did seem like a lot of coincidence in the generations around years later, maybe a little clunky in making the pieces fit.

Overall, a fun read!