How To Solve Your Own Murder (ARC)
Kristen Perrin
3.75⭐️

Pub Date: 3/26/2024

Small town, cozy mystery alert! It feels a lot like Knives Out- a deceased orchastrating a game for her family to figure out what happened. This plot is good, but I felt like it got stuck somewhere along the way. The premise was very interesting- Frances built her whole life based on a fortune telling of her murder- and it turned out to be true! Everybody surrounding her are all very suspicious. It started out really strong for me but as I read on, the excitement dies down a bit. The interaction between the characters were a little forced, not a lot of good, meaningful conversation. I really enjoyed this one but I felt a little cheated. The pacing of the mystery and small reveals are fantastic but the plot towards the middle to the end seems underdeveloped. The big reveal and how it came about all had to be explained verbally by the FMC at the end. I felt like it's a very basic and lazy-ish writing style, instead of the reveal being written into the plot itself. I wasn't a fan of that. It seems rushed and the end is not quite as satisfying as I anticipated. The "rush" of getting closer to solving the mystery was just not there because of it. For fans of cozy mystery, I do still feel like this is worth a read. I did go through it fast and again, I did enjoy it. The last part was just a little bothersome to me.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Random House- Dutton for a gifted e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book took me by surprise! The plot sounded good, but it was even better than I'd hoped. It was a little like a Knives Out murder mystery, but on a slightly cozy side (but no too cozy either). It was a wonderful 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.

I’ve always been amazed at the thought process it must take to write a mystery novel. Like as a reader I know that the person whom it seems like it is, normally isn’t the culprit, but of course that’s the only person I can guess. So it’s always a wild ride for me when the reveal happens.
This one was very much that, and I enjoyed getting to read flashes of what happened back in the 60s through the diary pages, that helped link to the current events. The great aunt knew she was going to get murdered because of a fortune told to her, and left enough info behind for her great niece to put things together. This is helpful considering an inheritance is on the line. I think the story also highlighted that the deepest betrayals sometimes come from those closest to you.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for the read.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book! What a nice debut from author Kristen Perrin. I am not a huge fan of the usually dark "thriller" mystery genre that is increasingly popular these days, but this one was a step beyond "cozy" mystery without going fully to the dark side. I was intrigued by both narratives - the journals of the recently murdered Great Aunt Frances as well as present day Annie who is trying to solve the mystery, protect the town of Castle Knoll and, most importantly, stay alive herself. I didn't predict the ending which was nice! There were a LOT of motivations and characters to keep track of and it was a small struggle for me to keep everything straight, so I could have done with one less side character. Overall, compelling story and a great debut! 4 Stars!

Thank you to Dutton Books and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had a good time reading this one. Having both Annie’s present perspective and Frances’s past perspectives (via diary) was a great way to keep me invested in the story. The few twists and turns that happened were interesting but not earth-shattering: I definitely think the story felt rushed in some areas making it difficult for me to connect certain characters with others. However, I did read it fairly quickly and it wasn’t difficult to read at all. I liked the conclusion and how everything was wrapped up and solved.

CW: murder, death, toxic friendships, infidelity, alcohol consumption

When Annie Adams suddenly becomes her great aunt's heir in place of her mother, her life turns upside down when Aunt Frances is murdered the same day that the meeting about the will change is supposed to occur. Suddenly, Annie must investigate Frances' murder or lose everything, including the home her mother depends upon. When she finds Frances' diary, she (and the reader) begins to meet the Frances of 1965 when all these events began.

I really enjoyed reading Frances' diary throughout the book and trying to solve the mystery along with Annie. The cast of characters is both amusing and varied, and the tension ramps up as Annie gets closer to the truth about her aunt and the past of this small village. I was glad to see that this is listed as first in a new series - I was not done spending time in this world. I also appreciated that although Annie is an amateur sleuth, there were also professionals involved in solving this mystery.

I do not recommend the audio. The cast is HUGE and keeping the past and present connections while walking a dog were very difficult for me

This book was great, it felt fresh and not like anything else I've read lately. It kept me intrigued all the way through, I didn't want to put it down.

Unfortunately for me, this one was a DNF at about 30%. I really appreciate the review copy from Netgalley and the Publisher, but this was not for me.

This was just a straight cozy mystery with two timelines and nothing really feeling like it was happening. I didn’t care about the characters, what happened to Emily in the past, nor about the main character.

I guess when a book is compared to “Knives Out” I want more farce, comic, and over the top feels. This one just didn’t deliver those things for me, unfortunately.

But I think for the right person in the mood for a good cozy, this could be the book for them.

Not my favorite read but I did enjoy the characters in this book. The start was slow but the ending made it worth it!

How to Solve Your Own Murder is everything a cozy mystery should be. Quirky crazy aunt, handsome detective, weird side characters and a tenacious MC. We follow Annie as she tries to solve her aunts murder after she failed to do so in time. Her inheritance is on the line. Let the games begin!

The premise was good, and it had all of the elements of books I generally enjoy. This one, however, fell a little short for me.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️

Pick this up if you like: Murder mysteries with a touch of family drama and secrets buried in the past.

The book swiftly navigates between Annie's present-day investigation and Frances's diary entries from the 1960s, creating a sense of urgency with well-placed cliffhangers.

However, despite its promising premise, the novel stumbles in execution. The believability of Frances's actions—banking on her own murder decades later—strains credulity. Additionally, the logical leaps and forced puzzle pieces in the plot undermine the narrative's coherence.

The writing style, while not entirely lacking, occasionally feels clunky. Frances and Annie's voices lack distinctiveness, blurring the lines between characters. Moreover, the heavy-handed narration detracts from the storytelling's authenticity, particularly in delivering thoughts and withholding information.

While the concept of a murder mystery driven by a psychic prediction is intriguing, the novel's pacing suffers from long stretches of little progress in solving the central mystery. The dialogue, often artificial and overwhelming, hinders the flow of the narrative.

In conclusion, "Where You End" presents a compelling idea marred by its execution. Despite its strengths, including an engaging premise and well-crafted suspense, the novel falls short in delivering a fully immersive experience.

This was a fun and nostalgic mystery read that is told through present events and past journal entries. The dual timeline made the characters more interesting as you see them through Frances eyes in the journal and through their actions in the present timeline. There were a lot of characters to keep track of and some seemed to blur together for me. I enjoyed the mystery and the friendships and relationship drama and this book actually did earn the Knives Out comparison in my opinion! There was enough in this story to make me interested in picking up future books in the series.

If you are a fan of Knives Out or any good who done it mystery, then this book is for you!

This story starts with a young Frances receiving news from a fortune teller that she will be murdered. As she obsesses over that fact, it is not until 60 years later that she does in fact, get murdered. Now it is up to her family to figure out who has done it. In her will Frances states that there is a large inheritance for who figures it out. Her great-niece Annie, is the one who takes on the challenge.

This is a cozy mystery that I think many will love, but for me it did come off as a little confusing. There are several characters that are suspects and with that, there is just an overload of suspicion on everyone.

Huge thank you to Penguin Group and Net Galley!

I had no idea what to expect going into this book but it was oh so good. I love when an author can pull off writing the current story while also going back in time to a past that is relevant. I did not figure out the ending until it was happening but I thoroughly enjoyed that about this book. I tend to be able to solve the mystery before the end but did not do that this time. If you like a good murder mystery dinner-esque story, I highly recommend this one.

ARC Review ~ How to Solve Your Own Murder ~

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When they said this was for fans of Knives out they were not kidding, the author created such an eclectic vibe between the characters and the mystery they are trying to solve. The split between journal entries from the past and our main character’s POV flowed so well and allows the reader to essentially follow along with the same information the main character is absorbing as she reads her great aunt’s journal. The author places the reader into the role of the detective just as much as her main character with all the clues right there at hand to solve the mystery. I can’t wait to see what other mysteries are in store for Castle Knoll!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for this ARC!

Let me start by saying, if you know me, and you know this book took me nearly 3 full weeks to read, then you know we have thoughts and opinions.

HTSYOM is Perrin’s first thriller… and while the story sounds like it would make a great movie, I felt there were so many characters and so many elaborate settings… and so much potential… but it just fell a little short.

It was reminiscent of a Rachel Hawkins novel, but with a tad less the atmosphic build-up. Perrin did juggle the multiple characters/personalities very well. I had favorites and characters I couldn’t stand - which really helps me as a reader… that said, I did two quick audiobooks in the duration I was reading this one. The build took for-ev-er, and I was legit at 49% on my kindle when things started happening.

A solid 3 stars for this one.

*I received an ARC of How To Solve Your Own Murder via NetGalley for review

The premise of How To Solve Your own Murder was fantastic- as soon as I read the jacket copy I was hooked!

Told in alternating points of view, the story jumps back and forth between teenage Frances and her grand niece who has been tasked with solving her murder. A fairly standard mystery, I really enjoyed Frances’s chapters in particular- i would have loved even more from her life!

Overall, an enjoyable story with enough twist to keep it interesting- I’ll definitely pick up book 2!

4.5 Stars
Annie Adams has been summoned to the small village of Castle Knoll by her wealthy Great Aunt Frances for a meeting, but when she gets there her Great Aunt is found murdered. Annie discovers that Aunt Frances had believed she’d be murdered when a fortune teller predicted it back when she was seventeen years old. Frances kept diaries and even a murder board with theories of her own murder, and of her friend Emily’s disappearance. Annie is drawn into both mysteries, unraveling the past through Aunt France’s diaries and by talking to the players still living in Castle Knoll.

The story is told both from Annie’s perspective and through Frances’ by way of her diary entries back when Emily went missing. Aunt Frances, Emily and their friend Rose were close, but it was a complicated relationship between the three. Annie gets to know her Aunt through those pages, and the events that transpired. She’s determined to solve the case, as a lot is riding on her doing that.

I thoroughly enjoyed How to Solve Your Own Murder! It felt like a modern Agatha Christie. Quaint village setting, several suspects, and an observant heroine! Annie is clever, gleaning clues I wouldn’t have guessed, but made that perfect sense when revealed. I didn’t realize there’s another book coming, but look forward to Annie tackling another mystery, revisiting Castle Knoll with it’s interesting mix of characters, and hopefully seeing the hints of romance between Annie and a certain character come to fruition!