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!

This definitely had the Knives Out vibe to me. Good banter. Good storyline. Multiple timelines happening. And enough clues pointing to everyone leaving you as the reader wondering who could have done this?? I enjoyed this book. It was light and a fast read. I was more intrigued by the past tense timeline then the current BUT they obviously tied to each other and well I thought.

Frances Adams got her fortune read when she was with her BFs at a fair. She didn't think much of it at the time other than it was dark UNTIL things started to come true. The last line of the fortune states that there is justice in the right daughter. Out of nowhere, she changes her will to include her great niece, Annie. Annie comes to the estate to meet with her about said changes only to find that Frances has died. Not only has she died but all signs point to murder. Annie is just stepping into this world but is overwhelmed by the murder room that Frances had setup with dirt files on everyone in town making Annie question how to determine who killed her? To keep things "fun" Frances tacks on a game in her will on who will inherit everything based on who solves her murder. Annie finds herself thrust into this small town of people who continue to mistake her for her mom determined to figure out the truth behind not only her great aunts murder but the mystery of her missing best friend, Emily.

While all of this is happening, Annie comes across Frances' diary which gives her a glimpse into all of the drama and betrayal that was happening back in the day. It also helps her understand how Frances ended up her hubby Ford. The suspect pool has narrowed though in Annie's eyes. Could it have been Walt who was dating Frances' best friend at the time? The same Walt who is now reading the will. Could it be John who was Frances' bo that betrayed her in the worst way and is now the town vicar? Or could it be Rose who is the only one still alive from the trio of girls? Annie is running out of time to figure out the truth and when she does, she decides to be a true sleuth about it and see if she guessed right.

Annie was perfect in this role for me. She seemed adrift. She was an aspiring mystery writer who finds herself thrown into solving a murder! Not only that but she has to read and understand all of the different dynamics at play which I think she did a good job of doing. If you are looking for an easy going murder mystery, this is the book for you. I noticed that this may be a series which I would be excited about!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

What a wonderful adult debut from Kristen Perrin! I really enjoyed this novel and was drawn in from the start by the unique premise. There were plenty of twists that kept me guessing throughout the entire story. The alternate timelines was written very well and it was very easy to transition from past to present and back again. While Annie was trying to solve Frances' murder in modern day, we also were treated to Frances' diary entries from 60 years earlier, with the eventual convergence of the two as the murder is solved. It was an excellent way to provide background information on Frances and her closest friends while also moving the story forward.

My only issue was I had trouble keeping track of the numerous characters. Everyone in Castle Knoll was somehow related to one another, or to one of the original group of friends from 60 years prior, and I just couldn't quite keep track of it all. That is the only critique I have on this otherwise very fun mystery!

Enjoyed the twist and turns of this well thought out book. The execution of the dual timelines was well done and the layers of intrigue kept me glued to my seat as I read this through in one day.

Well done.

This book was such a fun story! If you enjoy Agatha Christie-esque mysteries or Knives Out, I think you'll enjoy this one. I was so engaged in the story, that I kept my own notes to keep track of the long list of characters as well as my own theories. My only complaint was that the ending left me wanting a bit more. Can't wait to read more from this author!

I liked this murder mystery, but it was advertised as being more humorous than it actually was. Still, I enjoyed the flashback between the past and present day. It kept me in suspense, and was very twisty. I appreciated the narrative. I think it could have been a little shorter with some editing as it was slightly repetitive when retelling the backstory, but overall, I liked the quirky characters and the small village setting. It reminded me of Only Murders in the Building but could have had more fun with it.

I enjoyed this book! It was a fun ride... a double murder mystery that jumps back and forth between two time periods. Although I was able to figure out 'who done it' before the big reveal, I still enjoyed the journey to get there. Although I'm not aware of any murders in my family, I did have some relatives I never got to meet and I would have loved if there was a journal or diary that would have let me get to know them even if I never met them. This book also makes you think through most of it... Frances got a fortune as a teenager that predicted her murder and she became obsessed with it, however, did her obsession with it actually end up causing her murder? You'll have to read it to find out.

A pleasant read good for readers who are looking for a cosy yet thrilling time.. loved the plot and the pacing!!

This book grabs the reader’s attention right from the beginning. It is captivating and introduces a very likable and relatable Annie. I could not put this book down and that is a good thing. This is such a fast read as well. I was fully invested and the twists and turns had me gasping the entire time.

This was a fun, twisty, cozy mystery. The characters were engaging and the story was intriguing. I hope there will be more in the series with Annie Adams in the lead!

If you are a fan of Clue, I have a book for you. How To Solve Your Own Murder is the story of a woman who stands to inherit a fortune from her great aunt if she solves her murder. This book was so much fun. It flips back and forth between the 1960s when the great aunt was a teen and given a fortune predicting her murder to present day when her murder must be solved. The clues are dished out slowly and carefully in such a clever manner. The relationships are all dysfunctional but so cleverly intertwined. I loved seeing how the pieces all fit together and how it all played out.

For the most part, this mystery felt a lot like other mysteries to me. The blurb tries to play up the fact that Great-Aunt Frances is trying to solve her own murder based on a fortune read for her when she was a young person, but the 60-year time gap kind of undercuts the immediacy of her investigation. It would have made more sense if she'd had the fortune read shortly before she actually is killed (I could easily picture Frances, Emily, and Rose going as older ladies out on a lark, like, "We've lived enough life to have seen it all," and then Frances gets a shock when she's told she's going to be murdered and becomes obsessed with it and then dies.)

Annie is an incredibly likable character. I was really rooting for her to win the whole time. However, I don't feel like she did a lot other than read her great-aunt's diary, snoop around the house, and talk to Rowan Crane every so often. I did appreciate how realistic her emotions and reactions were.

There was also a problem with one character just completely disappearing after several pages, which was really confusing. This person had such a strong presence early on, and you think they're going to be instrumental later, but then they leave and we just never hear from them again. That made it all the more obvious that this character was included as a distraction; there was no way they were going to be the murderer after not showing up.

Speaking of characters, I kept losing track of who was who. The author did a great job of reminding readers about the roles each person plays and their relationship to one another, but more than anything the long list of characters makes the book feel really cluttered. I'm not sure this aspect really worked. I also kept waiting for a much bigger reveal in Frances's diary but was kind of underwhelmed with it when it family came.

If you're looking for a quick mystery, maybe pick this one up. Pretty good overall.