This is super cozy with the perfect setting, but the characters do struggle with individuality at times.

This was such a clever, intriguing, and refreshing book to read! I couldn't put it down! I had to know what happened next and who would solve the murder first to become the inheritor of the Estate. I thought it was creative how Annie used clues from Great Aunt Frances’ murder board and her diary from 1965 to figure out who murdered Frances and her friend Emily. This is a must-read for mystery fans!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

How to Solve Your Own Murder
Author: Kristen Perrin
Source: NetGalley
Pub Date: March 26, 2024

How to Solve Your Own Murder is a wonderfully whimsical and fun murder mystery. Yep, you read that right…it is like Only Murders in the Building in some ways. What do we have here? We have a dead Great Aunt Frances who was convinced she was going to die by murder (as foretold by a fortune teller), and 60+ years later, she finally does just that. Her heirs are staying in her countryside manor outside of London, and it involves a yummy cast of characters, with the two most important being Saxon (an adopted child of her late hubs) and Annie, the grandniece who has never actually met Frances but is an actual blood relative who stand to inherit everything. When the heirs arrive for the reading of her will (they thought she was still alive), they find Great Aunt Frances dead in her library. She had been murdered. From there, we have a LARGE cast of characters: the village Vicar, Rose (best friend), super cute detective Crane, and a large host of people who make this story a little piece of magic. It reminded me of the board game Clue, where you have riddles, mysteries, rhymes, and clues, lots of clues. I enjoyed this story and found the guilty party one of my suspected options. In death, Frances finally had the last laugh on everyone who thought her murder conspiracy was a hoax and realized she knew her fortune all along. The book was a lot of fun and full of mischief. #murder #chess #riddles #friends #family #police #whodunit #mystery #fiction #greed #admiration #England @netgalley @kristenperrinwrites @duttonbooks
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I received a complimentary copy of this ARC. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this novel. Pub. Date: March 26, 2024.
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How To Solve Your Own Murder was a fun, engaging read. I was immediately taken in by the main characters and the two timelines seamlessly came together. Thank you to @duttonbooks for my copy!

A lovely, unique mystery! I loved the premise and thought the book was set up well. Unfortunately, for me personally, I just didn't connect with a couple of the plot points and characters' actions. If you are a fan of small-town mysteries, I would still absolutely recommend this!

This book is an enjoyable "who done it" that keeps the reader guessing. The reader gets to follow along with Annie, an extremely likable protagonist, as she tries to solve not one, but two, murders that all start with a fortune. Set in a small town with a cast of quirky characters who all have a long history with one another, Annie is left to figure out how their stories are all connected. The writer weaves together Annie's story with diary entries from many years ago to tell a story that is not predictable as many murder mysteries are.

Annie Adams finds out she's now part of her great-aunt Frances's inheritance and travels to Castle Knoll to learn more. However upon her arrival, she discovers Frances has been murdered. The reading of Frances's will leads to a murder investigation competition and Annie was already determined to find out what happened to not only Frances, but to Emily who disappeared as a teenager and was connected to Frances. She starts to receive threatening messages, but that doesn't stop her from investigating. Overall, a suspenseful mystery with two timelines that work together to solve both Frances's murder and Emily's disappearance. While the characters aren't the most developed, they do well to help move the story along.

3.5 stars. A very interesting premise: Annie Adams has been summoned by her wealthy and eccentric great-aunt Frances, whom she has never met, to discuss change Frances has made to her will; but shortly after Annie arrives, Frances is found murdered. Now, Annie is thrust into trying to solve Frances’ murder, one that a fortune-teller had foretold when Frances was a teenager.

The story is told from both Annie’s point of view in the present and from Frances’ diary entries decades earlier. There is a great deal going on in this novel, making the plot to be somewhat overcrowded, as well as numerous characters (so many that it is difficult to keep track). Despite these shortcomings, this was an interesting read. It is billed as the first in a series, so I look forward to seeing what the next in this series is like.

The mystery, pacing, and setting of this story were great. I am also a huge fan of multiple perspectives, so the inclusion of the journals was an excellent break up in the suspense of the main storyline. The side characters were likeable but there were almost too many of them for better development, leaving most of them rather flat. Though I solved the main mystery early on, the side mystery was a fun surprise and tied very well to the main storyline. If this continues into a series, I hope to see more connection between our narrator and some of the supporting cast. Overall: enjoyable plot but mostly flat characters.

If you know me then you know I am never one to turn down a mystery, and a cozy mystery at that! This definitely had all the Knives Out vibes that it was marketed to have which kept me so engaged! The characters were all so fun and I loved the dual mystery/dual timeline setup. But this is why I don't get my fortune told at carnivals! I think Agatha Christie fans and lovers of a cozy, fun mystery will absolutely love this one!

(3.5/5 stars) When I saw this book advertised as "for fans of Knives Out and The Thursday Murder Club," I thought this is a book I want to request. Aspiring murder mystery author Annie Adams has been summoned to a meeting by her great-aunt Frances regarding the inheritance of Frances' massive estate. Frances is certain, based on a prophecy she received at age 16 (sixty years ago), that her life will end in murder. When Annie arrives to the estate, Frances is already dead, and Annie is thrust into a weeklong search for the murderer - with her aunt's fortune at stake. Will Annie inherit her aunt's fortune, or her fate?

I enjoyed this read and the combination of Frances' diaries from the past intertwined with Annie's experience in the present. The whodunit aspect of the book kept me guessing. Although I wanted more from the characters (they seemed like typical characters in a murder mystery and I wouldn't say this book is strong in character development/depth), I wasn't overall disappointed. If you're looking for a cozy, plot-driven murder mystery, this would be a good read for you.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is out now!

How to Solve Your Own Murder is an entertaining cozy murder mystery. I wouldn’t have minded a bit more character development but it was a light engaging Clue-esque whodunnit that I enjoyed breezing through.

Thank you Kristen Perrin, Penguin Group Dutton, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

I was completely engrossed in this story! It was a fun, twisty murder mystery. I loved learning about each of the characters and the duel timeline.

Recommend: YES
Level: High

This will really hold your attention. Good twists and turns, Book title actually was an appropriate one. Would like to read more from this author. Thanks to #NetGalley and #HowToSolveYourOwnMurder for advanced digital copy.

This mystery novel kept me guessing from start to finish. I have to admit this is a case where I didn't guess the killer...however, the person I suspected isn't a rose by any means!

This may be the author's adult debut novel, but she has captured the mystery genre quite well. There is a lovely mix of characters, loveable and not, clues galore, and there are not one but two mysteries to solve. 

Annie has been summoned to the village of Castle Knoll to discuss Great Aunt Frances' will. But before that can happen, she is found dead, and the new will pits Annie against Frances' nephew for the inheritance. If neither can solve the mystery, everything will be sold and donated. This is not a pleasant prospect for either party. So they are off to figure out who killed Frances and who will inherit.

There are so many things I enjoyed about this book. I liked how the story jumped back and forth in time. It gives us a perspective on Frances that you would never have known. It explains her obsession with a fortune that was given to her as a teen and sheds light on her group of friends. It also explains Frances' eccentric behavior. There are an abundance of clues scattered throughout the book, and it is putting them together to determine what is fact and what is fiction. Whenever I thought I might have an idea of who was involved, something else would pop up to potentially discredit them as the killer. The reality was a surprise, but when it was laid out for the reader, it made perfect sense. 

Besides solving the two murders (old and new), Annie has to uncover the truth about various villagers. I don't want to spoil anything, so you will just have to read the book and find out for yourself.

This sleepy village in England didn't lack for characters, citizens, or intrigue. I believe this might become a series, and I hope it does. I'd love to see what mystery Annie solves next and if there is any sort of romance that might blossom between her and Detective Crane. I also wonder if she will overcome her crippling fear of needles and blood.

We give this book 5 paws up.

I found this a mildly entertaining murder mystery for a plane ride across the Atlantic, but can't say I found myself hugely invested in it.

The book is written in alternating parts between 1966 diary entries of Frances who, having received a message from a fortune-teller at a fair that she will be murdered is now writing down everything that happens to her in case it turns out to be important in solving her eventual murder, and present day Annie. A hopeful mystery writer, Annie is summoned to the little village of Castle Knoll to meet her Great-Aunt Frances only to find her dead. Frances has finally been murdered and she turned her will into a race to solve her murder. Annie and another relative have a week to solve the case or everything goes to out-of-town investors who will end up destroying the cute little village and everyone's livelihoods.

I really liked the premise of the story, but the characters remained flat charicatures more than anything else, which made it hard for me to invest in them at all. Even Annie, and her sections are told from her point of view. There were also far too many similies and metaphors in describing everything for me, but that's just my personal taste.

Overall, don't believe and comparisons to 'Knives Out' or Agatha Christie that you see, but if you just want a fast read on a plane or for a rainy afternoon, this isn't bad, though I'm not sure I'd read another by the same author.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

✨ Summary:

As a teenager, Frances Adams receives a disturbing prophecy from a fortune-teller that she will be the victim of murder in the future. Despite her best efforts to prevent it, Frances spends her entire life trying to solve a crime that hasn’t happened yet. After almost sixty years, Frances is found dead, just as predicted. Her great-niece, Annie Adams, arrives at the village where Frances lived to investigate the murder. Annie soon realizes that this case will be far from easy to solve. The village is full of secrets and suspects, but she’s determined to solve this mystery and catch the killer.

✨ Review:

This narrative revolves around two unsolved murders that are being told during two different time periods. One timeline is set in the 1960’s and the other in present day. They’re also being told by two different characters, Annie and her Great Aunt Frances, and these two stories are very much connected which I liked a lot. It gave another layer of intrigue, depth, and complexity to this mystery.

The execution of the reveals was so fantastic along with all the twists and turns. The pacing is fast too which I think complemented the story well.

Although the reveal was very unexpected, (I literally gasped out loud)... it wasn’t as satisfying as I wanted it to be. There were also a lot of characters and they were hard to keep track of at times. Especially with the dual timelines. But this was a fun and engaging read nonetheless. I was enticed within the first chapter and hooked until the very last chapter. 4⭐️

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Dutton, and Kristen Perrin for this arc!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The book was fun! I really enjoyed the characters
and the adventure that Annie got sucked into. I also really enjoyed the back and forth from the past to the present. It definitely added to the story!

I did notice that the dates didn’t follow correctly. That was my big issue with the book. We found out that the pregnant girl was pregnant in 1966 and the same month a chapter before the baby was born the same month. It definitely felt like a big of a red herring.

I am curious if we will get a second books because I believe we left a few loose-ends but It was definitely a fun read. Not as quick paced as I expected but I was definitely interested in what happened and who done it

Thank you NetGalley, Publisher and Author for the ARC

This was a delightful, cozy mystery. It was told in dual timelines and it was fun to try to figure out the whodunit of the plot. It definitely gave me Agatha Christie vibes

How to Solve Your Own Murder was a fun, fast whodunnit that reminded me of Knives Out and The Marlow Murder Club.

The premise of this book was exciting and checked off so many of the classic murder mystery tropes: a small village full of secrets, a love triangle, a secret diary, and (most importantly) a huge inheritance. It paid homage to the classics of the genre while also adding new twists, especially with Frances spending her entire life preparing for her own murder because of a fortune teller.

I'm a sucker for multiple POVs, and I loved that aspect of the book as well. Readers get to see the present through Annie and the past through Frances, creating an interesting timeline and a sensical reveal of clues and information.

The pacing of the book was a bit strange for me. I was hooked at the start but lost interest in the middle, which I usually find to be the most exciting part of a mystery. There were also parts of the book that were extremely hard to follow, mostly because there were A LOT of characters to keep track of. The characters also almost all being related to each other in some way didn't help because that meant there were a lot of shared last names, making it even more difficult to differentiate between them.

This was a fun read that can easily be read in a few days that will satisfy fans of the classic whodunnit.