I want to start by thanking NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for providing me with an ARC of "How to Solve Your Own Murder" by Kristen Perrin. This book is a gripping and unique take on the mystery genre, blending suspense and wit seamlessly. The protagonist's journey to uncover the truth about their own death is both thrilling and thought-provoking. Perrin's writing keeps you hooked from start to finish, making it hard to put down. Overall, I give it four stars for its originality and engaging storyline.

I really judged this book by its cover before I started reading it, and I was a bit hesitant at first, but it turned out to be a phenomenal read!! So glad I gave it a solid chance!!!

this is a, "it's not you, it's me" situation. cozy mysteries are not my vibe! I was bored for a good bit of this. I also found there to be way too many characters.

I found the Annie to be a charming character and I thoroughly enjoyed her first person POV. Frances’ POV was also filled with intrigue. I loved solving the mystery with them and found myself shocked by some twists

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted e-book

I struggled with this one big time. I dragged myself though it. The characters were okay. The premise had promise. You may love it.

A good, old-fashioned who dunnit with a slightly larger than needs to be cast of characters that are hard to keep track of. Entertaining enough and a good fit for those looking for a cozy mystery with an English manor setting.

In a quiet corner of the English countryside, a woman has been murdered. Arriving at the scene is her niece, Annie Adams. Annie must unravel the mystery surrounding her aunt and a fortune that predicted Frances's demise years ago. In a case where everyone has a motive, who can Annie suspect?

One might assume detectives would be out of a job if the dead could simply reveal their killers, but this book proves otherwise. Having all the answers and suspects in a murder case neatly organized beside the victim only complicates matters further. Despite this wealth of information, author Kristen Perrin masterfully weaves—and then unravels—the dark mystery of Castle Knoll and Frances Adams.

This was surprisingly complex for a cozy mystery - many cozies wind up feeling a bit childish to me but that's definitely not the case with the subject matter here. If anything, it's perhaps a little overstuffed with minor characters and scandalous twists. I'm hopeful those villagers and the character of our heroine will be a bit fleshed out more in later books as this series continues.

Overall, though this is a charming story with a true classic mystery feel and a novel premise.

How to Solve Your Own Murder felt reminiscent of the Golden Age of mystery novels a la Agatha Christie. I was just as interested in the flashbacks to Frances' diaries as I was in the present day chapters which I found exciting and refreshing. A good option for a fall mystery by a fireplace with a slice of apple cake

I loved this murder mystery! It definitely gave me Knives Out vibes while reading. I loved the setting, the mystery was intriguing, and it was absolutely not predictable. Switching back and forth between the two different times really had me invested in the characters who were murdered.
The only drawback for me—I wish some of the characters were a little more fleshed out. With a cast this big, it’s hard to keep track of smaller characters without anything too identifying or memorable to hold onto. There were times when I was confusing some people for others in the lineup while trying to put clues together myself.
I will definitely be picking up the sequel to see if I can solve the mystery first this time!

Ah no thank you. This was not the book for me. I really struggled with this one. The atmosphere was good but I couldn't tell the difference between any of the characters! They all just felt like the same exact person.

And can we talk about how much the MC shouldn't be writing crime fiction? Instead of calling the police when finding important evidence she would remove evidence from the crime scene and take it to the cops to turn in? Who even does that?

A couple of murder mysteries in the English countryside packed into 1 story spanning several decades plus a curse plus a love triangle plus an inheritance plus a race to solve the crimes. I don’t know, maybe too much going on in this one? It was fine, but I thought it would hold an element of humor (due to the KNIVES OUT comp) and it just didn’t. I was also pretty underwhelmed by the big reveals.

Murder mystery? Yes, please. Small-town murder mystery? YES PLEASE. A collection of characters, situations, and connections in a true turn-pages book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! I was so excited for this book. The premise sounded so intriguing and initially it sucked me in completely. As the story continued though it started to feel long winded and pulled in so many directions that I started to feel less connected to the story. Ultimately it was just okay for me.

I really liked the dual POV/timeline of this book and felt like the mystery unfolded naturally. Good cast of characters, and I would be interested in reading more in the series if there will be a sequel!

A young women travels to the home of her recently deceased great aunt to solve her murder... a mystery that began over half a century ago!

What a fun premise, and while there were some dips and dull spots along the way, the interwoven stories, that of Annie and her great aunt Francis, is still propulsive enough for a gripping read. The main characters are sympathetic, fragile enough to be believable but not so flawed that the reader gives up on them entirely, and the author graces the supporting cast with sufficient substance to make them interesting (but not so much that you find yourself wishing that they received more plot real estate). All in all, a satisfying read that will definitely have me looking for the author's next book.

I've seen a lot of media compared to Knives Out, and maybe because it is my absolute favorite movie I always am disappointed. But this book? Yeah I totally get the comparison and I enjoyed this book a lot. It was complicated and layered and dark and funny. And while yes it could just be that fun book like Knives Out, this book stands as it's own. The entire book was well though through from the setting, characters, red herrings, and I especially loved he layering through of Frances' diary.
This is a great book for anyone who loved Knives Out, as well as for those who love the bit darker cozy mysteries like Richard Osmon's.

Such a clever mystery. This one is great for people who want a cozy mystery (nothing gory), but don't want anything "twee" (no tea shops or magical inns please).

I was immediately pulled into this story and the characters. I loved the dual timeline and the little bits of the mystery we were being fed. I though the requirements of the will were very unique and fun for us as the reader. The twists along the way kept me wanting more. I was very surprised by the ending and how everything wove together. I look forward to the next book in this series and to hopefully see more of the side characters again!

I thought this was a great, cozy mystery. The flashbacks to Aunt Frances in the 60’s were my favorite. I found Annie to be a plucky heroine and I was cheering for her the whole time. I don’t see the twist coming which always makes for a fun reading experience. Well done!