4.25 stars, rounding to 4 for GR and NetGalley. I loved the setting, the premise, and the story. It’s refreshingly unique in a crowded sea of murder mysteries.

HOWEVER, it look me a really long time to get through the first 40% because I couldn’t keep the characters straight. I eventually just grabbed a pen and paper (and then grabbed them again when my dog stole them) and took notes on the characters and how they were related. It helped clear my head and got me really excited about the story and trying to figure out the mysteries.

Because of the many important characters, I’d recommend reading this book rather than listening, if you’re able — or just check out the “who’s who” guide on my IG (@lizziepagereads).

Overall, I’d recommend it to anyone who reads mysteries, but especially to those who enjoy quirky, Christie-esque, small town, British murder mysteries.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for the gifted copy. Opinions are my own.

I ate this book up in a day. I adore Annie Adams! She is brave, whitty, creative and persistent as she’s thrown into a “murder mystery game” to solve her great aunt Francis’ murder. Whoever solves the murder inherits Francis’ estate. Francis lived her life obsessed and guided by a fortune she believed foretold her murder and the disappearance of her best friend.

This book switches between present day with Annie investigating Francis’ murder and excerpts from Francis’ journals from the time her friend disappeared.

I was hooked by chapter 3. Loved the writing. Loved the pace of this book. I didn’t guess the ending and that is a huge plus for me in any murder mystery I read!

I didn't love Ford's character. The age gap with Francis and that he slept with her friend knowing her friend was a minor. I get that he was being painted as this morally gray, broken, closed off man but I just wasn't a huge fan of his character in particular but I see how him being written this way was important to the story.

The romance girlie in me wanted more of the potential relationship between Annie and Detective Crane. His protectiveness over her as well as little gestures throughout the book but especially the end had me wanting more! But I can also appreciate an open ended conclusion so I can decide if they end up together or not.

3.5/5 rounded down

A fun and inventive twist on the mystery genre! With a large cast of characters and a dual timeline (one through journal entries), I was really excited for the story. While I did find the middle a bit too back and forth (it’s this person, no it’s this person, no it’s this person), I didn’t want to stop reading because I had to know. I was hoping for a bit more from it— it was closer to cozy than I was anticipating.

Hooked from the very beginning! Annie is the perfect character just the right amount of flaw to be endearing while endlessly rooting for her! Most books of this type tend to drag on and give all the info at the very end not this one! I learned new information with every turn of the page and still didn't guess who did it! Definitely a must read!

I started this book in 2023 and ended it the first day of the new year 2024. Probably the best book I’ve read to start the year off. This book is meant for people who loved a good girls guide to murder and the inheritance games. It gives that mystery who dun it vibes. From the very first sentence of the book it definitely pulled me in. I was intrigued and I bet a lot of other readers will be as well. This was a lovely time reading.

A good read for anyone that enjoys whodunit or cozy mysteries. Annie is writer turned sleuth thanks to a "game" her aunt has devised. Her character development is obvious as the story unfolds. She goes from someone that just writes about mysteries to someone that can piece together the clues that unfold as she explores her aunt's diaries. The excerpts from the diaries help readers connect with younger versions of current characters as well as those that have passed away. Engaging story that was hard to put down, that left me feeling like closure was finally found for one younger victim.

4.5/5

This book was a blast—a quick, fun whodunnit with characters you can't help but love. We alternate between Annie's POV and her aunt's diary, and I loved both perspectives. I was a little off with the twist, which is always something I like in a mystery/thriller since I read so many of them.

I'm crossing my fingers for some sequels, I would love to see more adventures with Annie Adams, our promising amateur detective. I'm definitely onboard to read Perrin's next release!

A cozy mystery that kept me reading and guessing at the murder until the end.

Frances has always suspected that she would be murdered after a fortune that she received in her teenage years. Now that it is happened, it is up to her great-niece Annie to figure out what happened and win the inheritance.

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. As someone who thinks that cozy mysteries can sometimes be cheesy, this one hit the spot for me. It was an original story with twists that kept my attention. I loved the jumping of time from past to present that gave us glimpses into Frances and her past while Annie was trying to solve the murder. It reminded me of The Thursday Murder Club, and I hope this book has a sequel! I would highly recommend for cozy mystery loves and those of us who are sometimes a little skeptical if a cozy is right for them.

Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book!

I had a hard time with this book. At times it was slow and difficult to follow along with the characters as there were many in each “time period”. Unfortunately I did not finish this book. I hope to leave it on my list and try again when it is published. I will not post on goodreads because I don’t want to sway any readers from picking it up and truly enjoying it.

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 is no coming back. But daughters are the key to justice, find the right one and keep her close. All signs point toward your murder.

Frances Adams receives this bone-chilling fortune at the Castle Knoll County Fair in 1965, and she spends the rest of her life convinced that it will one day come true. Nearly 60 years later, it does—Frances is found murdered in her own home.

Enter Annie Adams. Annie is our protagonist, and she has never met her Great Aunt Frances. So when she receives a letter in the mail one day asking for her to come to Castle Knoll and meet with Frances, she can't help but feel surprised. However, she never does get to meet her aunt, because Frances is murdered on her way to the meeting. Shortly after, Annie learns that Aunt Frances expected this murder, and she put Annie in her will. Annie will receive the inheritance, under one condition: she must solve Annie's murder within a week, and before the police, or Saxton, Annie's other nephew.

Annie is racing against the clock to solve this mystery with only Frances's old diary to help her, which contains details of another unsolved murder from decades ago. Soon, it becomes obvious that someone is trying to sabotage Annie—whoever it is, they want her to stop digging.

I thought this murder mystery was highly enjoyable! The plot was fast-paced, and I love small town (small village?) murders. I think this book would actually be a great introduction to the murder-mystery genre, if you've never tried it but are looking for an easy, not too-scary read.

I only had two qualms with this book (which is why I didn't give it four or five stars): first, there were too many characters. The overcrowded cast made it really hard for me to keep track of who was who, especially because some of the characters were dull and indistinguishable from other characters similar to them. Second, the climax was a bit...underwhelming. As a reader, it felt almost impossible to put the puzzle pieces together because I didn't receive the final piece until after the murderer had already been revealed.

That being said, this is a fast-paced, cozy mystery that I'm sure many readers will enjoy once it is published in March. The protagonist is extremely likeable, and I had a lot of fun following along as she tried to solve the mystery.

Thank you to Netgalley for proving an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

HOW TO SOLVE YOUR OWN MURDER is a clever reboot of the golden-age mystery. This tale of obsession and murder features Frances, a woman who has predicted her own murder after receiving a cryptic fortune 60 years prior. Frances spent her life on her sprawling English estate attempting to solve her murder before it took place, but to no avail.

Upon her death, Frances has an unconventional last request: her vast estate and inheritance will be given to the first of three parties assigned to solve her murder. Her great niece Annie Adams is summoned to Castle Knoll to find the culprit.

Debut author Kristen Perrin offers readers two murders to solve in this dual timeline story. Readers are invited along as Annie races to solve not only Frances’ murder but a cold-case murder as well. I loved the pacing of the story as it was a nod to the classic murder-mystery, but also enjoyed the opportunity to speculate on if and how the two murders across the decades were connected.

READ THIS IF YOU:
-Adore a sprawling old estate in a quaint English village
-Love a Nancy Drew-style “whodunit”
-You’ve ever wanted to create your own murder investigation board

PUB DATE: March 26, 2024
RATING: 4/5

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Penguin Publishing Group for the chance to read the ARC of How to Solve Your Own Murder!
Can someone really solve their own murder? And if not, can they leave enough evidence/information behind for someone else to? This cozy mystery is told from two view points spaced roughly 50(?) years apart. The book started off slow and took me quite a few days to get into, but it eventually picked up and I couldn't wait to see how it all played out! There are a lot of characters with intertwining relationships which at times was hard to keep track of and a few relationships I was hoping would develop, but never did. I'm more into thrillers but this cozy mystery was a fun read, nonetheless!

I love whodunnits so this was perfect for me. I also like eccentric and unique characters which this book had but I think there were a few too many characters to keep up with, I can see this translating really well to a movie and I would enjoy watching that as much as I did reading the book.

This book was such a pleasant surprise and what I want in a cozy mystery. I’m a huge fan of the movie Knives Out and I definitely got those same vibes with this book. I thought the concept was such a fun idea and I really enjoyed all the characters throughout the story. I loved Annie and following her along to try and figure out who the killer was. I also enjoyed the little dash of romance that was sprinkled in.

Overall, I really loved this cozy mystery and think it’ll be perfect for a winter/fall read!

Thank you for this NetGalley ARC! I have mixed feelings about this book. First of all, spoiler alert: dead lady does NOT solve her own murder.

The story weaves all over the place, throwing red herrings, as you’d expect. But the plot is overcrowded - so many characters, I felt like I needed my own murder board. And even though many of them remain underdeveloped, I really liked these characters, although I wasn’t prepared to scratch a single one of them off the suspect list. Also, it doesn’t feel very British, which is a weird observation and I’m not sure how to explain it, but about 30% in, I looked up the author bio to see if she was American …spoiler alert #2, she is. Finally, the diary/alternate timeline, which the MC used to solve the murder, feels unfinished. I do not understand how Frances married the rich guy with questionable morals. There’s more to that relationship that isn’t explored.

Overall, it was a fun book, an interesting premise, and pretty neatly tied up, but getting to the finish line required some convenient leaps of faith.

This book centers on a girl named Annie who is determined to find the killer of her great- aunt Frances. Annie is requested to attend a meeting at her Aunt’s estate in England but when she arrives she finds out that her aunt has been murdered. Annie finds one of her Aunt’s old diaries which gives her a clue to her life as a teenager. Many characters are introduced along the way. I had a hard time keeping up with the plot at times because of this. But overall this was a good book that I would recommend. Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

The premise sounded so promising, but the enormous cast of characters kind of ruined the reading experience for me.

I was fortunate enough to receive this book as an ARC from NetGalley!

How to Solve Your Own Murder is about a woman who tries to prevent her predicted murder in a fortune for 60 years! But when her fortune is finally comes to fruition and is murdered, her great niece might be the only one to find the killer!

In my personal opinion, this book was a great mystery! I felt like this was very unique concept I hadn’t read before! Loved the two timelines, characters, and location! A great cozy little mystery!

I would recommend this to those who love cozy mysteries but, also for beginner mystery readers!

Couldn't put it down! Really interesting characters that I felt attached to right away. Loved the cover art as well

I loved this book. Great premise, engaging characters and nothing felt forced as some murder mysteries do. I read the book in one day because I couldn’t put it down.