How to Solve Your Own Murder is a nice cozy mystery that spans two timelines. In the modern day, a young woman is called out to her great-aunt's estate and finds her dead. Her great-aunt always thought she would be murdered, and the niece sets out to solve the mystery. The story also flashes back in time to the 1950s when the great-aunt was a teenager and a friend of hers goes missing.

What a fun cozy mystery-esque book! I really liked how the storyline felt similar to an Agatha Christie story with its interesting characters, riddles and murder. At times I felt like I was confusing some of the characters and having to go back to see who was who. Maybe for Kristen Perrin’s next book, she should keep the plot less jammed pack. I still had fun reading this book and look forward to her next one! Thank you NetGalley, Kristen Perrin and Dutton for this digital copy.

Wow, I enjoyed this book immensely. It sucked me in so quickly and I was hooked the whole way through. The dual timelines and POVs were perfect and I was just as interested in one as I was the other. This might just be my favorite mystery/thriller I’ve read in 2023.

“Your future contains dry bones. Your slow demise begins right when you hold the Queen in the palm of your 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.”

It was all supposed to be just a bit of fun, when three teenage friends visit Madame Peony Lane at the Castle Knoll Country Fair in 1965. But, when Frances is given this grim prediction, she becomes fixated on its message. For the remainder of her life, she will try to outrun death, and solve her own murder.

Was the fortune teller right? Or was this a self fulfilling prophecy?

Sixty years later, Frances has summoned her great niece , Annabelle (Annie) Adams to her solicitor’s office. Although she has never met Annie, she has decided to make her the sole benefactor of her estate and assets.

But before the Will can be read, Frances is found dead.

Now, Annie must figure out who murdered Frances buy deciphering the riddle of the fortune, and by unraveling the clues which can be found in a diary from 1966 (“The Castle Knoll Files”) and from not one, but TWO murder boards that her great Aunt had been keeping.

But, not everyone wants this murder solved.

The story alternates between Annie’s perspective and the diary entries.

This was a story where the premise was better than the execution for me. I struggled to become invested, and when you are not invested it makes it more difficult to keep track of a large cast of characters, which this book has.

Most reviewers seem to prefer the diary entries to the present day, but they are written by a seventeen year old who is coming of age, which is not a favorite for this reader.

I preferred Annie’s chapters, BUT, I didn’t find the characters in either timeline to feel authentic which is a problem for me-or in other words, they seemed like “characters” as opposed to people you might actually meet.

So, despite a fun and original premise, this cozy mystery just wasn’t a great fit for ME. Other reviewers are rating this higher, so be sure to read a sample of reviews to see if it might be a better fit for you.

EXPECTED PUBLICATION DATE: March 26, 2024

Thank You to the Publisher, Dutton, for providing a gifted copy through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

I adored this cozy little slice of English countryside, paired with a murder mystery, a huge inheritance at stake,, and completely believable characters. It moves along at a nice pace, no boring interludes, and the mystery keeps you engaged at every step.

There did start to be so many characters that I began to lose track of who was who, but, I loved this, and will be looking for more from this author

How exciting that I've gotten so many great ARCs! 2024 is shaping up to be a good year for reading (fingers crossed). This was very clever. The main character was likable, it had this sort of creepy, sinister undertone to it that I enjoy greatly in a Halloween read (even if you don't read this on Halloween. Halloween is a mindset, not just a holiday enjoyed by millions). It had a little bit of a romance, and I was generally impressed by the thoughtfulness of the whodunit. 4 stars even, since it dragged a little bit more than I please, and the pacing was a little odd at times, but all-in-all, color-me-impressed.

I really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately it fell a bit flat for me. The characters weren't very engaging and something about the writing style just didn't grip me. A shame because the plot was pretty good!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy.

Annie and her mother have always had family money to fall back on when the popularity of Mom's art wanes, or Annie unexpectedly loses her job. When wealthy Great Aunt Frances decides that Annie should be her heir instead of Annie's mom, the change is nominal at best since they live together in a house owned by the estate anyway. When Annie arrives in the countryside to meet Great Aunt Frances for the first time, it is to find her deceased. The stipulations of the new will leave her racing against a distant cousin and a police inspector to solve the murder and save not only herself and her mother, but also the whole estate from developers. Shouldn't be too hard for an aspiring murder mystery writer.
This book was fun to read. Alternating between memories in Frances's journals and Annie's modern day search for a killer, it was hard to put down but fleshed out enough that was still easy to follow. The characters were interesting, and had motives and personalities that were quirky but sympathetic and believable. I really loved the description of the estate and countryside, it had me checking out the area on Google Street View, and even looking at vacation and employment opportunities in the general area.
Thank you to NetGalley, Kristen Perrin, and Penguin Random House for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own and given freely. I can't wait to share it with the mystery lovers at my library.

Kristen Perrin's How to Solve Your Own Murder is a clever and engaging novel that will keep you guessing until the very end. With its unique plot, well-developed characters, and suspenseful atmosphere, this novel is sure to please fans of psychological thrillers and murder mysteries alike. If you loved Knives Out, then this book is for you!

The plot of the novel is original and engaging, with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. Perrin masterfully weaves together past and present events, creating a suspenseful and unpredictable narrative.

Overall, How to Solve Your Own Murder is a well-written and suspenseful novel that will appeal to fans of the genre. With its unique plot, complex characters, and unexpected twists, this novel is sure to keep you guessing until the very end.

Annie Adams has never really known her crazy great aunt Frances. But when Frances changes her will to include Annie, summoning her to her old castle like estate, Annie quickly finds herself in over her head. Frances has always believed in a cryptic message from a fortune teller that predicted her death, and this fortune seemingly comes to pass when Annie stumbles upon the dead body of her great aunt. Was it murder? Did the fortune teller’s prediction come true? Or did Frances’s paranoia catch up to her? Only Annie can find out the truth. Told in alternating timelines of the present and past (as if Annie was reading her great aunt’s journal), Perrin delivers a solid mystery and introduces a slew of new characters in what is likely to become a series!

I really enjoyed this mystery, especially the dual timelines. I loved reading about the past from Frances’s point of view and thought this was where the writing was best. The characters in the past felt well rounded and had understandable motives. Annie’s timeline did not feel as strong, especially in terms of character development. Some of the present day characters felt one dimensional, even Annie. But I came for the mystery, and while I guessed who the killer was I had no clue on motive and thought everything was wrapped up quite nicely. I hope Perrin continues to write about these characters in the future and to continue developing them. There’s a lot of potential here, and I would love to read more! Perfect for fans of The Thursday Murder Club, Knives Out, and even Nancy Drew!

Release date: March 26, 2024
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you @netgalley and @duttonbooks for an ARC of this book!

3.5 *'s Interesting premise, decent mystery, tricky execution...I suppose I wanted something more from this story, I wasn't especially drawn to any of the characters.

i'm not typically a mystery girlie, i'm more of the thriller type of reader. so the whodunit, agatha cristie vibes weren't necessarily my favorite, but that's simply because it's not my cup of tea. i still had a good time with this and by no means is it a bad book!

** Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. **

How to Solve Your Own Murder is a brilliantly written who-dunnit with a twist. Annie arrives at her Great Aunt Frances' home thinking she will simply hear the changes that Frances has made to her will. But when Annie arrives to find Frances dead, a string of events is set in motion that will have Annie competing with other potential inheritors to solve the murder that Frances knew was coming.

This book had me furiously turning the pages as I tried to suss out who killed Frances. Told in snippets of Frances' teenage journal and Annie's own investigation, the two stories weave together perfectly. An absolutely brilliant book that will definitely be in my top 10 reads of the year.

This was a super cute, cozy mystery! I loved learning more about Frances and discovering the two different murderers in the process. The characters were lively and the setting was idyllic-- even if it was hiding some pretty dark secrets.

I am surprised by how much I enjoyed this book!! I was consumed by the mystery, and found it hard to walk away to take care of responsibilities outside of reading! Although some parts were predictable, I was still sucked in and couldn't look away. I look forward to reading more from Kristen Perrin!

I REALLY enjoyed this book. I think it’ll be great for people who enjoy classic murder mystery novels, and people who’ve never read the genre before.

Annie was such a loveable protagonist and I enjoyed all the well-placed clues.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy!

This book very much gave me Knives Out and Pretty Little Liars vibes, especially the dynamic between Emily, Rose, and Frances. Our journey begins with a teenage Frances receiving a chilling prediction from a fortune-teller. She will one day be murdered. This fortune becomes the focus of Frances' entire life, compiling dirt on nearly everyone who crosses her path. It's sad because no one takes Frances seriously, and she is the town crazy lady. At least not until Frances is actually murdered, nearly 60 years later.

When Frances' will is read, its no surprise that she has created a little game for her potential heirs. She wants her nephew, Saxon, and grand-niece, Annie, to figure out who murdered her in order to receive the entire inheritance. They must solve her murder before the police, in one week. So, we begin to follow Annie and her journey to finding Frances' murderer.

I really enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down anytime I picked it up. I loved the parallels between the POV of Frances and Annie. The timeline jumps did not feel abrupt and choppy. They moved really smoothly. That is something that can be difficult to accomplish. The book takes place in a beautiful setting. I could easily picture the town and characters. I loved it.

This book had me hooked from the first paragraph. It's fast moving and simply fascinating. The twists kept me guessing and I didn't figure out who done it!

This was an interesting take on an Agatha Christie style murder mystery. I enjoyed the narration and how the story progressed. The characters were likeable enough and I was genuinely rooting for the main character.

What a fantastic story that kept me guessing all the way through. I felt like I was trying to solve both murders as I was reading about them. Normally I’m quick to figure out murder mystery books, but this one had me second guessing myself throughout the story!

I found myself connecting with Annie right away, especially when it’s shared that she faints and hyperventilates at all things medical related. Girl…I am the same way. I only wish there was more interaction with Annie’s best friend, Jenny. Every time they talked it was so fun to read and it made me want more! I hope one day to read a book where they actually work together fully on solving a murder!