First off, thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This mystery didn’t captivate me the way I hoped it would. Many are calling this one “Agatha Christie inspired,” but it simply couldn’t keep my attention. The novel flashes back from present day to the mid 1960s. I found the flashbacks somewhat interesting and I found Francis to be a unique character, but sadly, I still found my mind drifting away from the story.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC of this book!

As with any murder mystery, a reviewer needs to be careful to not give too much away so I’ll try to stick to general information available in the first few pages.

I really enjoyed almost every character and the premise. It was very well-paced and well-written. Additionally, the jumping between the words of Frances (through her diary) and Annie (her grand niece) was done very well and didn’t feel gimmicky.

The only thing I do wish is that the diary read more like a diary (but that’s a common complaint I have for books using a dairy as a plot device).

Personally, I wish I could forget the book and read it again because I did find it quick, enjoyable, suspenseful, and a bit surprising. All the best components of a mystery. Would read this author again.

This was so fun- I was hooked from the first chapter and loved all the characters so much. Plus, great name!

The premise of Kristen Perrin’s HOW TO SOLVE YOUR OWN MURDER is enough to make a devoted mystery reader swoon. Annie Adams, an aspiring mystery writer herself, is summoned to her enigmatic great aunt’s estate. Great Aunt Frances is a superstitious, reclusive woman who has spent her entire life in constant paranoia because of a fortune teller’s ominous words when she was just a teenager. The fortune? That she would herself be murdered.

Of course, that’s precisely what happens - and we follow our amateur sleuth Annie as she rolls up her sleeves to solve her mysterious aunt’s murder.

There are parts of this book that absolutely delight. The nods to the detective-era genre, the red herrings, the descriptions of the small town. Again, swoon-worthy.

And yet, parts of it fall flat for me. The only character I felt a connection with was Frances, and Annie herself seemed almost like a filler. A tenet of detective fiction is that the reader should have access to all the facts that the sleuth does, and I don’t think that held true here. I don’t often say so but I actually think that this book could have been longer. It seemed like it was probably written with a movie in mind.

All that being said, it was a thoroughly readable and fun mystery. And when it is adapted for film, I’ll be very glad to buy some popcorn and tickets.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance copy in exchange for my entirely honest opinion.

The mystery was satisfying, but the execution lackluster. The book is dual timeline, but the "past" chapters, which are ostensibly a diary, are a drag to get through (they aren't temporally grounded -- when was she writing these entries? Her voice seems very distant and removed, leaking any tension or drama). In the main storyline, the protagonist was flat and nonspecific (yes, there are details we know about her, but I couldn't predict how she would react to things, or feel alongside her). Despite the fact that the story had good plot bones, I doubt I'll be picking up anything else by this author.

Think who dun' it Agatha Christie mixed with The Inheritance Games mixed with Knives Out all together. A fun ride though I wish more time was spent on present day character development versus the past timeline.

Really a quick and good read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing team for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 rounded up - I enjoyed "How to Solve Your Own Murder" a lot - there were some really interesting & fun aspects to it. Indeed, it was very "Knives Out" meets A. Christie in tone. I enjoyed the dual-POV's of Frances, the murder victim back in the 60's & Annie, her relative, trying to find out "who-dun-it". Loved the English setting & manor house too. My biggest squabble with it was just too many characters to keep track of & the ending was kinda meh. Still recommend it for mystery fans. My sincere thanks to Net Galley & the publisher for the complimentary DRC, all opinions my own

This was a fun book with a likable main character. The story was engaging and each chapter left me wanting to know more - I read the entire book in one afternoon! The way Annie is able to solve the mystery makes sense, the clues were peppered throughout, and it didn’t come out of left field. I did guess the ending, but it was an enjoyable ride. I liked the use of alternate timeless via diary entries from the past - I loved getting to know more about Frances. If you like quirky murder mysteries you’ll love this book!

Thank you for the chance to read this cozy fall/spooky season read.
Enjoyed the dual timelines and trying to figure out the murder along side the MC.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
The book sounded interesting with a cute cover, but the title is a bit misleading, as the lead is not able to solve her own murder.
A teenage girl at a fair with friends receives a chilling fortune that leads her to believe her life will end in murder, prompting her to fixate on figuring it out. Years later, she ironically calls together her potential heirs, but before they can meet, she is found dead. It is determined to be murder, and her death launches the hunt for her killer, with a carrot that the killer need be found by one of the potential heirs within one week, or her estate gets sold off. Her great niece is one of the potential heirs and starts at a disadvantage, having never even met the woman before, but she is determined to solve the mystery and keep the estate intact. She is aided by reading the deceased woman's old journal.
It was a cute read, clean content, quick read.

🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of How to Solve Your own Murder by Kristen Perrin. I loved this whodunit mystery. It was cozy and perfect for a fall read. I liked the duel timeline and the clues that were placed in both the past and the present.

When Francis is found dead on her estate, her great niece Annie is determined to solve her murder. Since Francis was told she would be murdered in the 1960s, she has spent her life trying to find who will kill her. Annie uses clues that Francis left along with clues from the killer to solve her Aunt's murder.

#bookstagra #bookreview #bookrecommendation #netgalley #mystery #mysterynovels

This is the first Kristen Perrin book that I've read, and I should say, I'm quite impressed! The style of this read has a Richard Osman kind of feel to it, but the story is very original. I loved tracking the characters and their development throughout the book. It was a fun little mystery and I was hooked after the first few pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an ARC of this book. Overall I enjoyed the book and gave it 4 stars. It's a very good murder mystery with an exciting plot. It was a little difficult to remember all the characters, and I found some of them not as important. There are 2 timelines in the book, and it was very easy to follow. Kristen Perrin's writing style is amazing, and I can't wait to see what's next for her. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends.

This was a good read. It was generally upbeat but also kept my attention with intense scenes and twists. I found the multitude of characters and relatives difficult to follow at times, but the author did a good job of creating a community and a mystery within it.

This one took a while to find its stride, but then it found its footing and kept the surprises coming. I do wish that it picked up the pace a little, as I did struggle to get past some of the long descriptions, but all in all a great story, with interesting characters

I was not able to finish the book and therefore do not feel that I can give an unbiased review about the book, its plot, characters, or the author's work. I might revisit this book at a later time and finish it then, but not right now.

This book hooked me! I love a good fortune, flashback/dual POV plotlines, and a main character struggling with her own writing career. Throw in a hot detective and a glamorous country estate and I couldn’t put this one down after getting to the 30% mark. The writing was charming, with phrases that really stick with you, and the last line nearly made me cry. A super fun, engaging, lightly emotional read.

What a refreshing storyline! I was hooked from the first chapter all the way through. It had many twists and turns but ultimately the end surprised me and caught me off guard. I thoroughly enjoyed!

Imagine Knives Out and Clue blended together. Great Aunt Frances is obsessed with a fortune she receives when she's 17 years old that ends up coming true sixty years later. Great Niece Annie is tasked with solving Frances' murder or else Frances' fortune will get squandered away. This was a fast-paced, charming, cozy, murder mystery that had me hooked from the get-go. I enjoyed Frances' diary entries more than I cared about Annie's point of view. But not enough to put the book down.

Read if you love:
Multiple POVs
Murder mystery
Gothic setting

Thank you to Kristen Perrin, Penguin Group Dutton, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. Publication date: March 24, 2024.

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read an ARC of this book! This is a murder mystery that had all of the elements for a fun and engaging read but it fell short for me. I was by no means a bad book, just not one of the best I have ever read. I would still recommend this for someone wanting a cozy mystery.