They said this book was great for Knives Out fans and I would agree that if you liked that movie (one of my top five favorites of all time) then you will like this book. The plot was a little convoluted at times and had me wondering what was going to happen next, but overall I really enjoyed it though it could have been twistier

Very fun premise. I love a bit of British murder in a manor house in a little village. At times I had trouble keeping track of everyone, but it was a fun and often clever ride.

This was a cute and enjoyable mystery. It is told from two POV's. One being Frances, a young woman in 1965 who learns that she is going to be murdered at some point in her life. Frances becomes obsessed with solving her own murder to the point where everyone is a suspect, including her friends and family. The other POV is France's great neice, Annie Adams. Annie is a young aspiring writer who is just kind of floating through life. Annie is recruited to join Frances at her mansion. When she arrives she finds her great aunt dead and a whole host of possible suspects.

I enjoyed the alternating timelines and found Frances story to be interesting. I wanted ot know more about her middle years and the time she spent gathering ingo on her suspects.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Dutton for an ARC of this book.

Very cute and cozy murder mystery! This felt like a very lighthearted read, but I found the story a bit slow at times. I also much favored the "flashback" portions of the book to the present day parts of the story, so I found myself wishing for more of those pieces. All around, solid 3 star read!

It's 1965 and Frances just found out that one day she will be murdered, at least that is what the fortune teller says. Almost 60 years later, her fortune comes true and her great niece, Annie, is tasked with trying to solve the murder. This cozy mystery (not a thriller) was a fun read as Annie tries to unravel the case. This book has a dual timeline and I found it hard sometimes to keep it straight (along with the long list of characters). It looks like this might be the first in a series and I am looking forward to the next one to come.

Normally I would round up, but it took me over a month to get through this book, and it was not easy. This is the story of a young woman named Annie whose great aunt has just died. Annie never knew her aunt, but when she travels to her home in the English countryside, she discovers this aunt was haunted by the disappearance of a friend back when they were 17, as well as the cryptic message she received from a fortune teller just before that friend disappeared. Annie works to find not only who killed her aunt, but also what happened back when her aunt was a teenager.
The story is told in alternating points of view, one in the present day from Annie, and one from the diaries of Annie's great aunt Frances. The diaries were certainly the better portions of the book. I struggled to connect with Annie, and the way characters, events, and circumstances were relayed in the present felt two-dimensional at best, boring and confusing at worst. I could not keep track of who was who--past and present--how they were related, and why things were such a big deal. The characters and mysteries in the past storyline should have really drawn me into the story and created an air of tension and suspense, but it all fell a bit flat, making it just uninteresting.
I really wanted to DNF several times, but I wanted to see who did it. But when that was revealed, it was incredibly underwhelming. I just did not care. I would not recommend this book--it will not draw you into the story, and if you put it down, by the time you pick it back up you will forget who over half the characters are and what purpose they serve.

This book was fine. It didn’t hold my attention or make me want to continuously pick it up. I would describe it as charming but not compelling. There were a few too many characters that made the storylines hard to follow. A character map at the front or back of the book would be nice. Just a brief description of who they are and how they are connected to the main character. The theme of bonding with a family member you never met was touching and unique.

(Actual: 3.5⭐) This was a very cozy, Agatha Christie-esque mystery that I found to be easily engaging, especially if you're new/a novice to the genre! And that isn't to say that the story is overly predictable or lacking in nuanced intelligence either, because that is most certainly NOT the case.... however, I don't really think it's fair to throw out comparisons between this book to films such as "Knives Out," because the only real similarity in that regard is that.... I don't know, there are lots of people involved, I guess? And there is clearly a mystery that needs to be solved? I just— that literally can be said of any mystery novel, yeah? And I DO understand why publishing houses write blurbs that include the example I noted above (or similar) in order to drum up reader engagement, but those same people who are drawn to the book based off said comparisons may find themselves sorely disappointed when they realize that it's only "true" in a very broad, very general sense. And while I, personally, wasn't *too* disappointed upon reading/finishing this novel, I clearly remembered the KO comparison having been mentioned prior, and so it struck me enough to have to debunk it here now. That being said, I did enjoy the alternating POVs and the added epistolary aspect in regards to the former; admittedly, though, I did prefer reading Annie's POV more, what with all her many eccentricities, as opposed to Frances'... Annie just felt more developed as a character to me, idk ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Overall, I'd still recommend this book to those who love cozy mysteries &/or those who are looking to get more into the genre itself – because I mean it when I say this book IS fun and clever and charming – with my only small caveat being to peter your expectations a bit prior to reading & DON'T go into it having any sort of comparison in mind!

Thank you to NetGalley, Kristen Perrin, and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton, Dutton for the ARC of this book! I appreciate the chance to share my honest review.

Such a fun whodunit! I loved this story, constantly guessing and reguessing who might be the guilty party!

A young woman looking to find her way, thrust into a murder mystery that keeps you guessing the whole way through!

While the story jumps back and forth between granddaughter and mysterious grandmother, the premise is reminiscent of Agatha Christie, and it keeps you on your toes.

I’d highly recommend this twisty tale of deception and deceit.

"How to Solve Your Own Murder" goes back and forth between two timelines: when Frances was told about her pending murder with the ensuing events and when her granddaughter Annie is notified of her Grandmother Frances' murder that seems to have finally taken place.

Annie is one player in a "whodunnit" game with much to be gained - or lost - if the murder can be solved.

I enjoyed the contrasting perspectives and the characters at play in each timeline. At times, the pace would slow and descriptions would become laborious but, generally, the pace picked back up and details served a purpose.

If you enjoy trying to solve mysteries, with the details you're given, before the big reveal, I believe you'll enjoy this read.

It was slow and uninteresting to me, did not connect with characters easily and it just didn’t seem as fun as I thought it was going to be.

3/5 ⭐️’s - Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Group Dutton, & Kristen Perrin for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I can see why some say you’d like this book if you like Knives Out & Agatha Christie. It was definitely entertaining, although it did get somewhat confusing towards the climax. I would say it's a bit slow getting into it at first, but once the revelations begin it does get more interesting. I did not suspect who the killer was, which is always a plus for me. Overall, it was a fun book to read and perfect for any murder mystery lover.

This started off pretty strong, but after a while, it ended up not living up to its FANTASTIC premise - and title! It was just ok for me, but I can see other people loving it.

This was such a fun and cozy murder mystery read. I have to say, I really had no clue who to suspect - there were lots of red herrings. But that made me enjoy it even more. I'm just seeing now that it's the first in a series and I can't wait for the next one.

What a fun ride! I love a cozy mystery and HOW TO SOLVE YOUR OWN MURDER was just what I needed. This book was fun, twisty, and lighthearted enough in the face of an intense murder plot. The dual timelines were reminiscent of my favorite thrillers and were a nice touch to keep the suspense going. Annie was an incredibly compelling main character. I loved to be inside of her mind as she solved the mystery, and I liked her quick wit and sensitivity. If you are a fan of cozy mystery a la FINLAY DONOVAN or something with a bit more sleuthing than your traditional thriller, I would highly recommend this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Dutton for an e-ARC in exchange for a review. Rating: 4/5 stars

Frances received a fortune when she was a teenager and it has consumed her life. From that moment forward, she became obsessed with discovering who is going to murder her. Sixty years later, Annie has the chance to receive her great aunt’s fortune but she needs to figure out who was responsible for her death.
This book was full of twists and turns! It was such a fun read and I could not put the book down!

3.5 stars

Mystery/Thrillers are not usually my genre but the premise of this one sounded interesting. When Frances was a teenager she visited a fortune teller that gave clues to her future and potential murder. Cut to Present day and Annie is summoned to Frances estate and when she gets there they find that Frances has died and in order for Annie to inherit the estate she has to solve the murder in 5 days. What I really liked about this book was the main characters in Frances’s generation. I think that Annie and some current day characters needed a little more fleshing out. That being said – I didn’t see who did it until the end when it was revealed. I liked the setting and will probably read the next book in the series. Thank you to Netgalley and Dutton for the advanced reader copy.

Great for fans of cozy mysteries and/or the movie Knives Out! I had a bit of difficulty getting into the beginning, I felt there was too much bickering between the ladies in the beginning. But once Annie was introduced I was hooked.

Lately, I find myself burnt out with romance and fantasy, so I am leaning heavily into mysteries, which led me to pick up How to Solve Your Own Murder.

After a haunting fortune, Francis spends her entire life trying to prevent her murder. Her friends and family find it obsessive. Yet, she is proven right when she is found dead on her estate. Now, it's up to her great-niece to catch the killer. 

How to Solve Your Own Murder was a lot of fun. I loved the main characters and was excited to learn this could be a series. The mystery was well-plotted, and I was second-guessing myself for most of the book. There are a lot of characters and thus a lot of red herrings, but that didn't hurt my enjoyment of the story.

If you like cozy mysteries with a bit of absurdity, you may enjoy this.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.