I’m not normally a fan of cosy crime but I think as this was on the border between classic country house mystery and lighter crime it did really work. The story is a little convoluted to begin with but it centres on wannabe mystery author Annie who has to go down to the country house in the heart of Devon for the first time to meet her great-aunt Frances, who has lived her life under the paranoia of a fortune that predicted that she would one day be murdered. It’s a very fun, light-hearted read and the mystery of the friend who disappeared almost forty years before is what gives the story its intrigue and power. There’s light romance and the sort of story that ends in tea and buns. The only element I found a little strange is that all the characters were gathered together again in the countryside for a mystery that was both of the present and far back in the past and yet Anne the protagonist never really got around to interviewing or speaking to anyone and so the narrative relied over heavily on the conveniently found diary of Annie’s great-aunt.

I absolutely adored this, flew straight through the audiobook in possible the quickest time - the narrator was wonderful too.

A really cosy yet suspenseful mystery, that kept me guessing till the end which is a must in a mystery book as imo there’s nothing worse than the MC figuring out the answer after the reader 😅.

It’s not often I get excited about the little #1 next to a book title meaning there’s a series I need to commit too, but this is one I am counting the days till the next instalment for! The writing is wonderful and the character building is really on point.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC in audio.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I like cozy mysteries and I saw this book everywhere, so I was so happy to get an ARC from the audiobook. In my opinion, the hype wirth the book even though I rated the book 4 stars in the end, but I think it would be higher if I read this book physically.
I did not read the synopsys of the book, I just read the title, saw the hype and the genre, and I just know that I want to read this book. I preffer not reading the synopsys as it can be sometimes very spoilery. I thought that this book will be abouth the main character's death but it was a typical murder mystery. it was not an issue just I though that this will be a little more unique in that way.
As I already said, overall loved the book. Every issue which I had was because of the audiobook. I listened an ARC copy, so I'm not sure that the end product will be the same, but in my copy the narrator take too much break between the sentences. I was annoying. I listened to a sentence. Then silence. And I was thinkining that it was the end of the chapter or what? Then got a new sentence. Then silence again. I read it with 2x speed. I am not sure that the issue is because of the narrator, I these breaks should have been edited out. It was so annoying for me. In other cases, I liked the narrator.
Also, the story had two many characters. We had a dual timeline with a multiple characters, so there were at least 20 characters. I remembered the main characters but forgot about a few. In the end, I was so confused that who is the killer because I had no clue who was that character. When I read physycally, I remember the names more easily, so maybe it's just a me thing, but I don't recommend just the audiobook because of this. Also the dual timeline was a little bit confusing in this format.
I liked the atmosphere of the book, I liked the main characters, I liked the writing and the story was good in my opinion, so I recommend reading the book, just not in audiobook format (only). Also, it says that this is a beginning of a new series, but it can be read as a standalone. The story completely finished, every thread was closed, so if a person wants to just read as a standalone, it can be done.

A bit slow at first, this was a classic murder mystery, made even better by the excellent narration.
Thanks to NetGalley, the editor and the author for the opportunity to access this copy.

What a good read, kept me on my toes all the way through. I really enjoyed this dual timeline mystery and once I started I couldn’t put it down.

Frances spends all her life to prevent her own murder, but still murder found her at 60 years old.
This book will following "competition" between her relates to solve her murder as requirement to earn the inheritance.

Told from two POV and two timeline, the author guide us to follow Annie (great niece)'s idea of investigation because she is crime mystery wannabe. And another trace events from France's younger life. The pace is slower than my favorite. I found out Frances's pov intriguing me more than Annie's. Her banter isnt seem natural and some of her scenes wont gave strong advance into the mystery.

I found this book is enjoyable but not the best from the author. The narrator doing her best to take reader into the story. I can feel the atmosphere and the emotions from each characters.
3.5

Thank you to Netgalley and Quercus for providing audio copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Expecting Publication : 23 March 2024

This was an intriguing cosy murder mystery with a brilliant premise. I really enjoyed the setup of this book and the village feel and characters. I'm pleased this is the start of a series as I can't wait to go back to the village.

What a audiobook! I really enjoyed this and it was solid! I think the pacing was a bit different to the mysteries than I'm used to, but I honestly didn't see that twist coming at the end!

Fabulous cast of characters, interesting premise, love the dual POV! Not quite my cup of tea in the end due to personal taste but very well written

An original twist on the classic Whodunnit, this was great fun. I enjoyed the double timeline and the audiobook narrator was excellent. I feel sad not to have met Frances too!

A fun, cosy murder mystery is just what I needed for a pallette cleanser.

I really enjoyed the dual narrators, it really separated the story to make it more clear and concise. The perfect debut for someone making their name in murder mysteries.

Annie has been summoned to her great aunt's house, whom she has never met, and has recently been put down as the possible heir in her will.

This novel is full of secrets, murder and mystery and it will be down to Annie to solve a cold case, that has haunted her great Aunt for decades, as well as solve her great aunt's murder; which started with a fortune teller, when she was seventeen years old.

This novel is filled with several characters, which at first was confusing, but the will have the reader leading to have several red herrings and keep us guessing throughout.


I loved how this was written, and how we were able to work out the answers with the main character; as though we were part of the narrative and the investigation.

I found this storyline really clever and didn't guess either murder, and loved how this left me shocked at the end.

I would love to hear more from this main character, although I don't know how this would work. But this is one I would highly recommend and easily read again.

What I was looking for: A funny, cozy mystery.

What I liked: I liked that the main character was actually genre savy and not stupid. She noticed the things I noticed too and often also remarked on them, asked questions, followed up. I like it when they are not stupid or totally unobservant just to get them in trouble. The parallel stories, present and past, worked well together.

What I did not like: For one, the characters were not particularly deep or difficult. The developer, the rich snob, the strange rich kid, the steadfast lawyer. You do not need to spend a lot of time trying to figure out these characters.
This very likely can be attributed to the format, i.e. audiobook but there were just so many characters and family members/descendants of important characters from the past, I really had trouble keeping them straight (which removed a little drama from the reveal because I was confused).

Narrator: It was a good decision choosing two different narrators for the two timelines.

Conclusion: I enjoyed myself and recommend the book if you are looking for a fun, entertaining mystery. However, I only recently learned that this is going to be a series and at the moment, I do not feel any need to read on. To me, this felt like a completed story.

How To Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

I really enjoyed reading this novel. The small-town mystery plot is always something I gravitate towards, but Perrin has done a great job at making this story intense, captivating and highly enjoyable to read. Every single element of this book has been thoughtfully crafted by the author. Perrin drops little clues and red herrings throughout, forcing the reader to become an amateur detective and try to piece the puzzle pieces back together alongside the main character, Annie. Right from the opening scene, where we see Francis receive her fortune, the readers are totally enthralled in the story, and the fast paced action doesn't let up at any point.

The characters were intellectually composed, each playing into the story in a different way. I adored Francis Adams' character and her eccentric, quirky ways. I loved seeing Francis in her teenage years and felt this added a whole extra level of interest and suspense to the story. I also enjoyed Annie's character and, although it was clear she made mistakes throughout her amateur investigation, this only made her more realistic and likeable.

I must also mention the narrator, as I did listen to this as an audio book. The narrator did a great job at using subtle changes in her voice to portray each of the characters individual personalities, so at no point did the characters seem to all fade into one (which is what I often dislike about audiobooks). Her voice was calming and pleasant to listen to.

I overall rated this 4 out of 5 stars. I am very much looking to hopefully reading more from this author in the future, as this book showed real potential. I would highly reccomend you pick this up if you're a fan of cozy small-Town mysteries that are gripping and fast-paced. Thank you to Netgalley and Kristen Perrin for the ARC.

It took me a while to get into this story but I stuck with it and I am glad I did because it really finds it's pace. This is an Agatha Christie style novel of a murder told over a duel timeline. As a debut, I believe Kristen Perrin has produced a novel that is perfect for anyone looking for a modern day old fashioned murder mystery.

How to Solve Your Own Murder - Well Frances certainly did that even if it did take her 60 years ...

I really liked the plot and the dual timelines, structure of the book means this works really well. Despite many characters and complex connections between them the story is easy to follow. Frances is a really unique character despite being not alive during most of the book her paranoia and her presence as a reader you manage to keenly feel.

Some of the characters need a bit more development, particularly Saxon for example, I found that this would help the reader to love or hate the characters with a bit more passion, which would allow you to feel more connected to the book as a whole.

I loved the narrators for this audiobook, the reading was smooth and seamless. I always like when there is inflection changes to denote differing characters rather than an exaggerated accent or multiple different narrators. This audiobook does this perfectly.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook prior to its release in exchange for my honest review.

I was drawn in immediately and listened in one sitting, I simply could not stop. Perfect company on a day with lots of driving solo.

First of all, the narration from Alexandra Dowling and Jaye Jacob’s is the perfect immersive experience, bringing the fantastic characters to life and transporting me into the world of Castle Knoll.

France’s Adams, Annie’s eccentric, enigmatic, wealthy Great Aunt has spent the majority of her life fearing her own murder, following a fortune tellers prediction that spookily comes to fruition.

@kristenperrinwrites has penned an enthralling suspenseful whodunit murder mystery set at a perfect tension-building pace filled with wonderfully quirky characters who you question in turn as you join Annie in trying to crack the case.

I really enjoyed the dual perspective and timeline of this story alternating between Frances’ story told through her revealing journals and Annie in the present day.

If you are a lover of Agatha Christie-esque, enchanting, humorous mystery novels with many twists and turns that will have you on tenterhooks until the very end then this is for you. An expertly executed debut and I cannot wait for more from Kristen!

How to Solve Your Own Murder is released this Tuesday 26th March and it is a must read!

Thank you to @netgalley and @quercusbooks for early access to this audiobook, an easy 5 star for me!

I listened to the audiobook and the narrators did a great job. I really liked the author’s writing style and how descriptive with characters she was. I saw that this is the first in a new series and I will definitely keep reading! Highly recommend to those that enjoy murder mysteries and especially those with different settings.

Frances Adams was 17 when a fortune-teller told her she would be murdered. Despite believing her fortune, her small village never took her seriously. Granted, her habit of compiling everyone’s worst secrets to protect herself did not exactly help matters.

Her great-niece Annie arrives from London, only to find Frances’ worst nightmare has come true. The aspiring murder mystery author is instantly sucked into a competition to discover what happened, and whoever solves the murder first inherits all of Frances’ wealth.

Perhaps my favourite thing about this book, the characters are very eccentric and distinct. Annie, our heroine, probably would describe herself as quirky or awkward in most situations, but I find her to be relatable (if annoying at times). The daughter of a once popular artist, she has just left her job to try her luck in writing. She fluctuates between being very excited about her books and extremely insecure about everything she has ever written down, just like every 20-something-year-old I have ever met (including myself).

The enigmatic figure of her great-aunt is slowly being revealed to her and the reader through Frances’ old diary and people who knew her. I wish, just like Annie did, I could sit down and talk to her. Ask about her relationship with her late husband or go through all the secrets she had filed away. Indeed, we get to know and understand 17-year-old Frances quite well, but it does not feel like enough.

Nevertheless, the list of intriguing characters does not stop there. How to Solve Your Own Murder counts with many significant characters, each fitting the narrative in a unique role. Personally, I would love to crack Saxon and take a look at his mind.

Other characters, on the other hand, were missed. Mr. Gordon, for example, felt like an NPC in many moments – there to give instructions or some insight and disappear.

I believe the dual timeline was brilliant. It can be so difficult to have timelines not getting mixed up and confusing, but the way it connects and intertwines here definitely hits the mark. Being such a small town, everyone mentioned by teenage Frances is still around, and the reader really gets to see the reflection of who they were in their older versions.

Unfortunately, I was not totally convinced of the conclusion. I am very proud to say I had suspected the culprit (since the book is far from predictable), but I discarded it based on logistics. While the explanation can appear perfectly logical, I worry about timing and communication – that was a time without cell phones.

Listening to the audiobook version, I noticed some unnatural pauses in some of Annie’s audio, concentrated around the beginning of the book and maybe stemming from editing. Besides that detail, I really enjoyed both narrators and their styles. I took particular notice of how Frances’s narrator did not give the characters different voices, as her voice comes from her personal diary, while Annie’s had a voice for each.

How to Solve Your Own Murder was a 4-star out of five read, perfect for classic Murder Mystery fans with an Agatha-Christie-style reveal at the end.

I found the book entertaining although it took me a while to get into the rhythm.
I liked the different POVs and that the fact that it kept you guessing as it was fast paced and entertaining.