Frances Adams has been haunted her whole life after visiting a fortune teller at 16 and being told several things about her future. When her Great nice Annie is summoned to Frances's estate, she thinks it is just to sign some papers after Frances has decided to change her will, but before anything can be read or signed, her body is found.

Following past and present POVs, Frances in the past in the years after the fortune telling as it takes a hold on her life, and Annie in the present using the files 'Castle Knoll Files' that Frances wrote to try and solve her murder. This was a good cosy mystery with two great lead characters.

Thank you @NetGalley, Dutton, and @penguinbooks for my free copy to read and review! I alternated between listening to the audiobook and reading the arc.

LOVED, LOVED this exciting cozy murder mystery! Fans of Riley Sager and Agatha Christie will really enjoy this read!

1965, teenager Frances Adams is read her fortune that foretells of her future murderous demise. When D-day finally approaches, Frances wills her estate to the heir that solves her death.

In comes Annie Adams, an aspiring mystery novelist, eager to get to know her great-Aunt through her writings and by solving all the mysteries of Frances’ life and death. First mystery being the discovery of a trunk of bones, human bones — decades old. Bones belonging to Frances’ missing childhood friend, Emily.

Annie works to solve both murders before time runs out, all while, trying to remain safe herself. As Annie discovers many truths, the murderer is revealed, one that is truly SHOCKING!

A cosy country whodunit with a twist.

When wanna be crime fiction writer Annie is called upon to solve the murder of a family member, she quickly finds that that very family member has been trying to solve her own murder for many years already.

Perfect for fans of the Thursday Murder Club. This mystery will keep you guessing right until the end.

Intriguing mystery brought to life with wonderful audiobook narration!

I was immediately drawn to this book by it’s beautiful, slightly creepy cover. It gave me all the classic mystery vibes and I was very pleased to find that the story within matched these perfectly. HOW TO SOLVE YOUR OWN MURDER has all of the hallmarks of golden age mystery fiction, with a wonderfully deep plot, a cast of characters you don’t know whether to trust, a breathtaking ending, and a quaint village location that just about masks the sinister underbelly! Perrin writes in a marvellously engaging way, lacing the intrigue and tension with humour and excellent characterisation. I lost myself in this story and felt truly transported to Castle Knoll. I really enjoyed how the narrative moved between time periods, allowing the historic events in the 1960s to unfold alongside the present day happenings. This created suspense from multiple angles and I really enjoyed trying to piece together how the past events influenced the present day. I formed many opinions and theories as I read, but the explosive ending was not at all where I thought the story would take me! This is a really accomplished debut and I can’t wait for book two in the Castle Knoll Files.

The audiobook is excellent, with pitch perfect narration from Alexandra Dowling and Jaye Jacobs. Both imbued the large cast of characters with life, giving each a distinctive voice, making it easy to follow along with the dialogue. The pace was just right, allowing the tension and mystery to build gradually, then gaining momentum as the plot unravelled and the action comes to a crescendo. I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook and found I didn’t want to take my headphones off!

How To Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin


Thank you to NetGalley and Kristen Perrin for the audiobook arc in exchange for an honest review.


I am a fan of the Cosy Mystery Genre. I was delighted to be accepted for this one. We follow the story of Frances Adams who has waited her whole life for her prediction told at a fair by a fortune teller when she was 16 to come true, and her great niece Anna who is solving her great Aunt Frances death. Told in duel timelines the 60s and present day I enjoyed the swapping between the past and the present and seeing the mystery of the death of Frances and the disappearance of her friend Emily unfold. It had me wondering if they were linked or completely coincidental.
There were quite a few characters in this one so at times it was hard to keep up with who was who although the use of two narrators to distinguish between the two voices of Frances and Annie was a good move, it definitely helped keep the story distinct and easier to follow.
This was an easy read that was enjoyable, I will look forward to reading more from Kristen Perrin.

2.5 stars

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.

Ever since a fortune teller told her this prediction on a fair in 1965, Frances is convinced she'll end up murdered one day. She becomes fixated on solving her own murder before it's happened.

Current day, Annie gets summoned to Frances' solicitor's office. Her great aunt has decided to make some changes to her will that will make Annie her sole heir of her belongings. But before the will can be read, Frances' body is found.

This book switches between diary entries of Frances in 'The Castle Knoll Files' and Annie's perspective, trying to solve not one, but two murders.

Things I liked: the Agatha Christie-ness of it all, the mystery itself, and the small town vibes.

Things I disliked: most of the characters, and the overly detailed droning up of red herrings and maybe-important details. Both of these downsides made it difficult to keep track of this large cast of characters and made the book feel a little too long for me. Especially the first half felt pretty slow.

Since this is the first book in a series: Will I be continuing it? I'm not sure. I might. I kind of want to know more about this town and dive a little deeper into the lives of its inhabitants.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for the advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 stars!
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thank you to netgalley and kristen perrin for the audiobook arc in exchange for an honest review.
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this book was really enjoyable from beginning to end.
i'm a huge cozy mystery reader from time to time and this was the perfect book to fill that need. it was super fast paced and just really enjoyable overall.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the advanced copy of this book!

I listened to the audio version of this one. Both book and narrator were fantastic! It was so easy to get into this story and once I was in, I couldn't bear pressing pause.

I don't usually venture into this type of genre, but I absolutely will from now on. It was a great time, with a great mystery, and a great cast of characters. I can't wait to see what the main character gets up to next! - Posted to goodreads and storygraph.

Frances Adams has waited her whole life for a fortune tellers prophecy to come true. But not for dreams of love, etc. No, she's been waiting for the day she's murdered. Her obsession is well known. Most think she's at best eccentric, or worse, deluded. Until, of course, she is murdered. Her great niece Annie has just arrived from London, too late to meet Frances. But she soon learns that Frances hasn't just waited for her fate. Instead, she's gathered information on every person who she thinks could be the killer. And just to spice things up, she leaves her entire fortune to one person. Whoever can solve her murder.

A great cosy mystery that alternates between the present and the past, a dual POV between Anna in the present and Frances in the years following the prophecy. They are both immensely likeable protagonists. You can see the similarities in their characters and how the times that they have grown up in have affected how they approach their lives.

I listened to the audio version of this novel. It works very well in this format, and both narrators do a fantastic job.

I'm not a huge fan of cosy mysteries, but the premise of this really appealed to me. And I'm glad it did as I really enjoyed it. I may now be officially a convert.

An easy listening cosy crime mystery. Frances Adams has spent her whole life investigating her future murder, as predicted by a fortune teller at a country fair when she was a teen. When the murder finally takes place during her twilight years, it is left to her great niece Annie to solve the mystery by sifting through the clues and secrets in Frances’ country estate and, by so doing, inherit the old woman’s wealth. With a large cast of eccentric characters, some hostile to Annie’s quest and others more inclined to lend a helping hand, Annie manages to reveal a multitude of local scandals and secrets and place her in the cross hairs of someone who has a lot to lose from their revelation.

Using two narrators to distinguish between the two narrative voices of Frances and Annie was a good move as it helped keep the story distinct and easier to follow.

With thanks to the author, the e-book publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook pre-publication.

(Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review)

The small, rural town vibes really helped give this book a cosy mystery atmosphere and it felt like an episode of a show like Midsummer Murders, which I loved. The mix of POVs and timelines through the diary entries helped deepen the plot and provide some interesting reveals which I liked. The plot overall has lots of twists and is fast-paced but not necessarily engaging the entire time.

There are also a lot of characters in the book. Like a lot. And they didn’t all have the depth needed to make them stand out from each other. Even the main character Annie didn’t have a lot of depth or development. She had the potential to be a really good Nancy Drew type of character (especially considering she writes mystery novels for a living) but instead was just a bit of a mediocre protagonist.

The narration of this audiobook was very good and the plot was still easy to follow. I also really appreciated how the narrator put a lot of effort into the characters, as this helped me to distinguish between them a bit more.

A lovely, cosy mystery, set in a quaint Dorset village. The writing was great, the narration equally so and I look forward to more in this series. Thank you for my review copy,

Firstly I love a double narrative story. Different time lines, told through Francis diaries. I was kept on my toes guessing throughout and did not expect who the killer was. There were a fair few character along the way. Some infelt could of been more involved like Laura, she was a bit brushed aside. With her why is she got talking to her parents or Annie's father. Maybe answers for book 2. I also loved the idea of Castle knoll, as beautiful little village, it really set the scene.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: 4 stars

Cover: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Despite the simplicity of this design, I love the vibrant, eye-catching colours used. I also like how the gothic text font and illustrations convey the mystery/thriller genre of the story.

Writing: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
The picturesque writing style smoothly creates an atmospheric narrative and setting. Alternating chapters between past and current events are also skillfully used to deliver crucial backstories and add to the building tension across the story.

"that’s the thing with lies. They’re much easier to believe when it’s an idea you like."

Storyline: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Past teenage drama and a present race against time due to inheritance drama made this an intriguing murder mystery reminiscent of Agatha Christie. The secrets gradually revealed throughout the story created a sense of tension and danger that led to a gripping climax, even with some convent plot devices.

Main character(s): 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Annie Adams’ kind yet clever personality made her character engaging and easy to like. Besides this, her methodical approach to the mystery and gradual paranoia brilliantly added to the tension in the story and made it easy to root for her. I only wished her character had experienced more growth or complexity.

"If you are trying to corner a killer, the odds of getting yourself killed in the process skyrocket."

Secondary characters: 🌟🌟🌟
Although the secondary characters were introduced in gentle waves, I struggled to keep track of the large cast throughout the story. Only the characters involved in past events seemed to have strong, complex personalities, which made them somewhat memorable.

Narration & Audio: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Alexandra Dowling and Jaye Jacobs do a great job narrating this audiobook as they enrich the atmosphere of the story and use natural vocal inflexions. However, there were some weird, long pauses, and the character voices could have been stronger.

"You can play without a plan, but you’ll probably lose."

In short, ‘How to Solve Your Own Murder’ is a clever, drama-filled whodunit that had me guessing until the very end!

I really enjoyed reading this cozy whodunnit. I was particularly impressed with it seeing that it is a debut novel. I look forward to reading future books written by this author.

I like the way the chapters alternate between past and present and mysteries from then and from now are unveiled bit by bit. I very much enjoyed the audiobook format of this novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an impartial and honest review.

I am so glad that my very first ARC was this one! It reminded me so much of Agatha Christie and I just loved the vibes! I listened to it on audio and I thought that the narrator did a fantastic job. The story drew me in quickly and had me so eager to solve the murder. It was an interesting concept to have Frances' obsessed with solving her own eventual murder. I also like that her past was intertwined and revealed through journal entries and we were learning about her past alongside Annie. I loved both Frances and Annie as characters and the author did a wonderful job of making me feel like I was right there with them throughout the book. I thought that both Frances and Annie were great detective characters in their search for the murderer and I loved Frances' traps! I can't wait to see more from this author!

To be honest, I find this being more women fiction novel with some aspects of the murder mystery, so do not expect any heavy sleuthing here. It is a light-hearted, nice story told from the dual point of view of grandmother and granddaughter, where both of them concentrate on solving a murder - in one case her own murder! Expect fate and prophecies, castles and men, friends and enemies...while both of the women are also living and maybe hoping for...love. I got invested into their relationships with the people around them more than I expected.

This was a delightful book that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was a cosy mystery, perfect for those who are looking for a quick and easy read. The storyline was engaging and kept me interested throughout. However, I must say that some parts of the story were a bit hard to believe. For instance, I found it quite unbelievable that the police would allow the potential heirs of a fortune to stay at the home of a murder victim. Some of the characters were also so eccentric, it made it difficult to believe that they were realistic.

Despite these minor issues, I still loved the book. The main character, Annie, was my favourite. She was charming, and I enjoyed following her throughout the story. Even though I knew that she would come out on top, I was still intrigued to see how she would solve the case.

Another character that I loved was Frances. Although we only know her through her diary and after her death, she was still a fascinating character, and I would have loved to know more about her.

I sincerely hope that this book becomes a series so that I can learn more about what happens to Annie. I am also hoping that there is a romance between her and the detective. Additionally, I would love to read stories that are connected to Frances while she was alive and any mysteries she might have uncovered.

Overall, this was a well-written cosy mystery that I enjoyed reading. The plot was well-developed, and the characters were delightful. I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the genre.

Francis always knew that she would be murdered. On the day she brings together the potential heirs of her fortune. She is found dead. Now in order to inherit her wealth her heirs must solve her murder at her home, She has left a wealth of information that could lead to solving the crime. Unfortunately Francis was never able to pinpoint her potential murder during her life.
The story is told in two timelines that of the current quest to find the murderer and also Francis in her younger years. The narrator did a good job in holding your attention and building up the tension of the story.

Many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to listen to an arc.

Its a conspicuous title with a cozy mystery vibe cover and as it intends, it does spike some interest.
The book has an Agatha Christie vibe : manor house, multiple murder suspects and an intelligent investigator.

A prophecy claimed 'dry bones' and 'murder' in France's future. The fortune was foretold when she was just seventeen but it took sixty years to come true. By the way, she did not come back from grave 'to solve her own murder' but, by adding it as a puzzle to inherit her estate, she ensured someone did.

There is a huge cast of characters and it took me atleast 50% of the book to fit in each of their names and relationship in the equation. Narration flips between current investigation and old diary entries, both of which are written in first person, which makes it difficult to realize when the timeline switch happens. Once I overcame these execution challenges the story started coming to forefront and become interesting.

Multiple people with the murder motive keeps the mystery alive and soon we realize we are solving not just one murder. There are family secrets revealed adding spice to the drama. It often feels more like a movie playing out, credit goes to the narrator.