A fab cosy crime novel with multiple layers - of mystery, characters and narrations. We follow Annie in present day who is called to hear her great aunt's, Frances, will reading after she dies. She quickly believes that something is wrong and crime must be afoot. She's then tasked with solving the murder of Frances.

The second storyline is following Frances when she was younger. It was predicted that she would get murdered, which is why is was prepared in her old age. A crime occurs at this time too, which Annie also tries to solve.

I really enjoyed it - it was cosy at times, focused on people and relationship, but also had some harder crimes going on. The writing was also very engaging, accessible and I enjoyed the two narrations. In the end, I would definitely pick up #2 in the Castle Knoll Files series, so that says a lot!

Big recommend from me.

I’m afraid this book wasn’t for me. Its upper middle class characters and settings were like something out of an Agatha Christie novel but, due to the modern day setting, without the excuse of a bygone age . The characters were fairly formulaic; the faded artist living in the run down Chelsea house, the clever but rather dull daughter who is the main focus and a series of other forgettable village characters that promised some colour but delivered very little. The plot did twist and turn and created a level of suspense but I largely lost interest and didn’t really care who did it in the end so long as the story finished. Even then the chapters following the dénouement seemed superfluous but did hold the promise of more adventures to come. I’m afraid I wil not be joining those but I’m sure there will be people who enjoy the escapism.

This was a good murder mystery.
The victim didn't solve her own murder, of course, so the title is a little misleading. However, she collected evidence and left enough hints for somebody else to solve the murder when it finally happened.
It is amazing just how superstitious some people can be. The victim spent most of her life under the shadow of impending doom due to something a fortune-teller said to her when she was 17. Unfortunately, she didn't have any classic schooling, or else she would have known that every prophecy lefts lost of room for interpretation, and can't be taken literally -- which is exactly what she did.
Annie, the main character, is nice. You soon find out who the creeps are here, but I'm not telling if they are really creeps, or if that are red herrings -- of which there are quite a lot here.
The narration was perfect, and I spent some very enjoyable hours listening to this clever murder mystery.
Many thanks to Quercus Editions Limited via #netgalley for my review copy!

Way back in the swinging sixties, Frances, Rose and Emily were inseperable. Their teenage friendship begins to show the strain around the same time that Frances becomes obsessed with a cryptic message from a fortune-teller. The message implies that Frances will fall victim to a grim murder and that, only by choosing the right 'daughter' will she find justice. Fast forward to the present day and Frances' Great-Neice, Annie is called to meet, for the first time, her Great Aunt Frances. What follows is a twisty who done it which sits very well in the cozy mystery genre.

📕 How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin
📕 Murder mystery
📕 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐
📕 Out on 26 March

An enjoyable read for Agatha Christie and Thursday Murder Club fans.

SYNOPSIS:
"A fun mystery about a woman who spends her entire life trying to prevent her foretold murder only to be proven right sixty years later, when she is found dead in her sprawling country estate... Now it's up to her great-niece to catch the killer." Goodreads

MY THOUGHTS:

🕵🏻 I enjoyed jumping between two timelines: the past, set out in diary entries, and the present day as the young main character (Annie) reads the diary entries whilst trying to uncover her aunt's killer.

🕵🏻 An enjoyable cosy mystery with Agatha Christie style shenanigans.

🕵🏻 There are a lot of characters, which is something my brain struggles with, but I appreciate that might just be me.

🕵🏻 Although a charming cosy story with likeable (partially developed) characters, it seemed a little long when reading, which it isn't but it wasn't so just felt that way at times for me.

Annie is summon to her rich eccentric great aunt Frances to meet for the first time, of course Frances turns up dead before they can meet. And of course great aunt Frances has made her death into a game, solve my murder and get the whole estate.

Fun idea but our main character is isolated and don’t feel I really get to know her and she has no quirky sidekick or similar. She does have her friend and mom on the phone at times but very little camaraderie or friendly interactions for her. I never really warmed to her. And you’d think that someone that wants to be a cozy author (our main character) would be smarter than putting herself in mortal danger.

Parts of the book is aunt Frances diary entries from the 1960’s, they don’t read like they are from the 60’s and takes you out of it a little. All in all, it’s alright.

I had the audio version and the lovely Alexandra Dowling does a wonderful job reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.
I do love a murder mystery and this had that and more! This book covers 2 timelines and 2 murder mysteries in one & a hint of a potential romance.

It was a nice easy read, story was fairly easy to follow after the first few timeline changes but I do think having another voice for Francis for this audiobook would have made it easier and more enjoyable to listen too.

Annie was a very likeable and relatable main character and there was an interesting bunch of characters and their own secrets to get to know in this little Village.
I see it looks to be the first in a series, I will keep an eye for future books and see if I fancy the next one!

Overall, a lovely book to tick off book 31 of the year!

Thank you for the complementary audiobook in exchange for my review, NetGalley and publisher!

This was an enjoyable whodunnit with a dual timeline and more red herrings than in a fish monger’s! Purely for personals reasons I’m more a fan of straight procedurals than this blend of relationship driven mysteries, but in its genre it’s very well written and engaging with a surprising ending.

📚BOOK REVIEW 📚

HOW TO SOLVE YOUR OWN MURDER - Kristen Perrin

Thank you #netgalley and #quercusaudio for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐✨/5

UK publication: 26th March 2024

In short, this was a very enjoyable, unpredictable whodunnit murder mystery that I found hard to put down.
I've realised that I'm not one for picking holes in a book but tend to rate it purely on how much I enjoyed reading it. I also like to rate within the trope - so I wouldn't complain about a predictable love story if I'm reading a romcom, for example. With that in mind, how to solve your own murder is exactly what you would want from this genre - small town, town secrets, a history to be explored, high stakes and multiple players. I really enjoyed self awareness of that book as Anna would reference in her mind, as an aspiring author of murder mystery, the very tropes she was navigating.
I would definitely recommend this book and would read more from this author. I very much enjoyed the narration of Alexandra Dowling and Jayne Jacobs.
Thank you for keeping me company whilst I washed my carpet and sofa 🤣
4.5 ⭐ rounded up to 5

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher quercus for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook before the book is published! This book is the first in the series, I'm not sure what will come next as I felt like it finished off nicely with no loose ends. Narration of audiobooks really makes or breaks a book and I'm pleased that this narrator did a fantastic job of allowing the reader to immerse themselves into the story. At first it was difficult to understand the relation between all the characters as there are so many, but the author did a brilliant job at giving subtle hints of who's who and how we know them when switching between timelines. I'm an absolute sucker for books that go back in time and to present, really leaves me guessing! This is definitely a book to be read by everyone this year and its safe to say you won't be disappointed!

I really enjoyed listening to this, whilst it may be a murder mystery the narrator was enchanting and soothing.
Definitely a cozy murder mystery type and it is quaint at times and borders a little on to highly unlikely to believe but I really enjoyed the whodunnit with a variety of characters and plenty of secrets… maybe a few too many of each because everyone was related or had dated / knew each other for the last 50yrs or so, which meant. I had to keep reminding myself how each character is linked to the other

I received this as a free ARC from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

Told in two timelines this murder mystery had me guessing to the end. Annie Adams is summoned to Castle Knoll for what she believes to be a meeting with her great aunt Francis . Francis is an eccentric who in 1965 with two of her friends visits a fortuneteller who fortells a grim future including Frances’ murder. On her arrival Annie finds that the prediction has come true and Francis has in fact been murdered. Annie now has to find the culprit in order to protect her inheritance. The story is told through Frances’ diaries and Annie’s investigations and I had absolutely no idea who the murderer was, as there were numerous red herrings and suspects. The narrators, Alexandra Dowling and Jaye Jacobs do a marvellous job recreating, the feeling and tension within the novel. I enjoyed this audiobook and I will be looking for more this series. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to listen to this novel in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this audiobook, which I listened to while completing some admin.

Main character Annie Adams is a great invention - a wannabe crime writer who is contacted out-of-the-blue by her eccentric Great Aunt Frances who has named her as her heir despite never having met her before.

Travelling down to Castle Knoll, Annie is disappointed when Frances, who has lived her entire adult life believing she will be murdered, *is* murdered. Annie and her cousins are challenged to find the killer - whichever of them does will inherit the whole estate.

The roots of the murder stem from another committed decades before, not long after Frances was told by a fortune-teller that her future was dry bones …

It’s rare for me to call a modern murder mystery fun, but that’s exactly what this was. The more familiar you are with the tropes of golden age crime, the more you’ll enjoy this 21st century homage.

Three Word Review: dry bones speak.

What if you're just a teenager when a fortune teller reveals your life will be filled with betrayal and end in your murder? Some people might choose to live each day as their last but not Frances Adams, who dedicates her life to finding out who will kill her. When the fortune comes true and Frances is found murdered, it's up to an estranged relative to find out who, among many people, hated Frances enough to kill her.

I'm giving this audiobook three stars because I liked it but didn't love it. I love the original premise of the fortune teller predicting the death and the excerpts from Frances diary. Also the idea that the you'll only receive her fortune if you solve her murder. On the flip side, I didn't really warm to any of the characters, so didn't really feel invested or immersed in the plot like I do with a book I am really enjoying. For me, the major drawbacks were with the characters - there were way too many of them, to the point that when the murderer was revealed, for a moment I thought "Who?". I don't buy the motivation behind the murder. I didn't really need the budding romance vibes and at the end, it felt like more effort was put into setting up the next book, rather than the plot of of this book.

I thought both narrators did a brilliant job though. I would give them five stars for their part in the book. They brough the book to life with a range of different voices.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

As cosy mysteries go, How To Solve Your Own Murder is a good one. It’s well-written, charming and entertaining, with great characters and witty dialogue. The excellently narrated audio version enhances the overall experience.

I really enjoyed this story! As a teenager, Frances is told by a fortune teller that she will be murdered. Sixty years later, as she has been telling anyone who will listen, the prophesy comes true. Annie, her grand-niece, becomes primary sleuth after travelling to her estate to understand recent changes to her will.

The extent of Frances's suspicion of everyone around her is clear when we learn that the person who solves her murder will inherit her estate. Annie narrates us through this twisty and intriguing murder-mystery, being young enough to make some brave mistakes, while winding together the various threads, clues, and red herrings.

It's a fabulous setting, in a small town with an interesting and fun cast of characters. It's a cosy-type mystery, but a little more edgy than strictly within that genre. I really liked Annie as a character, and I hope this is the beginning of a great new series. 4.5 stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Quercus for an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up
Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Audio for an audio arc in return for an honest review.
If you enjoy alternating timelines, cozy mysteries, Agatha Christie novels, or Knives Out, this is the book for you.
This book brings a sense of life and humor to the world of mystery through the diary of Frances, our victim, and her grand-niece, Annie. I really enjoyed watching Annie slowly piece together the aspects of Frances’ murder, and all of the adventures she had along the way. The alternating timelines kept me engaged, not wanting to put the book down for the first 25% or so. The audiobook was absolutely perfect - well read and easy to listen to. The audio was clear, the narrator’s inflection kept me engaged and made me feel like I was truly in the story.
I will say, around 30% the book I went a few days without picking it up because I lost a bit of interest. However, the pacing picked back up around 60% and then I was invested through the rest of the book. I was intrigued to see what happened with Saxon and what Annie figured out. I loved the ending, and - for the last 20% - I was incredibly invested. All in all, I definitely recommend this book!

An enjoyable mystery whodunnit debut which was a quick and light read. It featured a dual timeline which was easy to follow despite being quite intricate in places. Having some of the characters trying to solve the murders in order to inherit a vast fortune further added to the enjoyment.
I will definitely read future novels by the author.

As of today the fortune with which it all begins has become a rhyme that has stuck in my head and which will probably influence my next few months.

I've read few detective stories in my life, because it's not exactly my jam. I started this out of curiosity and I admit it, for the cover.
Consequently, I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that I continued to listen to it with interest, which means that the narration is captivating.

Annie, the protagonist, is easy to approach, she makes you love her immediately. She could be me, she could be you, any of us, the readers.
The characters that orbit around her are delicate brushstrokes, each with its own specific nuance.
I'm terrible at deduction skills so I didn't even try to find the culprit by following the clues and I can't put a finger on how strong the investigative part could be. I will simply say that I followed the investigations with interest and it never seemed to me that the steps were unfounded.

And I'm not ashamed to say that, in the end, I shed a tear because Annie never had the chance to meet Frances.

The audiobook is read in an excellent way. The tone of voice is perfect, it accompanies you in this story in a soft but at the same time exciting way, giving the right tone during the story. I listened to it for hours with great pleasure.

"Where there's a will, there's a way." in this case, solving Frances' murder is the way to receiving the proceeds of her will. Frances' obsession with a prediction of her murder told to her by a fortune teller when she was 16 has given her great-niece Annie everything she needs to uncover the truth.

It's a great story with a fabulous hook, entertainingly executed,