Loved the unique perspectives in this wonderful mystery.

The flashbacks were stunning and I loved the performance of the narrator.

"How to Solve Your Own Murder" is a captivating story written by Kristen Perrin that follows the intriguing journey of Frances Adams, a woman who had always believed she would be murdered. Over sixty years, Frances painstakingly gathers information on everyone she meets in a desperate attempt to prevent her ultimate demise. However, her concerns are brushed off until the day she is tragically found dead.
The narrative also introduces Annie, Frances's niece, who finds herself thrust into the challenge of solving the mystery of her aunt's murder and inheriting millions. Alongside other potential heirs, Annie embarks on a journey into the past, gradually uncovering secrets and deceptive leads that could potentially lead them to the elusive killer.
One of the story's strengths is the author's masterful use of a dual timeline narrative, which adds depth and complexity to the plot. Additionally, the characters in the book are expertly crafted, each adding its own unique flavour to the genre of cosy detective stories. However, despite these commendable efforts, I personally struggled to stay fully engaged in the story. While the genre typically captivates me with its speculation, intricate questions, and intricate connections, this particular book did not have the same effect. Still, I found it challenging to fully immerse myself in the pleasure of becoming an amateur detective and actively participating in the investigation.
Nevertheless, "How to Solve Your Own Murder" does offer a satisfactory and logical resolution to the mystery surrounding Frances's murder, which is something I had anticipated to some extent. The scene where the murderer is unveiled is both ominous and fitting, staying true to the expectations of this particular genre. Furthermore, including a second timeline depicting Frances and her friends in their youth provides an additional layer of depth to the narrative, offering more red herrings and potential clues for readers to ponder.
In conclusion, Kristen Perrin's "How to Solve Your Own Murder" is a clever and humorous crime novel. While it may not have fully captured my interest, it undoubtedly provides an enjoyable and thrilling story for fans of cosy mysteries.

A young woman investigates her great aunt’s murder. Atmospheric mystery in the vein of old English detective novels. Back and forth between modern time with the h and the 60’s with her aunt. This cozy mystery unfortunately gave Nancy Drew more than Knives Out. The messiness of the romance in the past I could do without even though I understand that it informs the present. My biggest issue was that this felt like a novella padded with 50% extra fluff. I was bored. I apologize if this sounds harsh but this badly needed an editor to do some chopping and condensing. Either the flashback or modern story needed to be more brisk and shorter or one storyline needed to go. Both stories and their mystery reveals were too simple for the each story to feel so dense. I also wished that there were quicker more interesting ways to tell us things about each character. More show, less tell is great in mysteries otherwise info dumps bog it down. The writing sets a great gothic atmosphere and flows really well in moments of arguments and tense conversations though. The audiobook narrator also got the airy, posh tone of the entertaining but snotty cast perfectly.

*It was a pleasure to read the ARC for How To Solve Your Own Murder, thank you K. Perrin and Quercus.

I enjoyed the multiple narrative past and present. Very similar vibe to Aghata Christy , everyone is a suspect . I was hooked from the beginning! Thanks for audio. Listening to the story was great!

How To Solve Your Own Murder is a dual timeline murder mystery/detective story that I read on audio and really enjoyed.

It’s out on the 26th of March and has been described as perfect reading for fans of Knives Out and Only Murders in the Building, and I’d agree that those are pretty accurate comparisons.

In 1965 Frances is told by a fortune teller that she’ll be murdered, so of course she spends the next 60 years trying to prevent this from happening; living an increasingly paranoid life in the process. When her great-niece Annie arrives to Frances’s sprawling country estate to check on her, and finds the fortune tellers predication has come true, she immediately sets about finding the killer. Of course, this puts Annie both on a trip down memory lane, going through all of Frances’s old diaries etc., and directly in the path of the murderer.

I enjoyed this, I thought the narrator did a great job and it was a fun listen. I liked Annie as a character and the reveal of the killer was both sinister, and made sense, which is what you want in a story like this. Equally I found myself engaged by the second timeline in the book; Frances and her friends in their youth. Lots of red herrings and possible clues, which as an Agatha Christie fan, I’m a big fan of.

With many thanks to @netgalley and @quercusbooks for the opportunity to read an early copy of #HowToSolveYourOwnMurder, all opinions are my own, as always.

This was fun and felt different. Annie must solve her Great Aunt’s murder before another family member or the police do, and within seven days, or risk losing a £40m inheritance. Her Great Aunt already knew it was coming having been told by a fortune teller in her past. I listened on Audio and it was really well narrated, with well defined character voices, which always helps when there are numerous suspects. The story is quirky, set in a small south west village and isn’t overly dark or grisly. Recommended.

The plot follows Frances, who went to the fortune teller when she was 17 and got one of the worst possible predictions: she'd be murdered one day. Of course, she became obsessed with the idea of preventing the crime, as she should lol.

Alas, her fears came true 60 years later, but she left all her detective work and her diary behind. With that, she challenged the family and friends who never believed her: the person who solves her murder gets her inheritance. One of those people is Frances' great-niece, Annie. So, the story goes back and forth in time, alternating between Annie's POV and Frances' diary entries.

The premise is great, I was very excited by it, but it didn't deliver for me personally. I think the comparison to Knives Out is somewhat accurate in the sense that this is a low-stakes mystery with a lot of characters, but it's missing, idk, the charm and comedy. Tbh, I found it kinda boring.

I understand it's a cozy mystery, not an action-packed one, but cozy should still be engaging and this wasn't engaging to me. Maybe the narration has something to do with that, but I'm not sure reading the book would've made a difference.

Because I wasn't engaged, I found it difficult to keep track of the characters and care about anything going on with them. The mystery just wasn't giving, so I wasn't invested. I didn't have the fun I usually have with this kind of story where I speculate about the characters and things that happen, have questions, strive to connect the dots, and look forward to seeing how things end.

All that said, this was my experience. It sucks that I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would, but I see a lot of people loving this book and having fun with it. So, I think if it calls to you, you should definitely give it a shot and see how you like it.

When Annie Adams receives a letter to inform her she is now the heir to her great aunt's fortunes, she's intrigued to travel to Castle Knoll and finally meet her relative for the first time. However when she arrives, great aunt Frances is dead! Frances believed from the age of 16 that she would be murdered one day, after receiving a mysterious fortune. For 60 years she kept files on everyone in her life, collecting secrets to keep a killer at bay. In order to inherit the fortune, Annie must work out who the killer is in 7 days. Can Annie solve the mystery on time or is the clock ticking on her own life?

I loved how the story was told, we get flashbacks to Frances being a teenager told through her diary entries, when one of her friends disappeared. The past and present storylines overlap, with characters from Frances' past still in her life in the future. I thought the mystery was very clever, I felt like I was constantly suspecting others and picking up on clues and loved how it all panned out. Possibly a cliche to say but it felt like a modern Agatha Christie: small town with lots of suspects and motives with the plot tying up nicely by the end.

The audiobook narrator did a great job, there was a slight difference in accent and tone to the sections that were present day and the diary flashbacks. I felt so compelled to read this, I devoured it! I felt it shake me out of my slight reading slump.

Best of all, I was excited to see Castle Knoll Files #1, meaning there's a sequel some time in the future, which I will be eagerly awaiting. A cracking murder mystery!

What a cracker of a book, and start of a series! The cover and title had me pausing for a second look and when I read the blurb, I was very keen for a read. I love a good mystery, especially years in the making and this one with a touch of fortune telling to boot.

Written in a style that is told in the present day with flashes back to the 60's by way of diary entries is very clever. This means it is told through both present day Annie's voice and 17 year old Frances as well.

I loved the way it was written and it flowed effortlessly off the page. There were quite a few head scratcher's along the way, some of which I had guessed earlier than the reveal and others that were a bit of a surprise.

The characters were very lovable and I was stoked to see it is the start of a series, which means more from Frances and Annie! Hopefully along the way we will find a love match in detective Crane as well!

I had the audiobook version of this book which was fantastic to listen to. The narrator was very skilled and made the voices sound appropriately mischievous/lighthearted/grumpy or scared.

Storygraph - How To Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin is a good fit for people who are in the mood for a gripping and adventurous mystery that delves into the complexities of toxic friendships and whodunnit puzzles, with a touch of cozy charm.
4.5 stars!
Thanks to Netgalley and the author and publisher for a temporary copy in exchange for an honest review.

THIS IS THE BEST BOOK I READ THIS YEAR (GRANTED IT'S ONLY JANUARY)

If you love murder mysteries, like Knives out, this is ABSOLUTELY perfect!

Annie Adams receives a notification that she is now the heir to her distant aunt who she never met before. To sign the documents, she has to go to the city of Castle Knoll where her aunt lives, except... when she gets there her aunt is dead!

To complicate things even more, her aunt decides to make solving her murder a game: whoever finds her killer gets her inheritance! Now, Annie has to decide who her allies are and who her enemies are.

The best part about this books is that it is the first in a series because I hope to read many many more of these. The writing is amazing. The way the story goes from past to present really ties everything together. There are lots of plot twists (or revelations). At some point, I was shouting to my cats "OMG! I can't believe XXX is XXX's daughter".

Go read it!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book is utterly delicious- so cleverly written and loved the protagonist from the start. I hope there will be a series coming!!

I read this book a few months ago and loved it, so I was really excited when I got approved to listen to the audiobook version. The story is just as thrilling the second time around, and knowing the ending didn't spoil my enjoyment at all! I found myself noticing more subtle hints during Annie's investigation that I missed the first time, and the climactic scene towards the end (no spoilers here!) was just as exciting!

The dual narrators - one for present day Annie, and one for 1960s Frances - helped differenciate between the two characters and timelines. I did find the reading quite slow and with long pauses at times that didn't really fit with the narrative, but I listened on 1.5x speed which made it flow much better.

I was hooked by the two interwoven mysteries that unfolded across two different time periods. I always enjoy flashback chapters, so the alternating narratives were a highlight for me!

Overall this story was very enjoyable. It wasn't too predictable, or far-fetched, and had the perfect amount of mystery, intrigue, and drama.

This is a very interesting story. Most of us would never imagine planning our own murder…of that is
what indeed takes place. The secrets are abundant and no one is without something they wish to
kept under wraps.
The clever characters and interesting backdrop kept me engaged in this story set in the English
country side.
My thanks to Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley for a download copy of this book for review purposes.

First I'd like to thank Netgalley and the author for making the audiobook available. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and genuinely began to forget about the real world while reading it. The characters are relatable and real, and in some cases highly despicable. The ability to make a character riviled with honestly pretty minimal effort is remarkable. 

I liked the overall story and felt it was exactly as twisty as you'd want it to be. 

The narrator does a beautiful job and deserves some real credit to how enjoyable this book was.

I was really excited to get the opportunity to get an advanced copy of How To Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin. The promotional blurb of the book sounded fascinating and a ‘must read’.

In 1965 Frances Adams was told as a teenager that one day she will be murdered, which she blindly believes. She then spends her entire life collating evidence in archived notebooks in preparation for her inevitable murder. When she is found dead, a stipulation of her will is that whoever solves her murder will inherit her vast estate.

The story moves along from the point of view of Anna, Frances’s great-niece, as she investigates Frances’s death. It also has an historical thread as it chronicles Frances’s teenage years and disappearance of one of her friends.

The audiobook is expertly narrated by Alexandra Dowling and Jaye Jacobs, who both really brought the book to life.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I found the two threads of the story compelling and enjoyed all the twists and turns.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Quercus, for making this e-audio-ARC available to me in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I look forward to reading more books by Kristen Perrin in the future.

I adored this - a lovely quick read with good pacing, two intriguing mysteries, a cosy murder setting and characters that you can't wait to know better. Couldn't put it down

I wasn't expecting to enjoy it this much, as recently, it rarely happens that a crime story delivers what it promises in the description, but this one worked for me just fine. It combines two timelines, each one with its own crime, with classic small-town investigation and the cherry on top - competition for the inheritance. In the present, an eccentric old lady, whose biggest obsession was preparing for being murdered due to decades old fortune-telling, finally meets her fate, when she's indeed, surprise, surprise, killed. After her death, her closest relatives are invited to participate in a competition to inherit her vast fortune IF they solve her murder and among them is her great-niece, who might hold a key to the truth behind all the secrets. This key being, enter the second timeline, a diary of the murdered great aunt that reveals tensions among her peers group from 60 years prior. This combination of retro and present-day narrative proves to be successful and introduces a nice and steady pace to the story. I quite liked the main character, a bit trope-y at the beginning (she's a wannabe writer with no job), but turns out to be smart and aware of the dangers she puts herself into. The book wouldn't work for me this much if it didn't make the most of it side characters. The village is full of them and the author managed to incorporate all in the story, in both timelines, which makes the mystery rich and more complicated, but really fun. The ending landed for me just fine, which itself deserves 3 stars at least.
As for the audiobook, there were two narrators, one of which had a weird manner of making really long pauses between sentences, which was really confusing sometimes - I often thought that the next line was the begging of the next chapter because of that (and I was wrong).

Thank you to net gallery and the author and publisher for this arc copy of the audio book. I really enjoyed the narrator of this audio book as she made you feel like she was part of the book and you could feel all the characters emotions thought the way she read this book which I really enjoyed. The characters in this book were all told so well and described is so much detail which helped you learn about the characters a lot. I like the way the story went from the past to the future as that made the book a lot more engaging to the reader as you got to see the different parts of the story and how it all clicked together in the end. I really like the main character she was so well written and she brought the book to life more and I enjoyed watching her though out the book and how she become more confident though out the book. The ending of the book and the killer of the book I didn’t expect at all as I thought it was another character but when all the puzzle pieces were put together it made sense why the killer was who it was and why they did what they did and try to do towards the end of the book. I really enjoyed the ending were her mum kept the house she loved and she stayed in the village to get to know her family and wrrr her family roots came though. The only character I wasn’t 100% sure of was the police officer as he did creep me out though out the book and he just seemed a bit odd and over bearing in my opion. Also this book bought back my true love of reading again and bought me out of a reading slump. I will be reading more books by this author in the future for definite xxx

Thank you to netgalley and Kristen Penn for the free audio arc in exchange for an honest review.

The narrator really makes this a fun and enjoyable listen when the story is, at best, average. Alternating between Frances and Annie's stories, we see two sides of the same murder - what came (long) before and what came after.

Much of Annie's story is a little too midsummer murders with the main character constantly reminding us how she is an intelligent writer. Frances' story set in 1965, however, is much more fun with chaos and teen drama aplenty, relayed in the form of journals or. 'case files’.

The ending is a little too chaotically paced and skews the story but, for the most part its a fine story.

I loved this book from the beginning. It avoids Clichés, and Annie and Frances are perfect protagonists. Sometimes, I thought I knew where the story was going, but I was wrong, which is always a good sign! This book was a brilliant read.