Frances receives bad news from a psychic as a young girl and is told she will be killed. Frances believes this to be true and sets about making a diary to lay down her thoughts on who it could possibly be if it does happen.

She decides to rewrite her will and calls all the people named in the Will to visit her so she can explain it but unfortunately someone kills her on the day they were due to meet. Annie her great niece and others have to solve the murder and the winner takes all her estate and her murderer punished.

Story is told partly from Annie’s point of view and other chapters are taken from Frances’ diary, which explains the complex friendships and families involved in the present time.

Not usually a fan of flashbacks in stories, just a personal taste but with this book it really worked.

Annie Adams has never met her wealthy great-aunt Frances but is invited to stay at her country estate in order to discuss recent changes to the older woman's will. Unfortunately, Annie arrives at the Castle Knoll estate to discover that Frances has been murdered and that the murder had been foretold many decades earlier.

Annie will need to find out whodunnit in order to inherit her great aunt's cash and to foil dastardly plots of those who wished Frances dead.

A fun romp with plenty of devious characters with secrets in their history.

I read an eARC of this book so thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley.

This is a clever mystery in which a character knows they are going to be murdered after having their fortune told in the 1960s so when they eventually are murdered, they’ve left copious clues and files on potential suspects with the hope that a family member can solve their murder.

We follow two timelines, Frances in the 1960s through her diary where we learn of her fortune, her friends and characters she encounters, and the disappearance of one of her close friends that scars her for life. In modern times we follow Frances’ estranged great niece who has been summoned to Frances’ stately home only to find her Great Aunt has been murdered and she must follow her instructions to solve the crime before the police do or she’ll lose her inheritance. She is competing against other family members who seem quite shady. She partakes in the investigation as she and her mother live in a house owned by Frances and they’ll lose their home if she doesn’t solve the case as her family members intend to evict them and sell the house.

This was entertaining and I liked the premise of the victim having left clues for someone to solve their murder. This worked quite well and meant our main character was able to find information that others couldn’t by learning her Great Aunt’s history. Others just resorted to brute force and it didn’t get them too far.

This is quite an unusual story as France’s seems determined from being a teenager that she will be murdered, completely believing a fairground fortune teller. The story is told in 2 time lines, when France’s is 17 and present day, I found this hard to follow at times. The country house and village setting is lovely and I found the descriptions delightful.

How To Solve Your Own Murder is a quirky, sweet read, that has the vibe of a Miss Marple mystery. A small chocolate box village, Castle Knoll, where everyone knows each other, and their secrets, is disturbed by the death of an eccentric elderly lady.

Lady Frances Gravesdown has been expecting her own murder since 1965, when a fortune teller, Madame Peony Lane, gave her a sobering prediction. This ominous verdict has cast a long shadow over Frances’ life, her every waking minute was consumed by her investigations into who would be responsible for her unnatural death.

The story is effectively told in dual timeline, thanks to The Castle Knoll Files. These are Frances’ detailed accounts of her life, and all that concerned her over the previous 60 years. They help bring to life to her younger days, and the complicated relationships that are only found in small towns and villages, where everyone’s histories are interlinked, and grudges can be held for decades, if not generations. Many of the colourful characters that we see in 1965, are still present in the village, bringing their motives into question, with regard to Frances’ demise.

I thoroughly enjoyed this cosy book, it has a Golden Age of mystery writing feel to it. It was a lovely light hearted mystery, without any gory details; making it suitable for all readers. I breezed through it in a few days, and I’m sure it will be a popular read on many a holiday this summer. 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.

I enjoyed this book by Kristen Perrin. We kick off in 1965 when 17 yr old Frances hears her fortune... discovering that she will one day be murdered. She'd probably laugh it off but there are elements of the fortune that have already made an appearance, including threatening letters.

We then move forward in time to the present, but don't actually meet Frances again as she dies just after the book starts. And now we meet Annie who's never met her great aunt Frances but she and her artist mother, live in a house owned by the now-older woman. There's some backstory to her mother's falling out with her family, nevertheless she's been led to believe she'll inherit Frances's fortune. Some day.

However, for reasons we later discover Frances decides to skip a generation and include Annie in her will instead, calling her to Dorset. It's only after she arrives [and finds her great aunt dead] she discovers Frances has pitched her against another relative... leaving her estate to whoever solves her murder, giving them a week to do so, or the fortune will be lost.

Annie believes Frances's murder is linked to the disappearance of one of her best friends (Emily) ... back in 1965, so sets out to uncover the events from decades earlier.

Perrin then takes us back to that time where we meet Frances and her best friends, Emily and Rose - Emily in particular pushing boundaries and frustrating Frances. I actually really enjoyed the events of this timeline as the girls' friendship is tested and as Frances falls in love. It's kinda nice knowing she's been happy given we learn she's spent her life obsessed with her pending murder.

I liked Annie (and as this is labelled #1 and she's a budding crime fiction author) I suspect we'll meet her again. I did find it a bit jarring however that she's never met her great aunt but feels very deserving of her inheritance nonetheless. I also felt a few other characters, including Frances's lawyer and his son weren't entirely consistent, though perhaps this was because we were meant to be suspicious of them.

This started a little slowly but was ultimately an enjoyable read. The 'old' mystery from 1965 was interesting but also sadly ironic given its eventual impact on the present (and indeed, Frances's entire life).

3.5 stars

As a teenager Frances is told by a fortune teller she will be murdered so she spends her life trying to figure out who and why. When she eventually is murdered her great niece attempts to find out who has done it with the help of diaries she has found.
An interesting story with two strands, the “then” and “now”. I found the characters interesting as was how the present day behaviour relates to the past.

I loved this! Such a great book, with neat flashbacks via diary entries and a compelling murder-mystery story, this was great fun.

I loved the unique premise of this - a life spent trying to solve your own (as yet not happened) murder after its predicted by a fortune teller. And I really enjoyed the strong characters including Annie Adams "recently redundant admin assistant by day, wannabe writer by night, "prone to fainting." and "a contestant in Great Aunt Frances' murder games." Frances herself is "a paranoid busybody". It was funny too such as best friend Jenny's astute observation: "If TV has taught us anything, it's that the murder rate in small villages is disproportionately high." The only thing I didn't like was the "why" behind it all. But that obviously didn't affect the read which I thoroughly enjoyed. I really hope there's a sequel as the ending suggests or opens up the possibility for.

The book follows two timelines, Frances' diary entries from the 1960s and Annies experiences in Castle Knoll. I enjoyed these dual narrative storylines, especially the journal entries by Frances.

The book involves two murders, 60 years apart. Even thought the clues are there, I was guessing until the end. A very clever murder mystery story.

One of the best murder mystery books I have ever read, if not the best one! Kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat for most of it, even the beginning which is a rarity for me. Reading this, even in the first few chapters, I was absolutely obsessed with the story, the intrigues, the different characters, and the mystery behind it all, which roughly means I only ever took breaks from reading when I had to sleep or work.

I don't want to give too much away of the plot because going in blind added so much to the mystery, so if family drama, small town gossip, high stakes, found family, and revenge themes resonate with you, run don't walk to get your hands on this book. It is a cozy mystery that doesn't loose its grip on the reader for being cozy, which is a complaint I had with past cozy mysteries.

Absolutely recommend this to lovers of mystery and Agatha Christie. Do not recommend this to those that are facing busy periods of their lives because they will feel the need to drop everything to read this just like I did. Can't wait to purchase myself a copy once this comes out!

Thank you NetGalley, Kristen Perrin and Quercus for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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.

It took me until approximately half way to really get into this book. I kept picking it up and putting it back down. I’m not a big fan of changing timelines and I didn’t love the MC in the present day (liked Frances though!!) It for more interesting and the big reveal was pretty good but then it just stopped. I feel there could have been something extra….

This was such a fun book! I've never read any cosy crime before and this was a great story to introduce me to the genre. With alternating timelines, an isolated community, and characters you're not sure you can trust, I was gripped. It feels weird to say that a murder mystery book can feel warm and cosy, but this one really did. I think it was the growing up aspects of it - seeing characters as teenagers in the flashbacks and then as adults dealing with grief and complicated life things. It gave the book a more grounded feel to it, and made the community feel more real.

I couldn't wait to find out what really happened to Frances and Emily. I really loved the fortune / premonition aspect of the book, and how that kind of festered and became an obsessive piece of the case. Watching everything come together was very satisfying, and I was surprised by the twist at the end.

The only reason I've marked it down a little is because I personally didn't really connect with the main character. I would've loved to see more of Frances and the 1960s timeline, but the writing from Annie's perspective felt a little stilted for me.

But I'd definitely recommend this one if you love your cosy crime, Richard Osman, Ian Moore, type books! It was a really nice change for me, and has made me want to explore the genre more.

A dual-timeline whodunnit that follows the recent death of an elderly woman seemingly ruled by her paranoia, and the investigations of her pseudo-grandniece into uncovering the truth behind her passing. Straddling the line between the cosy Death in Paradise and the darker Midsomer Murders, Perrin's cast of characters are enjoyable to follow and seem ripe for further adventures, even after the primary crime is solved by page's end, and her plotting of the mystery makes How to Solve Your Own Murder a breezy, entertaining read.

The idea of this was a good one but it lacked somewhat in execution. The plot was very convoluted and ending up being two mysteries to solve not just the murder of the great aunt but also the missing friend from the 60's. The jumping back and forth in time and the convoluted relationships of people in the village added to the confusion and the solving of the mysteries seemed to happen more by accident without a clear answer, Also the character's felt a little flat and needed more development but a promising start. Will wait and see where it goes next. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Frances was told of her death by a gypsy fortune teller when she was only 17. She spends the rest of her life preparing for it. However, the friends she has at 17 still surround her, but the dynamics change dramatically after one of her friends disappears.

60 years later Frances summons various relatives, including her great niece Annie, as she has made changes to her will. Annie has never met Frances, and never will in this life as she dies as the group congregate. She leaves a will reflecting her lifelong obsession with her murder and challenges them to solve it.

The story is a little unusual, as we are led by the victim through her diaries to unravel the past. Annie doesn't come over very strongly as a character, and does do some strange things if she really wanted to inherit the millions, as well as trusting some of the odd characters around her. Some characters are a little blurred and so are hard to identify with, meaning the final denouement fell a little flat for me, but overall its a fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

How to Solve Your Own Murder is an intriguing and cosy-ish mystery that spans two viewpoints and several decades.

In 1965, 17-yr-old Frances has her fortune told, but is dismayed to hear a prophecy that includes her own murder. Eventually, she will become obsessed with it, leaving instructions in her will and testament that when she is murdered, her great-niece must be one of the ones to help solve the crime...

Today, great-niece Annie is summoned to Frances' home when the worst happens. Can she unravel the past and solve the crimes of the present?

It took me a little while to get into this one, but once I did I was hooked. Annie has Frances' diaries to read and I enjoyed the combination of discovering secrets in the past and future at the same time. There are a lot of characters to get to grips with (with many from the present being related to those from the past!), which meant at times it was tricky to follow them all.

The mystery kept me guessing throughout and I enjoyed spending time in both timelines. While there may be another book in the series, this one served perfectly well for me as a standalone.

A fun, fast paced mystery. I really enjoyed this brilliant debut.
In 1965 when Frances Adams was seventeen, a fortune teller told her that one day she’d be murdered. So began a lifetime of trying to prevent the crime from happening. But when sixty years later she is found murdered, it’s up to her great niece Annie to try to put all the evidence together to solve the case.
The plot is brilliant, kept me guessing till the end, a story full of red herrings, great twists and well written characters.
The story flows well with good length chapters which are easy to follow, it’s told through present and past timelines by Annie and Frances diary entries. Annie is an interesting character and I liked her passion for solving mysteries. I also liked her relationship with Detective Crane.
Overall, a clever, easy engaging book that I thoroughly enjoyed. It’s well worth a read. Definitely recommend.
I look forward to reading more books from this author @Kristen_Perrin
With thanks to #NetGallery @quercusbooks for an arc of #HowToSolveYourOwnMurder in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 26 March 2024.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC!

This was a phenomenal book. I found myself trying to work out the mystery alongside Annie and Frances, reading and making notes the whole way through.

- I loved Kristen's writing style. The imagery within her writing is so beautiful and poetic at times. There are so many parts I highlighted just for the writing style alone!
- This feels like a classic mystery novel and a modern mystery novel all rolled into one, which I assume is partly because of the fact that there are two narrators from two times in history, Frances in the 1960's, and Annie in the present.
- Kristen writes these two women, and in fact, all the characters, so perfectly that you feel like you're a part of the story. You feel the emotions the characters are feeling, experience what they're experiencing.
- The characters are so real. I cannot emphasise this enough. And the setting of Castle Knoll is so mysterious and charming all in one that you want to visit yourself - I know I do!
- I am so grateful to have received a copy to review, because it's introduced me to who I'm certain is going to be an auto-buy author for me, and I can't wait to read more, especially in the Castle Knoll series!