Thank you so much for this opportunity !

Loved the book - Gave me Agatha Christie vibes !

Likeable characters great dual time line - not confusing and loves that Frances when she was younger was also investigating a suspicious death .

Really enjoyed .

I am recommending to my book club 💜

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book with no obligation to review.

This is an easy read inasmuch as there is nothing deep about it, nothing to make you think and it has a fairly decent if somewhat convoluted plot.

Annie has a week to work out who killed her Great Aunt and in some way, for the reader, it is quite a long week! The two timelines were quite enjoyable although the 1965 one did not ring quite true to me. i know the 60s were supposed to be permissive but in real life that was only among richer people in London. I don't think teenagers in a small English village would have been quite so busy sleeping with each other as they seemed to be in Castle Knoll. I live in a small place and even in the 80s when i was a teenager, people didnt casually sleep together.

There are so many characters and we see some of them young in the 60s and now older. I got quite mixed up with the various familial relationships and even with the characters. I also feel that Rutherford was too young - only 23 and yet he is a guardian to a pre teenage nephew, had been married, his wife had left him and he seemed to have travelled widely to places like Afghanistan which are fairly off the beaten track today, let alone in the 60s. Also, Frances must have been quite a mesmerising sort of gal with at least 3 people seemingly obsessed with her and another one who loved her all his life. I didnt really see the need for the inevitable romance with the detective, too predictable and chick lit.

I didnt notice any clues to the ending (but maybe they are there) so it came as a not entirely convincing solution. I still don't know what the queen in her hand was in Frances' fortune, surely not the chess piece, and I am also unclear why Joe came in the ambulance instead of Magda. I suppose I could read it again to clarify matters but I don't want to. Too much happens and it's exhausting.

Not a bad read though, certainly a dense mystery and probably will be enjoyed more by a more careful and invested reader.

The title drew me in. Frances and her two friends were strongly drawn characters but in my opinion there were too many other characters which I found confusing at times. I got the ending wrong. It was a quite enjoyable novel.

I enjoyed reading this book. Thank you to the writer, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read it

I thought this book sounded a bit different to my usual reads and I enjoyed it immensely. Starting with a fortune tellers prediction, then set between past and present to build up to an ending I didn't see coming! The characters were believable and I had my suspects amongst them (completely wrong). In doing something for her mother, Annie set off a chain reaction resulting in secrets being exposed. What? Read it and find out

A thoroughly enjoyable take on the cosy mystery genre, with a dual timeline narrative. In the present day, Annie is summoned to her mysterious great aunt Frances' country estate to discuss her inheritance, only to find her dead in mysterious circumstances. There is also a 60's timeline (with a murder of it's own) via a teenage Frances's diary, which is slowly revealed as Annie tries to discover who murders her great aunt. Most of the characters are likeable (if a bit one dimensional) and overall the story works well, ticking along nicely and leaving me guessing until the final few chapters.

We follow two timelines in this book, one set in the 1960s and one set in the present time. In the 60's, we get to meet Francis, who has her fortune told, only to be consumed by its threats for the rest of her life. We also meet her friends Emily and Rose. Francis is also in the present time line, told as a crazy old lady who lives isolated in a big house. She's very elusive and obsessed, and has quite a tragic lifestory.

In the present timeline, we get to meet Annabelle, who is Francis' Great Aunt, as well as Annabelle's mother Laura. I felt a kinship with Annabelle, this dream of writing a novel, always having books and notebooks with her, this creative soul who is just falling short of her dreams. I really liked her, she was a great main character. We don't get to know her mum that much, only that she is a struggling artist hopeful that a new exhibition might bring her back some of her success.

There are a lot of other characters, both in the 60s and in the present. These include Annabelle's friend Jenny, who is really lovely and caring; Detective Crane, a curious fellow who I thought might be hiding something; Oliver, the charismatic mysterious Solicitor's son; Saxon, a big brutish man who is definitely hiding something; and Elva, a rude, high-maintenance lady who felt she was above everyone else and I really disliked her. And then we also have Joe, Magda, Dr Owusu, Walt, John, Beth, and Archie. Some of these characters straddle the two timelines, and some are only in the present.

I felt the characterisation was brilliant. As stated above, there are quite a lot of people in this book, and they're mostly female, and so it can be so easy to make everyone exactly the same, but you can see the differences in each character that work brilliantly against the others. They're women we know and work with and hang out with and love and are related to an identify with.

It's set in Castle Knoll, which after some Googling, I believe is not a real place, but it sounds absolutely delightful (murder aside) and full of Dorset charm.

I had started an online diploma in novel writing when I started reading this, and one of the first things the course said was to make your first chapter an introduction, introduce main players and themes and really hook your reader in, which is exactly what Kristen has done here. The first chapter is set in the past, and the next in the present, so I almost consider it to have two opening chapters to introduce us to all the goings-on, and it really works.

If I'm being completely honest, it took me a while to get to grips with the to-ing and fro-ing between the past and the present, and to remember who was whom and how they all related. It wasn't enough to hinder the story at all, it was still very enjoyable, but for me, I did have to get really into it, but once I did, I could seamlessly go back and forth and instantly be right into the heart of the scene.

There is definitely something Agatha Christie about it. It can be difficult to write a murder mystery without it being linked to Christie, because she perfected so many familiar aspects of the genre. And in doing so, modern no0vels can feel a bit like a substandard copycat. But I think Kristen has found the perfect balance between honouring a legend of the craft, and making her own mark.

There are almost two mysteries going on here. The main present-time mystery, and one from Francis' Past (which I won't spoil). They interlink marvellously, but I wasn't expecting it. I was expecting a straightforward linear whodunnit, but it isn't, and that can always be a bit complicated, but she's managed the balance of the two mysteries well.

My general rule is that I don't read my Kindle in bed, and I only read happy things in bed. I broke both rules with this book, as I just had to keep going with it as it was so addictive.

Like any good whodunnit, it is full of red herrings, twists, turns, and suspects, and whilst I had my suspicions, I still wasn't confident in my guess. The reveal - which I obviously won't reveal - caused an actual audible gasp.

It is wrapped up nicely, but there is room for more, and I do hope this might be the first in a whodunnit series. But whatever line Kristen intends to take with her writing, I am eager to read it.

A great murder mystery read that I finished within a day! It’s a dual timeline read: present day follows Annie who was summoned to Aunt Frances Estate in Castle Knoll, just hours before she’s found dead and following the reading of the will, she starts investigating her death. The other is Frances telling her story from 1960s from the time of the prediction till before she married Ford.
There’s two mysteries to solve - what happened to Emily Sparrow and who killed Frances and whoever can solve her murder wins her estate!

I didn’t once guess the murderer! A great cosy murder mystery read 🔍

Annie Adams is a modern day woman with an interest in crime fiction. She becomes embroiled in her great aunt Frances’ murder with an imperative to solve it.
But this murder has a twist: it was foretold by a fortune teller and Frances herself has spent her life trying to put the clues together to solve it.
It’s an intriguing premise, told there and back between Frances’ young life in the 1960s and today.
It makes for a novel that is an easy read but is a little over-plotted and under-charactered. I slightly struggled to care about some of the cast list or tell them apart.
But it’s also a good-hearted, light romp and will appeal to readers who like a quirky ‘small village’ crime novel with an original plot.

Sixty years ago Frances and two friends visited a local fair where they each had their fortune told thinking it would be fun. But Frances was told of her own murder. Her friends dismissed this, but Frances couldn’t help but become fixated by this dire warning.
Sixty years later her great-niece as well as another nephew were called to a meeting to discuss the wealth Frances now held with Frances herself and her lawyer. Annie had never met any of these people but was curious rather than keen to discover a potential fortune.
However, when at the legal offices the solicitor took a phone call from Frances saying she had car trouble and could they relocate to her house. They travel there only to discover a murder scene. Frances had also left instructions if upon her death that whoever of the two niece and nephew, along with the local detective could solve what she was convinced was her murder that they would inherit the whole estate. They are given a week and Frances has left a whole murder board with clues she’d gathered over 60 years.
At a disadvantage, because Annie knew neither Frances nor any of the complicated characters she subsequently met who could have been potential suspects, the trio pursued their own investigations ,aid with many red herrings, sometimes collaborating for gains they thought worthwhile trading.

This book is the first as a follow up is promised and will keep you guessing until the end.

I was excited about this one as the premise sounded promising and all the Agatha Christie vibes being mentioned but that was certainly not the case as fair as I could see, I got as far as 25% in and gave up. It really came across as Young Adult rather than a crime/thriller, perhaps written by someone quite young who hasn’t actually read much of the classic crime genre that they were clearly trying to evoke.

Have rated as 3 average as unfinished.

To be fair, I don’t quite remember how I came across this book, but the instant I saw the title, I knew I had to read it. It sounded intricate and fun. Just the right kind of mystery to weave your mind into a twist. So I went ahead and made a request, which Quercus Books and Netgalley were kind enough to grant. This is why I would like to start with a disclaimer and a thank you for the opportunity to read this in advance and express my thoughts on it freely.

Book Title and Cover

The title is definitely catchy and intriguing, setting the stage for a guidebook of sorts, however, please do not expect a story about a ghost going around and scaring the killer into revealing themselves. You may in turn, welcome an old lady’s attempts at finding out who her killer is and her plan to make two of her relatives discover the mystery behind her death, should she die first.

The cover for this edition (mind you, there is another one with lots of blues which got my attention originally), is also quick to garner attention through its simplicity, with the title nicely drawn out from top to bottom, showing a high contrast with the red background and emphasizing two keywords. The designer also chose to add a skull and a crow in the foreground, showing just how ominous the entire affair is. At the same time, it showcases one of the key elements and triggers of the story—bones.

The Characters and Plot

While attending a country fair, in 1965, a group of friends with Frances Adams at its center, get their fortunes read, however, none of them ever expect the warning Frances receives:

“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.”

This, in turn, becomes the young girl’s obsession and, as each part of the prophecy slowly comes true, year after year, Frances becomes a pile of nerves and paranoia. Thus she puts up a murder board and begins to secretly investigate everyone around her, which, in the end, allows her to learn horrible truths about the Castle Knoll residents. Sixty years later, Frances dies, right after deciding to change her will, and it is now up to her niece, Annie, to solve the mystery of her death.

Thoughts

There are, in fact, two timelines we follow: the first one, which we learn about through Frances’ journal dating back from 1965, and the second one, taking place during our modern day times, where we follow Annie Adams, trying to make heads or tails of the aftereffects of the prophecy. Although the two never meet, Annie feels a deep affinity for Frances, so much so they seem quite similar to one another both in manner of speech and in the way they act. This is mostly obvious when the two perspectives, the journal and Annie’s point of view, are put side by side. Both voices sound rather similar. Sadly, for me, this was a bit of a downside. I wished they sounded and acted differently, as this would have created more tension and contrast. Done in this way, to me, the narration fell a little flat.

As you may expect with this sort of story, there are quite a few red herrings and a couple of twists which lead to the grand reveal, and I have to say, things are never what they seem to be with detective novels. You know how there are usually two to three suspects you have on your list from the very beginning, or right after the entire cast is revealed? I also had such a list in mind, and I am happy to say I got the catalyst right. I mean, I would have done the same thing, if I were in the writer’s shoes, I would have made that one person the killer, albeit a little differently. Still, the ending is satisfying to me, the reveal made sense, so I am definitely in favor of the author’s choice.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, although I wished some things were explored a little deeper. For example, I was quite curious about Ford and how he came to marry Frances (was it a game or did he really like her?), but this was not really shown. Instead, our attention was focused on a bunch of repetitive events, showcased both in the journal, and by Annie’s narration. Saxon was also a quite interesting character and I was sad to see he, too, was mostly present towards the end. There was a lot of potential with him, especially given his social awkwardness and mysterious charm paired with his sudden appearances and disappearances. I believe the author could have played his startling appearance more and made him more competitive or secretive. To me, he seemed more of an accessory, with little involvement in the inheritance games. Also, why did he choose to take part in such a grim contest in the first place? He was already rich, no? Did he not have more to lose than gain, considering his side gig?

Detective Crane also got my attention, together with Oliver, and I believe that if the author had decided to add a romantic subplot, instead of mashing too much information in and repeat some of it along the pages multiple times, the story would have had another gripping layer to it and made the character interactions more fun and transparent. At some point, it looked like Perrin wanted to include romance, but then changed her mind, and so we ended up with a rather confusing and superficial relationship between the rest of the characters.

Ah, and finally, there was one thing that bothered me big time (which is, in fact, my biggest pet peeve when it comes to literature): why, at all, mention what the character is wearing at random, if it is irrelevant to the plot? Writing such as “I was wearing a white T-shirt tucked in, and an old leather jacket. I called Jenny.” (not an actual quote) holds generally little to no value, however, pairing it with an action and making it accessory to the plot, is definitely a better choice. For example, the author could have tried for “he ended up stabbing my grey leather jacket” or “his eyes slid down to the quote on my white T-shirt and noted ‘your fashion sense is absolutely terrible'”.

There are definitely a lot of things to consider when writing a murder mystery, but overall, the story ticks most of them off. Sadly, though, I think this mystery fell a little short. Maybe I had a bit too high expectations for it going in. But I am curious how the author will evolve going forward.

This was such a captivating read - I was sucked into the life & death of Frances & had to know everything! I really enjoyed how the past and the present were woven together through Annie, and how the fortune telling that she received when she was 16 impacted her life. Frances’ paranoia means that Annie doesn’t know who is friend or foe, and it had me on the edge of my seat. There’s plenty of twists & reveals, and I genuinely had no idea who the villain was until it was revealed.

I did feel that it did get crowded at times, but I really enjoyed it & can’t wait to read the next in the series.

In general, I liked this book. It was interesting and a page turner.
Sometimes it was a little difficult to follow, with all the characters and relations over the time lines but I could just be tired!
Overall I would recommend this book.

As long as she can remember, Annie’s mum, Laura, has been the main beneficiary of Great Aunt Frances’ will. This is due to a fortune teller advising Frances, when she was a young woman, that she would be murdered and that daughters are the key to justice. Having no daughter of her own Frances intended to bequeath her fortune to Laura as she was the daughter of Frances’ brother. Now Annie has received a letter that implies that it’s all changed and requesting that she attends a meeting with Frances and her solicitor, Walt Gordon. On the due date, Frances is a no show. Obviously after almost sixty years the prediction has come true!

The blurb offered great things that sadly fell short of the premise.

I preferred the chapters with Frances telling her story in the 1960s, but the ones in present day were a bit heavy going. They were both written in the same style so helpful that one was in italics. Whilst Elva and Saxon were greedy and self indulgent, Annie was self righteous and gung-ho, a bit too much of a goody goody to be likeable. There were a lot of characters, some who were really quite unnecessary, they added nothing to the plot.

An easy read, that just stopped short of being too twee, though the ending was very close 😕 I think the book read like a foreigner’s impression of an ideal English village.

A daft plot, a ‘cosy’ crime book, very much of that style and will be loved by those who prefer their murders less gory! Not awful and I appreciate its appeal to others.

Thank you NetGalley and Quercia Books.

Annie lives with her artist mother Laura in the heart of London. The house belongs to an aunt of Laura’s who lives on a country estate. The aunt, Frances, has always been convinced that she will be murdered, ever since the 1960’s when she had her fortune told and couldn't let it go. She lived her life trying to solve the clues that were in the reading and doing her best to find out who it would be. When Annie is called to a will reading as things have been changed, there is rather a shock when Frances is found dead, seemingly her prediction has come true albeit sixty years later. Chapters alternate telling the story of around the fortune reading and then in present day when Annie goes to the will reading. The will has been left so that the estate and fortune go to who can solve the crime within the time limit. Can Annie find things out before it’s too late and save the estate from being flattened.

This is a wonderful premise and one I quickly got into. Annie is a likeable character and curious by nature which helps when sifting through the vast amounts of information her great aunt had amassed. It's a cozy type mystery and one I loved. I liked Annie, she came across as well rounded if a little daring at times. Its captivating and draws the reader into the fold of the country house and surroundings where both timelines play out. It's entertaining, it's intriguing and its brilliantly written. If you enjoy an enveloping crime read with wonderful characters and a plot to keep you thinking, this could be one for you. Loved it.
For more reviews please follow me on Twitter or Threads @nickisbookblog
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How to solve your own murder is the first book in Castel Knoll Files one series. A cosy / Agatha Christie type mystery.
Sixteen-year-old Frances Adams attends a local country fair with her two friends where she is told that she is going to be murdered by a Fortune Teller. For the next sixty years she tries to prevent it.
Great niece Annie Adams is invited to see Great Aunt Frances to talk to her about what she will inherit after she dies. She has never met her as there is problems with the relationship with her mother. But tragedy strikes when Aunt Frances is discovered murdered in her home and she tells her remaining relatives in her will that whoever finds out who her murderer is, they will inherit the family home and the surrounding farm and estate. If No one does than the estate will be sold off.

Annie is a budding mystery writer and with her skills and the help of the murder boards and files that Great Aunt Frances has put together she put her hold heart into finding who killed her aunt so she can put her to rest. But she has competition from her other relatives and one of them could be the killer. Only time will tell.

This is an intriguing cozy locked room mystery and did remind me a bit of Agatha Christie and it being in a small quiet village setting. Told mainly by Annie’s POV and an eclectic group of characters. There is a lot of twists and turns that will keep you guessing. Which I enjoyed mostly but I was expecting a more impacted ending then it had. 4 stars from me

Thanks to Quercus and NetGalley for ARC.
This is such an intriguing premise - young woman summoned to country house of elderly relative due to a planned change in the will, only to discover that not only has the relative died, they have been trying to predict who will kill them. The terms of the will are very specific, so the race is on to find the murderer - if there is one.

For me, the characterisation was a bit hard to believe, and the plot moving through timelines stretched credulity. Perhaps its because I am unlikely to get even this close to imagining inherited wealth? However, the nods to the golden age mysteries were interesting, and I'm sure there will be a lot of love for this, especially for puzzle-solving mystery fans.

Annie is summoned to see her Great Aunt Frances, potentially for something to do with Frances's will. When Annie arrives at the house with the solicitor and other involved parties, they find Frances is dead - murdered. Which is exactly what Frances has been predicting for over 60 years, after a threatening fortune at the fair in the 1960s. Between current events and Frances's old diary, Annie has to work out who killed her great aunt and possibly inherit everything - or fail to find justice and lose it all (including the house she and her mother live in).

It's a very enjoyable read, and the concept is great. Frances has kept thorough notes on everyone and every event for years, partly to work out threats to herself, but also to try and solve the mystery of what happened to her friend Emily when she disappeared as a teenager in 1966. The story cuts between present day and the diary, giving clues as to how Frances's death relates back to her teenage years, and how Annie's own involvement has come to happen.

There are two slight downsides, one of which is that Castle Knoll doesn't quite work as a place - it's a bit too Agatha Christie in everyone knowing each other and being related for the 2020s. The other is that the epilogue really stretches the imagination too far, it's two weeks after the mystery is solved and people have already stood trial and been sentenced and everyone is getting on with their lives in the wake of other revelations. Two months might have been marginally more likely and not impacted the plot development hugely!

A really good book. Not quite a cosy murder mystery, but close. Great Aunt Francis has always suspected that she will be murdered. Just before her death she changes her will, so, depending on who solves her murder stands to inherit. The story moves along at a good pace and keeps you guessing. I couldn't stop reading; definitely unputdownable. I look forward to reading more by Perrin.