Publishers Weekly
01/08/2024
Perrin’s twisty debut revolves around a challenge issued from the grave. In 1965, Frances Adams develops a lifelong fear of being killed after a fortune teller at an English country fair warns her that “all signs point toward your murder.” Decades later, a now-wealthy Frances summons her great-niece, Annie, to discuss her will in the sleepy village of Castle Knoll, even though the 25-year-old aspiring mystery novelist has never met her eccentric aunt. Minutes after Annie arrives at the estate with Frances’s lawyers, they discover her dead body slumped behind the desk in her library. Frances’s will states that she expected to be murdered, and that the first person to solve the crime within a week will inherit her assets and property; if no one cracks the case, it all goes to an unpleasant real estate developer. Annie leaps into action, quickly discovering that plenty of Castle Knoll locals have long coveted her late aunt’s fortune. Perrin juxtaposes timelines, detailing Frances’s provincial life in the 1960s while Annie’s investigation grows increasingly treacherous in the present. The pace is quick, the red herrings are plentiful, and Annie’s growth from timid wannabe writer to confident sleuth is beautifully rendered. Combining elements of Agatha Christie, Anthony Horowitz, and Midsomer Murders, this is a richly entertaining whodunit from a promising new talent. Agent: Jenny Bent, Bent Agency. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
Praise for How to Solve Your Own Murder
"How to Solve Your Own Murder is a masterclass in the art of mystery. Kristen Perrin crafts a beguiling puzzle from sharp prose, compelling characters, and an irresistibly intricate setup. One of the best and most satisfying mysteries I've ever read."—Elle Cosimano, New York Times bestselling author of Finlay Donovan is Killing It
“Debut novelist Kristen Perrin has done the impossible in delivering readers a quintessential English murder mystery with a fresh, unconventional approach. Idyllic country village? Check. Amateur sleuth? Check. But a fortune teller's grim prediction coming true sixty years later? Now that makes for an enthralling tale. There's no shortage of entertaining, well-rounded characters in this charming and multilayered whodunit, a perfect shelf companion alongside reader favorites like Agatha Christie, Richard Osman, and Nita Prose.”—Sarah Penner, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Apothecary
“I so enjoyed this smart, original murder mystery. It's filled with curious characters and takes place in the most gorgeous setting – the mysterious Castle Knoll – and sucked me in from the very first pages. I think fans of Richard Osman will love this one.”—Beth O’Leary, author of The Flatshare
“Grab a blanket and mug of English breakfast tea and prepare to get lost in Kristen Perrin’s delightful How to Solve Your Own Murder. Perrin flawlessly links amateur sleuth, Annie, to a cast of eccentric characters, a fortune teller’s dreaded prediction, a decades-old mystery, and a puzzling murder. With Agatha Christie-like vibes and perfect for fans of The Maid, this is an utterly charming whodunnit—I loved it!”—Karma Brown, #1 internationally bestselling author of Recipe for a Perfect Wife
"A quaint village in southwest England, an amateur female sleuth with the deductive skills of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, and an eccentric murdered aunt come together in a brilliant and masterful whodunnit. For all murder mystery fans–this one’s for you! Don’t miss it."—Liv Constantine, internationally bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish
“I loved it: warm, clever and wildly original.”—Elly Griffiths, Edgar award-winning author of The Stranger Diaries
“Select a positive superlative and be confident readers will use it in describing this tale. Fans of Alice Bell, Janice Hallett, and Agatha Christie will hope to see more from Perrin, who set aside YA fiction to make her adult debut.”—Booklist (starred review)
"Puzzle-filled...This is a low-stakes, non-terrifying mystery whose many puzzles fall in the sweet spot between risibly simple and prohibitively complicated. Castle Knoll’s unofficial name should be Nest of Vipers. As Saxon, a sneaky, spying child who has grown up to become the town’s coroner, puts it: “We’re all guilty of something.”—New York Times Book Review
"This debut...announces the arrival of a very bright new talent on the cosy crime scene. Perrin’s first mystery has wit, style and suspense as well as a feisty heroine. A delightfully refreshing story of the plots and allegiances that riddle the tiny Dorset village, where everyone has a skeleton or two in their closet. This has a Netflix series written all over it — it is that good."—Daily Mail
"[How to Solve Your Own Murder] is such an addictive and cleverly plotted read that builds on an gem of an idea to create a treasure trove of a story.... Perrin’s writing was wickedly brilliant, insightful and utterly captivating....an ingenious, insightful and incisive read. If you’re looking for a good mystery that will keep you hooked until the early hours, look no further."—The Nerd Daily
"How to Solve Your Own Murder had me hooked from beginning to end.... The clues and misdirections are brilliantly created....This book is so enjoyable that I found myself doing what I haven't done in a while—taking it with me everywhere so I could read even just another page or two. It's a clever and carefully crafted novel that has much to recommend it."—Book Reporter
"The pace is quick, the red herrings are plentiful, and Annie’s growth from timid wannabe writer to confident sleuth is beautifully rendered. Combining elements of Agatha Christie, Anthony Horowitz, and Midsomer Murders, this is a richly entertaining whodunit from a promising new talent."—Publishers Weekly
"Perrin juggles characters and clues with aplomb, sketching in the past via teen Frances’ journals and immersing readers in the present through Annie’s determined, good-hearted point of view. Readers will root for her as she gains hard-won confidence in this entertaining exploration of family secrets."—BookPage
"A spellbinding cozy mystery layered with so many twists and turns that readers, right up to the last page, will keep changing their minds about whodunnit and why.”—Shelf Awareness
“Perfectly structured and filled with suspense, Kristen Perrin, making her adult fiction debut, delivers a fascinating and twisting whodunit packed with wit and heart that’s perfect for fans of Richard Osman and Anthony Horowitz.”—The Real Book Spy
“The plot has a nice sense of propulsion, the mystery definitely captures interest, and Perrin is a smooth writer.”—Christian Science Monitor
“A deliciously inventive new take on the classic murder mystery. I couldn’t put it down.”—Bobby Palmer, author of Isaac and the Egg
“Kristen Perrin has such a bright, fresh and natural voice - I was utterly absorbed by this classic murder mystery, with a uniquely spooky twist, and whizzed through the entire story in one sitting.”—Jessica Bull, author of Miss Austen Investigates
“A clever, captivating debut with an abundance of style.”—Kate Wells, author of Murder on Malvern Farm
APRIL 2024 - AudioFile
Dual narrators Alexandra Dowling and Jaye Jacobs tackle a twisting tale in this engaging audiobook. When she is abruptly summoned to the Gravesdown Estate to discuss a possible inheritance, Annie Adams is eager to meet her famously paranoid Great-Aunt Frances. But Frances is murdered just before Annie arrives, and Annie's attempts to investigate may put her squarely in the killer's sights. Dowling shines as anxious Annie, expertly mixing apprehension with growing confidence as she follows the complex web of grievances and secrets nurtured in a small village over decades. Jacobs deftly portrays Frances as a young woman in 1966, haunted by a prophecy of her impending doom and concerned about the recent odd behavior of her two best friends. S.B. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2024-02-03
An aspiring mystery writer sets out to solve her great-aunt’s murder and inherit an estate.
Twenty-five-year-old Annie Adams has never met her great-aunt Frances, who prefers her small village to busy London. But when a mysterious letter arrives instructing Annie to come to Castle Knoll in Dorset to meet Frances and discuss her role as sole beneficiary of her great-aunt’s estate, Annie can’t resist. Unfortunately, she arrives to find Frances’ worst fears have come true: The elderly woman—who’s been haunted for decades by a fortuneteller’s prediction that this will happen—has been murdered, and her will dictates that she will leave her entire estate to Annie, but only if Annie solves her killing. It’s a cheeky if not exactly believable premise, especially since the local police don’t seem terribly opposed to it. Annie herself is an engaging presence, if a little too blind to the fact that she could be on the killer’s to-do list. Her roll call of suspects is pleasingly long, including but not limited to the local vicar, a one-time paramour of her great-aunt’s; a gardener who grows a lot more than flowers; shady developers and suspicious friends from Frances’ past; and Saxon, Annie’s crafty rival, who inherits the estate himself if he manages to solve the case first. Annie pieces together clues through readings of Frances’ journal, but the story eventually runs aground on the twin rocks of too much explanation and a flimsy climax. Cute dialogue gives way to lengthy exposition, and by the time Frances’ killer is revealed you may well be ready to leave Annie, Dorset, and Castle Knoll behind for the firmer ground of reality. Fans of cozy mysteries are likely to be more forgiving, but if you cast a skeptical eye toward amateur sleuths, this novel won’t change your mind about them.
Breezy, entertaining characters and a cheeky premise fall prey to too much explanation and an unlikely climax.
