Title: HOW TO SOLVE YOUR OWN MURDER
Author: KRISEN PERRIN
ISBN: 9781529430066
Publisher: Quercus Books
Pages: 378
Source: Private Copy
It’s 1965 and teenage Frances Adams is at an English country fair with her two best friends. But Frances’s night takes a hairpin turn when a fortune-teller makes a bone-chilling prediction: One day, Frances will be murdered. Frances spends a lifetime trying to solve a crime that hasn’t happened yet, compiling dirt on every person who crosses her path in an effort to prevent her own demise. For decades, no one takes Frances seriously, until nearly sixty years later, when Frances is found murdered, like she always said she would be.
In the present day, Annie Adams has been summoned to a meeting at the sprawling country estate of her wealthy and reclusive great-aunt Frances. But by the time Annie arrives in the quaint English village of Castle Knoll, Frances is already dead. Annie is determined to catch the killer, but thanks to Frances’s lifelong habit of digging up secrets and lies, it seems every endearing and eccentric villager might just have a motive for her murder. Can Annie safely unravel the dark mystery at the heart of Castle Knoll, or will dredging up the past throw her into the path of a killer?
As Annie gets closer to the truth, and closer to the danger, she starts to fear she might inherit her aunt’s fate instead of her fortune.
Official Summary
06 May 2026
Visiting The Book Keeper Shop I saw How To Solve Your Own Murder and How To Seal Your Own Fate side by side on the shelf. They looked so good side by side, I could not resist. Guess I am saying that I judged the book by it’s cover. I am new to this author, but this book proved to be worth it cover appeal.
How to Solve Your Own Murder is a dazzling, five-star triumph—an irresistibly clever blend of classic whodunit charm and modern storytelling that keeps you hooked from the very first page.
The novel opens with a hauntingly original premise: in 1965, teenage Frances Adams is told by a fortune-teller that she will one day be murdered. Rather than dismissing it, Frances spends her entire life preparing for that fate—meticulously gathering secrets, observing everyone around her, and essentially building a case file for her own future death. It’s such a brilliant hook, and Perrin executes it with style, wit, and a delicious sense of intrigue.
When the story shifts to the present day and Frances is finally found murdered, the narrative truly comes alive. Enter Annie Adams, our sharp and determined protagonist, who arrives at her great-aunt’s estate only to find herself at the centre of a decades-long mystery. Annie is immediately likable—curious, grounded, and just vulnerable enough to make the growing danger feel real. As she digs deeper into the secrets of Castle Knoll, you feel every step of her investigation.
One of the novel’s greatest strengths is its structure. The dual timelines—Frances’s life leading up to her predicted fate and Annie’s present-day sleuthing—interweave seamlessly, each revealing clues that reframe the other. Perrin builds suspense, layering red herrings, hidden motives, and small-town secrets until you’re questioning every character. And what a cast it is: the eccentric villagers of Castle Knoll are vividly drawn, each with just enough charm and suspicion to keep you guessing.
The atmosphere is another standout element. The quintessential English village setting, complete with a sprawling estate and long-buried grudges, feels both cozy and ominous. It evokes the spirit of classic mysteries while still feeling fresh and contemporary.
What truly elevates How to Solve Your Own Murder is its intelligence. The mystery is intricate without being confusing, and the clues are fair—if you’re paying close attention, you might just piece it together. But even if you don’t, the payoff is immensely satisfying. The twists are surprising yet earned, tying together decades of secrets in a way that feels both shocking and inevitable.
Ultimately, this is more than just a murder mystery—it’s a story about obsession, fate, and the lengths we go to protect ourselves from the unknown. Smart, stylish, and thoroughly entertaining, How to Solve Your Own Murder is a standout debut that mystery lovers won’t want to miss.
Also by Kristen Perrin
HOW TO SEAL YOUR OWN FATE
Welcome back to Castle Knoll, the idyllic English village home to a surprising number of murderers.
Present day: Annie Adams is just settling into life in Castle Knoll when local fortune-teller Peony Lane shares a cryptic message only hours before being found dead inside the locked Gravesdown estate. Annie has no choice but to delve into the dark secrets of her new countryside home in order to find out just what Peony Lane was trying to warn her about, before her brand-new life comes crashing down around her.
1967: Teenage Frances Adams, Annie’s great aunt, finds herself caught between two men. Ford Gravesdown is one of the only remaining members of a family known for its wealth and dubious uses of power. Archie Foyle is a local who can’t hold down a job and lives above the village pub. But when Frances teams up with Archie to investigate the car crash that killed most of Ford’s family, it quickly becomes clear that this was no accident—hints of cover-ups, lies, and betrayals abound. The question is, just how far does the blackness creep through the heart of Castle Knoll? When Frances uncovers secrets kept by both Ford and Archie, she starts to wonder: What exactly has she gotten herself into?
As Annie and Frances investigate two new mysteries spanning decades, they’ll unlock the next level of secrets held in Castle Knoll’s dark heart.
Review Coming Soon
About the Author
Author bio from the author’s site
Kristen Perrin is originally from Seattle, Washington, where she spent several years working as a bookseller before immigrating to the UK to do a Masters and PhD. Her debut murder mystery How to Solve Your Own Murder is the first book in the Castle Knoll Files series, and has been translated into more than twenty languages. The book was also a Good Morning America Buzzpick, was featured on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and has been a New York Times, Indiebound, USA Today, and Der Spiegel bestseller. She lives with her family in Surrey, England, where she is hard at work on more books in the series.
Thank you for visiting. I hope you enjoy this mystery as much as I have. I have read the second book – How to Seal Your Own Fate and I will share my review of that one later this week. I am looking forward to adding book three How to Cheat Your Own Death to my bookshelf soon.
