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How to Solve Your Own Murder: A Novel (Castle Knoll Files) Paperback – Large Print, March 26, 2024

4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 5,147 ratings

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A Jimmy Fallon’s Book Club Finalist for 2024

AN INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER

A Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist

A GMA Buzz Pick!

One of Amazon's Top 10 Best Books of April, One of Jimmy Fallon's favorite books for Spring 2024,
The Top LibraryReads pick for March 2024, A Publishers Marketplace 2024 BuzzBook | One of NPR's Books We Love

Named most anticipated by: Barnes & Noble, Goodreads,
BookRiot, BookBub, The Nerd Daily, Shelf Reflection, Novel Suspects, Borrow Read Repeat, The Everygirl, The Scout Guide, The Real Book Spy

For fans of Knives Out and The Thursday Murder Club, an enormously fun mystery about a woman who spends her entire life trying to prevent her foretold murder only to be proven right sixty years later, when she is found dead in her sprawling country estate.... Now it's up to her great-niece to catch the killer.

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.
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kristen Perrin is originally from Seattle, Washington, where she spent several years working as a bookseller before moving to the UK to do a master's and PhD. She lives with her family in Surrey, where she can be found poking around vintage bookstores, stomping in the mud with her two kids, and collecting too many plants. Her middle-grade series, Attie and the World Breakers, was published in German, Dutch, and Polish. How to Solve Your Own Murder is her adult debut.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Random House Large Print; Large type / Large print edition (March 26, 2024)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 512 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593862279
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593862278
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.07 x 1.04 x 9.16 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 5,147 ratings

About the author

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Kristen Perrin
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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. She’s passionate about books and loves working on projects that have a mystery at their heart. Her debut murder mystery for adults, HOW TO SOLVE YOUR OWN MURDER, is released in March 2024 and will be translated into over 18 languages. Her middle grade series, ATTIE AND THE WORLDBREAKERS is available in German, Polish, and Dutch. She lives with her family in Surrey, where she can be found poking around vintage bookstores, stomping in the mud with her two kids, and collecting too many plants.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
5,147 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoyed the book and found it entertaining with its intriguing twists and turns. They appreciated the interesting characters and colorful descriptions. The writing was clear and easy to read, keeping them turning the pages. Customers also liked the clever format and charming details about the setting in the fictional English countryside village. Overall, they described the book as a good, quick read that kept them guessing until the end.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

49 customers mention "Enjoyment"44 positive5 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find the storyline entertaining and engaging, with colorful characters and insightful details. The book is described as a quick read that keeps you guessing.

"...Keep your expectations in check and it's a nice little book." Read more

"...She finished recently, and reported finding it absolutely delightful, a perfect balance in difficulty and intrigue and entertainment." Read more

"Enjoyed this book. Recommend to anyone that enjoys a good cozy mystery. The book is set in a small town with lots of quirky characters. Enjoy." Read more

"...Her recommendation was that it was good, but not as good as the Thursday Murder Club books. Well I definitely agree with that...." Read more

44 customers mention "Twists and turns"41 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the book's twists and turns. They find the mystery engaging and well-written, with a steady pace and two storylines. The book offers clues along the way, keeping readers guessing until the end. It's described as a modern update to the cozy mystery genre with nice touches like the protagonist having to solve two intertwined mysteries from the 1960s and the present.

"...Some nice touches — the protagonist has to solve two intertwined mysteries, one from the 1960s and one from the modern day, where the solution to..." Read more

"...finding it absolutely delightful, a perfect balance in difficulty and intrigue and entertainment." Read more

"...I find thrillers and mysteries tolerable even if the writing is atrocious, and the writing is better than that here...." Read more

"What a wonderfully paced murder mystery...." Read more

24 customers mention "Character development"24 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's character development. They find the characters interesting and colorful, keeping them guessing until the end.

"...All of the characters were interesting and very believable small townspeople...." Read more

"...The book is set in a small town with lots of quirky characters. Enjoy." Read more

"Grabs you from the beginning and doesn’t let go until the end. Lovely characters who develop beautifully. The twist was completely unexpected!" Read more

"...details of the surroundings & clothing which helped describe the characters and their personalities...." Read more

19 customers mention "Readability"15 positive4 negative

Customers find the book easy to read with clear writing and interesting characters. They appreciate the clever format with two storylines, one written in 1966 and the other, that keeps them turning the pages.

"...It's an easy read, but I found so many leaps in logic paired with brilliance followed by pure stupidity... It's inconsistent...." Read more

"Good easy read. Enjoyed it a lot, and stayed up late to finish it. Is book two already available? Boy I hope so!" Read more

"...Characters could have been flushed out a little more, but overall a good easy read" Read more

"...I normally read much slower and was able to read this book easier than usual." Read more

10 customers mention "Pacing"10 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's pacing and find it engaging. They appreciate the charming details on the setting in the fictional English countryside village. The plot is fresh and clever, with interesting characters. It would make a cute mini series suitable for book clubs.

"...It's a quick read and inoffensive. Some nice touches — the protagonist has to solve two intertwined mysteries, one from the 1960s and one from the..." Read more

"Grabs you from the beginning and doesn’t let go until the end. Lovely characters who develop beautifully. The twist was completely unexpected!" Read more

"Enjoyed the details of the surroundings & clothing which helped describe the characters and their personalities...." Read more

"Story is good, mystery is good, knives out vibes. Characters could have been flushed out a little more, but overall a good easy read" Read more

Just OK
3 out of 5 stars
Just OK
Sadly, this book was just OK. There were parts that were very good, but there were too many lulls in the pacing to keep my intrigue revved. This book will live on as a traveling book in my book club.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2024
    Kareem Abdul Jabbar recommended this book so I gave it a shot. It's a quick read and inoffensive. Some nice touches — the protagonist has to solve two intertwined mysteries, one from the 1960s and one from the modern day, where the solution to the earlier one (or, rather, the ability of somebody recently to have solved the earlier one) reveals the solution to the more recent one.

    Everybody in the small town where the story is set has a dark secret, which means we get lots of red herrings.

    The book contains many characters spread over two time periods and not so many pages, so it can be a bit dizzying (is this guy the gardener, or the chauffeur?, etc.) The dialog tends to be stilted, with characters taking turns revealing the information needed to move the plot forward.

    There's no reasonable way for the reader to figure out whodunnit, and the motivations finally revealed for the crimes are absurd. Keep your expectations in check and it's a nice little book.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2024
    I purchased this as a gift for my mother, who is a lifelong fan of golden-age mysteries, and Agatha Christie in particular. She finished recently, and reported finding it absolutely delightful, a perfect balance in difficulty and intrigue and entertainment.
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2024
    This may be one of the best examples of a great idea with inconsistent follow through that I have seen in a while. I find thrillers and mysteries tolerable even if the writing is atrocious, and the writing is better than that here. It just feels very much like a first try, which may be the most clever part, given that's exactly what the book is supposed to be. It's an easy read, but I found so many leaps in logic paired with brilliance followed by pure stupidity... It's inconsistent. I made a note quite early on wondering whether the narrator was supposed to be unreliable, and those sorts of conflicts are tough. I will try another one by the same author and hope to see her grow as a writer.
    7 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2024
    What a wonderfully paced murder mystery. I’m shocked I enjoyed the slow burn unraveling because I’m usually more inclined to edge of your seat thrillers. This read might just begin a spiral into cozy mysteries.

    I loved the time jumps in the book through the lens of Frances’ old diary. There was a great balance between both Frances and Annie that made this book gel together seamlessly.

    All of the characters were interesting and very believable small townspeople. I could read little novellas about all of them through the sixty year jump.

    My only qualm was that I need just a few more breadcrumbs leading to the final reveal. It wasn’t such a twist that it couldn’t be believed— it made a lot of sense, but I just wanted more moments to think back to and say AHA.
    8 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2024
    Enjoyed this book. Recommend to anyone that enjoys a good cozy mystery. The book is set in a small town with lots of quirky characters. Enjoy.
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2024
    3.5 stars rounded up.
    Picked this up on a recommendation from a friend who has given me many great book recommendations. Her recommendation was that it was good, but not as good as the Thursday Murder Club books. Well I definitely agree with that. I think I would have enjoyed it more, were it not for the fact that, at least for me, there were just way way too many characters: seven contemporaries from the 1960s where the chronology starts, then the spouses, children, grandchildren and the spouses of each of those, all showing up at various points. And a non-related friend or two. It was just too much to keep track of. I found it hard to keep going, and impossible to try to figure anything out for myself. I probably wouldn’t have even finished if not for the fact that I did want to know how it ended, which suggests that it was a good story, under the weight of all those people.
    I can’t recommend it myself, but I won’t warn anyone who’s interested in it away from it, however you might just have to keep your own notes (as the main characters do) to keep everyone straight.
    9 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2024
    Good easy read. Enjoyed it a lot, and stayed up late to finish it. Is book two already available? Boy I hope so!
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2024
    ...poorly executed. I read this book based on the blurb that recommended it to fans of Knives Out and the Thursday Murder Club. That comparison is an insult to the authors of those works. The glowing reviews baffle me. The only interesting character is Francis and she's dead, murdered at the beginning. The writing is immature and, at times, just silly. But, fun? No. It's billed as the first in a new series. I don't think I'll reach for the next one.
    7 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Amazon Kunde
    5.0 out of 5 stars Super
    Reviewed in Germany on January 10, 2025
    Die Beschenkte hat sich sehr darüber gefreut!
  • Emma's Biblio Treasures
    5.0 out of 5 stars A captivating cosy whodunnit
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 28, 2024
    Frances always said she’d be murdered.
    She was right.

    In 1965, Frances Adams is told by a fortune teller that one day she will be murdered. She spends the next sixty years trying to prevent it. No one took her seriously and she spent her life ridiculed by everyone else living in the small village of Castle Knoll.

    Now, Frances is dead. Murdered. And her great-niece, Annie, finds herself pulled into her Aunts’ final act of revenge against the people who refused to believe her; a hunt for her killer that sees the person who solves the crime inherit Frances’ millions. Can she solve the crime? Or will the killer silence her first?

    Fun, heartwarming, suspenseful and original, How To Solve Your Own Murder is a superb debut that radiates Christie vibes. I’m a big fan of the amateur sleuth, so a book with two of them sounded right up my street. Skillfully written, sharply observed, cleverly plotted, full of surprising twists, and inhabited by fascinating characters, Kristen Perrin’s first installment in the Castle Knoll series was impossible to put down. The story is told in dual timelines, the flashbacks being revealed through Frances’ diaries, and moves seamlessly between past and present to intricately weave this tangled web of secrets, lies, paranoia and murder.

    Set in the fictional village of Castle Knoll, which is inspired by the real village of Corfe, Dorset, which is one of my favourite places, the village and its fascinating characters are brought to life by Perrin’s evocative imagery and descriptions. Castle Knoll has that charming but claustrophobic vibe that is unique to small towns where everyone knows everyone. France’s place as the village’s crazy lady was set when she received the chilling fortune in her teens. Her obsession with solving and preventing the crime, and her habit of seeing clues everywhere, only solidified her strangeness in the minds of the other residents.

    Cosy, clever, witty and totally addictive, How To Solve Your Own Murder is an inventive whodunnit you don’t want to miss. I can’t wait to return to these characters in book two.
    Customer image
    Emma's Biblio Treasures
    5.0 out of 5 stars A captivating cosy whodunnit
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 28, 2024
    Frances always said she’d be murdered.
    She was right.

    In 1965, Frances Adams is told by a fortune teller that one day she will be murdered. She spends the next sixty years trying to prevent it. No one took her seriously and she spent her life ridiculed by everyone else living in the small village of Castle Knoll.

    Now, Frances is dead. Murdered. And her great-niece, Annie, finds herself pulled into her Aunts’ final act of revenge against the people who refused to believe her; a hunt for her killer that sees the person who solves the crime inherit Frances’ millions. Can she solve the crime? Or will the killer silence her first?

    Fun, heartwarming, suspenseful and original, How To Solve Your Own Murder is a superb debut that radiates Christie vibes. I’m a big fan of the amateur sleuth, so a book with two of them sounded right up my street. Skillfully written, sharply observed, cleverly plotted, full of surprising twists, and inhabited by fascinating characters, Kristen Perrin’s first installment in the Castle Knoll series was impossible to put down. The story is told in dual timelines, the flashbacks being revealed through Frances’ diaries, and moves seamlessly between past and present to intricately weave this tangled web of secrets, lies, paranoia and murder.

    Set in the fictional village of Castle Knoll, which is inspired by the real village of Corfe, Dorset, which is one of my favourite places, the village and its fascinating characters are brought to life by Perrin’s evocative imagery and descriptions. Castle Knoll has that charming but claustrophobic vibe that is unique to small towns where everyone knows everyone. France’s place as the village’s crazy lady was set when she received the chilling fortune in her teens. Her obsession with solving and preventing the crime, and her habit of seeing clues everywhere, only solidified her strangeness in the minds of the other residents.

    Cosy, clever, witty and totally addictive, How To Solve Your Own Murder is an inventive whodunnit you don’t want to miss. I can’t wait to return to these characters in book two.
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  • Mumma
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good mystery
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 9, 2024
    Characters were well written.
  • g.salzburg
    5.0 out of 5 stars Start to finish
    Reviewed in Germany on May 19, 2024
    Fantastically fun read!!! Great summer book!
  • Mmd
    3.0 out of 5 stars Not a Bad Read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 18, 2025
    Not a bad read. If the diary entries had been written in the style of the era they were set in, it would have been more authentic.