'VERY funny' Jennie Godfrey 'Smart, twisty, and original' Heat 'Terrific' J. M. Hall 'Superb' Glamour 'Wildly original' Elly Griffiths 'Delightfully refreshing' Daily Mail FRANCES ALWAYS SAID SHE'D BE MURDERED. SHE WAS RIGHT. In 1965, Frances Adams was told by a fortune teller that one day she'd be murdered. Frances spent the next sixty years trying to prevent the crime that would be her eventual demise. Of course, no one took her seriously - until she was dead. For Frances, being the village busybody was a form of ...
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'VERY funny' Jennie Godfrey 'Smart, twisty, and original' Heat 'Terrific' J. M. Hall 'Superb' Glamour 'Wildly original' Elly Griffiths 'Delightfully refreshing' Daily Mail FRANCES ALWAYS SAID SHE'D BE MURDERED. SHE WAS RIGHT. In 1965, Frances Adams was told by a fortune teller that one day she'd be murdered. Frances spent the next sixty years trying to prevent the crime that would be her eventual demise. Of course, no one took her seriously - until she was dead. For Frances, being the village busybody was a form of insurance. She'd spent a lifetime compiling dirt on every person she met, just in case they might turn out to be her killer. In the heart of her sprawling country estate lies an eccentric library of detective work, where the right person could step in and use her findings to solve her murder. When her great-niece Annie arrives from London and discovers that Frances' worst fear has come true, Annie is thrust into her great-aunt's last act of revenge against her sceptical friends and family. Frances' will stipulates that the person who solves her murder will inherit her millions. Can Annie unravel the mystery and find justice for Frances, or will digging up the past lead her into the path of the killer? ****************************** *Readers are loving How to Solve Your Own Murder* 'FINALLY, the book I've been searching for . . . Without a doubt the best murder mystery book I've ever read' 'A cracking dual timeline read . . . I was totally engrossed in trying to solve the crime! Loved it! 'This book is SO much more than just a clever hook. It's a fantastic combination of wonderfully crafted prose, vivid characters and a plot that made me gallop through' 'An amazingly well written mystery with true Christie vibes . . . a rollercoaster I didn't want to get off' 'Just brilliant . . . A proper who done it with a very modern twist' *Praise for How to Solve Your Own Murder* 'A wonderful idea and, pun intended, brilliantly executed' Ian Moore 'Plenty of twists and red herrings . . . entertaining' Guardian 'Addictive . . . a devilishly clever plot' Sunday Post 'I so enjoyed this smart, original murder mystery' Beth O' Leary 'A deliciously inventive new take on the classic murder mystery' Bobby Palmer 'Ridiculously fun . . . unputdownable . . . One to savour for fans of Only Murders in The Building' My Weekly 'Sharply observed . . . vivid characterisation and theatrical plotting' Sunday Independent 'Intriguing . . . skilful storytelling . . . a compelling read' Daily Mirror
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Fine. Trade paperback (UK). Castle Knoll Files . In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
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New. Trade paperback (UK). Castle Knoll Files . In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
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New. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 368 p. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fine. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 368 p. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fine. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 368 p. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Three teenage girls walk into Madame Peony Lane's tent at the Castle Knoll Country Fair in 1965. Two don't take her seriously, but one does. Frances Adams listens carefully to every word the "psychic" says and takes them to heart.
Ã?Æ'Ã?¢Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¡Ã?¬Ã?â?¦"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.Ã?Æ'Ã?¢Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¡Ã?¬Ã?â??Ã?Â?
She spends the rest of her life trying to stave off death and trying to solve her own murder before it even happens.
Still alive and kicking almost 60 years later Frances has decided to change her will and requests her great-niece, Annie Adams come to her estate immediately. Sadly by the time Annie arrives in the small English village of Castle Knoll and her home, she finds Frances dead. Using all the information Frances has gathered over the years Annie plans to do whatever she can to find the killer and get justice for her aunt. But she has just met all the people in Frances's life, could one of them be the killer? In her quest to find the truth, she puts herself in grave danger. Will she join her aunt in the afterlife? or will she solve the murder mystery and receive her aunt's riches?
____
This story is told from Annie's point of view and Frances's journals. I found Annie to be likable and engaging. She really knows nothing about her Great Aunt Frances but she gets to know her by reading her journals.
Readers and Annie are introduced to several people when she arrives in Castle Knoll. Her aunt's lawyer and old friend, Walter Gordon and his determined son Oliver,Ã?Æ'ââ?¬Å¡ Frances' late husband's nephew, Saxon, along with his over-the-top wife Elva, she really grated on Annie's nerves and mine. After Frances's death, we meet Detective Crane. He seems very capable of solving the murder but a twist in Frances's will Saxon and Annie are in a race with him to catch the killer.
From Frances's journals, we meet her group of friends. Rose, Emily, and Frances were best friends, a young Walter Gordon, John Oxley, Teddy Crane, Saxon, and his Uncle Ford. The relationships between all of these characters are very complicated.
The idea of solving Frances's murder drew me right in. Frances had a room full of clues, files, and even murder boards with post-its, and strings galore. The journals added even more details. Annie didn't know any of the people so it was hard to know who to trust especially when many had motive to kill her great-aunt. She had to deal with secrets, lies, betrayals, and threats. With Frances's set timeline, the story has a very brisk pace. I admired the way Annie, the budding mystery writer, investigated the crime, but she does find herself in some precarious situations. The stress, tension, and danger build nicely to a dramatic reveal. The author did a brilliant job plotting out this story.Ã?Æ'ââ?¬Å¡ I was gobsmacked reading the final chapters.
I found it very easy to escape into this story. I enjoyed going back and forth in time to see the characters and how they had developed from then to now. The English village settings of Castle Knoll and Gravestown Hall were perfect.
How to Solve Your Own Murder was an intriguing and original whodunit full of twists and turns that kept me guessing to the final pages. Annie Adams is now not only a budding mystery author but a budding amateur sleuth.Ã?Æ'ââ?¬Å¡ I can't wait to see what Kristen Perrin has planned for her next.
KindigBlog
Mar 16, 2024
Cosy murder mystery
When Annie Adams receives an invitation from her estranged Great Aunt Frances about a change to her will, she is looking forward to a family reunion. Frances has been plagued by a fortune that was given to her as a child and is obsessed with her own murder. However, when she is discovered dead in her house, the race is on to see if her fortune came true.
How to Solve Your Own Murder is quite a cosy murder mystery - there are certainly some cliches, particularly to the beginning of the story which made me feel that it isn't very original. It is an easy read though and it kept me gripped throughout - although I don't think it has the humour that Knives Out or The Thursday Murder Club does, so I think this comparison on its description is misleading. The narrative alternates between Annie's present-day investigation and diary entries from Frances telling of events that happened in the 60s after her fortune was told and before her best friend disappeared.
The diary technique is a little weak - there were certainly a lot of plot points not revealed until a lot later which are conveniently hidden from both Annie and the reader because she put off reading it or fell asleep before finishing the story. It gave the feeling that the murder could have been solved earlier if she had just read it in one sitting (which you would do surely, if a murderer was on the loose and your family house was at stake) and this made it feel too convenient and unrealistic.
I didn't feel that I particularly sympathised with Annie - she makes some questionable decisions throughout. I did however, feel that we got to know Frances quite well, despite not meeting her 'in person' and I enjoyed the diary entries about her. I didn't feel that we got to know the other characters as well because there was too much suspicion that one of them was the murderer which was a bit if a shame. I also wanted to hear more about the 'Ford' character in the present day narrative as well.
Overall, How To Solve Your Own Murder is a cosy murder mystery that feels a little too unrealistic and cliched in places. Thank you to NetGalley & Quercus Books for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
