Annie Adams is floundering. After losing her job, she’s trying her hand at becoming the author she’s always wanted to be. When she receives a invitation from her estranged great-aunt Frances, she’s curosity enough to head to Frances estate to see what her aunt wants. Before she can talk to her aunt though, Frances’ long held belief that she’d be murder comes true, leaving Annie and a few others the task of solving her murder. Given a week to solve the murder, Annie dives into the life of her Great Aunt and the lives of the townsfolk. As she uncovers more secrets, Annie soon become entangled in a race to not only win her inheritance but also to save her own life.
With plenty of clever riddles and twists, this was a fun murder mystery. I was immediately intrigued by the plot and the added flashbacks/Frances’ journal entries tied the entire book together nicely. I’m a sucker for a small village setting and old secrets so this was definitely something up my alley.
With a ‘Clue’ vibe and plenty of character development, this was a fun cozy mystery. I didn’t find it to be quite as ‘thrilling’ or funny as Knives Out/Thursday Murder Club which it’s being compared to but it’s still an interesting read. I did however find it to be similar to another recent cozy I read recently, The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder; but I found the execution of How to Solve Your Own Murder to be better. The pacing was quicker with more appealing flashbacks, and while they both had plenty of cozy aspects, this one just held my attention better. I also felt much more inclined to root for Annie. Overall, a nice cozy mystery for armchair sleuths and Agatha Christie fans!
How to Solve Your Own Murder comes out March 26, 2024! Huge thank you to Dutton for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof.books or on Tiktok @speakingof.books
