Review: How to Solve Your Own Murder

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin narrates an entertaining and complex fusing of mystery with psychological interest.

The novel is partly set in 1965 and introduces us to Frances Adams, a teenager disturbed by a scary prophecy about her murder. Her strong temper makes Frances unpredictable, while at the same time giving her capacity to always piece together information on every person that crosses her path.

In the present time, we have Annie Adams, Frances's great-niece, trying to uncover the secrets Frances left behind. Annie was a very interesting character, though I wanted to hear about the personal struggle with her own identity and not be as caught up with her part in solving the family mystery.

I did find myself wondering how Frances's dark prophecy had affected her in her relations and her mental health for all those years. Furthering these aspects might have made both Frances and Annie feel more multidimensional and their journey even more relatable.

Supporting characters did make the story far more captivating; however, some were a little too similar to stereotypes, like the odd, helpful neighbour or the town's most suspicious person. This could have been diminished if those characters had more development. Their peculiar characteristics and secrets do build suspense throughout the story, though.

The suspense indeed made me read on, but the ending was all too quick. The quick answer to just about everything at the end gave me some answers as to the whys, but left some aspects unfinished. A slower build-up to the climax could have achieved tension and given a better ending.

Kristen Perrin writes very entertainingly, quick-witted, humorous dialogues that just sparkle in the characters' conversations. She does such a great job of describing how Castle Knoll is supposed to look, really putting the reader firmly in this small-town setting and its particular feel.

While there is room for development, How to Solve Your Own Murder is nonetheless an enjoyable and delightfully humorous read. A bit more complex character development and tighter pacing might make it really shine in this genre. Truly a talented author, Kristen Perrin piques my interest with how she'll use her skills in the next work.

Content Warnings

Graphic - Murder, Death, Toxic friendship

Moderate - Pregnancy, Infidelity, Gun violence

Minor - Vomit, Car accident, Drug use

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