How to Solve Your Own Murder is the first book in the Castle Knoll Files. I unknowingly read book 2 first. In short, Annie is tasked with solving the murder of her great-aunt Frances in order to claim Frances’ inheritance. If Frances’ step son solves the murder, then he inherits. And if either of them fail, then Oliver the property developer gets his claws into things and a golf course is on its way to quaint village of Castle Knoll.
The story alternates between Frances’ teenage past—where her murder was predicted by a fortune teller—and the present day where Annie discovers and reads Frances’ background story in diary entries, along with all of Frances’ suspicions and research into who her own murderer will be. The structure is great because it allows the reader to piece things together with Annie while also getting some insights directly from Frances’ perspective.
There is a whole cast of quirky (and suspicious) characters, all with connections to Frances and to a past murder. Like all great mysteries, Perrin laces this one with red herrings and twists and turns.
I thought this book was a fantastic series starter. If you like Susan Juby’s quirky detective Helen Thorpe, Anthony Horowitz’s cosy mysteries, or the idea of an unlikely heir dealing with mystery and murder in a small British village, then give this series a try.