How to Solve Your Own Murder is the first book in a wry and very well constructed new series by Kristen Perrin. Released 26th March 2024 by Penguin Random House on their Dutton imprint, it's 368 pages and available in hardcover, large print paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links.
This is a fun homage/send up of the classic British murder mystery with a deceased (murdered) great-aunt, a crazy will, a huge inheritance up for grabs, dastardly grasping relatives, conspiracy theories galore, a convoluted plot, and a satisfyingly exciting denouement and resolution.
It's not primarily a humorous plot, but there are quite a few wry moments with departed great-aunt Frances' murder board and files which she collected over a 60 year period, having been convinced as a teenager that she was going to be murdered at some point (and she was).
It's not derivative, but fans of Knives Out, Clue, and the Thursday Murder Club will likely enjoy this one. There's a second book due out in March 2025 from the same publisher.
Four stars. It would be a good choice for public library acquisition, home use, or gift giving.
The unabridged audiobook format has a run time of 10 hours 51 minutes and is expertly read by Alexandra Dowling. She has a classically trained RP English accent and does a good job with the disparate and varied accents over a range of ages and both men and women. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes
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