LoveReading Says
The book opens in 1965 with Frances Adams having her fortune told by Peony Lane. She takes in every word as if it’s gospel and spends the next sixty years as a detective trying to prevent her fate, trying to stop the crime she is sure to befall.
Under her breath, she repeated her fortune again and again until it was burned into her memory.
"Your future contains dry bones. Your slow demise begins right when you hold the queen in the palm of one hand. Beware the bird for it will betray you. And from that, there's no coming back. Bar daughters are the key to justice, find the right one and keep her close. All signs point toward your murder."
With the feel of a classic murder mystery, flitting between the 1960s and present day, wannabe murder mystery writer Annie finds herself at the heart of the story, tasked with trying to find the truth for her great aunt. Summoned to the sprawling estate in Castle Knoll in Dorset, a place she's never been to from a great aunt she only gets to know in death, she finds her quest.
In the heart of her sprawling country estate lies Frances' Murder Room, her eccentric library of detective work, where the right person could step in and use her findings to solve her murder. It contains every single theory and paranoia that Francis collected over the years, it's saturated with sadness. As the amaterur sleuths peel away the layers of Frances' psyche and find crooked people galore, we are forced to try and solve the puzzle as armchair detectives. Was it driven by greed, revenge, passion or self preservation? And the punchline, whoever cracks the code, inherits her millions.
As Annie makes her way through the Castle Knoll reading list she finds a boiling pot of deceit, betrayal, intrigue and a cast of characters that would rival any Agatha Christie novel, How To Solve Your Own Murder is a joy, a conundrum of a cosy crime, and I have a feeling there'll be more from this bunch. Oh please, let there be more.
Deborah Maclaren
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How to Solve Your Own Murder Synopsis
'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?
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*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 About This Edition