Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Summary according to GJ: In 1965, a teenage Frances goes with her friends to a fortune teller. Shaken by the words of her future murder, young Frances works on preventing (Or maybe even solving) her death.
In the present day, Frances' great niece Annie is invited to her estranged aunt's country manor. Arriving there along with Frances' in-laws and lawyer, Annie finds the woman dead. Unfortunately, due to her aunt's eccentricities (??), it's up to Annie to solve her aunt's murder and put this whole thing to rest. The narrative switches between Annie's journey and Frances' journal entries.
Review! It seems like this hasn't been my year for mysteries, I'm bummed to say I DNF'd at around 16 percent. While the book's concept immediately drew me in, I just couldn't get into the book.
Despite her having 70% of the book time, I felt no attachment to Annie. I don't feel like I know who she is, her motivation, or her feelings about her situation. We spend more of the book's time in her head and she just feels flat. The few times I did get a glimpse of Annie herself, she just rubbed me the wrong way.
No, I'm not knocking this book for having an unlikable or prickly FMC. I love many an unlikable FMC but there's a difference between not liking someone because they're abrasive and not liking someone because they're bland and a little annoying. Annie didn't feel like the type of character I'd like to investigate a murder with, you know?
As for the writing style, it was fine? As I was reading, it was fast-paced but I still didn't feel like I knew anyone or had a good idea of the tone the book was going for. Is this the tragic story of a woman looking for a killer or a light cozy read with a routine of interesting and curious characters? Don't know because the writing was just there. No atmospheric prose, no delightful insights, nothing.
Overall, there wasn't enough to keep me going. Don't get me wrong, I do want to know the answer to Whodunnit but at this point, I'd be forcing myself to. I wouldn't be reading the book to go on this journey with the character, only to figure out who did it and that's not a good way to spend an afternoon.
"How to Solve Your Own Murder" comes out March 26, 2024
TW: Blood, death,
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