📖01.2026🧵
For the last couple of years I have, to varying levels of success, participated in the Buzzword Challenge created by Kayla at BooksandLala.
In 2025 I didn’t complete the Buzzword challenge and as I found that quite a lot of the prompts aren’t featured in my tbr, which is my priority. That’s why, this year, I have decided to switch up and participate in the Book Cover Challenge instead (which runs alongside the Buzzword).
🐦⬛💀🐦⬛💀🐦⬛
January Prompt: Cover featuring an Internal Body Part
Examples: Blood, organs, muscles, tissue, and bones.
How to Solve Your Own Murder; Kristen Perrin
⭐⭐⭐.75
“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.”
“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.”
TheStoryGraph
Surprisingly, I didn’t have that many options for the first cover prompt – ‘internal body part’. However, How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin was nestled on my shelves waiting for it’s time to shine!
The novel is a cosy mystery and there is a sense of comfort and low stakes (despite some danger included) throughout. Annie is an aspiring crime writer and it was fun seeing her make connections to the genre as a whole, while she investigates the murder.
I enjoyed the main cast, and several key players were incredibly interesting. We witness Annie in the present day, and how Frances was with those around her in the village. And we also get excerpts of Frances’ diary from when she was a teenager, which opens up the mystery even further.
I have to admit, the diary entries were my favourite parts. The plot itself, in general, is kind of generic. It has a lot of nods to the classic whodunnit, Agatha Christie, and British crime tv (Perrin is America but she lives in Surrey and the book has a British feel), and the 1960’s setting of teenage drama and societal expectations were great additions.
The plot is fast paced and this meant that not all the characters were fleshed out or just felt like well known stereotypes of a ‘villager’, and I’ll be honest, I got some people mixed up or forgot how they mattered to the plot. I also think the reveal and conclusion was somewhat anti-climactic. There wasn’t enough development surrounding the actual murder, which is a shame as that’s the main focal point throughout!
I’m still rating this highly – 3.75⭐ – as I enjoyed my time while in the novel, it was fun and, like I said, fast paced. I also consumed the book via audio and both Alexandra Dowling and Jaye Jacobs did a great job narrating.
How To Solve Your Own Murder is the first book in The Castle Knoll Files and I will be continuing with the series.
🐦⬛💀🐦⬛💀🐦⬛
I also thought it would be fun to do a cross stitch to match the theme of each months prompt as well.
For January’s prompt, I went with an anatomical heart.
This pattern is from The Gilded Moth, over on Esty. I got a pattern bundle last year and I knew that there would be something pretty but macabre in their gothic collection!
🐦⬛💀🐦⬛💀🐦⬛
Links:
Thanks for reading! Are you taking part in the Buzzword challenge this year?
I hope you’re having a lovely day and staying safe 💕
DramaRambles 🌸 
Leave a comment