The Twelve Days of Murder by Andreina Cordani

An homage to Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None," this book covers a group of seven friends twelve years after the disappearance of their eighth. In university, they were a group who created and enacted murder mystery dinners. Most of them had money so they could go over the top. But one Christmas, the murder became a little too real. At least, most of them think so. They're not entirely sure since a body never turned up. Now, one of their team is trying to get the band back together. 

Charley always felt left out since she was "the poor one," the one accused of stealing a necklace. She's not sure that she wants to go but she's offered money. And since becoming an actress hasn't exactly worked out for her, she's willing to go. This money will let her break up with her boyfriend and get out. So, now she's on her way to Scotland. And we follow Charley's third person point of view through the present day with third person omniscient for the flash backs. 

The story was a little basic and the ending came a bit out of nowhere but, once I got into it, I ran through the ending. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out November 7, 2023

Borrowed as ebook from Hoopa

Opinions are my own

How To Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin

It took me awhile to settle into this book. It depended quite a bit on knowing characters from the previous book in the series. I never quite remembered who everyone was. And, for as often as I pick up books with the alternating timeline premise, it's still not one of my favorites although this book utilized it better than many others.

More secrets are coming up from the past. Annie's aunt, even though she was paranoid and alone toward the end of her life, spent a lot of time investigating people in her small village and putting together files on them. And those files will come in handy when a roof collapses and evidence from a decades old mystery is uncovered. That evidence leads to deaths in the present, some from characters that have been in both books. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out April 29, 2025

Castle Knoll Files #2

Follows by How to Solve Your Own Murder

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

A fun story though I am not a fan of jumping back and forth in time. I quite enjoyed Annie as a character. She's in her mid-20s and thought she'd have life figured out at this point but she sure doesn't. When visiting her (possibly somewhat flaky though we don't see her much in this book) mother, Annie sees some mail addressed to her. It's from her great aunt's lawyers. Though Annie's mother has, for decades, been thought to be her great aunt's presumptive heir, it seems that a last minute change is being made and Great Aunt Frances would like to see her and the other heirs to talk it through. So Annie travels to Castle Knoll, only to discover that her aunt has been killed and the person who solves the crime will inherit a fortune.
I didn't think this was fairly clued but the story was intriguing nonetheless. Lots of options for sequels: Annie's mother's history, Annie's father, her best friend, more about the Great Aunt's stepson.

Four stars

This book comes out March 26, 2024

Castle Knoll Files #1

Followed by How to Seal Your Own Fate

ARC kindly provided by Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley

Opinions are my own