In the sleepy English village of Castle Knoll, secrets simmer beneath the surface—and Kristen Perrin knows just how to stir them up.
A transplant from Seattle to Surrey, Perrin writes mysteries that blend the charm of the English countryside with the thrill of long-buried lies coming to light. Her debut adult novel, How to Solve Your Own Murder, is anything but conventional. It begins not with a body, but a prophecy—a chilling prediction made sixty years earlier that finally comes true. What follows is a puzzle-box narrative told across dual timelines, anchored by Annie Adams, a reluctant sleuth pulled into her great-aunt’s decades-old death and an inheritance game with murder at its core.
Perrin didn’t set out to become a crime writer. Her early career as a bookseller in Washington gave her a front-row seat to what readers love—stories that surprise, characters who linger, and mysteries that invite you to play detective. After moving to the UK for graduate studies, she found herself drawn to the peculiarities of English village life, a fascination that now shapes the backdrop of her fiction.
Her writing is crisp, clever, and layered with the kind of emotional tension that comes not from gore, but from what people hide. Readers who enjoy the subtle menace of an old secret resurfacing, the slow burn of a carefully plotted twist, or the gentle humor of misfit characters navigating danger, will find much to love in her work. Think Agatha Christie with a modern twist and a dash of Richard Osman’s whimsy.
How to Solve Your Own Murder became an instant national bestseller, landing on Amazon’s Best of the Month list and earning nods from Jimmy Fallon’s Book Club and the Goodreads Choice Awards. It has since been translated into over 18 languages—a rare feat for a debut. Her follow-up novel, How to Seal Your Own Fate, is set to release in 2025 and promises more mystery, more secrets, and more reasons to suspect your neighbors.
Beyond her adult fiction, Perrin has also written for younger audiences. Her middle-grade fantasy series, Attie and the World Breakers, has been published in German, Dutch, and Polish, revealing her talent for world-building and narrative depth across genres.
When she’s not plotting fictional crimes, Perrin can be found treasure-hunting in vintage bookshops, stomping through muddy fields with her two kids, or tending to her garden with the same care she gives her clues—planting them where you’d least expect.
If you're drawn to layered mysteries, village secrets, and characters with just enough bite, Kristen Perrin is an author worth watching.
