EPISODE 50: How to Solve Your Own Podcast

We did it! 50 episodes in, Curated by Chance hits its midlife crisis—no Porsche, no Bali retreat, but Neal and Lauren are still here, still talking, and (shockingly) still not out of things to say. To celebrate the big 5-0, we’re cracking open our first ever CBC Book Club pick: How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin.

What begins as a light mystery read turns into a wide-ranging discussion on genre expectations, literary pet peeves, cozy vibes, and what makes a character actually worth rooting for. Lauren and Neal get honest about the book’s writing style, plot twists, character development (or lack thereof), and how it compares to their beloved Richard Osman universe.

📚 What’s inside:
– Our honest review of How to Solve Your Own Murder
– Thoughts on the “pastiche problem” in genre fiction
– Why fainting doesn’t count as a personality
– Where the romance subplot could’ve gone
– And what actually surprised us about the plot

Also discussed:
💬 Listening at 1.25 speed
📸 Posting episode extras on Instagram (@curatedbychance)
📖 The logistics (and dreams) of a future CBC Book Club tier
📘 P.D. James, Margaret Atwood, and the ghost of Agatha Christie
🎨 Art moms, missing townspeople, and the need for a “cool bitch” character
💋 And a wild aside about writing erotic fiction (Patreon exclusive?)

Your prompts for next week:
Parisian
Crown
540
Fuchsia

Have thoughts on the book? Want to nominate our next read? Drop us a message on Instagram or email us at [email protected]. And let us know—should the CBC Book Club be a recurring thing?

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https://ltlikesthis.substack.com/ 

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The Show - @curatedbychance

Lauren - @paisleylo

Neal - @nealefischer

E-mail us: [email protected]

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Check out Neal's newest book on MrBeast and his other books available now and for pre-order!

www.linktr.ee/nealefischer

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