How to Seal Your Own Fate, Castle Knolls File #2, by Kristen Perrin. Small English town, two time lines (present and old diary entries), and 5 deaths to solve.

I rated this 4 stars.

Loved this book just as much as the first, such a fun refreshing cozy mystery. Annie is now living in Castle Knolls after inheriting her Great Aunts fortune and property. After solving Aunt Frances’ murder and finding her killer there is now a new fortune to solve. Three murders from the past and two in the present. Using Aunt Frances’ diaries, her best friend, and the local detective Annie is on her way to put the clues together and solve another mystery of Castle Knolls.

Such a great read if you are in a book slump or just needing a little mystery. I highly recommend this series and am excited to see what Annie will do next!

Thank you, NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton | Dutton for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

A fun follow up to How to Solve Your Own Murder! In the second installment in the series, amateur sleuth Annie Adams has moved into Gravesend Hall and is almost immediately faced with another murder. This time, the victim is Peony Lane--the fortuneteller who foretold Annie's Aunt Frances' murder. Annie's investigation of Peony's murder leads her back into the past--specifically, to the untimely deaths of 3 family members who lived at Gravesend Hall when Frances was a young woman. The book goes back and forth between that time and the present, and does a wonderful job of neatly solving both mysteries. Looking forward to the next installment in the series!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was really good! I haven’t read the first one in the series but have to get my hot little hands on it. I love stories where a young woman inherits a mansion and considerable wealth. Interesting going from the past to the present with lots of skeletons in the closet!

While I liked the first book in this series, this one fell a little flat. The characters were entertaining but the plot seemed to lag and it was much harder to keep track of characters than in the first. I also would have liked a little more background as a reminder to where the characters were at in the first book.

I LOVED the first book in the Castle Knoll series, so I was very excited to be able to read the sequel. I enjoyed it as well, however, I didn't enjoy it quite as much. It had the same structure, a present and past POV, which kept it interesting and gave you information in different ways, which was fun. You definitely should read the first one before you read this one so you understand everything that's going on. You get reminders here and there, but they're small. It's been a while since I've read the first one, so I actually had forgotten a little bit about what I had read the first time.

It's a very cozy mystery with lots of secrets...and yes murder, but nothing gory or triggering happens. It's just an easy mystery book.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin House Dutton for this ARC.

Book 2 in this series finds Annie bored in her new home when the is lead to the events of 60 years ago which seemed to involve her Great Aunt Frances and which were either a tragic incident or murder

Bravo, Kristen Perrin! The second installment of the Castle Knoll Files series was just as enjoyable as the first.

The same things I said about “How to Solve Your Own Murder” hold with “How to Seal Your Own Fate.” The storyline was clever and nostalgic, reminiscent of classics like Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie.

One of my pet peeves as a reader is when writers are overly descriptive or add too much fluff. Not so with Perrin’s work. She manages to make every word count. I don’t find anything to be skimmable, which deserves another kudos!

I hope there’s a book three because I’m not ready for Annie’s story to end yet.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

** A copy of Things Left Unsaid was provided by the publisher and NetGalley/Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review **

How to Seal Your Own Fate is a fitting sequel. It follows the same dual POV/mystery structure as we learn more about Aunt Frances, Annie and all the other residents of Gravesdown Manor and Castle Knoll.

3.5 stars! Just as fun as the first one, if not more so! I still get the Knives Out feel with this sequel but with more of a cottage core/springtime vibe. I really enjoyed the double POVs again since we learned so much more about Frances and how she became the woman she did. When the diary entries and Annie’s present-day mysteries finally overlap and we see how they connect, it’s really satisfying and intricate, which makes having the two POVs that much more fun. If you enjoyed How to Solve Your Own Murder, you’ll definitely enjoy its sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for the arc!

What a fun follow-up to “How to Solve Your Own Murder”! I read that back in October and was pleasantly surprised to see this on NetGalley.

This series definitely is giving your mom’s favorite cozy murder-mystery series in the best way. I’ve really liked the murders being tied to the past in these last two books. I wasn’t sure how Aunt Frances was going to keep tying in, or if it’d be done well but I think it was!

I am curious to know if the subsequent books will follow the same formula and if this is going to be a Jessica Fletcher and Cabot Cove situation. You know, where she lives in a small town and residents of her small town keep being murdered and the murderers are also residents of her small town but somehow the town isn’t seen as cursed and the population isn’t dropping significantly. Suspensions of disbelief and all that.

I did like this book but I felt that it could drag a little bit. The most interesting parts of the story were Frances’ flashbacks and, unfortunately, I wasn’t as interested in Annie’s amateur sleuthing this time around. I also wasn’t as satisfied with the resolution of this mystery, I’m not exactly sure why though.

That being said, I do think this is a worthwhile read for those who enjoyed the first book and want to continue the series!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book!!

What a good book!! This one had me hooked from page one! I could t put it down. I loved the writing style of this book. I lived the characters and they had great chemistry.

I greatly enjoyed this sequel to "How to Solve Your Own Murder" by Kristin Perrin!

Like the first installment, "How to Seal Your Own Fate" follows Annie Adams, this time following her acclimation to Castle Knoll and the Gravesdown Manor after earning her great aunt's inheritance. She is soon swept up in another murder case and must dive back into the past to uncover the secrets that lie within Castle Knoll.

"How to Seal Your Own Fate" is a natural sequel to the book it follows, and I really enjoyed the path the second installment chose to take. I was very excited to return to Castle Knoll and to dig deeper into the history of the atmospheric town and its eclectic population of characters. Castle Knoll is a place where the past and present is constantly intertwining, and the author does such an incredible job building this world and building this village where there is always more than meets the eye.

I had such a great time with this sequel, and I hope there are many more visits to Castle Knoll to come.

I was excited to receive an ARC copy of 'How to Seal Your Own Fate' by Kristen Perrin. I absolutely loved her previous story, How To Solve Your Own Murder, last year and this continues the Castle Knoll series with another fun mystery. I really love the way that Kristen Perrin weaves history and puzzles into her stories, and this one is great.
Annie Adams is back as our amateur sleuth, she’s now living in Castle Knoll full time and trying to write when she stumbles upon a fortune teller’s cryptic message that launches her into a new mystery. This is another dual timeline which once again features her great aunt’s detective skills and family secrets that have been buried.
This mystery is smart, cozy and exciting and I really enjoyed it a lot. How to Seal Your Own Fate is due out in April of 2025 and I highly recommend to mystery lovers.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the ARC in exchange for a review.

Kristen Perrin’s How to Seal Your Own Fate is an engaging and entertaining sequel that builds on the first book in the series. Having a better grasp of the many characters this time around, I thoroughly enjoyed diving back into the small-town setting and exploring the complex relationships between its inhabitants. The interplay between characters and shifting time periods adds a layer of suspense that was missing in the first book, keeping me guessing as the story unfolded. While this element was occasionally confusing, it ultimately made for a richer, more dynamic narrative. One of the book’s standout qualities is its ability to balance a light and upbeat tone with darker themes like murder and betrayal. This juxtaposition kept the story fun and fast-paced, making it hard to put down. That said, I’d recommend starting with the first book in the series before tackling this one. There isn’t much of a recap, and I found myself struggling to remember some details early on. Overall, How to Seal Your Own Fate is an entertaining sequel that rewards readers with its suspenseful twists and compelling character dynamics.

This was an anticipated sequel to a fantastic book. This was another great cozy mystery by this author. I cannot wait to see what they put out next. Thrilling, cozy, fun, mystery. I think this author is going to be up there with the classic mystery writers of our time.

One of the standout aspects of "How to Seal Your Own Fate" is its exploration of the human condition. Perrin masterfully probes the complexities of identity, morality, and the search for meaning, creating a narrative that is both deeply unsettling and profoundly thought-provoking.

The characters in "How to Seal Your Own Fate" are complex and multi-dimensional, with rich backstories that add depth to the narrative. Perrin's protagonist is a compelling and relatable hero, whose flaws and strengths make them feel fully realized.

If you're a fan of literary fiction, magical realism, or philosophical inquiry, then "How to Seal Your Own Fate" is an absolute must-read. Perrin's writing is engaging, thought-provoking, and utterly captivating. Be prepared for a darkly magical and deeply unsettling reading experience!

I’m going to continue to be a fan of this Castle Knoll Series. I love the expert weaving between Frances’ diaries and the present day. Similar to the first book, I felt like a few things didn’t quite line up and might be a little plot-hole-ish, but I truly thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Hoping to see more from this series!

Kristen Perrin hit the nail on the head again with this one! Often sequels just don't live up to the hype, but this, bravo- all you need is a cup of tea, a blanket and you can tuck yourself into a cozy, mystery read!

This book brings us back to Castle Knoll and Annie is at again trying to solve another murder. Just like the first book in the series, we toggle back and forth between the past and the present, but in a way that is enjoyable and easy to understand through Great Aunt Frances' journals.

Also, Rowan Crane is top notch.

I will gladly read anything Perrin writes!


Thank you NetGalley and Penguin House Dutton for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Kristen Perrin writes another fun mystery with Annie Adams again tangled up in the hidden murders of Castle Knoll.
This book is a continuation of How to Solve Your Own Murder, that I would recommend reading first so you understand the characters in this one.
Our fortune teller Peony Lane is back, this time with a cryptic warning to Annie, only to end up dead in Annie's house a short time later.
Now Annie needs to clear her name and understand what Peony Lane was trying to warn her about.
When she discovers that it's related to the murder of three Gravestones, the wealthiest family in Castle Knolls, back in the 60s, Annie will return to her Great Aunt Frances' journals. A diary that she kept about everyone's secrets in Castle Knoll in anticipation of her own murder.
This book switches between present day with Annie and the past with Frances who is torn between two men, Ford Gravestone, the surviving younger brother and Archie Foyle, a local who grew up on the Gravestone property since his family worked for them for generations. Neither man trusts the other, but both have Frances' heart. When she learns both are connected to the murders in someway, she'll need to discover who is deceiving her.

Kristen Perrin's How to Seal Your Own Fate is an absolute treat for mystery lovers, serving up a deliciously twisty tale set in the delightfully atmospheric Castle Knoll. Amateur sleuth Annie Adams is back, and this time she's caught up in a mind-bending mystery that starts with a fortune teller's cryptic message and spirals into something far more sinister.

Imagine a story that's one part small-town gossip, one part family secret, and two parts pure intrigue. Perrin masterfully weaves between present-day investigations and her great-aunt Frances' daring detective work from the 1960s, creating a narrative that's impossible to put down. It's like having two brilliant detectives working the same case across different decades – and trust me, you'll be rooting for both of them.

The real magic happens in how Perrin connects the dots between past and present. Annie's cautious modern-day sleuthing plays beautifully against Frances' bold investigative spirit, creating a rich tapestry of family history and long-buried secrets. Each page feels like lifting another layer of an intricate mystery, with just enough breadcrumbs to keep you guessing.

Sure, there are moments when the pacing takes a slight breather, but that's hardly a complaint when the storytelling is this engaging. The book captures that perfect small-town mystery vibe – you can almost feel the weight of decades-old secrets hanging in the air, just waiting to be uncovered.

How to Seal Your Own Fate is exactly what you want in a mystery: smart, surprising, and utterly compelling. Perrin proves she's a master at crafting mysteries that are as emotionally rich as they are intellectually satisfying. If you're looking for a story that will keep you guessing until the very last page, this is your ticket to a delightful reading adventure.

Grab a cup of tea, settle into your favorite reading nook, and prepare to be thoroughly entertained. Castle Knoll is calling, and this mystery is too good to miss.

Many thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton | Dutton for sharing this unputdownable mystery's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.