A truly delightful read! So happy to revisit Castle Knoll, a town that seems both idyllic and full of murder! We pick up the story with Annie, enjoying her inheritance but feeling a bit listless. She runs into Peony Lane on her way to Archie's farm, and the plot thickens when just hours later Peony is found dead in the solarium. As Annie tries to solve the murder, she keeps coming back to the Gravedown car crash in 1960s, and how everyone is keeping secrets about it. Is it connected to Peony's murder? And, if so, can she figure out how before more bodies start to drop?

Of course we dive back into Frances' diaries, which are truly my fave! She is dealing with the aftermath of Emily's disappearance and the rest of her friends starting new lives. As people start whispering about the Gravedown car crash, she also starts her own investigation. Leading her to make new friends and reconsider her own relationship with Ford.

Overall I adored this read, it is a good mystery which keeps me guessing.
I do find that Annie's story, and her narration, is just a bit more bland than Frances who is more emotive and a bit more daring. I am hoping that in the next book Annie shows some character development and takes life a bit more in her own hands!



Thank you to Dutton and NetGalley for the ARC!

I love dual timeline books and Kristen Perrin does it so well. The story is talking about the same thing but in the past and present times. I didn’t guess the twists and turns.

It was fun to be back in Castle Knoll, with the continuation of Book one, and all the intrigue of Frances's life, and death. Book two does NOT disappoint. Please, if you haven't already done so, grab a copy of "How to solve your own murder", and consume that before beginning this one.
It's to your advantage to do so.

Being back with Annie, in Gravestown Hall is definitely creepy, what with all of the situations that transpired there in book one. She is determined to figure out more about the life her aunt lived, and why uncovering the town's secrets played so heavily into her obsessive need to outrun her fate. Not only that, but trying to keep ahead of officer Crane, and the new police chief is a task all it's own.

I absolutely LOVED the twists and turns in this one, and how interconnected everyone is, and the roles they played in how things ended up. The interpersonal dramas between friends, brothers, lovers, and family kept the pages turning, and I was at the end of this one before I knew it.

I encourage you to read this book (once you're done with book one) as it is very entertaining. I was fortunate to receive an invite to read from the publisher, and a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley (thank you), and happily leave my review.

3.5 stars. The vibes were great and it was fantastic to be back to this setting, but it wasn’t quite as great as the first book in the series.

I was invited by the publisher to review this book. This is a follow up to the first book in the series, which followed Annie as she tried to solve her aunt's murder that occurred on her estate. In that book we got to be introduced to a whole host of characters from her aunt's past, many of whom were still present in her life or through her estate in some way. In this book, we get to carry on in the fun. Annie has to investigate yet another murder, this time of a fortune teller, (but this is very important, as she is being framed), and we get a blast to the past again through journal entries.

What I love about these books is that we get a mystery, but it isn't gory or even scary, and the plotline is still "cozy" without being boring. It's all just fun. And the idea again of weaving together Annie and Frances as they attempt to solve a mystery of their time works really well, it keeps readers on their toes, and lends a two-for-one bonus in the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was wondering how Perrin would follow up "How to Solve Your Own Murder", the way that book was set-up was unique. Perrin did a wonderful job with this title as well. I really enjoyed learning more about Archie and Peony. I don't want to give anything away so I am careful about what I say. I loved how much Gravesdown's history made it a character. I love all the mainstay characters. And the mystery of this one had me guessing and second-guessing what was going on. I can't wait for another installment.

As a fan of small-town mysteries, this book was a delight to read. The blend of amateur sleuthing and community dynamics kept me hooked from start to finish. I'm eagerly looking forward to book three, anticipating more twists and turns in this charming series.

'How to Seal Your Own Fate' continues the Castle Knoll series with another Agatha Christie-esque twisty mystery. Kristen Perrin does a great job of weaving meaningful puzzles together spanning 50+ years, so this sequel is even more compelling than 'How to Solve Your Own Murder'.

If you enjoy reading small-town, amateur detective mysteries, then I recommend this book to you! I am looking forward to book three.

Special thanks to the Publisher, PENGUIN GROUP Dutton, and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

4.5⭐️

I can’t get enough of Rowan Crane! He continues to be such a loveable character. This book serves as a strong sequel, and I truly hope the series keeps going. It has that cozy vibe while also delivering classic mystery elements.

We return to Castle Knoll, where we follow Annie as she navigates another murder case—both current and tied to the past. Just like in the first book, we seamlessly transition between the present and the past through Frances's journals. This narrative device is executed beautifully, enhancing the story and hinting at potential future installments.

Perrin continues to craft wonderful, lovable characters that you never want to leave behind. I will eagerly read anything she writes.

Thank you NetGallsy and Penguin House Dutton for this advance reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

The first book in this series, “How to Solve Your Own Murder,” was my favorite mystery of the year, and also just one of my favorite reads in general. This sequel did not disappoint. It’s formulaic, but that’s something I love about it - small countryside town location, returning characters from the first book, and a mystery that is somewhat related to the mystery from the first book. I liked the mystery here and the dual narrative that also served “HtSYOM” so well. I sped through this and I can’t wait for the series to continue.

Another 5 star read in the Castle Knoll series! I'm loving this series so much! This time, Annie is trying to settle in and find her place in the small village of Castle Knoll where secrets abound and everybody seems to know at least part of everybody else's business and be connected in webs that go back decades. When a local fortune teller is murdered, Annie discovers that she is being set up to take the fall for it, and she must figure out why and who's responsible before she or anyone else gets hurt.

This story is told in duel timeline, present-day and 1967. It should be super confusing because both timelines are in first person, Annie and her great aunt Frances. However, Kristen Perrin does a really smart thing that I don't think I've seen anywhere else; she writes the present day timeline in present tense and the 1967 chapters in past tense. It works out so well that I hope other authors will take note of it.

The characters in this story are so interwoven both in present-day and in the past, and trying to figure out everyone's motives and loyalties is a treat. I love following both Frances and Annie as they uncover clues and draw conclusions. It's so interesting to watch both of them as the investigate in different ways but uncover much of the same information. Of course, Frances's investigation is long over, but there are so many links between hers and Annie's that it almost feels as if they are happening simultaneously. I can't say enough good things about how this book is woven together, and this is coming from a reader who generally prefers her mysteries to run in a straight line.

I did not guess the ending here which is always a thrill. However, there's set up at the end of this book that tells me more are coming, so hopefully I'll get another chance. I highly recommend this book and author.

Annie is settling in her new home when she decides to take a walk in the woods. During this walk she has a strange encounter with an elderly lady, Peony Lane. After that woman is found murdered in Annie’s home, this will set out a chain of events that has Annie involved in a new investigation. Following Annie and Detective Crane, with flashbacks of Aunt Florence, this new novel will have you engaged. Like these characters so much and I can’t wait to see what Annie gets up to next.

Loved the first whodunnit in this series and was so excited to be back with Annie for round number two. These are the perfect cozy mysteries, and great for fall. Thank you NetGalley and Dutton!