4.5 rounded up. Received ARC copy from NetGalley and Dutton books in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this installment of the Castle Knoll Files.
CAWPILE Score:
Characters: 5/5 - I LOVED seeing these characters develop from book 1, and some new characters introduced.
Atmosphere/Setting: 5/5 - This is a category that I think Perrin improved on from book 1. The atmosphere made it feel like the house was another character in this story (even more than in book 1). Setting was always there - I could see, feel, smell, and hear the setting at all times, no matter where (or when) we were.
Writing Style: 4.5/5 - Even though I loved book 1, I think Perrin's writing drastically improved here in book 2. I give it 4.5 and not a full 5 stars because it did feel a tad predictable but that also didn't hinder me from enjoying the book as a whole.
Plot: 4/5 - The plot felt a bit predictable. I did have an inkling about "who dunnit" earlier in the book, however there were so many twists and turns that when it was revealed at the end, I wasn't surprised but it also wasn't 100% guaranteed.
Intrigue: 5/5 - Despite thinking I knew who the "killer" was, I knew from reading Perrin's first book that it could completely change by the end - at the very least there would be details that I never would have expected. And that kept my intrigue going the whole time.
Logic/Relationships: 5/5 - The logic was always there; it all made so much sense to me. I loved seeing how the characters' relationships developed (both in the present timeline and the flashbacks) in this novel compared to the first one which first more surface level. We took a deeper dive in book 2 and I loved every second of it.
Enjoyment: 5/5 - Truly enjoyed this installment and can't wait to see where Perrin goes with book 3!
Total: 33.5/7 - 4.78/5

I loved Perrin's "How to Solve your own Murder" last year, so I was quite happy to return to Castle Knoll for another installment about Annie Adams and her Aunt Frances' time (the swinging 60's) in "How to Seal your own Fate". I found it just as FUN and cozy as the first - yay, no sophomore slump here!! Annie investigates another mystery from Aunt Frances time using her clues left behind - this time involving the Fortune Teller from book 1. Lots of twists and very cleverly plotted, I liked it a lot & 60's nostalgia vibes too. I'll be down for more installments with Annie! My thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for my advance review copy - a pleasure indeed to review it!

I really loved this mystery novel and I was a big fan of the way the storyline played out. I’ll definitely be recommending this to other people moving forward who are interested in this type of book.

What an exciting series! Very well written, great mystery and colorful characters. Never know what's around the bend in her stories. Love the setting of the English countryside and the cast of characters are vibrant and deep. We continue with our heroine Annie from How to Solve your Own Murder. She finds a neighbor dead in her house and its up to her to find the killer before the cops lock her up for good. Cannot wait till the next in the series and Annie's next adventure.

3.5 stars. I didn’t think this book was quite as good as the first one, but it was still enjoyable. I like the way the author associates a current murder with a past one so you really have two mysteries. I love Frances’ diary entries actually more than the present action. Frances story is so interesting and you learn it in these small pieces that leave you wanting more.

I struggle to care about Annie, although I’m not certain why. I don’t understand why she is still in Castle Knolls when almost the whole community shuns her. She just seems lost and lonely. Then she latches onto these mysteries with a interest that borders on obsession. I feel like she cares more about solving the mysteries of the community than being a part of it.

The other thing that bugs me is this weird tension between Annie and Crane. It’s like they’re more then just friends but not really. Sometimes it seems like Crane keeps her around to keep her from trouble rather than because he has any attraction to her. Honestly, as a cop, I would find her annoying.

There was a couple inconsistencies in this book, but I don’t know if that’s because it’s an ARC and just hasn’t been proofed completely. For example, Annie says all the Gravesdown files are missing but then a few chapters later, she finds them in the filing cabinet.

I like how the fortunes play a role in all the murders. The fortunes are always confounding and you really only find out what they mean once the murder has been solved. I thought the mystery of this book was intriguing, but the actual solution was a little disappointing and convoluted.

I will probably read the next one.

Thank you to the author and publisher for an advanced copy. All opinions expressed within are my own.

I really liked How to Solve Your Own Murder and had high hopes for this next installment. The things that worked for me in HTSYOM - the dual timeline, highly twisty mystery, and hints of romance budding between two characters - did not hit the same in this sequel. We meet the same crew of people but even though I had read HTSYOM in the same year, I had trouble orienting myself to the relationships and storylines. Once everything started to iron out, I just felt like everything was a little convoluted rather than layered and intriguing. Annie, the main character, was flat. It seemed like her main role was to just move the plot along instead of developing as a person.

3.5 ⭐️ I jumped into this without reading the first one, so it took some time for me to get my bearings and understand the world of the book. I found myself wishing this was a tv show instead of a book! There were so many twists and turns that were hard for me to keep track of- the many characters, the shifting stories about the same event, etc. This was good but not great!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I absolutely loved the first book in this series and was thrilled to read the second in the series.

I loved the premise and was excited to learn more about the history of Castle Knoll and all its residents. While I loved this book overall, I felt that a lot of plot lines and information got overlooked. There were so many new characters introduced and a lot of details given out, but most of them got lost in the story or were never given deeper understanding after the first mention.

Perrin does a wonderful job bringing us into the world and drama of each case, but the second book does go off on unresolved tangents more than the first book.

That being said, I will absolutely continue to read this series and love learning more about Annie and Castle Knoll with each book. Hopefully as the series continues, a lot of my questions will be answered as Kristen Perrin solves more of the mysteries surrounding the Gravesdowns and Castle Knoll.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for sharing this early copy with me for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I was very excited to receive an early digital copy of 'How to Seal Your Own Fate' as 'How to Solve Your Own Murder' is one of my favorite mystery books! Due to this, I went in with very high expectations for the second book. While the author is an incredibly talented writer, I didn't find myself as pulled into this story as I was the first book. I believe the initial thing that came across as unbelievable/strange was the appearance of Peony Lane on Annie's property. It seemed very much like it was a way to force us to believe that Peony was this 'mysterious' figure, but instead it felt unnatural. After that, I continued having a hard time buying into the narrative and staying immersed in the story. I wanted SO badly to love this book, but for better or worse, I believe the first book set an incredibly high standard that this book failed to match.

Set in alternating time lines this book is amazing! Set in an English village the scenery is well described, you almost feel like you are there.

While I really enjoyed How to Seal Your Own Fate, I wish I head read it immediately after How to Solve Your Own Murder (which I also loved). It took me a minute to remember who everyone was and their storylines. With that being said, once I got into it, Kristen Perrin penned a fun read that I enjoyed every step of the way. Please tell me there will be another installment of this series!

Thank you NetGalley and Dutton for the ADR in exchange for an honest review.

Annie Adams is back in the second Castle Knoll series. Peony Lane, the fateful fortune teller, appears to Annie with a new mystery into the Gravesdown accident, telling Annie there’s more to the story and that she must look into it. Peony turns up murdered and Annie teams up with detective Crabe again in another mystery.
I really enjoy this series! It was fun to see how Peony’s fortunes again influence Francis and her friends. We get to know more of Francis’s friends and a lot more on the Gravesdown family. I enjoyed the fortune aspect being expanded in this second book and was glad to see Annie and Crane team up again.

A great follow up to How to Solve Your Own Murder. I love the double story line—reminds me of Anthony Horowitz’s Atticus Pund/Susan Ryland books. And the slow burn romance (ongoing flirtation) between Annie and Crane reminds me of the PBS series Miss Scarlet and the Duke. Can’t wait for the next installment.

Kristen Perrin brings us the second installment of the Castle Knoll series in How to Seal Your Own Fate. I fell in love with How to Solve Your Own Murder and was so excited to travel back to Gravesdown Hall and solve another mystery with Annie. This book starts off with another fortune from Peony Lane and then her subsequent murder which is tied to another murder from 1967 that great Aunt Frances was investigating. The chapters toggle from present to past, and from Annie's POV to Frances'.

I am living for the budding friendship between Annie and Rowan Crane, the lead police investigator. Annie's friend Jenny sees it too, and the winks and knowing looks and running out of the room when Rowan is around makes it all the better!

This is not a stand alone book. It has to be read in sequence with the first one. Even though I did read and absolutely LOVE the first one, I read it so long ago that I had some trouble recalling some of the details from the first one vital to the understanding of this one. My only other criticism of this book as opposed to the first one is that this one seemed to have so many more characters and intricate details. I found myself getting confused or forgetting things/having to go back and reread things.

Overall, I loved the book. These mysteries are top tier, and as the author has seemingly left the door open for the next book, I will be waiting on tenterhooks.. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me for my honest review. All opinions are 100% my own.

Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Summary: Two women, decades apart, unravel deadly secrets and tangled lies in the idyllic yet sinister village of Castle Knoll, where murder, betrayal, and a cryptic warning threaten to destroy their lives.

My review: In the sequel to "How to Solve Your Own Murder" this mystery weaves together two timelines, expertly alternating between the perspectives of Frances Adams in 1967 and her great-niece Annie Adams in the present day. This second installment more challenging to follow than its predecessor. The complex web of characters and their interconnected relationships across different time periods can be difficult to keep track of at times. Still, I will definitely read book 3 to see where the series goes!

Genres/Themes: Fiction / Mystery & Detective - Amateur Sleuth / Mystery & Detective - Cozy / Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths

"How to Seal Your Own Fate" is scheduled for publication on April 29, 2025, by PENGUIN GROUP Dutton.

Castle Knoll seems like a nice little village with plenty of gossip and secrets! Like the first book, I enjoyed the alternating POVs with Frances and Annie. While an entertaining mystery, I didn't find this one as easy to follow as the first book. I'm excited to learn about Annie's fortune in the third book and hope we get more progress on the budding relationship between Annie and Detective Crane. 3.5 stars.

Annie Adams is back at it in Castle Knolls. She’s just starting to settle into the Gravesdown Estate and consider making it her own when she finds herself forced to confront more mysteries from the bowels of Frances’ files. Along with Detective Crane and best friend Jenny, what revelations will she unearth this time around?

Kristen Perrin continues to keep me on my toes guessing and wondering just who done it as we follow along with Annie through her present day and as she traces her aunt’s own mystery solving efforts. My only complaint is that the romance in this book is SLOW burn in the present and remarkably quick in the past. I know I’ll continue to follow this series and if you like an anglophilic mystery, you should too!

Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for the opportunity to early review.

I loved How to Solve Your Own Murder and couldn't wait for this one! I enjoyed it well enough, but it didn't engross me like I hoped. There was a lot of telling and not very much showing. Still looking forward to the next installment.

How to Seal Your Own Fate is more of a companion novel to How to Solve Your Own Murder than it is a sequel. I wish I had read the second immediately after the first. It has been nine months and it took me some time to remember who the characters were and their relationships to each other.

The story moves between diaries written by Frances (now dead) in the 1960s and narration by Annie, her great niece, in the present. There are new mysteries and new murders, but they are all still intimately connected to the events of book 1. Go read it first.

This was an easy, diverting read that didn’t require any work from me. It’s fun, light. Nothing to worry about; plenty of deaths but no one we are set up to care about. There’s some pretty convoluted stuff going on, but eh, just go with it. I have to say, living in a big old manor house with a solarium sounds kind of amazing. Hoping for forward movement in the romance department with the handsome detective in book three.

I read an advance reader copy from Netgalley.

I really enjoy the Castle Knoll setting and the wide range of characters. I thought the plot was intriguing and a captivating mystery, but I found it quite hard to follow. I liked the alternating past and present chapters and how the two different crimes from the eventually intersected, but overall the story was convoluted. I wouldn't have understood what had happened if it wasn't spelled out in the final chapters.

Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC.