Way to leave us all on a cliffhanger, Kristen, there will obviously be an additional follow up book with that ending, which I cannot wait to read!!

I didn’t know this was the second book in the series, but honestly, you can just pick this up and start reading, they reference the first summer of murder solving enough to where I felt like I’d read it already🤌🏻

I loved the timeline jumps from the late 60s to early 70s to present day, as we bounce between the attempted murder investigation in the past, to the parallels of the present-date murder investigation.

With the same characters and “persons of interest” in both timeframes, it was fun to piece together and try to solve the murder mystery/fortunes before Annie was arrested or killed herself! Everyone’s a suspect, and everyone has a different story of what happened when that purple car crashed years ago, on that fateful night — and the truth will leave you speechless!!

You won’t be able to put How to Seal Your Own Fate down!!

A truly delightful read! So happy to revisit Castle Knoll—a town that somehow manages to be both idyllic and full of murder. This sequel plunges us back into the mystery with Annie Adams, who’s barely settled into her new life before getting wrapped up in yet another death. The discovery of Peony Lane’s body in a locked estate kicks off a spiraling series of events, and once again, secrets from the past begin to unravel in the present.

As in the first book, the story seamlessly shifts between timelines, using Frances Adams’s journals to guide us through a parallel mystery set in 1967. I absolutely loved the twists and turns in this one. The way everyone is connected—and the roles they each played in shaping the tragedies that unfold—is both heartbreaking and thrilling. Family secrets, forbidden romances, and long-buried betrayals kept me glued to the page.

Frances and Annie shine as sleuths in their own ways: Frances is all grit and instinct in her vintage world, while Annie brings a more careful, methodical approach in the present day. The contrast makes for a really compelling read.

There is a slight dip in pacing around the middle, but honestly? I didn’t even mind. The atmosphere, the tension, and the emotional stakes made it worth sticking with. I'm already hoping for another installment!

My copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Dutton for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Kristen Perrin knows how to write a cozy mystery! How to Seal Your Own Fate was even better than How to Solve Your Own murder, which I loved! I found myself constantly going back to past pages to check on facts and making mental notes, but never coming up with the correct answer. I really hope this series continues and we get to learn Annie's fortune!

How to Seal Your Own Fate is the second book in the Castle Knoll Files mystery series, following last year's How to Solve Your Own Murder. 

As with the first book in the series, this installment focuses on a mystery in the current timeline that parallels a mystery from the 1960s timeline. How to Seal Your Own Fate features the same quaint characters readers met at the start of the series, and the writing is less predictable than in your typical cozy mystery. 

However, this book was not as strong as its predecessor. It was confusing. I read the first book last year, and I read a detailed summary of it to refresh my memory right before starting this one...and I was still perplexed. I had to keep rereading pages for clarity, and even now I'm not sure that I understand how the mystery was solved.

I still enjoyed reading it enough to continue with the next book in the series, though!

I think this was a great follow up to book one. The opening really confused me at first. I had to double check that I was reading the right book. That was very off-putting to me. Otherwise, no notes :). Thank you for sending this to me via email without me having to request it. I can't wait to get the physical copy too!

I will likely finish this book but didn't find it compelling. I had to try to remember quite a bit from the first one that I guess I forgot. I liked the first one though!

I don't have much to say about How to Seal Your Own Fate (book two in the Castle Knoll series). It is a perfectly okay mystery book. I vaguely recall liking book one a bit more, but don't actually remember it very well. There's nothing abhorrently wrong with book two, but nothing amazing, either. My biggest gripes with this story were with Annie (the main character) and her general lack of self-preservation. She's a 20-something woman living alone in an enormous house in a new town. After inheriting said house, she goes to the trouble of having security cameras installed, but apparently doesn't bother to do things like CHANGE THE LOCKS?!

How to Seal Your Own Fate is a cozy mystery and is the second book in the Castle Knoll series. Annie Adams is settling into her new inheritance on the heels of the events from the first book, How to Solve Your Own Murder. But before she gets too comfortable, a body is found in her solarium and she becomes suspect number one. With the help of her best friend Jenny, and local detective Rowan Crane, Annie digs deep into the secrets of Gravesdown Hall through her Aunt Frances’ diaries and extensive files. She must unravel a decades-old unsolved mystery and solve another of fate’s riddles in order to solve the current-day murder and clear her name.

I really enjoyed jumping back into the world of Castle Knoll. It was a nice mystery with intriguing characters and a cozy setting. The pacing was well-done and kept things moving and kept things interesting. The ending leaves room for more to come, so hopefully there will be more in this series.

Thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for the ARC!

I'm SO glad this is a series -- I'm so into the format, the setting, the whole deal. This book is cozy without being cloying, with a compelling mystery. I was actually more attached to the characters than the whodunnit, which is rare for me, but it's a total package.

How To Seal Your Own Fate
Genre: cozy mystery
Rating: 3.5/5

#ARC generously provided by @duttonbooks in exchange for an honest review — thank you!!

Good news: A fun read, the detective is still a cutie, and the House is spooky and gloomy and maybe haunted.

Less good news: Not quite as fun as the first Castle Knoll murder mystery. While the first one, How To Solve Your Own Murder, had a good reason for the amateur sleuth outsider to be mucking around across crime scenes and investigating the small town murdery goings on, CK2 simply requires more suspension of disbelief than I’m really happy with.

As CK1 wrapped up with the main character finding a whole host of files on townsfolk mischief, I assumed we would get a series of solving one mystery at a time — and I’m not anti-series. I do wish that it allowed the sequel to stand alone as a separate installment rather than relying quite a lot on the unfinished storylines from book one.

I didn't read the first book of this series and maybe I should have in order to feel a bit more engaged with the characters. I also would have probably better understood the continuity between the books. I still enjoyed the mystery and plot though, as well as the dual timelines and journal entry structure. Both women are strong and independent, and I liked both of them equally. I don't know that it has enough of my interest to read the prior book or the next one, but it's a fun read for mystery lovers who enjoy an even mix of predictable and surprising twists.

This is the second book I've gotten an ARC of and it still just completely hits the mark!
If you told me I was about to get obsessed with a murder mystery featuring a possibly cursed manor house, a suspiciously dead fortune teller, and a protagonist who did not sign up for any of this—well, you’d be right. How to Seal Your Own Fate is the perfect mix of gothic vibes, small-town drama, and a twisty mystery that kept me hooked from start to finish.

Annie Adams was just trying to get her new life together after inheriting Gravesdown Estate (because every good mystery needs an ominous old house, obviously). But then Peony Lane, the local fortune teller, drops a cryptic message about Annie’s future—and promptly turns up dead inside Annie’s house. So, naturally, Annie decides to solve the murder herself, because 1) she’s a suspect, 2) the village is crawling with secrets, and 3) what else are you supposed to do when a psychic dies in your home?

Kristen Perrin absolutely nails the atmosphere—this book is giving classic whodunit energy with a modern edge. The story flips between Annie’s investigation and diary entries from 1967, where her great-aunt Frances was dealing with her own set of suspicious events. And let me tell you, Frances was out here living—her chapters are just as juicy as the present-day mystery.

The writing is sharp, funny, and just the right amount of eerie. If you love books that feel like Agatha Christie meets Only Murders in the Building (but with more English countryside and fewer podcasts), this one’s for you. I will absolutely be reading whatever Kristen Perrin writes next.

"Kristen Perrin is back with the second novel in her Castle Knoll series. Annie Adams is caught in a new web of murder that spans decades, returning us to the idyllic English village that holds layers of secrets.

Present day: Annie Adams is just settling into life in Castle Knoll when local fortune teller Peony Lane crosses her path and shares a cryptic message. When Peony Lane is found dead only hours later inside the locked Gravesdown Estate, Annie quickly realizes that someone is out to make her look guilty while silencing Peony at the same time. Annie has no choice but to delve into the dark secrets of Castle Knoll in order to find out just what Peony Lane was trying to warn her about, before the new life she's just begun to build comes crashing down around her.

1967: A year has passed since her friend Emily disappeared, and teenage Frances Adams finds herself caught between two men. Ford Gravesdown is one of the only remaining members of a family known for its wealth and dubious uses of power. Archie Foyle is a local who can't hold down a job and lives above the village pub. But when Frances teams up with Archie to investigate the car crash that claimed the lives of Ford's family, it quickly becomes clear that this was no accident - hints of cover-ups, lies, and betrayals abound. The question is, just how far does the blackness creep through the heart of Castle Knoll? When Frances uncovers secrets kept by both Ford and Archie, she starts to wonder: What exactly has she gotten herself into?"

Whenever there's a character named Ford I have to wonder if they're an alien.

6/10 i didn’t find this one to be a super great book. i thought it was kind of confusing, the dual storylines always run that risk. it was a little loopy and open ended in some places, and those kinds of books always bother me. there was a plethora of characters to enjoy however.

How to Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin is the 2nd book in her Castle Knoll Files series. Annie Adams, our amateur sleuth/heroine, is caught up in another sinister mystery. Annie has been living at Castle Knoll for a few months; after she solved the murder of her great-aunt Frances. Annie looks into all the paper work from her aunt, learning through POV’s in the past, as well as her discovering the truths in the present. Annie inherited the entire Gravesdown Hall and the surrounding properties. Most of the same characters are present in this 2nd book, with many years having passed.

Annie runs into Peony Lane (fortune teller) that her aunt used to follow. Peony has a few secrets she wants Annie to investigate, about an old accident years ago. A few hours later, Peony is found murdered inside the Gravesdown Estate, and Annie begins to realize that someone is trying to make her look like the guilty person. Even though she was with her friend, Jenny having tea outside. Annie knows she needs to start digging for information, especially from Frances papers and diaries.

In the past (1967), a teenage Frances will team up with Archie, to investigate a car crash that killed 3 members of the Gravesdown family; it quickly becomes clear that this was no accident, with lies and betrayals. Dark secrets are revealed, as the deeper Frances digs, everything becomes tangled. Frances finds herself attracted to two men, Ford Gravesdown and Archie Foyle. Ford is the only member of his family left, with him known for his wealth and power. Archie was always out of work, occasionally working in the pub.

How to Seal Your Own Fate was a captivating, cozy, intriguing, murder mystery, with a quite a few suspects, who were involved from the past. The story did start slow early on, but the second half was a wild and intense thriller. Annie worked closely with her friend, Jenny, as well as her Detective friend,

How to Seal Your Own Fate turns into a wild gripping ride that will have you unable to put the book down. The plot was extremely well done, with a number of surprising twists. This was a very exciting masterpiece of a thriller, that was very well written by Kristen Perrin. You need to read this book from start to finish.

A fortune teller whispers a warning… and ends up dead hours later. Now Annie’s the main suspect—and the only one who can uncover the truth hiding in Castle Knoll’s shadows.

Here are Reasons to Read the Mystery Book:

It’s a dual-timeline mystery that masterfully ties the present to a dark, twisty past.


The locked-room murder and cryptic fortune bring big-time suspense with cozy mystery vibes.


Frances and Annie are compelling, complex women digging into secrets the town would rather stay buried.


Perfect for fans of unraveling generational curses one clue at a time.
I was such a big fan of the first book in this series. So much so that I read it twice. It still remains my favorite, but this one is a good addition. Not only does it give you complex clues, but it also feeds into how more books can be written based on fortunes told by Peony Lane that are dual timeline. However, my two minor issues are that I wanted to see more of Annie and Crane’s relationship. And maybe the clues were too complex at times. Overall I still really like this series.

fun murder mystery and the timejumping worked. i have not had a chance to read the previous book in the series but it doesn't feel like it's needed. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

This is the second book in Kristen Perrin's Castle Knoll Files series, following the adventures of amateur sleuth Annie Adams in the quaint English village of Castle Knoll. The narrative intertwines present-day investigations with excerpts from the 1960s diaries of Annie's great-aunt, Frances, creating a dual-timeline mystery that delves into long-buried family secrets and local intrigue.​ I did not read book one so had a bit of a challenge as this book does refer to many characters in the first book.

It gives off serious Agatha Christie vibes with its suspenseful and engaging plot. The story moves between 2 separate timelines, the activities of Annie's aunt in the 60s, with Annie's experiences in the present day. When Annie is framed for the death of a local fortune teller, she then delves into her aunt's diaries to try to determine if there are any clues about the fortune teller, and her relationship with her aunt. I love a strong female main character, and Annie does not disappoint in this regard. Her ability to root out clues and discover new evidence clearly shows her skills as a detective and you can see why this is a popular series. The ending was a bit predictable for me, but I overall enjoyed the book and look forward to seeing more from Ms. Perrin.

It helps to have read How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin before reading How to Seal Your Own Fate because there are myriad characters who appear in both books. The murders in the first book have been solved, and Annie is a rich woman, living in a house she inherited from her great-aunt. Another murder occurs early in this book. and the victim is Peony Lane, the fortune teller who accurately predicted that Aunt Frances's life would end in her own murder. Annie resolves to investigate this murder as well, especially as it appears that Peony Lane (for unknown reasons she is referred to by both names throughout the book) has some new predictions that may affect the lives of other characters. In addition, Annie has a lot of time on her hands, as it seems she has made very few changes in her life to date.

It could be a fascinating premise, but for me, the problem lies with Annie, the protagonist. She is the first-person narrator of the chapters occurring in the present day, and her voice is consistently low-key, repetitive, and lacking in any spark of excitement. Again in this book, I failed to make a connection with Annie for these reasons. A few of the many other characters are interesting, but I felt there were too many to leave time for the author to achieve any depth. I also found the alternating between the two timelines more confusing this time around, as the switch to the historical chapters (50 years earlier) is indicated by the date change, but never the switch back to the present.

There are many very positive reviews of this book, and fans can probably look forward to future series entries, as there is a hint of a continuing story. Unfortunately, it was too lackluster for me, and I had to skim the later chapters to finish.

My thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Dutton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this booi.

I'd wondered whether this could make a good series and I'm still on the fence. Last time, Annie had to solve a murder to be able to inherit millions (millions!!) from a distant relative. This time, she's innocently heading to town and meets the fortune teller that set the events of the previous book in motion... and off we go with another mystery that relies (somewhat) on the numerous files that Frances compiled over the decades. I hope that book 3 expands on this in some way.

As mysteries go, there's a lot--too much, really--that gets revealed via Frances' diary. The relationships between people we met in the last book are further explored, and of course Annie and her policeman friend get closer. I did not love that there were some characters whose personalities/motivations suddenly changed, not in the unreliable character way but in a "oops, I created a character that needs to be/do xxx" way.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.