Book Review: How to Seal Your Own Fate
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Author: Kristen Perrin @kristenperrinwrites
Publisher: Dutton Books @duttonbooks
Thank You @netgalley for my ARC

A gripping sequel that once again brings us to the eerie and secret-filled village of Castle Knoll. Told in dual timelines, this mystery expertly weaves the present-day investigation of Annie Adams with the past secrets of her late Great Aunt Frances, revealing how deeply the past and present intertwine.

Annie, still adjusting to life at Gravesdown Hall, finds herself drawn into another murder when local fortune teller Peony Lane delivers a cryptic message—and is then found dead inside the estate. As the town begins to suspect Annie, she realizes that Peony’s message was more than just superstition. The more she digs, the more she uncovers Castle Knoll’s hidden history of betrayals, cover-ups, and dangerous secrets.

Meanwhile, in 1967, teenage Frances Adams is dealing with the mysterious disappearance of her friend Emily while getting tangled with two men—Ford Gravesdown, heir to a family with questionable power, and Archie Foyle, a local struggling to find his place. When Frances starts investigating a supposed accident that killed Ford’s family, she realizes nothing in Castle Knoll happens by chance.

What makes this book shine is its perfect balance of suspense, historical intrigue, and strong character development. Annie is a fantastic protagonist, struggling to navigate her inheritance while carrying the weight of her great-aunt’s dark legacy. Frances’s sections add even more layers to the mystery, slowly peeling back the truth behind the village’s long-buried crimes.

The dual timelines are seamlessly executed, making the twists even more satisfying. Fans of gothic mysteries, small-town secrets, and intelligent female sleuths will love this book.

Whether you’re new to Castle Knoll or following Annie from How to Solve Your Own Murder, this book is a must-read. And with a pocketful of unopened fortunes still left to decipher, I suspect Annie’s investigations are far from over.

#MysteryBooks #DualTimeline #GothicMystery #HowToSealYourOwnFate #CastleKnollFiles #MurderMystery #AmateurSleuth #HistoricalFiction #BookRevie

If you didn’t read the first book, that’s ok. While there are things in the first book that relate to this book, the second book does a good job at filling you in enough that you don’t miss anything if you read this as a standalone book. (My memory is terrible and I had only vague recollections of the first book… reading this book actually brought a lot of it back to me although I may have to go back and re-read it because now I forget how that ended. Back to the review..) Anyway, I love murder mysteries as they distract me from what is going on in the real world… and a distraction has been sorely needed. So from that perspective, this book was a lot of fun to read and I greatly enjoyed it.

I didn’t figure out ‘who done it’ as early as I did in book 1. This time around there were a number of twists thrown in and with some of the characters being so close it sometimes was hard to remember who the author was talking about when, and some of that was on purpose. I will admit though that I had one character that just annoyed the hell out of me being in the book… the new police chief. At one point I thought he might be the murderer but then he basically disappeared for half the book and he wasn’t really relevant to the story. I feel like he was purposely thrown in there to throw the reader off, especially with the tidbit that he seemed to have started his policing career in Castle Knowl but then left. If the author wanted to throw that in as a red herring… then he should have been a more prominent character and should have been developed a lot more. Since he wasn’t, it just seemed unnecessary. So that’s where the lost star on my rating went.

Otherwise it was a fun ride through everyone’s lives in that close knit group. Frances still left a number of files we haven’t gone through but it seems like those might be either done or left for another time later down the line. Now we’re left with a few prophecies from Peony Lane that seem like they will be the next aim if the series continues. And I will keep reading if it continues. Until then…

4/5 stars: This is the second entry in Perrin's Castle Knoll Files series which is a British Cozy-ish Mystery with Historical Mystery elements that follows an aspiring writer and new heiress as she turns sleuth after a local fortune teller's found dead inside her locked estate after delivering a cryptic message that points to a case her great-aunt investigated in 1967 involving a lethal car crash and cover-ups, lies and betrayals. She'll have to work fast if she's going to solve both cases before the killer catches up with her. With plenty of twists and turns, Perrin has crafted a mystery that deftly balances the suspects, clues and red herrings and will leave you pondering the whodunit until the final reveal. I really like how Perrin weaves the 1967 case and it's investigation into the current day mystery. Written in dual POV and timelines with wit and humor, Perrin's writing and character work are excellent; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining likable. Annie's a smart, tough lady and I love seeing her settling into her new life at Gravesdown and getting to know the village residents of Castle Knoll. Additionally, Frances was a pistol and I loved reading Annie's then 18-year-old great-aunt Frances's 1967 POV and delving into her investigations. With tact and sensitivity, Perrin touches on some sensitive topics; so take care and CWs. While you could read this as a stand-alone, you'll gain so much more by reading the series from the beginning; so be sure to pick up book one, How to Solve Your Own Murder.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton | Dutton in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

Another wild ride that had me taking notes, connecting dots, and questioning every character’s motives. These books are SO much fun to read! The balance between whimsy and darkness is really impressive. I said it last time and I'll say it again, I love this setting!
Overall, a really fun cozy mystery!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Dutton for this arc. I received this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are entirely my own.

This is the second book in the Castle Knoll Files series and it’s just as good as the first book. A few months have passed since the events of the first book. Annie is approached by Peony Lane who asks her to look into the Gravesdown incident involving Frances in-laws that caused her husband inherit everything. Then Peony Lane is found murdered in Gravesdown hall after Annie and her best friend eat lunch. The police are called and Annie meets the new inspector who isn’t as kind as Crave has been and even he doesn’t like him. Annie decides to investigate and finds out that Archie and Frances got married after she broke up with Ford which they ended up annulling after Archie makes fun of Frances fascination with fortune telling which Ford also finds fascinating which she finds out after they reconnect. Ford decided to sweep the investigation of his family under the rug after seeing Eric kill them worh a branch after they got in the car crash because they were all horrible people. Eric also killed Peony Lane and Samantha because they knew what he had done all those years ago and before they could tell people he murdered them. Annie decides to redecorate some of the rooms and have people over for Christmas even inviting Chief Marks and Crave. I loved this cozy historical mystery and cannot wait for the next one.

The squeal I squealed to get access to an ARC for this book. Loved the first one and this one didn't disappoint. For fans of historical fiction with ties to modern day and cozy mystery with a little Westing Game vibes. I recommend this series to so many!

There's something I do like about this book, but it's hard to explain exactly what, since there was a lot that went wrong here for me. I think I enjoy the writing style, and the pacing was good.

But unfortunately, I had too many problems with this. For one thing, the plot is extremely thin. Very little happens here, it's mostly people solving a few murders. Whatever does happen is just surrounding the investigation.

Next. I don't love dual timelines, and this just gets very confusing. It's mostly the same cast of characters in each timeline, and it's a group of too many people to keep track of.

Next, the second timeline is set almost 60 years after the first, but somehow, even though the same people were teens then, they don't seem to have grown up. For some reason, no one is married or has kids. It's like 60 years elapsed and nothing happened. For the sake of the (thin) plot, there is a convenient action that sets off the story in today's timeline.

The fortune, which is the basis of the whole thing, is obviously contrived to make the rest of the story work. It's not referenced at the end to see how it came to pass.

Somehow it seems that everyone tried to track down the fortune teller and couldn't, even though she was living right in the neighborhood. Same with another character who appeared to have left but was there the whole time. Just strange.

Finally, (I think), this takes the police-as-idiot thing way too far. The detective almost doesn't belong there, he does nothing outside of presenting as a potential suitor, which doesn't happen in this chapter, or give Annie, the main character, some extra info. It was frustrating how many times he knew he shouldn't tell her something/let her do something but does anyway. Oh right, Annie is super annoying here.

Sigh.

This doesn't really work well if you haven't read the first one. It was definitely set up for another one coming, and I think I might actually want to read it. Hoping it gets better?

Thank you to NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Dutton | Dutton, and Kristen Perrin for the opportunity to review an advanced copy.

This book is beautifully written, drawing readers in with a story that feels both effortless and immersive. The mystery unfolds at the right pace, never too slow or rushed, keeping you hooked from the first page to the last. What makes it stand out, though, is its wit. Despite being a story about murder, it’s refreshingly clever, balancing intrigue with sharp, engaging storytelling. The characters are well-drawn, the dialogue crackles with personality, and every twist feels perfectly timed. A must-read for fans of mysteries that are as intelligent as they are entertaining.

How to Seal Your Own Fate is the second book in the Castle Knoll Files series. I really enjoyed the first book, so I was glad to see the series continue. In this book, we follow Annie after she solves her aunt's murder and inherits the house. This time, she receives a cryptic message from the same fortune teller, Peony Lane, who predicted her aunt’s death. Hours later, Peony is found dead. Someone is trying to frame Annie for the murder, so she has no choice but to solve the murder. I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery. There is also a dual timeline which is important to the story and also really well done. It was a lot of fun to try to solve the case alongside Annie, and I hope there will be more books in this series. I highly recommend it if you enjoy cozy mysteries. Thanks to NetGalley and Thanks to NetGalley and ECW Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a joy to return to Castle Knoll and revisit the characters from the first book! I’ve grown quite fond of Annie, and the slow-burning romance between her and our detective is a highlight. However, I wish the author had taken a bit more time to ease us back into the story. I have to admit, I completely forgot who killed Frances and what ultimately happened to Annie’s true grandmother. A brief recap in the first couple of chapters would have helped, as I found myself struggling to remember certain details, especially when it came to Peony and her presence at the house.

That said, the charm of Castle Knoll remains intact. The cozy mystery atmosphere is just right—not too dramatic, not too horrific, but thoroughly engaging. Like the first book, I enjoyed the dual timeline. I do find myself wondering just how many dark secrets one small town can hold, I’m fully invested and eager to see what unfolds next. And yes, I’ll definitely be reading the rest of the series!

Thank you Netgalley & Dutton for the advance copy.

4 stars to Kristen Perrin's How to Seal Your Own Fate. I enjoyed the first book in the Castle Knoll Files series, so I had high hopes going into this one. It did not disappoint! This was a well-rounded mystery that seamlessly built on the first book with new growth and history for the characters and setting.

After solving the murders of her Great Aunt Frances, and that of Frances's friend, Emily Sparrow, Annie Adams sets out to solve a new mystery: the appearance and subsequent murder of Peony Lane, the famed fortune teller that started it all.

Annie is walking through the wood on a cool Autumn morning, contemplating her new life as heiress to the Gravesdown manor, when she meets Peony Lane, the fortune teller that foretold Frances's murder. This time, she has a new fortune to tell, and a past wrong to be righted. Peony Lane places it into Annie's hands to solve the mystery and discover the truth of the Gravesdown Murders.

Later that day, Annie discovers Peony Lane in the solarium of the Gravesdown manor, with a bejeweled knife in her back. Now a suspect in the fortune teller's murder, Annie must work quickly to solve the mystery, before Peony Lane's final fortune comes to pass. Using Frances' diaries, Annie gathers the clues and secrets hidden in the past. The suspects are many, and Annie finds her own life in danger as she seeks who would wish to silence the words of Peony Lane.

What I Liked:
1. The scenes from France's diary, showing the events that occurred and people she met, and her interactions with Peony Lane. Seeing how she interacted with the people of Castle Knoll provided background for Annie's interaction with the same characters in the future.
2. Development of characters and setting between the first and second books of the Castle Knoll files. I appreciate how everything unfolds more realistically, and not through a bunch of random info-dumps.

What I Didn't Like:
1. The ending felt rushed. There was just enough action to drive the ending, but it didn't flow like the rest of the story did.

Overall a well-rounded, entertaining read. A good mystery with solid characters and backgrounds. I recommend to readers of cozy mysteries or anyone looking for a new series to jump into.

This is a fun tale of murder spanning several decades, told in an alternating timeline format. I usually enjoy that style of novel but had a little trouble following this one - maybe putting dates on the chapters as a reminder to the reader? Full disclosure, I had not read the first one but would definitely consider do a re-read after I do :)

this was not as fun as the first one unfortunately. I wished for a little more of a page turner. Still decent enough low stakes

I really enjoyed this sequel to “How To Solve Your Own Murder”. This was a great read that kept me engaged and guessing the whole time. I love the “clue” vibes and the way the author tied current events in with the old journals.

I really enjoy these books and hope that this series continues!

I enjoyed the first book in this series, "How to Solve Your Own Murder". I didn't necessarily think it warranted a sequel or series but was willing to give it a try.

I definitely wouldn't recommend reading this without reading that book first. In fact, I felt like I couldn't get into this book because I couldn't remember a lot of the details from the first one and they were definitely pertinent to this story line. It wasn't so much a whole new mystery but rather a continuation of some of the storylines from the first book.

Once again, Castle Knoll has a murder on its hand when infamous fortune teller Peony Lane is found murdered up at the manor. But was she murdered because longtime secrets were coming to light, or so that someone could keep those secrets hidden?

I think the reason I had a hard time getting invested in this book is because I don't feel a strong connection or sense of self from our leading lady, Annie. The past diary entries of her great aunt Frances are far more compelling and a much stronger voice, leading Annie to kind of get a supporting role in her own story.

Not sure if I will keep on reading future ones at this point.

4.5/5. This was a fantastic sequel! I was so invested in this story, and I could not put it down. I loved returning to Castle Knoll and all of the characters within. Our main character Annie is really finding out what she wants out of life in this one, and I want to see more of that growth. Her development in her relationships with other characters was well done. I loved seeing our side characters develop and enjoyed learning more about them as people and their pasts.

The duel timeline was done incredibly well that I felt both were equally important to the story. I love the parallels the author does between the two timelines where they feel almost like mirrors of one another. While I predicted some aspects of the mystery, I still felt some surprise and shock when a reveal occurred.

Overall I loved this book and I need the series to continue! Thank you to Dutton, Penguin Randomhouse, and Netgalley for an eARC.

Having loved Ms. Perrins first novel, How To Solve Your Own Murder, I was excited to read this second entry into her Castle Knoll series. Sadly, this is the definition of 'sophmore slump' as sequels go.

Same characters as in the first book, same settings (so if you haven't read the first one, you will be a bit lost with this one), but so very much less mystery and goings-on. There are alternating chapters, some told in first person by Annie Adams, who inherited a fortune and a manor house, Gravesdown Estate, from her Great Aunt Frances. The other chapters are entries in a diary, written by Great Aunt Frances when she was a teenager, finding love and questioning her future. Yes, there are a couple of murders, but no, there is very little action and the sleuthing done by Annie is as tepid as lukewarm weak tea. The diary entries read more as insight into the hopes and dreams of young Frances than it does explaining the possible motive for the current murders. As for the chapters narrated by Annie, again, a lot of self-reflection on her life choices and what her future holds, but the snippets of clues we get for solving the murders are few and far between, not to mention a tad confusing. She is always either looking for or reading files and diaries and folders and records and more files. Honestly, even though the killer is brought to justice, I'm still a little vague on the 'why' of the two murders.

Overall, not impressed by this second attempt, at least not nearly as pleased with it as I was with the first novel.

I couldn’t get into this book the first book was ok and this being a sequel was boring and fell flat.

The second in the Castle knoll series sees Annie Adams settling into the house she inherited from her Aunt Frances. When the body of the psychic her predicted her aunt's death is found in the solarium of Gravesdown Hall, Annie must turn again to her aunt's diaries and files to solve a murder. Annie is a likeable protagonist and this is an enjoyable story.

*3.5 stars*

Annie is back to trying to solve a new and old murder after a body is found in her house. This is the second in a series by Perrin. The first, How to Solve Your Own Murder, was the first and I loved that one! It was crazy that it was a debut, but it felt more like a seasoned writer. I didn’t like this one was much. It was hard for me to get into until about half way through. Even though I really enjoy the setting of Castle Knoll and most of the characters, it didn’t bring enough difference from the first one. There was only one new character and he was barely in it. The crimes were too much linked to the first book too. I liked the journal entries and the ending was well done.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the advanced copy of the book!