I really enjoyed this mystery. I had read the previous book in the series so knew a bit about Castle Knoll the village where this is set and about how the protagonist, Annie, came to Gravesdown Manor ( no spoilers, worth reading first).

This involves a dual time line of the late 1960s and the present. There is a mystery to be solved which reaches back into this past.All is told in engaging prose, and there are romances, fulfilled and tantalisingly close to being fulfilled. There is also the mysterious Peony Lane who tells fortunes which seem to come true.

As I say, enjoyable and a good read. I read an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publishers.

Annie thought that finding those two dead bodies in Gravesdown Hall would be as unpleasant as things got. She was wrong...

She's got another one...

It's the fortune teller who predicted Great Aunt Frances' murder years ago. And Annie had only seen her a few hours before...

An excellent sequel

This is a book full of characters - past and present, as well as twists and turns. Aunt Frances' diaries hold clues to secrets that continue to be uncovered in this book in the series. It is useful, although not essential, to have read the previous book to follow this easily from the beginning. The old house is once more the epicentre for events, and almost becomes a character in its own right. The intrigue is shaped around the people and the village life and there is a weave of back and forth to events of the past to see what crime was committed, how and by whom. It isn't one that can be worked out from the clues in the text and so it was an intriguing read .

It was a delight to be back in Castle Knoll with Annie Adams. Annie inherited Gravesdown Hall from her Great Aunt Frances Gravesdown. The story is told over different timelines and we see so much of the history of Castle Knoll and the residents and how they play a part in this book. It was lovely to return with Annie, Detective Crane, Archie and Beth and how they interact with each other. One Autumn day, Annie speaks with Peony Lane, now Peony is a fortune teller and the famous one, who foretold things to Aunt Frances. Unfortunately, Annie discovers her body in her home with a dagger in her back. This leads Annie to suspect there is more to this and decides to become an amateur sleuth investigating and to learn the truth. So is it fate, fortune or luck in how Annie finds out the truth behind certain happenings both past and present. All I know is, you will always find within family and friends, there are secrets and lies to uncover. It was an unputdownable read full of twists and turns with a few red herrings and it led to a dramatic conclusion.