This is the second book in the Castle Knoll series, set in a small village in the UK. Annie is back, trying to solve another murder that involves friends and family.

The book is told in dual timelines. The past is told from Frances' point of view. We learn some interesting facts about her, what life was like for her in 1967, and some details about a terrible car crash that killed three people. The present is Annie trying to uncover the truth, especially when Peony Lane is found dead in her home. 

I loved the first book in the series, but this book seemed to move at a slower pace until closer to the end, as everything was coming to a head. I never suspected the killer, and the reasoning made sense once the truth was revealed. There is also a fair amount of family drama with Annie's mom. I don't blame Annie for how she responded to what her mom did and her recent revelations. 

This book cannot be read on its own. You need to read the first book to understand the characters and their relationships with one another. The book does leave you hanging regarding the relationship between Frances and Ford. I'm sure more about that will be forthcoming in future books.

We give this book 3 1/2 paws up.

I loved this follow up, as it worked so well as a sequel. The main group of characters are still part of this story, but we get a new mystery out of the story. We are still flipping back and forth in time, between the present timeline, and the diary of Aunt Frances as a teen. I did not like how often we were in the past, as it felt like the story was really being motivated by the present timeline.

I will say this story is not as cozy as I wish it was, I wish there was more description, and better vibes overall. But I do love a small English village gossipy story!

Overall Rating: 3/5 Stars

We return back to the Gravesdown Estate in the second installment of the Castle Knoll Files mystery series.

This is a case where I DO think you need to read and (at least somewhat) remember the on-going’s from book one in order to properly follow the storyline in book two.

Told in dual timelines, we follow along with Annie Adams in the present day, and Frances Adams in 1967.

Annie encounters Peony Lane, the fortune teller who had correctly predicted Aunt Francis’ murder in book one. Peony Lane wants to share Annie’s fortune with her, but in an attempt to avoid repeating fate, Annie refuses to hear it. Shortly after this encounter, Peony Lane shows up murdered on the Gravesdown Estate with a message in hand, and Annie finds herself embroiled in another murder investigation within the very walls of her home. To clear her name and uncover the truth behind Peony's death, Annie must delve into the dark secrets of Castle Knoll.

Excerpts from Frances’ diary entries become a crucial link for Annie as she tries to understand why Peony was killed and what her cryptic message was meant to convey.

This story follows a very similar journey as we experienced in book one, however, I think book two did a lot more telling rather than showing. Interactions between characters are used to info dump and summarize, rather than more of a subtle reader-driven discovery. I would recommend this series is you’re looking for an ongoing cozy mystery series and a quick read.

Thank you to Dutton for providing an early copy for review, all opinions are my own.

How To Seal Your Fate is the follow up to How To Solve Your Own Murder, a book I loved last year. This one picks up with Annie now living in her family estate, embroiled in yet another series of murders that span decades. Same eccentric cast of characters in the small town, same messy and cleverly intertwined set of facts and same barrage of red herrings. All so well done, all so entertaining. I love the charm of the small village as the setting and I love that I feel like I know these characters now. Thank you to @duttonbooks - out now! Let’s hope there is a third book in the works.

Annie is a bit out of sorts settling into Gravesdown Hall, not quite feeling like she fits into the town of Castle Knoll. However, she’s making an effort and trying to get back to her writing.

Running into the infamous Peony Lane, the woman who unsettled Aunt Frances’ entire future with her fortune, is a shock. Peony has a bizarre message for Annie and then turns up murdered inside Gravesdown, initially casting some suspicions on Annie. With a renewed purpose, Annie goes about trying to find out who murdered Peony and why which has her once again delving into her Aunt Frances’ past. This time she has a bit of help from Detective Crane an ally, and possibly *fingers crossed* a romantic interest for Annie.

There are two timelines and POVs with Annie in the present trying to work out Peony’s murder and then Aunt Frances’ POV in 1967 partnered with Archie Foyle looking into the crash that killed Ford Gravedown’s father, brother and sister-in-law. There are rumors that it wasn’t an accident at all.

It’s a web of secrets to untangle with a lot of twists! The mysteries intersect and come together by the end, and I was completely riveted! I recommend reading the previous story first, How to Solve Your Own Murder, as the stories connect. I went back and reread parts to refresh my memory and I’m glad I did!

How to Seal Your Own Fate was a clever, cozy mystery that grabbed my attention from page one! The mystery was solved, but the ending hinted at more books to come, and I’m thrilled! I look forward to the next one!

3.5/5 rounding up to 4 Stars! Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton, for this eARC of How to Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin. (This is book 2 of Castle Knoll Files.)

I got the chance to read this book with an invitation and I'm SO glad I did! This book picks up after the first book and talks about how Annie solves another crime in her small town. I really enjoy this author's writing style and the dual timeline that is going on in this series. I can't say that it got my hooked but it was a good read in the evening when settling down before bed. I can't say I liked this one better than the first but it was an enjoyable story.

Kristen Perrin’s 2nd novel in the Castle Knoll series, the sequel to How To Solve Your Own Murder, picks up where the first book left off and takes us along as Annie solves another set of crimes in her small English village. While the most recent crimes are new, they are all intertwined with her Great Aunt’s journals and past. It also included cryptic fortunes from a new character.

I really enjoyed the dual timeline as it went back and forth between the present day circumstances and her Great Aunt, Francis’ journals, to help unravel the truth. It did feel a little difficult to follow at times because there were quite a few names and more than one crime to solve. Despite that, I loved getting to settle back into a story where the characters were familiar. It definitely left my brain reeling each time I finished reading, trying to put the pieces together to solve the mystery. In the end, I still guessed wrong!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved the first book in this series so I was very excited to go back to Castle Knoll in How to Seal Your Own Fate. This book, told in multiple points of view and timelines, created a very interesting mystery. I enjoyed getting bit of the story from Annie and Frances. The mystery felt unique from the first book while also being a good continuation of that story. I liked all the twists and turns. Just when I thought I had it figured out some new twist came into play. The sub plot between Frances and Archie was my favorite aspect. It was very interesting. I hope to return to these characters and Castle Knoll in the future!

How to Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin is a historical novel in the sense that the murder took place thirty years earlier. Annie Adams had inherited Gravesdown Hall in the village of Castle Knoll after she had solved the murder of her aunt Frances. That had been the proviso in the will. Aunt Frances had known for years she was going to be murdered so she tried to avoid that by investigating anyone who might be a suspect. In short: everyone. She knew the deepest, darkest secrets of everyone nearby. That fact was now causing problems. Some were missing. People were apparently stealing files from her home. Granted, it was a difficult home: a large and drafty castle. Scary, even. Annie had heard about Peony Lane but had never met her until that morning when she had an odd encounter with the old woman when she was walking, only to find her dead body in the solarium later that day.

As in all small towns, relationships were complicated in Castle Knoll. Many were secrets so discovering what had happened when that car hit a tree and killed three people was complicated. Only two members of the family had survived: aunt Frances’ husband, Ford, and his nephew, Saxon, whom she had beat in the race to find Frances’ killer. It is a complicated mystery with the chapters veering back and forth from then until now. The relationships were hard to follow but worth knowing. It was all so inbred. And it all came to light because of Peony Lane, who in a way had started it all. Great book. Complex and convoluted. One never knew who the bad guy was and it was exhilarating. Good setting, if a bit haunting. Terrific characters, each interwoven with so many others and yet, unique in their own ways. Well written. Fun read.

I was invited to read How To Seal Your Own Fate by Penguin Group Dutton. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #PenguinGroupDutton #KristenPerrin #HowToSealYourOwnFate

I tried to start this book with an open mind because I wasn't a fan of Kristen Perrin's last book and I was hoping this would be different. It was not. I had a hard time just getting through the first 3 chapters due to disinterest. I wish I could explain more about why this book turned me off, but I struggle to articulate it because it is more of a feeling and a visceral reaction than a verbal proclamation.

I was so excited to read an advance copy of How to Seal Your Own Fate! I devoured and adored the first book. Though it had been a year since I’d read it, I quickly fell back into place with Annie and Gravesdown Hall.
The plot of the first book is essential to this one, which cannot be read without spoilers. How to Seal Your Own Fate hearkens to the original plot line of Great Aunt Frances receiving a fortune foretelling her death … but in book two, the mystical fortune teller is the center of the mystery.
Rarely do I enjoy a main character as I do Annie, as well as the rest of the cast of these novels.
I recommend both books to anyone wanting a well-written and exciting mystery. I look forward to book three!
Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for the advance reader copy!

How To Seal Your Own Fate is the second book in Perrin’s Castle Knoll Files series. In her latest book, we return to the small village of Castle Knoll, in two different time periods, with two different generations of Adams women.

Annie Adams hasn’t lived in Castle Knoll for long. She lives in Gravesdown Estate, which she inherited from her Great-Aunt Frances Adams, the other viewpoint in this novel.
There are two mysteries in Perrin’s book, decades apart, but intertwined.

In 1967, Frances Adams is a teenager in Castle Knoll, working in her family’s bakery. Frances and Archie Foyle, a jobless village resident, team up to solve a car crash that killed most of Ford Gravedown’s family. As their investigation grows, Frances finds out far more than she ever wanted. Annie, her niece, picks up the investigation decades later when she discovers the dead body of Peony Lane, a local fortune teller, inside Gravesdown Estate. The investigation into Peony’s murder dredges up the auto accident, and places Annie in the murderer’s crosshairs.

Perrin does a good job planting red herrings in a plot that twists and turns throughout the book. There are plenty of viable suspects. At times, I had trouble keeping everyone straight, but that was a minor issue. Overall, I enjoyed reading How To Seal Your Own Fate. 4/5 stars.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ // not quite the follow-up I hoped for

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved book one. Five stars, no notes. So it honestly pains me to say that How to Seal Your Own Fate didn’t quite deliver the same spark.

While I appreciated the familiar format and still really enjoy Perrin’s writing style overall, this sequel felt like it was trying to do too much while somehow still feeling predictable. Yes, there were a few twists I didn’t see coming—but I guessed the culprit the moment they were introduced, and that definitely dulled the tension.

It had its moments, and I liked revisiting the world, but the whole book had the distinct vibe of a sequel written after the unexpected success of a standalone. I missed the tightly woven, fresh energy of the first installment.

Still, if you loved book one, it might be worth the read—but I’d say go in with tempered expectations.

I read How to Solve Your Own Murder in March by the same author and I loved it so so much! I think her writing style is easy to read and I like how the characters are serious yet funny :)

I love this series and this book so much! It reminds me of Nancy Drew mystery that I read when I was a kid. Reading these feel like a blast from the and I LOVE IT!!

So many twists and turns that I didn't see coming at all! I love how complex all the characters are and I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series!!

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

I have been looking for a cozy mystery that would feel fresh and that has a large cast of characters without feeling too busy or overdone. This is it. I did not read the first book in the series, but now I want to go back and pick it up! The mystery that Annie has to solve picks up on a lot of loose threads from her great-aunt's life, and the life of the village she is now looking to call home. I liked the flashbacks and the context they gave, without feeling like they detracted from the overall plot. Annie is still trying to acquaint herself with the village and its inhabitants, so having flashbacks as a way to provide context was a great way to have the story move. I can't wait for the third novel!

Book 2 starts off with Annie trying to mind her business and get used to her new life in Castle Knoll. On a walk, Annie crosses paths with Peony Lane who leaves her with a cryptic message. Hours later, Peony is found dead on Annie’s property. The rest of the book is Annie trying to clear her name and solve another decades older set of murders. Can she figure out the mystery before it’s too late?

I liked this one a lot more than book 1. The characters felt more real and like I could connect to them. Annie’s drive to solve the mystery is so fun to read and do I detect a potential budding romance? The only thing that kept this from 5 stars is I felt like some parts felt just a touch slow, but didn’t keep me from enjoying the book! This one hooked me and has me ready for book 3 or wherever this adventure takes me.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book!

How to Seal Your Own Fate is Kristen Perrin’s second book in her Castle Knoll Files series. The story is told in dual timelines; one follows main character, Annie Adams, and the other follows her great-aunt Frances Adams in the 1960s.

Ms. Perrin weaves together the past and the present beautifully. I really enjoyed Frances Adam’s daring detective antics. Juxtaposed to Frances is Annie’s more cautious sleuthing in the modern day. It feels like two good mysteries in one until Ms. Perrin ties the past to the present.

How to Seal Your Own Fate is surprising and compelling. The writing and story plotting is smart. Ms. Perrin creates a small-town vibe and peppers her story with intriguing family secrets. The nuanced layering in the mystery hooked me on this delightful reading adventure.

3.5 round up to 4

I really enjoyed this whodunit mystery!

How to seal your own fate is a dual-timeline story full of secrets, suspense, and small-town tension The twists and turns were unexpected, and I especially loved the subtle tension between Annie and DI Crane. The 1967 timeline with teenage Frances Adams investigating a suspicious car crash kept me on my toes. While I was definitely engaged, this book didn’t hit quite like Book 1 for me.

🏰 Mystery and Mayhem in Castle Knoll: A Thrilling Sequel You Can't Put Down! 🔍

1. Dual Timelines, Double the Intrigue: Secrets Across Generations 🕰️
How to Seal Your Own Fateby Kristen Perrin is a masterclass in weaving complex narratives across time. Jumping between present-day Annie Adams and her great aunt Frances in 1967, the novel expertly unravels decades of secrets hidden in the picturesque yet perilous village of Castle Knoll.

2. A Delightful Sequel: Characters That Keep You Hooked 🌳
Continuing the antics from "How to Solve Your Own Murder," Perrin returns with characters who are as charming as they are enigmatic. Annie shines as a relatable, sleuthing protagonist, and the will-they-won’t-they tension with Crane adds a delightful sprinkle of romance amidst the suspense.

3. Cozy Meets Conspiracy: Uncovering Castle Knoll’s Dark Heart 📜
The book’s genius lies in its coziness—the whimsical village of Castle Knoll, complete with eccentric residents and chilling mysteries. Coupled with thrilling conspiracies and Fran’s meticulous diaries, readers are treated to an immersive experience that’s both a puzzle and a delight.

4. A Twisty Tale: Clues Hidden in Plain Sight 🧩
Much like the best whodunnits, every detail in Castle Knoll feels meticulously placed. The seamless dual timeline storytelling keeps readers guessing, with a big reveal bound to surprise even the most seasoned detectives among us. It’s a testament to Perrin’s skilled plotting and attention to detail.

5. Fun, Fascination, and Future Encounters: What's Next? 🌠
Perrin leaves us clamoring for more with hints of stories untold within Castle Knoll’s walls. The mysterious circumstances surrounding Annie's family and the open-ended possibilities for new discoveries ensure this series will remain a favorite. Plus, I’m eagerly anticipating more heartwarming moments between Annie and Crane.

Final Thoughts 📚
"How to Seal Your Own Fate" is a triumph of cozy mystery storytelling, blending drama, romance, and intrigue in a novel that captivates from the first page to the last. Kristen Perrin has crafted a world so vividly engaging that setting it down felt like leaving a dear friend. For fans of mysteries and those craving a snug yet thrilling read, this book is not one to miss! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dive into Castle Knoll’s enchanting world—where every corner hides a secret and every resident has a story. I’m already counting the days until we unravel more of this charmingly mysterious series! 🧞‍♀️

How to Seal Your Own Fate is a dual timeline mystery with a very well developed protagonist, Annie. She is trying to solve a current mystery that is making her seem like a suspect and it leads back to her great aunt's Frances' mystery. Dual timelines are hit or miss for me-they can be overly confusing. But, Perrin does a great job of not muddying the waters here! Its a really well written mystery that will keep you guessing and its all woven together neatly. It is well paced once it gets going-I thought it was a little slow at first.