I finished this novel in 1 day! I was completely caught up in wanting to know what teenage Frances was doing, why she was doing, and then how in the world it related to what Annie was investigating in the present day. There is this beautiful blend of past and present that Perrin has established that keeps the reader on the edge of their seats. I would finish a chapter with Frances and want to know more, read Annie’s, and ask “how? Why?”

This mystery was great. I think Annie needs to find out more about herself, and I hope there is another novel in the series that allows for Annie’s continuing growth. I want to follow her and any of Castle Knoll investigations.

Overall, I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars.

I think I let too much time elapse between reading this and the first in the series How to Solve your Own Murder. Judging by how little I remember of the current installment just two weeks after finishing I would like to say that I really enjoyed it but …... I remember a large house, Aunt Frances, a fortune-teller, the Gravesdown car accident and Annie Adams trying to make sense of what happened then and what is happening now. It’s not enough - I didn’t take notes or highlight any passages so I am going back to skim it through and through and will be back with my thoughts.

OK dual time line, Peony Lane was there in 1967 and she is back now, so is Archie Foye, and something is still up with the Gravesdown family. But now Archie has a brother and there are new players afoot, and a knife in a waterwheel and Aunt Frances’ missing journals. There is a lot going on and it still falls into the maybe not so cozy murder mystery genre. I preferred the first installment but this was highly readable, just not as memorable. Rounding up from 3-1/2 stars.

Thanks to Dutton and NetGalley for a copy.

Definitely not as charming as the first, but still fun. Just a lot messier and harder to follow. I guess we just really don't edit anymore, do we?

This was a fun return to Castle Knoll and the Gravesdown estate for a fun new mystery that set out to solve both past and present killings connected to our fearless main character. I really enjoyed the tone of this mystery and the dual timeline structure again and it was enjoyable learning new things about the same characters we were introduced to in the first Castle Knoll novel. This mystery kept me filled up until the ending chapters which was great! I thought I had some idea of the culprit early on, but as a good mystery does, this one was a bit twisty and kept me guessing.

Cozy mysteries are not my jam. I barely finished the first one but I wanted to give the sequel a chance. I had the same issues but lovers of cozy mysteries will like this one.

Big, old British manor house ... start with this setting and I'm hooked. A house has secrets, but so does anyone who walks through the doors. I think this series has legs, and I want it to keep moving. SO GOOD.

I do truly enjoy this series, but sometimes it feels a bit slow for me. I still enjoy it and would read the next one! But hopefully we get a bit more Crane in the future!

Thank you NetGalley and Dutton for the advanced copy!

This charming cozy mystery unfolds in the village of Castle Knoll, England, weaving together a dual timeline. In the present, Annie Adams finds herself at the heart of another murder, while flashbacks to 1967 reveal her great aunt Frances’s experience tyring to solve another mystery. The story kicks off with Peony Lane offering Annie a fortune—but with the ominous warning that she may not like what she hears. This novel picks up right where How to Solve Your Own Murder leaves off, so be sure to read that one first for the full experience!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group and Dutton for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really love a cozy mystery. The perfect type of book for when it is raining outside and you just want to curl up under a blanket. I loved being back with the characters at Castle Knoll and enjoyed this second installment. I felt like the pacing was a little bit slower than the first.

I greatly enjoyed this follow up to How To Solve Your Ownurder. Annie Adams continues to be a fun amateur sleuth to follow.

Thank you to NetGalley & Dutton for this eARC is exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited when I heard there was going to be a sequel to How to Solve Your Own Murder. However, this fell flat for me. It could have been because I would listing to the audiobook, but it was hard to keep track of what was going on. The circumstances and everyone's roles in the car crash were difficult to get straight. I was especially irked by the fact that there was one character named Edmund and another named Eric. I was distracted whenever one of them was brought up because I had to remind myself of who was who.

I did enjoy the cliffhanger though. I also liked the humor sprinkled throughout. The found family theme was done very well, too. Despite my disappointment, I will read the next book (if there is one) because of the cliffhanger alone.

Kristen Perrin is quickly becoming a cozy mystery favorite. Her characters, while quirky and charming, offer a realness not often seen in this genre. In regard to the mystery I found this to be an enthralling read with good twists and unexpected character development. As a sequel, I wish we saw a few of the characters we saw from book 1 more or had more of Peony in book 1 to tie the two novels together a bit more seamlessly. Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I will be returning for book 3!

In this sequel to How to Solve Your Own Murder, we’re back in British village Castle Knoll, and once again the story is told in two timelines - present day from Annie’s perspective, and the 1960s from teenage Frances’ perspective - Frances being Annie’s deceased great aunt. In the present day, fortune teller Peony Lane returns to town and soon ends up murdered, and Annie starts her own investigation, eventually realizing it’s tied up with the 1960s car crash that killed multiple members of the Gravesdown family. And in 1967, Frances is torn between Ford and Gravesdown and Archie Foyle while investigating that very same car crash.

I loved the first book in this series, and while this one was interesting, I didn’t think it was as good. Between having to remember all the many characters from the first book which I had read a year ago, and all the new information in this one, it just felt rather confusing. The mysteries in both timelines were so convoluted and then ultimately revealed by monologing in a way that had me often either rewinding the audiobook or going back in my e-book trying to see if I had missed something.

That being said, it definitely kept me reading and wanting to know what was going on, and I did enjoy it - and I’d probably read the third book in the series when it comes out. And the audio narration by Alexandra Dowling and Jessica Hayles was very good.

3.5 stars

I absolutely loved How to Solve Your Own Murder, the first Castle Knoll Files book. I wasn't sure how a sequel would work but it turns out Aunt Frances left behind enough files and diaries for a full series of secrets for Annie to unravel. Yay!

The concept of two mysteries being solved in different timelines is really well done. Despite having never met, Annie and Frances make a great team. Annie also has an ally in Inspector Crane who has family ties to Castle Knoll that intersect with hers.

I liked that this book gave us some more detail around Frances' courtship with Ford Gravesdown and her friendship with Archie Foyle. We get closure around some of Frances' backstory hinted at in book 1. I also enjoyed seeing Annie adjust to life in the countryside in that big house. Her friend Jenny is a wonderful character and I hope we get more of her in the next books. She is such a burst of color and music in Annie's life.

You can read this as a stand-alone but to really understand Aunt Frances and Annie and all the secrets in Castle Knoll, I would recommend reading the first book. I'm so glad there will be two more books in this series.

Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Dutton and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. #HowtoSealYourOwnFate #NetGalley.

Didn't enjoy this follow-up as much as the first book in the cozy-mystery series and this is one of those rare cases where the book doesn't really stand alone, reading the first book for the backstory is necessary. Without the foundational knowledge from the first book it is difficult to connect with the characters and understand all the moving parts of this second book.

In this follow-up, just like the prior book, the story is told via Annie's present day experience and her Aunt's old diary entries. While this worked well the first time around, the second time felt a bit tired. Would recommend reading this book right after finishing the first book for best experience.

Disclosure: Received an uncorrected ARC of this book from NetGalley and Dutton/Penguin Random House LLC (Thank you!) in exchange for an honest review.

Kristen Perrin returns to Castle Knoll in this clever and atmospheric follow-up to How to Solve Your Own Murder. With dual timelines, a compelling cold case, and a fresh murder with Annie Adams once again in the crosshairs, How to Seal Your Fate delivers everything cozy mystery lovers crave—with a touch more darkness and depth this time around.

Annie, still adjusting to life in the chilly Gravesdown estate and the chilly reception of the locals, finally meets someone who seems warm and welcoming: Peony Lane, the village fortune teller, whose cryptic message stirs up more questions than answers. When Peony is found murdered mere hours later, Annie finds herself, once again, tangled in Castle Knoll’s buried secrets—and, inconveniently, a prime suspect.

Told in alternating perspectives between Annie and her late great-aunt Frances in 1967, the novel builds a taut narrative across decades. Teenage Frances, mourning the loss of her friend Emily, starts digging into a suspicious car accident involving the Gravesdown family, and discovers a tangle of lies, privilege, and dangerous alliances.

What makes this book shine is Perrin’s knack for blending traditional cozy tropes—manors, village gossip, eccentric locals—with a sense of real emotional stakes and ongoing tension. Peony Lane is a particularly fascinating figure, linking past and present, and suggesting that fate—once meddled with—has consequences.

While this can be read as a standalone, I’d strongly recommend reading How to Solve Your Own Murder first. It sets the tone, introduces key characters, and makes the unfolding events of this book even more satisfying.

This series is fast becoming a standout in the cozy mystery genre: rich with atmosphere, full of secrets, and unafraid to peer into the shadows cast by quaint village life.

How to Seal Your Fate is the follow-up to one of my favorite recent reads, How to Solve Your Own Murder. This installment picks up right where the previous book left off and maintains the cozy hometown setting I loved so much. You quickly become entangled in Castle Knoll and all of its secrets!

Much like the first book, this story revolves around a clever, engaging mystery with a fortune at its center—and if you didn’t believe in psychic readings before, you’ll be fully convinced by the end. The plot is solid and smartly constructed, with strong pacing and plenty of satisfying reveals.

This book continues to weave together the stories of Frances and Annie Adams, who, though they’ve never met, play integral roles in each other’s lives. Once again, it beautifully explores the contrast and similarities between the two, seamlessly switching between their perspectives. As the story unfolds, their parallel journeys begin to echo and intersect, adding emotional depth that makes the mystery even more rewarding. I found myself especially drawn to Frances’s storyline—she’s such a strong, grounded character, despite her youth and sheltered worldview.

(Also, minor note: the name Peony is surprisingly tricky to read over and over!)

Many familiar faces return in this book, along with a few new characters who add fresh intrigue. I especially loved seeing Jenny’s role expand—she brings heart, humor, and momentum to the story. Aunt Frances once again manages to help Annie in her investigation from beyond the grave, though less overtly this time. Annie is left to piece together much of the mystery on her own (probably because everyone keeps stealing her files and journals—so many secrets!). With all that inheritance money, she really should have invested in better locks!

While the ending was a bit confusing and hard to follow at times, it still came together in a way that worked—and left the door wide open for the next chapter in the series.

I really enjoy this series and can’t wait for the next book—especially to learn more about Annie’s fortune!

Such a great mystery! I enjoyed all the twists! These are cozy and so easy to enjoy! I think k I liked this one more than the first! This was strong and fast paced.

A fun and interesting second book in the series. It adds a lot of interesting character background and choices to the rich world of Castle Knoll. But, I hope any future books will spend more time actually talking about Annie. It's a little suspect to define the character as someone who solves mysteries when she barely actually does any work and pretty much just coasts on what other people have done. Additionally, it feels like she's completely faded into the background of this story and I hope that future books will highlight her as the main character more.

3.75/5

I spent a lot of this book being kind of confused, I think if I had taken the time to reread the first before starting this one that may have been better. Overall I enjoyed this, I really enjoy reading about Annie (and Crane) and I will definitely keep reading this series and from this author!