How to Seal Your Fate by Kristen Perrin is the second book in the Castle Knoll Files series. Annie again finds herself diving into the mysterious history of the Gravesdown Estate and Castle Knoll when another murder occurs. This is a dual timeline book, going between the present with Annie and 1967 entries in France’s journal. It was great to reconnect with the characters from this book, however I did struggle to get into this book as quickly as I did the first in the series. There were a lot of twists, turns, and surprises along the way and it was an interesting follow-up book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Dutton, and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited to receive this as a widget/ARC! Unfortunately, I did not see that this is book 2 in a series. Even though I did not read book 1, I really enjoyed this book and would go back to read book 1!

As per my usual, I went into this book pretty blind to the premise and did not know what to expect. When I tell y'all this book is SO fun. I love English crime books and the fun use of English terms like "PC" instead of cop and "boot" instead of trunk.

This book had so many twists and turns in a constantly changing story. I am crossing my fingers for book 3!

This review will be posted on my booksta, toomanyfivestarreads.

I enjoyed the first in the series and possibly enjoyed this one even more. I am really fond of the main character. What a cozy mystery, and I hope this series continues.

Great follow up to “How to Solve Your Own Murder”. This cozy mystery series is becoming a favorite. With countless suspects and the dropping bodies in Castle Knoll, Annie and Detective Crane have their handles full. If you enjoy dual POVs and timelines and an intriguing whodunnit then this book is for you!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

How to Seal Your Own Fate is the second book in the Castle Knoll Series. I was excited to get back with the characters as I really enjoyed the first book in the series. While book one felt original and fresh, the second one fell flat for me. The character development felt stagnant and the story was harder for me to connect with in book two. At times, the story felt confusing and as new characters came into the plot, I did not find myself caring about them as much as the originals. The story line felt forced at times, and the fortune aspect of the book felt redundant this time around. While the ending left an opening for a third book, I don't think that I will continue forward with the characters after this sequel.

Thank you to Net Galley for and ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed returning to Castle Knoll with Annie Adams in this follow on to last year's "How to Solve Your Own Murder" Annie is uneasily settling into her inheritance of her Aunt Francis' estate. It seems that not all of the mysteries around Francis' life and death have been uncovered, and Annie is back in the center of it all.

Don't read this as a stand-alone. Too much is lost without knowing the back-story told in the first of the series. That being said, Annie is an engaging character, and it was worth continuing with the series. As for number three? I'm not sure I'll be back, but maybe.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this return to Castle Knoll. Quirky small town characters, distinctive personalities, and not a soul you can trust. I liked the dual perspectives from Annie in current day and Frances decades before, making this a slow build-up, satisfying mystery.

Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton and Netgalley for an ARC.

This was a great follow up to How to Solve Your Own Murder. I enjoyed seeing the characters from the first novel develop more and see how much they've all been intertwined for decades. In the end, I did enjoy the first one a little more than this one.

The murder mystery is decades old and though the years have lent itself to local lore. The mystery is introduced in the first novel, so I enjoyed the continuity. What did bother me some is that the mystery was literally a mystery only because those involved just didn't say anything. It almost felt semi-Scooby Doo ending that it was logical and honestly is what I was expecting from the beginning.

I enjoyed reading more from Francis journals and am so impressed she detailed so many things in her life. It is a great way to convey how the past and present are connected, and even though she is dead, she feels like a main character in the present.

I enjoyed this book. I listened to the first in the series and loved getting to be back in this world. I enjoy following along as she solves murders.

This was a great second installment to this series. I loved the cozy mystery vibes in this book as well as from the first. The character development was great and tied together nicely. I look forward to the next installment in this series and to watch as the characters grow.

Definitely enjoyed the second installment in this series. The characters are starting to get more fleshed out, which is fun to see. I look forward to learning more about them in titles to come. One very interesting aspect of these books is the way you see the mysteries develop in the 1960s and in the modern day.

A solid cozy mystery and a good follow- up to the first in the series. Perrin gives you perfect elements - a good setting, solid pieces to the puzzle, interesting characters, and motives that make sense.

Once again I feel like I'm giving so much about Frances, which I love, but less insight into Annie. I do feel like Perrin could spend some more time really diving into our narrator.

Thank you to Dutton and NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this book, of course I am a sucker for a cozy mystery set in a small, English-country village full of suspicious characters. It's a quick read with a good, consistent pace that didn't lag or bring down the story at all. I will admit, towards the end, when the past and present mysteries began intertwining it started to feel a little chaotic. But immediately after the action went down, everything wrapped up nicely. I also really liked the closer look we got to see of Annie. How even though she's come into this new life, and is seemingly set from now on, she's still going through a phase of feeling lost and struggling with self-doubt. She's also dealing with complicated family and personal dynamics, and I felt that really added depth to her character. A big thank you to Dutton Books and NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for an honest review.

I love Kristen Perrins writing, so I was overjoyed when I was given this ARC to read. I love the narration, the descriptive details, the chapters going from past to present. It must seem obvious I suppose, but I loved the aunt Frances was kept alive and we as readers were given more insight to what she was like as a teenager. I loved reading and seeing what brought her to Ford. Just as Jenny had asked why they got married in the first place. It was nice getting that little flashback and seeing how they found their way back to each other.
The mystery, just like in the first book, kept me on my toes and anxious to read more. My brain was spinning with all the possibilities, of what could've happened, what really happened and who was framing Annie.
Truly an amazing book, so glad I was able to read it!

The tone of this book was completely out of left field, and something you'll need to read to really understand..

The writing managed to be serious and absurd, sad and funny all at once. This book was very, very thick with feeling, but, at the same time, I can’t accurately describe what it felt like to read. It was a super unexpected and unique experience...

Plot-wise, it’s a combination of things I like and things I don’t like, so it’s fitting that my rating landed right in the middle. I love boarding house settings. Something about a bunch of people, who would typically run in different circles, trying to work out life under one roof fascinates me. I like drifters, and grifters, and people running from the past. I also really enjoy religion in books. Not books that promote one religion, but rather stories where people are struggling to find purpose or something to believe in.

Murder at Gull’s Nest has all of the above, plus a series of mysterious murders to solve. The crime aspect is what lost me at times. I don’t typically like following an investigator. When the main chunk of the book is a person wandering around asking questions - where were you, who did you see, what did they say - that gets boring to me, fast. I’d much rather see action unfold in real time, than a person putting pieces together after the fact.

Even so, I think this premise has tons of potential, I liked Nora, and I will look out for the next book in the series.

How to Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5 Stars

There is nothing that I love more than a cozy murder mystery & a dual timeline! This series has quickly become a go-to for me. I absolutely fell in love with the first title in the series, and Kristen does it again with this one. The setting, the characters, the parallels between past and present- love it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random Group DUTTON for an eArc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A solid 4⭐ mystery for me! I enjoyed this one just as much as How to Solve Your Own Murder; I think I'll be picking up all of Kristen Perrin's books from now on 😁

I really enjoy the dual timeline throughout the book with both Frances' and Annie's lives in Castle Knoll. Both plotlines were super interesting and I liked the deeper dive into Frances' love stories and our resident fortune teller, Peony Lane 🔮 I think it's so clever how everything ties together!! I couldn't guess the culprit either, too many suspicious characters in this town!!

**minor spoilers for the romance subplot below 👇🏼👇🏼 so stop reading here if you're worried about that**
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I was kind of disappointed that there wasn't more development between Annie and Crane? It seemed like we were heading that direction, and then it just faded away--I really hope the next book in the series gets them moving!! I think it could be a fun parallel with Annie's romantic development alongside Frances' 🩷

I was such a huge fan of How to solve your own murder and could not wait for the follow up and to be back in castle knoll. I enjoyed the second book, though I didn’t love it as much as the first. Would definitely still recommend the series to people.

>>> for some original book related illustrations, please check out my blog :) <<<<
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I always worry about sequels and if they will live up to the first book. but I felt like this one built upon the first one really well.

I enjoyed:
-the way the original story expanded upon the first book.
-learning more about Archie and his secrets.
-less Saxon!!!! yay!!!!

I didn't enjoy:
The pacing of the story. It was just a liiiiiiiiittle slower than i would personally like but that is very much a personal opinion! it didn’t stop me from liking it overall and wanting another book.

I thought this book was really good and kept me interested in the story. I also think this book left a lot of room for book 3 and 4 to provide more background on Castle Knolls/the Gravesdowns/Frances

Overall I enjoyed it very much and look forward to the next in this series!

3.9/5 stars

How to Seal Your Own Fate, the second installment in The Castle Knoll Files series by Kristen Perrin, does not disappoint. After thoroughly enjoying the first book, How to Solve Your Own Murder, I was both excited and a bit apprehensive about how Perrin would follow up such a unique concept. Thankfully, she more than delivers.

Like its predecessor, this book features a clever dual timeline structure—present-day sleuth Annie unravels a mystery that's deeply intertwined with one young Frances faced decades earlier. Perrin executes this parallel narrative masterfully, keeping readers engaged and guessing right up until the final reveal.

What sets this series apart is its balance of originality and plausibility. Cozy mysteries often run the risk of becoming either too predictable or too far-fetched, but Perrin navigates that tightrope with skill. Her plots are intricate without being convoluted, and the characters continue to shine with warmth and intelligence.

I can't wait to see what Annie and Frances tackle next. Kristen Perrin has officially become an auto-buy author for me, and I highly recommend her books to any mystery lover looking for something smart, fresh, and wholly satisfying.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.