A sequel to How To Solve Your Own Murder, this story followed on from the events of the previous book. I feel that if I hadn't read the first one, then How To Seal Your Own Fate would have been hard to follow. In the same format as the previous story, the time jumped between the 1960s and the present day, which helped the story to progress, however, this time, it felt too slow at times but too fast at others. Nevertheless, it was entertaining, and, I enjoyed reading it.

#HowToSealYourOwnFate #NetGalley.

I had absolutely no idea there was going to be a sequel to How to Solve Your Own Murder, one of my favourite reads from last year, until I was offered a chance to read it early.

Deaths returns to the small village of Castle Knoll and Annie, following again in the footsteps of her Aunt Frances, is drawn into trying to solve the mystery. Along the way she discovers that the murder is linked to the death of several members of the Gravesdown Family in the 60s that Aunt Frances tried to solve.

The book alternates between the present day and excerpts from Frances, cleverly revealing clues to both mysteries. I enjoyed learning more about Frances especially since we have never properly met her since she was murdered in the first book, and also the other characters like Archie and Eric.

Overall, I thought it a clever mystery with good pacing and excellent writing. A worthy successor to the first book!

We return to the village of Castle Knoll, where Annie Adams finds herself in a new mystery, one that revolves around a fortune teller and long-held secrets.

The author shifts between Annie's current investigation and her great-aunt Frances's own sleuthing back in the 1960s.

For anyone who loves a good mystery with a clever plot and a wonderfully atmospheric setting, this book is a real treat.

How To Seal Your Own Fate is the fantastic sequel to one of my favourite books from last year, How To Solve Your Own Murder.

As in the first book, the story alternates between the present, with Annie Adams solving another mystery, and the past, in the 1960s, told in the form of a diary from Annie’s great aunt, Frances. There is mystery in the form of murder, right in Annie’s garden, and there are family secrets to uncover as Annie tries to figure out the past of her formidable great-aunt.

I loved how the author deftly alternates between the past and the present, between two different points of views, keeping me intrigued from the first to the last page. In the present time, Annie has now settled down in Gravesdown Estate and Castle Knoll, even though people have not been exactly welcoming and her great-aunt’s personality seems to haunt the big house she lives in all alone. To distract her there is yet another murder. Peony Lane was the same fortune teller who had predicted Frances’ murder and, right before she was found murdered in Annie’s solarium, gave her a mysterious message. Now, it’s up to Annie to figure out who wanted her dead and to do that she needs not only to investigate the people of Castle Knoll, but also look into her great-aunt’s diaries. In the past, a young Frances Adams is still trying to figure out her future, but, in the meantime, she keeps herself busy looking into a car crash that may have not been an accident.

I enjoyed How To Seal Your Own Fate as much as the first book. I loved the small-town setting and the amateur detectives and the complex and twisty mystery kept me guessing until the end. How To Seal Your Own Fate is a smart, gripping, and compelling read and I am really hoping there will be yet more mysteries to solve!

I loved the first book in this series so was excited to learn of there being a sequel. It more than lived up to the high standard set by the first book, and continued to develop the characters and world further. I can't wait to see what the author does next.

An enjoyable mystery whodunnit following on from last year’s debut. We revisit the village of Castle Knoll where author Annie Adams is now a wealthy heiress and the owner of a grand estate with millions at her disposal. However, life still isn’t settled with dead bodies popping up here, there and everywhere and Annie is once again determined to get to the bottom of the mystery which had its roots firmly set in the village’s past. A great read.
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own unbiased opinion.

A welcome return for me to Gravesdown hall, with Annie in the thick of another crime to be solved, finding herself to be a suspect as well as trying to find the truth of the current death and its links to the past, via the frustration of Aunt Frances's very useful files and diaries going missing.
The story jumps between two time lines seamlessly with the past lending weight to the investigations of the present.

I loved the previous book so was thrilled to see Annie Adam's back. Refreshingly unlike most sequels the author didn't keep repeating previous events but a little recap would have been helpful as I struggled to remember all what had been before. I did remember the characters, however, and much I enjoyed them.

This was such a great sequel, I loved it! I'm not sure how the author will keep the series going, but I hope she does because I really like this cast of characters.

This is book 2 in the Castle Knoll series and warning spoiler alert if you have not yet read book 1 [book:How to Solve Your Own Murder|181350367]
In this book Annie becomes an amateur detective once again when a body is found in the conservatory of her inherited estate. Having previously been involved in finding out who killed her Great Aunt Frances, this murder seems to be linked to Frances and the residents of the local village. Annie, however, is shocked to find that she herself is a suspect in this crime.
One thing that annoyed me, is that the book felt a bit long. There were parallel story lines that told of happenings in the 1960's that seemed to tie in with the current situation and characters. I felt these may have read better as actual extracts from Frances' diaries than a complete retelling of conversations etc. Overall, it did present an intriguing mystery with a couple of unexpected twists thrown in.
Thank you Netgalley and Quercus Books for the opportunity to read this digital ARC.

NetGalley reader unfortunately would not let me download this file so I was unable to read or review it.

I just wasn’t very keen on this. It started off really strong and I was enjoying it but the lead character Annie is just a bit bleurgh. She’s neither here nor there and if I’m honest get on my nerves a little. She is still gloating about having won the inheritance of the stately home but tries to balance this with caring about her great aunt Francis - a woman she never actually met by trying to solve a crime that she failed to solve whilst alive.
I found there were too many confusing characters especially with some of them being referred to by 2 separate names (legal and nicknames) and the passing between present and past was too sporadic. I enjoyed reading Aunt Frances’ diary entries and would to read about her to find out more about her life!
I did read book 1 in the series but thought it showed some potential and the blurb of this sounded great hence me giving it a go but after a couple of chapters it fell short and I was too confused by the end to actually care who killed who and why.

Loved this second in the series about the little town of Castle Knoll. I liked the mystery and Annie in particular

This is the sequel to the wonderful opener "How to Solve your Own Murder" which I read and enjoyed last year. Where this book doesn't quite match that in excellence, it is a great read nonetheless.
In it, we catch up with Annie as she is once again tangled up in another death centred around Castle Knoll's local fortune teller Peony Lane, just as she is settling into living in the house her great-aunt Frances left her. She comes across Peony as she is out walking. True to form, Peony imparts a rather cryptic message to Annie, changing her destination. Only hours later, Peony is found dead in Annie's house, whilst she is actually there, stabbed with a knife that Annie brought home! Obviously with fingers pointing in her direction, Annie is destined to once again don her investigating hat and not only find out who killed Peony but also work out what she was trying to warn her about when they met...
Meanwhile, we go back in time to the late 60s and follow Frances as she finds herself caught between the advances of two men. Chalk and cheese - Ford Gravesdown from the big house, and local scally Archie Foyle. The latter assisting Frances to investigate the death of the rest of the former's family in a car crash. The car having recently been discovered in the present day thread.
Quite what links the two threads, well, I'll have to leave it to you to figure that out. Suffice to say it's all thing convoluted and interconnected and a bit on the perilous side!
One of the things I do like about this series is the difference between Frances and Annie's investigatory methods. One being a bit gung-ho, the other way more diligent. But they both get results so...
If I have one criticism, which might have knocked off a half star, it is that the pacing is a bit hit and miss. I know we have the two threads and they are different in style and pace accordingly, but on occasion the pace doesn't quite hit the spot.
But, that is only a slight niggle, and it does settle down in the second half of the book though, so I was happy to suck it up as the story was all things compelling. Hitting the ground running, sucking me in once again, entertaining me all the way through, spitting me out at the end wholly satisfied and, if truth be told, ready for round three...
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Book Review: How to Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5)

Kristen Perrin’s How to Seal Your Own Fate is a satisfying and clever follow-up to How to Solve Your Own Murder, and it successfully keeps the cozy mystery charm alive while upping the stakes just enough.

We’re back with Annie Adams, now settling into Gravesdown Hall—a place still very much haunted by its past (and not just metaphorically). Annie’s attempts at finding peace are quickly interrupted by the reappearance of Peony Lane, a fortune-teller tied to an old family prophecy. When Peony ends up murdered in classic whodunnit fashion—stabbed with a ruby-hilted dagger—the stage is set for another twisty, small-village mystery.

Perrin has a knack for atmosphere. The autumnal vibes, the looming estate, and the constant feeling of being watched add a satisfying creepiness to the book’s charm. Annie remains a strong, likable protagonist—witty, inquisitive, and human in her moments of doubt.

The pacing is tight, and the clues are cleverly layered. While some moments lean a bit into cozy mystery tropes, they’re executed with enough freshness and energy to stay fun. And the inclusion of Frances’ library as a sleuthing tool is a lovely nod to the first book while deepening the lore of Castle Knoll.

Final Thoughts:
This is a classic murder mystery with a modern voice—perfect for fans of Agatha Christie with a splash of humor and heart. How to Seal Your Own Fate proves that Annie Adams is a sleuth worth following, and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for book three.

I loved How To Solve Your Own Murder and love this follow up that feature
An entertaining and compelling novel that kept me hooked and guessing
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

3.75*

A really solid follow up to last year's fantastic debut 'How To Solve Your Own Murder'.

The story this time didn't flow quite as well for me but I found the mystery to be intriguing and again the split timelines with the live action of now and the diary entries of the past worked well. It did feel a little padded at times but the final quarter was extremely satisfying and closed out the story well.

I'm not sure how another story in this format can work as it could potentially feel a little far fetched but I still would welcome another visit to this world, especially to see if the potential love story between Annie and Crane comes to anything!

Cosy mystery, dual timelines and loveable characters make this a duology (as it stands) that I've enjoyed and would read more!

Thank you so much to Quercus Books for inviting me to read a finished digital copy of "How To Seal Your Own Fate" and I offer here my honest and voluntary review.

I remember reading the first book in this series and having a decent enough time with it. But my reading tastes between January of last year and now have changed, I think. And within about 20% of reading this book, I just realised that this wasn't something I was interested in anymore. It's not necessarily the fault of the book or the writer - though, I did find the writing choices left something to be desired, even if the round-ups in the text of what happened in the last book were helpful because frankly, I'd forgotten. I think this is a genre that really appeals to some people and it's just not my thing anymore. Had I read this sooner after I'd read the first one, maybe I'd be on board, but it all just felt a bit cutesy for my taste. A personal thing, nothing against the book itself.

How To Seal Your Own Fate picks up where How To Solve Your Own Murder left off, while I appreciated the continuation of the story and the author’s consistently engaging writing style, I found this installment a bit more challenging to enjoy.

Told across two timelines, the dual narrative works well, gradually revealing connections and deepening the intrigue.

However, the story relies heavily on knowledge of the first book. There are numerous references to past events and characters, and even having read How To Solve Your Own Murder, I still struggled to recall all the necessary details. A brief recap or character guide might have helped refresh my memory.

There’s no shortage of twists and turns—something the author does well, and the author’s voice remains a strong point but while I admired the writing and the ambition of the plot, I didn’t enjoy this book quite as much as the first. It felt more demanding, and at times, I found it harder to stay emotionally connected to the characters.

Still, if you loved the first and have a good memory for the details, this is a solid continuation with plenty to chew on. Just be prepared to do a bit of mental backtracking.

How to Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin is a clever and engaging mystery with a whimsical tone and a sharp edge. From the start, Perrin draws readers into a world where fate, free will, and a touch of the fantastical collide. The premise is fresh, and the writing is lively, striking a nice balance between intrigue and humor.

The protagonist is smart, quirky, and easy to root for, navigating a plot filled with secrets, unexpected twists, and just the right amount of emotional depth. Perrin keeps the pacing brisk, and while a few moments lean into predictability, the journey remains thoroughly entertaining. The world-building adds an extra layer of charm without overshadowing the central mystery.

The ending ties things up in a satisfying way, leaving just enough ambiguity to linger. How to Seal Your Own Fate is an inventive and fun mystery with heart—a solid 4-star read for fans of offbeat thrillers with a thoughtful twist.