Welcome back!

I’m so excited to tell you about this book. When the first book in the Castle Knoll Series came out; How To Solve Your Own Murder, I received the arc and was obsessed. I hit 12% and knew it was going to be an absolute 5 carrot read and it was! I had a very highly praised review about it and it was one of my favorites of the previous year.

When I saw the sequel was available on Netgalley I immediately requested it, and then surprisingly, immediately was approved, I like to think that the publisher remembered me and was like OH! Make sure she gets one, but let’s be for real, that’s probably not how it happened.

How To Seal Your Own Fate by Kirsten Perrin is the second novel in the Castle Knoll Mystery Series. Annie Adams has sort of settled into her new normal. Inheriting the Gravesdown Estate and deciding what her next steps are the current plan. One day she is stopped at the entrance to her estate by Peony Lane.

The fortune teller that changed her great aunts life forever. She states that she has a fortune for Annie, and even though she won’t want it she should go see Archie at his farm. She does, realizes that there is a lot more of France’s journals and files she should have that aren’t accounted for.

Taking stock of what is there and what is missing brings her and her best friend, Jenny across a body that will change the histories of the entire crew, and she’ll need to revist a cold case and solve it before it revisits her, permanently.

My favorite thing about this mystery series is how it seamlessly weaves cold cases into the tapestry of modern times. Annie is in our current timeline and Frances Journal’s and the cold cases are from the 60’s and by being in the same town and communicating with the same people, Annie is getting an upfront account of what occurred and begins to pull on strings that don’t quite fit for her.

The only thing I wasn’t a fan of was that it felt like Annie had no mystery solving growth. I’ve been reading mysteries since I was a child as Annie had. There were things Annie did that I would never think of not doing. Collecting evidence and then forgetting about it? Not taking inventory of your great aunts files after you almost lost your life to get the opportunity to inherit? It just seemed a bit lazy on her part and didn’t make sense to me.

I enjoyed How To Seal Your Fate and have given it 🥕🥕🥕🥕. It is released by Dutton on April 29th.

Until Next Time,

Gabs

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