How to Cheat Your Own Death

Castle Knoll Files #3

by Kristen Perrin

From the gritty streets of 1960s Soho to the lofty galleries of present-day West London, two interlocking mysteries decades apart unfold in this latest instalment in the award-winning, New York Times bestselling Castle Knoll Murder Mystery series

Some secrets are deadlier than others

1968: Frances Adams is loving her new London life, and she’s stepped into a world of glamour thanks to her new friend, Vera Huntington–a magnetic socialite as mysterious as she is provocative. Vera dances around London like she owns it, taking Frances with her.

Present day: When Annie Adams heads to London to visit her famous artist mother, Laura, the last thing she expects to find is a dead body. Least of all for it to be Laura’s new protégée, left in an alley with her heart surgically removed from her chest.

Annie is no stranger to murder–after all, she’s solved a few already. And something about this case feels familiar. She’s read about one just like it in the journals of her late great aunt Frances, whose friend Vera was killed in the 1960s in the exact same way.

As Annie investigates, threats pile up on Laura’s doorstep, and it soon becomes clear that she’s next. With her mother’s life on the line, can Annie find the killer before it’s too late?

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Thriller, Adult

336 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication April 28, 2026

About the author

Kristen Perrin is originally from Seattle, Washington, where she spent several years working as a bookseller before immigrating to the UK to do a Masters and PhD. Her debut murder mystery How to Solve Your Own Murder is the first book in the Castle Knoll Files series, and has been translated into more than twenty languages. The book was also a Good Morning America Buzzpick, was featured on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and has been a New York Times, Indiebound, USA Today, and Der Spiegel bestseller. She lives with her family in Surrey, England, where she is hard at work on more books in the series.

Find her on Instagram: @kristenperrinwrites

Find her on Tiktok: @kristen_perrin

Reviews

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I need to talk about this series because it has completely taken over my reading life and I'm not even sorry about it.

How to Cheat Your Own Death pulled me in from the first chapter and didn't let go until I'd devoured the whole thing in one sitting. Annie heads to London expecting some quality time with her artist mother Laura. Maybe some gallery hopping, maybe some overpriced wine. Instead she gets a dead body in an alleyway with its heart surgically removed. Classic vacation, really.

But here's where it gets creepy: Annie recognizes this murder. She's read about one exactly like it in her great aunt Frances's journals from the 1960s. Same method. Same surgical precision. Sixty years apart. My skin was crawling.

The dual timeline thing continues to work like absolute magic. Frances in swinging sixties London, swept up in the orbit of Vera Huntington, this impossibly glamorous socialite who dances through Soho like she owns the city, is everything I want from historical fiction. Smoky jazz clubs, dangerous secrets, fashion that makes me wish time travel existed. And then we snap back to present day Annie piecing together how a murder from her family's past is somehow connected to the body cooling in a London alley. The way these storylines weave together genuinely impresses me every single book.

Now let's talk about what I'm REALLY here for: Annie and Detective Crane. Their partnership. Their banter. Their obvious feelings for each other that neither will fully acknowledge. I am rooting for these two disaster humans so hard it's embarrassing. And this book? This book turns up the heat because the murder victim happens to be Crane's ex girlfriend. Who also maybe broke his heart. Who also maybe stole some money. The drama! The tension! The loaded silences! I was eating it up with a spoon.

Peony Lane's prophecy hanging over everything, "without its beating heart, your family will fall one by one," had me genuinely stressed. And when Laura calls Annie to say someone left an actual heart on her doorstep? I gasped out loud. On public transit. No shame.
The mystery kept me guessing way longer than I expected. I figured out the "who" before the "why," but the twists still landed and there were a few moments where I had to put the book down just to process. Ella Perrin knows exactly how to plant clues without making you feel stupid for missing them, which is harder than it looks.

What I love most about this series is that it never feels like it's running out of steam. Three books in and the stakes keep climbing, the relationships keep deepening, and Frances's journals keep revealing secrets that somehow stay relevant decades later. The London setting added this sharp, glamorous edge that felt different from Castle Knoll without losing the cozy murder mystery vibe I fell in love with.

And that ending? I won't spoil it but the cliffhanger left me staring at my ceiling at 2am trying to figure out where Ella Perrin is taking us next. The kind of ending that makes you want to shake the author gently and ask when book four is coming because the wait is going to be painful.

Huge, massive, cannot overstate it thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for sharing this historical mystery that just keeps getting better with every installment. I'm so grateful for the early copy in exchange for my honest review, and honestly, they couldn't stop me from shouting about this series if they tried.

Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:

medium blog
instagram
facebook
twitter

[mimi (depression slump) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Forget what I said about How to Solve Your Own Murder and How to Seal Your Own Fate ; KP is back with the latest Castle Knoll novel, and she’s stepped up in her game.

No, but really.
Idk if she's read the feedback or if she just decided to go in a different direction, but my (and many others people) biggest problems with her narration are gone, and just like that this cozy mystery delivers what promised: a compelling investigation with a dual timeline, more pieces of Aunt Frances’s life, a will-they-won’t-they romance, and a purpose to our FMC.

For every little detail I could point out as “feeble”, there's the remainder that, in Annie’s world, it has been only like six months since it all began, but I had to wait three years to see her finally doing something with her life other than talk.
And that made her less annoying in my eyes, like a reprimand that the author knows what she's doing.

Also, this is the first time one of these novels ends with a hint at the future, and it's also the first time I'm actually excited about it.

↠ 3.5 stars

Thanks to Dutton and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

[Trisha]

I love this series!! AND THE COVER REVEAL TODAY! GORGEOUS!

I can't wait to read this!!

* ARC Rec'd! Thank you!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

[Hillary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cozy as a good chair, a warm blanket, and a rainy day. But, like, with disembodied meat sacks all over the place.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this one. I really enjoyed the first two books in this series but this is my favorite by far! I just could not put it down.

In present day, Annie is visiting her mother in London when she discovers the body of her mother’s new apprentice, Felicity Rowe. In the 1960s, Frances is pursuing a degree in psychology when her world is turned upside down after the murder of one of her friends, socialite Vera Huntington. As Annie begins to investigate, she notices a lot of similarities between these two cases. Could there be a connection between the brutal murders of these women whose lives were separated by decades?

I think the change of setting worked so well in this story. Seeing the characters outside of Castle Knoll allowed for a lot more development and depth. Annie’s chapters give us some insight into her strained relationship with her mother and her friendship with detective Crane. Frances’ chapters give us a greater understanding of how her psychology background influenced her investigative tendencies later in life. I also really enjoyed seeing Frances and Ford’s relationship evolve into the great love we know they shared.

This story felt more fast paced than her previous books and the mystery itself flowed better between the two timelines. I was engaged the entire time and could never predict all the twists and turns. This is just the best addition to the series and I could not recommend it more! The ending is also the perfect set up for a fourth book so fingers crossed that happens!

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

[Danielle D · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love this series and book three is a great addition. This one is set almost entirely in London and it continues the dual storyline between present day Annie and Frances in the 1960s. The plot gets a bit far fetched at times but overall I liked the mystery and it kept me guessing. It ends on a cliffhanger that has me excited for book four.

I received an ARC of this ebook from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

[Kait · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twisty story, loved all the 1960’s historical chapters, and how that time influenced the modern day mystery. Think go-go boots, art, murder, and a slooooooow burn romance (we’re in book 3 and the main characters are still being dodgy about their feelings). I shall persist in the series, it’s fun! ARC received-read-reviewed, comes out 4/28!

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I got this book from NetGalley for an honest review.*

Ahhhh, Castle Knoll Files #3. Do you remember in my review for Everyone in this Bank is a Thief when I said there were two books that I saw were coming out for series I enjoyed and I went hunting for them? (If not, it’s only a few entries back.) Well, this is the other book that I’m excited I was able to get my hands on to review. Funny enough, I think my first review entry for this blog was actually #2 in the series.

So! How to Cheat your Own Death… we’re partially back in Castle Knoll, or at least there are people related to Castle Knoll in this one as most of the story takes place in London. This is book 3 in the series and although this one can be read as a stand alone book, we’re now starting to get backgrounds and watch some relationships evolve from previous books. As a completionist, I’d be bothered by it but not everyone is like me. 🙂

The murder victim is an ex-girlfriend of Det. Crane who was also Annie’s mom’s apprentice. Small world, isn’t it. I won’t give away all the drama that comes with that but she was a twist I was not expecting. Although that twist is only there if you’ve read the other books. If you haven’t, there’s still some drama with it but it won’t hit as intensely. Anyway.

Before I start picking through the small things that floated around in my head while I read this, let me first say that I would totally give this book 4.5 stars. I enjoyed the journey of the who-done-it (and why) and will (do) recommend this series to any one of my friends or family that like reading murder mysteries. It was quick for me to get sucked in and I didn’t want to stop til I finished. The who was easier to figure out than the why and there were certainly twists that while I knew a twist was coming, I wasn’t sure what it was going to be. I also look forward to getting more into Rowan Crane’s mystery in book 4. You can feel free to stop here as what comes below are just my ramblings about overall issues with any murder mystery series but as they relate to this specific book/series.

So, if you’ve kept reading… there are three points that bother me a bit, although they don’t really interfere with the actual story. They made NO difference in how I rated the book. Just things that in real life would certainly play out differently.

The first one is that Det. Crane is out of his jurisdiction, never mind the conflict of interest… and yet here he is helping to solve the case. It’s addressed early in the book that he’s not looking into his ex’s murder but re-looking at the murder of one of Frances’s friends from the 1960s. But of course the cases are related as the victims died in a similar fashion, missing their heart, which means that theres not really a way to separate one investigation from the other. That line is dropped pretty quickly as there’s no mention of the police in London questioning his presence as it is not Castle Knoll or the whole conflict of interest part. That bothers me a bit. Maybe all of that works differently in London, I honestly don’t know. However, here in the states, there would be some fighting and stern warnings there. And possibly an arrest for interference in a case. Why the small town detective thinks he’s inserting himself into a case that happened in the big city is just too big for me to ignore. I’m imagining a Detective from say Poughkeepsie, NY who is going into New York City because he wanted to pull an old file with the very obvious connection with the current murder of someone he knows… and NYPD being ok with that. It’s easier to help the story flow at a quicker pace, but.

The second point isn’t specific to this book. It’s more to murder series in general whether in books or on a TV show. I loved to watch Murder, She Wrote re-runs when I was a kid. After a while though, I really started to question why a (lovable but nosy) writer had so many bodies dropping around her in both her small town and when she traveled. It’s a problem with all amateur sleuth books and shows. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy the stories and can ignore that while engrossed in the current mystery, but it’s the elephant in the room so to speak. Now there are ways one can go around that. If the series follows a detective/police officer, well that’s what they deal with all day every day – people committing crimes – which would include murders. In this case/series, while there is the detective that also flows with each story, he’s not exactly the main person the books are following… that would be Annie (and Frances) and the detective is just there to ‘protect her’ while trying to ignore his feelings for her. It’s something that’s purposely ignored by those of us who like to read and watch these because we can stay with familiar characters while the action relates to a different murder each time. It would never stop me from enjoying the hell out of a series but it does hover in the background.

The third point brings me back to the book series. In book 2, Peony Lane gives Annie a stack of sealed prophecies for different people. Now, in the first book, Frances was rather obsessed with the prophecy Peony gave her in her youth predicting her death… which didn’t happen until she was a lot older in age. Back in book 3, Annie is trying to decipher her own prophecy, which happens to come true after she reads the prophecy but not years later. The prophecy could have happened before she read it. It could have happened 30 years from when she read it. Throw in that she hasn’t read anyone else’s or even handed them out to the people they are for. The odds of Annie opening the one prophecy that is about to happen are, well, not great. It’s just convenient to get to the point without muddying up getting to the plot. (We all know life is much messier.) Annie doesn’t open her prophecy and then they have to solve someone else’s. And book 3 sets up for us to explore Rowan Crane’s prophecy in book 4. Don’t know what that is yet but the opening and reading of it will likely ignite it to start coming true right away. The odds of that happening multiple times in a row depending on how long the series goes on kind of brings this around as being similar to point 2 above. It works to keep different stories going but life is messy and none of these prophecies would be opened JUST in time to coincide with the next murder they come across. Although also like point 2, it won’t stop me from enjoying the series, it’s just another thing that hovers in the back of my mind.

Sorry, I’m being nit-picky about things that have been floating around murder mysteries for basically as long as they have been created. They really don’t interfere with me enjoying the books. I will be enjoying murder mysteries for as long as I’m able to read or watch TV. I’m looking forward to book 4 of this series, and will once again hunt for a copy of it before its release, just because I love them. So yeah, I give this one 4.5 stars and recommend the whole series to anyone who loves cozy murder mysteries like I do.

[Savannah Fernelius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley, Dutton, and Kristen Perrin for this e-ARC!

Last year, one of my best friends recommended Perrin’s debut novel to me, and I promptly devoured both How to Solve Your Own Murder and How to Seal Your Own Fate within the same month. From the very beginning, I was hooked by Perrin’s clever plotting, charmingly eccentric characters, and the irresistible coziness of her mysteries. So when I found out she was releasing the third installment in the series, I knew I had to get my hands on the e-ARC and I was obviously thrilled when my request was approved.

Perrin returns with yet another deliciously cozy English mystery that perfectly balances intrigue, atmosphere, and heart. How to Cheat Your Own Death was an absolute delight from start to finish and had me burning the midnight oil through the final 150 pages, completely unable to put it down until I knew how everything unfolded. The pacing is especially strong in this installment, with twists and revelations dropped at just the right moments to keep the story moving and the tension simmering.

This book also builds beautifully on the emotional groundwork laid in the earlier novels, particularly when it comes to the romance between Annie and (Rowan) Crane. Perrin finally allows their slow-burn connection to ignite in a way that feels earned, natural, and deeply satisfying. Loyal readers will be thrilled to see their relationship take more center stage in this one, and I couldn’t help but smile watching the sparks fly between these two.

While I did manage to predict the major plot twist around the 80% mark, that didn’t detract from my enjoyment while finishing the novel. Seeing how all the puzzle pieces officially clicked into place was incredibly rewarding, and Perrin’s execution made the journey just as enjoyable as the reveal itself. I also appreciated the shift in setting for this installment. Although Castle Knoll will always feel like home, the move to Chelsea/London offered a refreshing change of scenery that added new energy and atmosphere to the story.

One of my absolute favorite aspects of this series is the dual timelines following Annie and her Aunt Frances. This narrative structure adds remarkable depth to the story and creates the feeling that the two women are solving mysteries together across time. It’s a beautifully executed literary device that strengthens the emotional core of the series, and I sincerely hope Perrin continues to use it in future installments.

Overall, How to Cheat Your Own Death is a charming, addictive addition to an already standout cozy mystery series. With its engaging mystery, lovable characters, and clever structure, this book only deepened my love for Perrin’s storytelling and left me eagerly anticipating whatever story she has planned next in the series.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I reviewed an ARC received on the NetGalley platform.

I’ve read both previous books in this series by Kristen Perrin and wasn’t quite sure what to expect going into this one. How to Solve Your Own Murder was a five-star read for me and one of my favorite books of 2024. Because of that, I eagerly picked up How to Seal Your Own Fate when it was released—but ultimately felt a bit disappointed, rating it 3.5 stars. I’m happy to report that How to Cheat Your Own Death fully reengaged me in both the story and the characters, and I enjoyed it almost as much as the first book. I felt genuinely compelled to keep reading, constantly wondering what would happen next. While some elements unfolded as expected, much of the story felt unpredictable and satisfyingly twisty.

Between the grotesque animal remains left on doorsteps and the visceral artwork in Annie’s timeline, combined with the nefarious manipulation and power plays unfolding in Frances’s, the murder and mystery here felt darker and more sinister than in the previous installments, which I personally loved. That said, this may not be the book for readers hoping for another cozy murder mystery.

My favorite aspect of this series continues to be the way Perrin weaves the dual timelines together as the mystery unravels. It blends the best elements of historical fiction with the intricacies of a modern-day mystery in a way that feels fresh and unique. I will admit, though, that my brain is so conditioned to classic mysteries being set in the 1920s or ’30s that I repeatedly had to remind myself Frances’s story actually takes place in the 1960s. Every pop culture reference triggered a brief “oh right!” moment for me.

Another element that really worked was the deeper exploration of the characters, especially Frances. This book felt like the origin story she deserved, rather than reducing her to a neurotic obsession with Peony’s fortune as a plot device. She became much more fully realized, evolving beyond an eccentric figure from Annie and Laura’s past. I continued to enjoy Annie as a protagonist, though some of her decisions were admittedly maddening. The tension between her and Rowan was hit or miss for me, but I did appreciate the slow “will they, won’t they” progression of their relationship. The uncertainty and “is he into me?” inner dialogue felt very real and relatable. And honestly, who doesn’t enjoy a bit of romantic tension?

I could have done without the Sam storyline, though. He largely felt like filler to me, but I suppose every mystery needs its extra suspects. Maybe book four will uncover more of his seedy backstory and change my mind.

Overall, I’d give How to Cheat Your Own Death four stars.

[Kiran · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book. I loved it. Truly.

Lately, I’ve found myself reading a lot of second or third books in a series, and honestly? It’s been such a comfort. The character development is richer, the world feels lived-in, and slipping back into it is like putting on a familiar, cozy coat. This book especially felt like coming home.

I remember reading the first book in this series and being immediately hooked. The concept felt so fresh: a murder has already happened, and the mystery must be solved by combing through decades of meticulous journals, searching for that one crucial detail hidden in a haystack. I grew up devouring mysteries by Mary Higgins Clark, Harlan Coben, and James Patterson, to the point where I got very good at spotting twists early. Eventually, mysteries lost some of their magic for me and I drifted toward other genres. So being genuinely surprised again by Book One felt like a gift. I also loved Annie right away, her grit, her motivations, and her choices all felt believable and earned.

Book Two, though… I struggled. It felt like a slog, and I found myself wondering whether this really needed to be a series. It tried to do too much, and I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as the first.

So when Dutton provided this book as an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, I’ll admit I went in a little skeptical. But I was so pleasantly surprised. This book reminded me of everything that made Book One work so well. The focus felt sharper, the pacing stronger, and the story more grounded. I loved diving deeper into Aunt Frances’s journals, and the dual timeline was easy to follow and genuinely engaging. And the romance: the will they, won’t they, absolutely worked for me, though I really hope we get some resolution in the next book. I also loved the introduction of Kabir.

I was pulled in immediately, and I found this book genuinely hard to put down. Setting this installment in London instead of Castle Knoll was another win. I adore Castle Knoll and its cast of characters, but this change of scenery felt refreshing without losing the cozy mystery vibe that makes this series special.

I’m incredibly grateful to NetGalley and Dutton for sharing this book with me. After my last read left me feeling a little disconnected, this one reignited my love of reading. It was comforting, absorbing, and exactly the kind of cozy escape I needed at the right moment.

[Tom Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annie Adams knows a thing or two about murder. She's actually solved a few including her Aunt Frances as well Peony Lane, the fortune teller who foretold Frances' murder. The discovery of her own fortune from Peony Lane has left her shaken but she has little time to figure out what it means. Her mum has been acting strange. She's taken in a young artist Felicity Rowe as a mentee. But when her mum calls and says a heart has been left on her doorstep, Annie quickly rushes to her aid. Soon Annie discovers that Felicity has been murdered and her heart has been cut iut. What's even more frightening is the eerie connection to a case decades earlier involving one of Frances' friends. Now Annie must not only solve Felicity as murder but a cold case as well. But the investigation will cause many secrets to be revealed: from Annie's mum to her absent father to her investigative partner Detective Rowan Crane who Annie clearly has feelings for but hasn't figured out what to do about them yet.

In this third installment of the Castle Knoll series, Kristin Perrin again serves up a page-turning mystery combining the modern day with late 1960s Soho. She manages to weave the two timelines again into one twisty mystery. There is also the added benefit of the reluctant detective in Annie. She is clever and sometimes a little too sarcastic for her own good. But that is what makes her so likeable.

When I was the first novel in the series, How To Solve Your Own Murder, I hoped we would get to see more of Annie. While at first she was reluctantly drawn into solving murders, she now embraces that role understanding that justice needs to be done and that sometimes she is the only person who can make that happen. Hopefully we will gave more of Annie's adventures to look forward to in the future.

Special thanks to Dutton Books and NetGalley for allowing me to review this book. No other consideration was received in exchange for this review.

[Siobhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kristin Perrin's new Castle Knoll murder mystery, How to Cheat Your Own Death, is here—and it's a corker. Amateur sleuth Annie Adams, who has inherited her Aunt Frances's fortune, is coming to terms with her new home, a crumbling pile called Gravesdown Hall, when her phone rings. It's her mother Laura, an artist who lives in Frances's equally elegant but distressed townhome in London. And she has bad news. Someone has left an animal heart on her doorstep, and her young apprentice is missing. Before long, Annie is on the trail of a murderer alongside her Castle Knoll crush, Detective Rowan Crane. But they're not the only sleuths in this murder mystery, which relies on time travel, and a sense of the gothic, to propel the narrative. Because Aunt Frances, although deceased, is very much in the mix. How to Cheat Your Own Death splits the narrative between Annie's present day sleuthing and the 1960s. Traveling back in time, we meet a young Frances, a baker's daughter from the provinces, who crosses paths with three people who will change the course of her of her life: Max and Vera, the children of a wealthy family, and Max's girlfriend, Elaine. With enough red herrings to keep even the most jaded reader on his or her toes, How to Cheat Your Own Death melds past and present into a plot that shows the past was not that long ago, and that even the deepest secrets are just waiting for the right person to reveal them. Perrin's book combines elements of gothic horror, police procedural, art world shenanigans, class and generational differences, and evil in high and low places in a way that will keep readers in their seats.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

How to Cheat Your Own Death
By Kristen Perrin

This is the third book in a series of English murder mysteries. Once again our protagonist is Annie Adams, the heroine of the first two books. Here Annie is in Chelsea with her mom, Laura Adams, the famous artist. Annie is shocked to find that her mom has allowed a young woman named Felicity to become her apprentice and housemate – and Felicity comes from Castle Rock! This name will mean nothing to the reader if you haven't read the earlier books. Neither will the name of Rowan Crane, a policeman and accomplice is solving murders – and possible love interest.

Early on, a murder takes place. The author, in creating backstory, alternates chapters between 1968 with Aunt Frances and current day London with Annie and her current cast of characters. This back and forth through time was somewhat confusing.

I also found that there were too many plot lines that never seemed to be resolved: what happened to Max in the end; what about the feud between Max and Aunt Frances; how could Vera get off with a slap on the wrist; why have Sam flit in and out of the story, leaving Annie with more questions than answers; and what happened to Rowan to make him so fearful of a relationship with Annie? This last, I suppose, will be the theme of the next book.

While somewhat entertaining, this book did not engage me as the earlier ones did. And if you haven't read the earlier ones, you will not be able to follow this one.

Thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

[Dawn Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars

336 Pages

Publisher: Dutton

Release Date: April 28, 2026

Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Historical Fiction, Amateur Detective, British, Art

Annie Adams Arlington is settling into her Aunt Frances’ estate. She is still finding it hard to think of herself as an heiress. Her mother, Laura, is an artist and for the first time has taken on an apprentice, Felicity. Annie finds this odd since it is so out of character for her mother. Before she can find out more about the situation, she finds Felicity’s body in a dumpster with several painted canvases.

In one of Aunt Frances’ diaries, she reads about Vera Huntington, a friend of hers from London. Vera was 21, married, and a hidden artist. Her husband was not a fan of her art and would burn it if he saw it. Vera asked Frances to keep some of her things for her so her husband wouldn’t destroy them. Frances agrees hesitantly. Now Vera is found dead and her husband is accused of her murder. Could these two events be tied together? Is her mother, another artist, in danger? Annie begins investigating in earnest but must be careful. The murderer may find her instead.

The story is fast paced, the characters are well developed, and it is written in the third person point of view. This is the third book in the series. The characters are brought a little more to life as the series continues. I look forward to reading more by this author.

[jm78 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. What a book.

This was phenomenal from start to finish- we get to see Frances and Annie develop as detectives and strong women, and I loved the setting change. Don’t get me wrong- the small town vibe of Castle Knoll is intriguing, but the knife sharp opulence and glamour of London high society really contributed to the better (in my opinion) plot of this new addition.

With a third book you run the risk of becoming repetitive, but this thriller was the complete opposite of boring- the stakes are higher, the suspects more dangerous, and Frances studying psychology, giving her a greater understanding of crime, was such a good narrative choice (as a psychology major myself lol)

I also have to spare a moment for the romance. The first two books place Ford as a somewhat condescending character but we get to see his relationship with Frances gain greater emotional depth and equal standing- he just gets her.

he saw the side that pushed ideas further than most people… he accepted all these things as strengths, as part of me, and not just eccentricities😭😭😭

Similarly, Annie and Detective Crane share a budding intimate connection, and their parallels with Frances and Ford were cute - I love my obsessive murder solving duos and cannot wait to see the latter relationship develop in future books 🥹🥹

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Dutton for this arc in exchange for an honest review!🫶🫶

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this newest book in the Castle Knoll series by Kristen Perrin!

How to Cheat Your Own Death is a great cozy mystery, full of charming characters and a delightful back and forth from present day to diary entries from the 1960s. While this is the third in the series, there’s a tidy summary of previous books that doesn’t give away their mysteries but also fills you in in case you haven’t read them or it’s been a while. I definitely needed the refresher, and the story was easy to follow.

Annie Adams is visiting her artist mum when she stumbles upon the dead body of a young artist her mother has been mentoring. It’s a gruesome murder, as the woman’s heart has been surgically removed. Annie is shocked to realize that she’s read of an eerily similar murder in her Aunt Frances’s diaries from the 1960s. With the help of Detective Crane, Annie uses the diaries to piece together the mystery.

Annie’s got great character growth in this book, and I loved that we learn more about her parents. I love the will they won’t they with Detective Crane and this book ends perfectly!!! with a nice tease for the next installment in this wonderful series. I can’t wait!

Thanks so much to Net Galley, Dutton and Penguin Random House for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Elizabeth Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the world of Castle Knoll from book one, but admittedly wasn’t sure if the back and forth between past and present would hold up as the story went on. So far, I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how well they still blend.
This book focuses more on Annie and Frances’ lives outside of Castle Knoll. I appreciated that we began delving into some of the modern-day main characters' pasts more with this story. As much as I enjoyed the first two books, it makes sense that you’d need to start learning more about those closest to Annie.
I felt that the main plot of the book was well done; however, I do wish Perrin had leaned into some of the darker themes a bit more, just because the premise itself would have allowed for that easily. As usual for me, I enjoyed Frances’ individual chapters more in the moment, but Annie’s story and how everything comes together stand out more in the end.
I am excited for some of the new plots that were alluded to toward the end of the book - It’ll be interesting to see if this is where the story starts to depart from Frances’ past or if she’s still involved in some way.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Lily Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

NO NOTES

How to Cheat Your Own Death grabbed me from page one and didn’t let go. Annie heads to London expecting a quiet visit with her momand instead finds a dead body in an alley, heart surgically removed. Creepy, thrilling, and somehow personal, since it mirrors a murder from her great-aunt Frances’s 1960s journals.

I loved the dual timelines. Frances’s swinging sixties London chapters are smoky, glamorous, and full of secrets, while present-day Annie races to solve a murder connected to her family’s past. The timelines intersect beautifully, and the twists kept me on edge—even making me gasp on public transit.

I also love Annie and Detective Crane as they are just fantastic together. Their banter, the tension, the slow-burn romance... and the stakes are higher than ever. Annie’s no-nonsense, sharp approach to life and crime-solving makes her a compelling lead.

This is, hands down, my favorite Castle Knolls book so far. Darker, twistier, and impossible to put down, it left me desperate for the next book. Fans of cozy mysteries with layered timelines, clever twists, and compelling characters will eat this up. Really hope there's a book 4 on the way!!

[Megan Welbourne · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to Cheat Your Own Death is the third book in the Castle Knoll series by Kristen Perrin. This time, we are taken to London for the book, with Annie rekindling her relationship with her mother Laura the artist. Laura has taken on an apprentice, Felicity, who winds up murdered and thrown in the trash bin outside their Chelsea home. Annie and Rowan Crane unofficially (since Crane’s jurisdiction is Castle Knoll) investigate this murder. There are flashbacks to 1968, when Aunt Frances was at university in London, and one of her friends was murdered in a very similar way to Felicity. The two stories and timelines intersect and readers get to solve two murders at the same time.
After a lackluster second book of the series, I was skeptical on how this one would go. I was more than pleasantly surprised and loved this one! Great murder mystery with an easy to follow plot (less complicated than book two), more Frances-Ford backstory and the romantic tension between Rowan and Annie continues. We continue to hear Peony Lane’s fortunes that tie in perfectly. The ending definitely leaves room for a fourth book which I will be sure to pick up. Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton publishing for my ARC.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kristen Perrin does it again in the fabulous Castle Knoll series with How to Cheat Your Own Death! Annie Adams' famous artist mother Laura has taken on an apprentice who has just been found dead with her heart removed. This murder is eerily similar to one described by Great Aunt Frances in her journals chronicling life in London in the 1960's. A wealthy and influential socialite, Vera Huntington befriended Frances as she attended university and meets a similar fate. Annie, armed with Frances' journal and Rowan Crane by her side attempts to unravel both mysteries, all while mitigating mounting threats to her mother and meeting her father for the first time in her life. She is also trying to make sense of Peony Lane's predictions of her own fate and navigate the long-suppressed, mounting feelings she has for Rowan.
I love the dual narration between Annie and Frances and the switch between time periods. This series is absolutely phenomenal, but I think How to Cheat your Own Death is my favorite by far. The ending is wide open for the next installment of the Castle Knoll Files, and I am here for it!

Thank you to Dutton and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third in the Castle Knoll series, this one will please many readers. Told in two very different time frames, we hear Annie's story and we hear about Frances' years spent in London.

Annie is in London, visiting her successful artist mother. Annie finds a body stuffed in a nearby dumpster and a stack of her mother's paintings underneath the body. Turns out the body is that of Felicity Rowe, her mother's new apprentice, and her heart has been cut out. Felicity was a previous girlfriend of Detective Crane, who is now tentatively in a relationship with Annie. Frances was a psychology major in the 1960s and became friends with socialite Vera Huntington, who was brutally murdered. We also learn more about Frances and Ford's relationship. Annie realizes there are similarities in the two cases. Is there any chance the two cases might be related? And, yes, Annie has found a fortune from Peony Lane and she believes it refers directly to her - she just has to figure out how.

The ending has a lot of twists and turns, but leave the door open for a fourth installment in the Castle Knoll series.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Dutton Publishers, in exchange for a review.

[Momo Pete · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved the castle knoll series and this latest book was no exception. I enjoyed this third book more than the second.

This book had a darker and more dangerous mystery to it and was a bit scarier than the first two books, with the target being Annie’s mother, Laura and then Annie. Going back in time and seeing through Frances what had happened to the first victim really made you connect to the current danger that Annie was going through. The change of location with the setting being outside of Castle Knoll and centered in London, both in the past and present, also worked really well.

I enjoyed seeing Annie and Detective Crane spend more time together to develop their relationship, as well as Frances and Ford. The twists in the book were very entertaining and not where I thought it was going, especially the final reveal.

I highly recommend this book and all of the Castle Knoll books. This can also be read as a standalone book though you have more insight into the characters if they are read in order. I can’t wait for the next book to find out more about the little cliffhanger that was mentioned.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for the eARC.

[Tricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This time, Annie and Detective Crane are solving a crime that is very near to them both. Crane's ex-girlfriend, who has recently been mentored by Annie's mother, is at the center of a twisty-turny plot that will thrill readers of this series. What this book does so well is weave the present and past together in a seamless way that makes it difficult to decide which story line I like better, and when the two come together it's magic. I absolutely love Annie and her no-nonsense approach to herself and to life. She likes solving murders and knowing how and why people do the things they do, and she makes no excuses for not being more touchy-feely. I appreciate this honesty in a character and the challenges that it brings. In this particular installment, we trade the comfort and small town feel of the Castle Knolls setting and all the quirky characters we love from there for a closer look at Annie's family and all the goings on in their past which just might impact her future. It's a great read for fans of the series, and for anyone who hasn't picked these books up yet, what are you waiting for?

[Abby May · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC review
3.5 ⭐️

We leave Castle Knoll for this instalment, following both Annie and Frances as they explore life in London and investigate chillingly similar murders, decades apart.

I would say this is more of the same that we’ve come to know from the Castle Knoll series - cozy mysteries with a lot of characters, and a lot of time spent in France’s diary entries. If you’ve enjoyed the series so far, you’ll enjoy this book too.

Once again, I found it hard to keep track of all the characters and how they tie in to the story. Another gripe I had with the last book as well as this one is how the diary entries are written: they are written with the same sentence structure as the rest of the book, yet we are supposed to be reading someone diary entry. Rather than “I asked how his day was” it’s written as “”how was your day?” I asked”. This bugged me a lot and it’s staring to feel like lazy writing.

Technicalities aside, it’s a good cozy mystery if that’s what you’re looking for. Personally, I’ve realised i prefer my mysteries a bit more thrilling.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for an advanced copy of this book. I was pleasantly surprised to receive this as I had not read the first two books in the series. Good news is this seems to work well as a standalone with only passing references to what has previously happened. The book jumps back and forth from 1968 to the present day where Annie Adams is the pivotal character tying both timelines together. She is the heiress of a fortune through her great aunt, who is a main figure in the 1968 timeline. Through the aunt’s diaries, we find out about some mysterious events in the past, including murder, and through Annie’s present-day experiences we see what is transpiring in the present day, again including murder, and of course everything is tied together.

I would call this a cozy mystery, set entirely in England (mostly London with references to Castle Knoll) and really enjoyed the setting (in both timelines), characters and plot. Pacing was very good, and I breezed through this book quickly since it was well written and captivating.

Now I have to go back in time (ha ha) and read the first two books in the series and then look forward to the next one!

[Joanne Rawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this ARC by NetGalley to read and review. While I could tell it was part of a series, this book can absolutely be read as a stand alone novel (though I definitely plan to go back and read the others in the series). Told in 2 parts, present day Annie Adams has inherited her great Aunt Frances' fortune and is struggling to make sense of a fortune teller's prediction of her own death and the demise of her family. While checking up on her mom one day she stumbles upon the dead body of her mother's protegee. It's not the first dead body Annie has seen but the events surrounding the death remind Annie a lot of something similar Aunt Frances went through when she was in college. Annie had been reading through all of Frances' journals and through flashback chapters, we learn of what Frances' life was like the year she started college, studied psychology and met both Vera and Max. The more Annie digs into the present day, the more past and present start to blur and it looks like someone is after taking down Annie's mother. It is a really great story that will be published April 28, 2026.

[Mike Ethetton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got an early copy of How to Cheat Your Own Death by Kristen Perrin through NetGalley, and I’m leaving an honest review.

This is book three in the Castle Knoll series. Even though the series is rooted in that small English town, this one mostly plays out in London, and the mystery kicks off with the murder of Annie’s mom’s apartment-mate. It still has that same “Castle Knoll vibe,” though, especially with the fortune teller thread that keeps winding through the series in the background.

Overall, I thought it was a really solid continuation and an excellent follow-up to the first two books. That said, I do think it would be tougher to fully enjoy if you haven’t read the earlier books, because a lot of the emotional weight and ongoing mystery elements carry over.

It didn’t grab me quite as hard as the first two, but it still kept me interested the whole way through. The main mystery gets a satisfying wrap-up, and at the same time it leaves a few things open, which makes it feel like the story isn’t done yet (in a good way).

Rating: 4.5/5 stars. I’ll definitely be buying the next one when it comes out.

[M Steinbrink · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to Cheat Your Own Death is the third book in the Castle Knoll Files mystery series. I love this series and this book did not disappoint at all. It was such a great read that I stayed up way too late to finish it. I just couldn’t put it down! The story again switches between Annie in the present and Frances in the past. The way the mysteries work together in the past and present is very clever and hard to figure out. It took me almost as long as the characters to figure out what was going on. I found the character development to be really interesting too, especially between Annie and her parents. It was also fun to see how well Annie and Rowan can work together as a team. The way that Ms. Perrin connects mysteries from the past into situations going on right now is really great and just shows how decisions can have repercussions for years to come. I loved the cliffhanger too and I am eagerly looking forward to the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book. All opinions are my own.

[Candy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was invited by the publisher to review this book. In 1968 London, Frances is drawn into a glamorous, yet dangerous world through her friend Vera, who is then murdered. Decades later, Annie Adams discovers a similar killing when visiting her mother, Laura. Her mother's protégé is found dead, and Annie realizes the crime mirrors the one described in Frances’s old journals. Annie, of course, must investigate this newest murder, but then Laura becomes the next target, and Annie suddenly has limited time to find the killer before their next murder happens.

I was so excited to return to the Castle Knoll series, as I do love the world and characters this author created. In this book, the setting shifts some as a lot is set in London. I enjoyed getting to know the backstories of characters a bit more. The mystery kept me guessing, though, and the ending cliffhanger makes me can't believe I have to wait for the next installment already!

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