It’s 1965, and teenage Frances Adams is at an English country fair with her two best friends. But Frances’s night takes a hairpin turn when a fortune-teller makes a bone-chilling prediction: One day, Frances will be murdered. Frances spends a lifetime trying to solve a crime that hasn’t happened yet, compiling dirt on every person who crosses her path in an effort to prevent her own demise. For decades, no one takes Frances seriously, until nearly sixty years later, when Frances is found murdered, like she always said she would be.

In the present day, Annie Adams has been summoned to a meeting at the sprawling country estate of her wealthy and reclusive great-aunt Frances. But by the time Annie arrives in the quaint English village of Castle Knoll, Frances is already dead. Annie is determined to catch the killer, but thanks to Frances’s lifelong habit of digging up secrets and lies, it seems every endearing and eccentric villager might just have a motive for her murder. Can Annie safely unravel the dark mystery at the heart of Castle Knoll, or will dredging up the past throw her into the path of a killer?

As Annie gets closer to the truth and closer to the danger, she starts to fear she might inherit her aunt’s fate instead of her fortune.

Last year, I read this cozy mystery and rated it three stars. But when I received the ARC for the sequel coming out this spring, I realized I couldn’t remember much from the first book. So, I decided to reread it—through the audiobook again—and ended up enjoying it much more. On my second listen, I caught details I had missed the first time, and with a fresh perspective, I bumped my rating up to four stars. It turns out I hadn’t been paying as much attention during my first read, but when I fully immersed myself in the story, I really liked it.

I enjoyed the dual timelines, following the characters in both the past and present. This is a low-key murder mystery—no gory or graphic scenes—but it still had great pacing and kept me hooked. I also really liked the multi-generational family dynamic, which added depth to the story. We got to learn a lot about the characters in both timelines, which made the mystery even more engaging.

The plot was fairly complex, but once things started unraveling, I was completely intrigued. It kept me guessing the entire time—I couldn’t figure out the mystery at all! The ending took me by surprise, which is always a plus.

The book is marketed as being similar to Knives Out, and while I can see some similarities, I don’t think it quite lived up to that comparison. It fell a little short in that regard.

That said, if you enjoy cozy mysteries, toxic female friendships, and family secrets, this is definitely worth picking up. I’m excited to dive into my ARC of the sequel now. Definitely recommend!