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How to Cheat Your Own Death

A Novel

Part of Castle Knoll Files

Author Kristen Perrin
Hardcover
$28.00 US
Penguin Adult HC/TR | Dutton
6"W x 9"H | 21 oz | 12 per carton
On sale Apr 28, 2026 | 368 Pages | 9798217047505
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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?
“Swinging London in the 1960s makes a stylish backdrop for this cleverly braided reunion of Frances and Annie, both solving crimes in the backstabbing world of art. Deft brushstrokes of romance, family drama and clashes with the old guard make this a perfect picture of modern murder.”—Christina Lynch, author of Pony Confidential

“A modern master of the genre, Kristen Perrin breathes new life into cozy crime. You will be hooked from page one of How to Cheat Your Own Death, which weaves the vibrant art world of present-day London with the glamour of 1960s Soho into an intricate and enchanting dual mystery. Each Castle Knoll book is a slice of pure murder mystery joy.”—Kelly Mullen, author of This is Not a Game

"How To Cheat Your Death by Kristen Perrin is an elegant blend of history, family secrets, and suspense. Perrin masterfully weaves a dual-timeline mystery that's both clever and emotionally resonant. The story is rich with atmosphere, layered red herrings, and a slow-burn romantic tension between Annie and investigator Rowan Crane that kept me turning the pages. With evocative writing and a twisty plot that ties past and present together in surprising ways, this novel is a captivating exploration of legacy, love and the lengths we go to uncover the truth."—R.L. Killmore, author of A Cinnamon Falls Mystery
© Leo Wilkinson
Kristen Perrin is the New York Times bestselling author of the Castle Knoll Murder Mystery series. She is originally from Seattle, Washington, where she spent several years working as a bookseller before moving to the UK to do a master's and PhD. She lives with her family in Surrey, where she can be found poking around vintage bookstores, stomping in the mud with her two kids, and collecting too many plants. Her middle-grade series, Attie and the World Breakers, was published in German, Dutch, and Polish. How to Solve Your Own Murder was her adult debut. View titles by Kristen Perrin

About

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?

Praise

“Swinging London in the 1960s makes a stylish backdrop for this cleverly braided reunion of Frances and Annie, both solving crimes in the backstabbing world of art. Deft brushstrokes of romance, family drama and clashes with the old guard make this a perfect picture of modern murder.”—Christina Lynch, author of Pony Confidential

“A modern master of the genre, Kristen Perrin breathes new life into cozy crime. You will be hooked from page one of How to Cheat Your Own Death, which weaves the vibrant art world of present-day London with the glamour of 1960s Soho into an intricate and enchanting dual mystery. Each Castle Knoll book is a slice of pure murder mystery joy.”—Kelly Mullen, author of This is Not a Game

"How To Cheat Your Death by Kristen Perrin is an elegant blend of history, family secrets, and suspense. Perrin masterfully weaves a dual-timeline mystery that's both clever and emotionally resonant. The story is rich with atmosphere, layered red herrings, and a slow-burn romantic tension between Annie and investigator Rowan Crane that kept me turning the pages. With evocative writing and a twisty plot that ties past and present together in surprising ways, this novel is a captivating exploration of legacy, love and the lengths we go to uncover the truth."—R.L. Killmore, author of A Cinnamon Falls Mystery

Author

© Leo Wilkinson
Kristen Perrin is the New York Times bestselling author of the Castle Knoll Murder Mystery series. She is originally from Seattle, Washington, where she spent several years working as a bookseller before moving to the UK to do a master's and PhD. She lives with her family in Surrey, where she can be found poking around vintage bookstores, stomping in the mud with her two kids, and collecting too many plants. Her middle-grade series, Attie and the World Breakers, was published in German, Dutch, and Polish. How to Solve Your Own Murder was her adult debut. View titles by Kristen Perrin

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