How to Cheat Your Own Death

• Read: 12 May 2026 - 20 May 2026

• Author: Kristen Perrin

• Year: 2026

• Pages: 342

• Remarks: Castle Knoll Files Series Book 3

• Synopsis:

  • When amateur sleuth Annie Adams found the heartless body of her mum's new apprentice discarded amongst valuable paintings, she teamed up with Detective Rowan Crane to investigate the shocking crime. They quickly realised the murder perfectly mirrored the 1968 death of a wealthy London socialite, drawing them into the dark mysteries hidden within her late Great Aunt Frances's diaries. As the pair navigated a cutthroat art scene and dealt with the sudden return of Annie's estranged father, they raced to untangle a decades-old web of lies before the killer struck again.

[20 May 2026] ‘How to Cheat Your Own Death’ (2026), by Kristen Perrin.

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Reading Background:

• Pre-ordered this book in early-Apr 2026 for it to be delivered to my Kindle on 28 Apr 2026 when the book got published. Thought I could time my reading such that I would read it immediately after finishing the second book 'How to Seal Your Own Fate', but I started the Poirot Series to fill some days, and was hooked by it! However, 3 books into the Poirot Series, I had to take a break from it, and was glad to come back to the Castle Knoll Files Series!

• I am reading books slightly slower these days, because I fill my weekends nowadays with F1 25 sim-racing, and only read whilst commuting to and fro work and before bedtime. 

What I enjoyed about the book:

• The familiarity of the Castle Knoll folks, coupled with the novelty of the London setting.

  • I was thinking, if the story of this book had taken place in Castle Knoll again, I might have felt it to be a bit repetitive and boring. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the story took place in London!

• The dual timeline format.

  • This element of the Castle Knoll Files Series remains something that I really enjoy. Not only do readers get to know Annie and Frances from their POVs, this format breaks up any potential monotony and contributes to the suspense, and each the storytelling for each timeline helps inform the plot of the other timeline too. It really is a very clever and useful element, and I think Perrin utilised it very well!

• The character development.

  • One thing I like and hope that such series would have is character development, something that standalone books don't have the opportunity to do. Some series don't have this and I always feel it's such a pity. But Perrin really develops her characters of the Castle Knoll Files Series, at a comfortable pace, letting readers see the characters grow. I really liked how Frances and Annie matured over course of the books, and how their respective love with Ford and Crane grew too. I just feel such things are very heart-warming to read, and one gets to grow with and love the characters too. 

What I found less enjoyable about the book:

• The revelation.

  • Throughout the first two-thirds of the book, I was so engrossed and mystified who the villain was, and the book felt very thrilling with so much potential. However, the ending felt a bit of a disappointment. I guess it was still moderately good, but I just felt it was too predictable, too rushed, and lacked any shocking element. So many side characters were created to be potential suspects, and it wasn't that they were ignored, but they could have been addressed better. 

My overall thoughts:

• Overall, there were many more aspects of the book that I liked, compared to what I felt were its shortcomings. The stories and characters of the Castle Knoll Files Series continued to charm me greatly, and I really like how Perrin tells their stories and develops her characters. The book ended on a cliff-hanger, and I am eager for the next book to find out how things would unfold!

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• Prologue

  • In Soho in 1968, Vera Huntington fled through the rain, seeking refuge in a jazz club. She found her friend Frances Adams and confessed she was terrified her brother was going to kill her. Frances suggested Vera should get to him first.

• Chapter 1

  • In the present day, Annie Adams struggled to open a jammed filing cabinet in Great Aunt Frances's murder room at Gravesdown Hall. She retrieved an early painting by her mother, Laura, while contemplating a cryptic fortune from Peony Lane that warned her family would fall without its beating heart. Laura phoned to say she had taken on an apprentice named Felicity Rowe, who had moved into their Chelsea house. Archie and Beth informed Annie that Felicity was Detective Rowan Crane's ex-girlfriend, who had stolen money from his family years ago. Laura then texted Annie a photo of a bloody animal organ left on her front doorstep, prompting Annie to head to London.

• Chapter 2

  • In September 1968, Frances Adams arrived late to register for her psychology course at University College London. After a stern office manager belittled her, Professor Dane intervened, recommending a boardinghouse and allowing Frances to enrol in his advanced lecture on the homicidal mind.

• Chapter 3

  • Annie arrived at her mother's house in Chelsea, anxious about running into her estranged father, Sam, who had recently returned to Laura's life. Laura brushed off the bloody animal heart as a prank by a local fox or cat. While taking rubbish to the skip in the alleyway, Annie discovered Felicity's dead body. Her heart had been removed, and she was lying on a pile of bin bags filled with Laura's early paintings.

• Chapter 4

  • In 1968, Frances attended Professor Dane's lecture, where a wealthy student named Max Torrence stole her questions to impress the professor. Frances retaliated by arguing that a sense of entitlement was a key trait of a murderer. Afterwards, a student named Elaine warned Frances that Max was the department head's son, loved revenge, and was the brother of the socialite Vera Huntington.

• Chapter 5

  • In October 1968, Frances settled into her job as a waitress at a Soho diner. Vera and Elaine visited her, and Vera invited Frances to an exclusive art auction. When Elaine sneered at Frances's ability to find a suitable date, Frances decided to invite Lord Ford Gravesdown, a man she had previously distanced herself from.

• Chapter 6

  • In the present, the police questioned Laura about Felicity's death. Crane arrived at the house looking exhausted and grief-stricken. He confessed to Annie that Felicity had called him repeatedly before she died, claiming she had made a terrible mistake, but he had ignored the calls. Annie told him about the animal heart and noted the similarities to the 1968 murder of Vera Huntington. Hoping to learn more about her father's sudden reappearance, Annie secretly asked Beth to find Sam's phone number in Frances's files.

• Chapter 7

  • In 1968, Frances visited Ford at his Chelsea townhouse. She admitted she wanted him to accompany her to the art auction to help her deal with Max Torrence, whom she viewed as a powerful adversary. Intrigued by her strategic mindset, Ford agreed to be her date.

• Chapter 8

  • Annie and Crane met Sam at a high-end Mayfair restaurant. Sam denied ruining Laura with a Ponzi scheme. Instead, he claimed he had stolen a valuable item from Frances's Chelsea house and sold it, generating Laura's sudden wealth. He alleged that when Laura discovered the theft, she gave all the money away out of guilt. Sam also suggested Felicity might have infiltrated Laura's life to blackmail her.

• Chapter 9

  • In 1968, Frances and Ford attended the art auction in Knightsbridge. Vera led Frances and Elaine into a private viewing room to show them a surprise painting. It was a nude portrait of Elaine, painted in a modern style. Humiliated and horrified, Elaine smashed her glass and fled the room.

• Chapter 10

  • Annie and Crane processed Sam's story at a nearby pub. Crane doubted Sam's honesty, but Annie felt Laura giving away money to balance the scales of justice aligned with her character. They resolved to investigate the financial records of Laura's early art sales to uncover the truth.

• Chapter 11

  • In 1968, Max gloated about putting Elaine's nude portrait up for auction, revealing he had arranged for her father's boss to buy it. To thwart Max's cruel revenge, Ford quietly purchased the painting himself. Frances helped Elaine maintain her composure and spin the situation positively in front of the other guests.

• Chapter 12

  • Annie searched Felicity's room in the Chelsea house. She found a vintage red handbag containing medical records from the 1950s and 1960s, all signed by Vera's husband, Dr Alasdair Huntington. Hidden behind coats in the wardrobe, Annie discovered the large nude painting of Elaine that Ford had purchased decades ago.

• Chapter 13

  • Crane called Annie to confirm that Laura's early art genuinely sold for millions, proving Sam had lied about the money coming from a stolen object. Annie told Crane about the painting and the medical records. Realising the painting matched descriptions in Frances's diary, she decided to visit the Knightsbridge gallery where the auction had taken place.

• Chapter 14

  • In 1968, Vera offered Frances a lift after class. She admitted she married Dr Huntington to annoy her father, but confessed her husband was controlling and burned her artwork. She told Frances she was collecting secrets to use as leverage against the men in her life, and convinced Frances to go dancing with her.

• Chapter 15

  • Annie arrived at the Knightsbridge address, which operated as an art gallery. She saw a portrait of Max Torrence painted in the same style as Elaine's nude. A volunteer named Marie scolded her for taking photos. Annie also found Felicity's wire sculptures on display. At the front desk, she met the older Max Torrence. When Annie mentioned she was Laura Adams's daughter, Max became furious and ordered her to leave.

• Chapter 16

  • In 1968, Vera asked Frances to store some items in her flat to keep them safe from her husband. The next day, Constable Folkestone arrived at Ford's house looking for Vera, explaining Max had reported she stole something in her red handbag. Frances realised Vera had used her to hide stolen property.

• Chapter 17

  • Frances and Ford inspected Vera's belongings in Frances's flat. The red handbag contained evidence that Elaine was writing Max's university essays, alongside medical records and a blackmail letter concerning Max's father. A large suitcase held Vera's artwork and a diamond tiara. They decided to move the items to Ford's house for safekeeping.

• Chapter 18

  • Crane picked Annie up from the gallery and revealed that Laura had anonymously donated over 7 million pounds to that exact Knightsbridge gallery in 1992. Annie theorised that Sam stole Vera's diamond tiara, and when Laura found out, she donated her art earnings to the gallery to make amends.

• Chapter 19

  • In 1968, Elaine took the red handbag to return it to Vera. A few nights later, a terrified Vera found Frances at the jazz club, claiming she was in danger and feared Max would kill her. Vera then rushed outside to speak urgently with Constable Folkestone. Concerned for Frances's safety, Ford took her back to his house.

• Chapter 20

  • Annie and Crane returned to Chelsea. Annie examined the small red heart canvas from Frances's files and realised the signature had been altered from Vera's initials to Laura's. The devastating truth hit her: Laura never painted her famous early collection; Vera did.

• Chapter 21

  • In 1968, Frances questioned Professor Dane about the signs of a pathological liar. Later, Constable Folkestone visited Frances to return the red handbag, delivering a message from Vera that she should not give it to Elaine again.

• Chapter 22

  • Ford comforted a highly anxious Frances, and she confessed she was falling in love with him. They spent the night together. The following morning, they awoke to a news bulletin announcing that Vera had been found murdered in Soho, her heart surgically removed. Her husband blamed the crime on vagrants.

• Chapter 23

  • Annie explained to Crane that Laura's early career was entirely fraudulent, built on Vera's stolen art. Crane examined the medical records from the handbag and realised every patient listed had died on Dr Huntington's operating table.

• Chapter 24

  • Laura discovered another bloody animal part on her doorstep. Inside, she tearfully confessed to Annie and Crane that Sam had found Vera's canvases in the attic and sold them under Laura's name. When Laura tried to come clean, an emissary named Brian Folkestone threatened to cut out her and Annie's hearts if she spoke up, forcing her to donate all the money to the Knightsbridge gallery.

• Chapter 25

  • In 1968, Frances and Ford discussed the mysterious return of the handbag. A female police officer arrived to arrest Frances for the murder of Vera Huntington. Ford firmly intervened, insisting on bringing his legal team to defend her.

• Chapter 26

  • Annie and Crane digested Laura's confession. Crane theorised Sam might have killed Felicity when she discovered the art fraud and planned to expose Laura. Annie looked at Felicity's phone records and was crushed to discover Crane had spoken to Felicity multiple times over the previous weeks, despite telling her they had not been in touch.

• Chapter 27

  • Crane and Annie visited University College Hospital, asking pathologist Kabir to review Vera's old autopsy file. Kabir noted signs of heavy metal poisoning that conflicted with the official cause of death, giving Crane grounds to request an exhumation. Crane also discovered that Marie Cavanaugh, the nurse from 1968, was the same Marie currently volunteering at the gallery.

• Chapter 28

  • In 1968, Frances sat in the police station next to Elaine, who cryptically remarked that the killer viewed people as pieces of meat. Detectives showed Frances photos of expensive steaks stitched with intricate surgical thread, which had been planted in her flat. Frances pointed out the absurdity of the frame-up and suggested Max and Elaine were responsible. The police released her, revealing Max had formally identified Vera's ruined body.

• Chapter 29

  • Crane received a suspicious phone call from a woman claiming to be police administration, demanding he return Vera's file to a pub. Knowing it was a trap, Crane and Annie went to the pub and met the caller, who was actually the elderly Brian Folkestone.

• Chapter 30

  • Brian confessed his sister Susan was a recovering addict who died during an illegal experimental surgery performed by Dr Huntington, assisted by Nurse Marie Cavanaugh. Brian admitted he sought revenge and eventually assassinated the doctor in prison by smuggling in poisoned whisky, telling him it was a message from Vera.

• Chapter 31

  • In 1968, Frances endured her police interrogation regarding the stitched steaks. She realised Elaine had fabricated stories about Vera's mental illness by stealing plot points from the novel The Bell Jar.

• Chapter 32

  • Annie and Crane deduced Max paid Brian to assassinate the doctor. They visited the Knightsbridge gallery and found all of Felicity's art had been removed. Marie acted defensively when questioned about the hospital. As Annie left, she saw Marie smoking in the shadows, glaring at her.

• Chapter 33

  • In 1968, Frances attended class while Professor Dane lectured on fratricide. A newspaper article circulated, exposing Max's father for running a pornography empire. When Max threatened to create fake pornographic images of Frances, she slapped him across the face in front of the entire lecture hall.

• Chapter 34

  • Elaine unexpectedly visited Annie's flat. She revealed that Vera used to taunt Max by leaving dead animal hearts for him to find. Crane arrived to announce Vera's exhumation was approved, and Elaine slipped out the back door. Annie realised Elaine had stolen the final Vera canvas from the kitchen worktop, leaving behind old photographs showing Vera, Marie, and Alasdair were close friends.

• Chapter 35

  • Annie panicked over the missing painting. In the basement studio, Laura explained her new collection was a tribute to Vera, painting black hearts to acknowledge the true artist behind her success. Crane texted Annie that Max and Elaine had been arrested for trying to disrupt the exhumation.

• Chapter 36

  • In 1968, the contents of the newspaper article from Frances's class detailed how Max's father was stepping down in disgrace due to his involvement in the illicit pornography business.

• Chapter 37

  • Driving to the cemetery, Annie read Frances's diary and realised Vera had twice used the exact phrase I forgot who I was for a moment there, just as Marie had at the gallery. She deduced the body in the coffin was Marie Cavanaugh, and Vera was still alive, posing as Marie. When she met Crane at the cemetery, she impulsively kissed him.

• Chapter 38

  • In 1968, a drunken Brian Folkestone waited outside Ford's house. He warned Frances that he had been instructed to intimidate her, but refused to do so because he truly loved Vera and knew Vera cared for Frances.

• Chapter 39

  • Crane awkwardly stepped back from Annie's kiss. Deeply embarrassed, Annie drove to the pathology lab alone. She presented her theory to Kabir: Vera murdered Marie, swapped their identities, and framed her husband for the crime. Kabir agreed the evidence aligned and asked Annie out on a date.

• Chapter 40

  • Brian Folkestone called Annie, warning her that Elaine was taking the stolen canvas to Laura's exhibition at the Barbican. Annie drove there immediately, discovered Laura's broker unconscious near the gallery doors, and called Crane for help in a panic.

• Chapter 41

  • Inside the dark gallery, Brian held a knife to Annie's throat. He confessed he originally intended to kill Laura for stealing Vera's art. He admitted he and Vera killed Marie to frame the doctor, but insisted he murdered Felicity alone to protect Vera's secret. Suddenly, Sam Arlington stepped out of the shadows.

• Chapter 42

  • Sam attacked Brian from behind, giving Annie a chance to fight back. Brian dropped the knife but struck Annie in the face. As Annie lost consciousness from the sight of her own blood, she saw Sam plunge the knife into Brian's back.

• Chapter 43

  • Annie woke up to find Brian dead. Sam explained he had met with Felicity to buy the paintings and protect Laura, but Felicity had also contacted Brian, hoping for a bidding war. Sam revealed he had been entirely absent from Annie's life because he had been serving a long prison sentence for murder under an alias. Knowing the police would not believe his self-defence claim, Sam fled the scene.

• Chapter 44

  • Crane and the police secured the gallery. The older Vera, no longer pretending to be Marie, arrived to admire Laura's tribute paintings. She admitted she had extorted Laura in the past but claimed Brian acted independently regarding the recent murders. To protect her father, Annie lied to Crane and the police, claiming she stabbed Brian in self-defence during a struggle.

• Chapter 45

  • In April 1969, Max dropped out of university. Ford proposed to Frances. Frances discovered a hidden note from Vera accompanying the tiara, urging her to wear it and wishing her a happy life. Frances embraced her future with Ford and her passion for psychology.

• Chapter 46

  • Annie returned to Chelsea with Crane. Crane admitted he had deep feelings for her, but explained he pushed her away because a killer from an old case had been taunting him for years. He feared that getting close to Annie would make her a prime target, and he left the house to keep her safe.

• Chapter 47

  • Annie successfully argued self-defence for Brian's death. Vera faced legal consequences for identity fraud but transformed into a pop-culture icon. Annie launched a successful exhibition highlighting the lives of Dr Huntington's homeless victims. At the opening event, Annie found her unread fortune from Peony Lane, warning her that her unguarded heart was ripe for the knife, signalling that she would return to Castle Knoll for Rowan Crane.