2 Quirky Mysteries

by Donna Huber

Do you like quirky characters and slightly unrealistic plots when you read a cozy mystery? Both of the novels below are the second book in a series in which I have not read the first book. I would also caution reading them together as they share a few similarities: 

1. Both have characters named Archie

2. One has a character named Peony Lane, and the other Penny Lane.

3. Both have large estates

4. I think both would be more enjoyable if I had read book 1 first.

I had trouble switching stories in my head, but if you like one, you will probably like the other as they have a similar vibe.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. Free books were provided for an honest review.

How to Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin

April 2025; Dutton; 978-0593474044
audio, ebook, print (320 pages); cozy mystery

This story has two timelines that play on the current mystery that Annie Adams is trying to solve. It is not truly a dual timeline story as the 1967 bits are told more as flashbacks. I do wonder if I would have enjoyed this book more if I had read book 1 first. It felt like this book might have picked up right after (or at least soon after) the ending of book 1. I feel like we did get enough recap to know what happened in the previous book, but I felt I was missing something with the character dynamics.

Annie is trying to solve the murder that Frances had been working on when she died. The cops had ruled it an accident, but when Peony Lane turns up dead after delivering a cryptic message Annie begins to wonder if there was more to what happened. Peony Lane is a fortune teller and she just happened to have also delivered a message to someone involved in the accident.

The characters are a bit quirky, but I liked them. Annie inherited the estate she is living in because she solved Frances's murder. But there are people who might feel cheated, as there are others who had a stake in the inheritance. There are also some past relationships revealed that changes things.

The moving between past and present, revealing small clues, kept me guessing as to who had motive and means, and if there really was a murder.

I think I had higher expectations for this book, and it didn't quite live up to that. I've been seeing mentions of book 1 all over the place and excitement for book 2. It was good but I think I was expecting something more. 

I'm hoping to find time to read book 1, as I think I need the foundation it probably provides. Depending on how I feel after that book will determine if I continue with the series when future books come out. And just so you know, book 3 is slated to publish in April 2026, so you have plenty of time to get caught up.

I recommended that my mystery book club read book 1. I thought How to Seal Your Own Fate had a vibe similar to Anthony Horowitz's Moonflower Murders, which my book club read last year and enjoyed.

Buy How to Seal Your Own Fate at Amazon

Lies and Dolls by Nev Fountain

August 2025; Titan Books; 978-1803365572
audio, ebook, print (384 pages); cozy mystery

I have read a few science fiction cozy mysteries and enjoyed them, and while Lies and Dolls isn't science fiction it does involve a science fiction fandom. 

There is a warning at the beginning of the book that if you haven't read book 1 in the series, then you should be aware that there would be spoilers in this book. I'm not sure if I ever got enough details about the mystery that Kit solved in book 1 to recognize what would be spoilers.

If you are looking for quirky characters, then you will definitely find them in the novel. However, I didn't find them enjoyable. They relied too much on stereotypes and didn't feel like real people - they were just over-the-top with the stereotypical persona they represented. There wasn't any character growth. They also acted like they were much younger than they were supposed to be. They acted as if they are 17 - 20 years old instead of the 30-somethings (or older) they are supposed to be. It reminded me of a scene in Downton Abbey where Branson wonders if they ever grow up or if they are always stuck in school in reference to the behavior of Lord Grantham. As one who reads cozy mysteries more for the characters, I was disappointed. 

Kit often likens people and situations to movies, and in one particular instance, she lost points with me. She was likening the awe they felt at the manor to how the golden ticket winners in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory reacted. Instead of referencing the Roald Dahl novel, she mentions two movie adaptations. She did win back a few points when she admired the library.

This may be more of a plot-driven cozy mystery as the mystery part was actually quite good. The owners of very rare action figures allow for their action figures to be displayed at the toy museum on the estate. But the vandalism of the museum and the theft of the dolls is just the beginning. I did solve or at least suspected some of the reveals before the answers were provided.

As I found the characters pretty annoying, I'm not sure if I will continue with this series or even go back and read book 1. 

Buy Lies and Dolls at Amazon

(You can also check out MK's review for another opinion)

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

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