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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Zebedee Wyckham gets called to his uncle Wynn's grand estate, Lackaday House, for a visit. Although he usually stays far away from family his uncle was insistent he visit. To his surprise he finds his secret ex, Gideon Grey, there working for Zeb's uncle. Zeb's ex who he accidentally got fired from their last job together and absolutely hates him.
This story is a mix of gothic horror, mystery and romance. It was a little work keeping all the characters and their relation to Zeb straight in the story. There were a lot of old wounds that you walk into the middle of. But it's okay because the main focus of the story is mystery surrounding Wynn's strange, young house guest, what he's going to do with his fortune, who's trying to mess with everyone and Zeb and Gideon's relationship.
I really enjoyed Zeb and Gideon's relationship. They both undergo a lot of growth throughout the story and they are absolutely adorable together. There are a lot of unexpected twists to this story and some really awful people. I was biting my nails near the conclusion on how it was all going to end.
This was a spooky, fun read. Perfect to read in the fall.
Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This story is a mix of gothic horror, mystery and romance. It was a little work keeping all the characters and their relation to Zeb straight in the story. There were a lot of old wounds that you walk into the middle of. But it's okay because the main focus of the story is mystery surrounding Wynn's strange, young house guest, what he's going to do with his fortune, who's trying to mess with everyone and Zeb and Gideon's relationship.
I really enjoyed Zeb and Gideon's relationship. They both undergo a lot of growth throughout the story and they are absolutely adorable together. There are a lot of unexpected twists to this story and some really awful people. I was biting my nails near the conclusion on how it was all going to end.
This was a spooky, fun read. Perfect to read in the fall.
Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
I read the NetGalley eARC, this is my honest review:
Okay.
I had intended to take my time with this one. And it's not a short novel. Four days later, I read the last line, and the author's note (don't miss that, friends), and maybe when I read it again I can take my time. Maybe. Man, that last bit was hair-raising!
In other words, pre-order this right now, you're welcome.
Okay.
I had intended to take my time with this one. And it's not a short novel. Four days later, I read the last line, and the author's note (don't miss that, friends), and maybe when I read it again I can take my time. Maybe. Man, that last bit was hair-raising!
In other words, pre-order this right now, you're welcome.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I got this as an arc on Netgalley and it will come out in October. This wasn't bad, just not for me. I wanted queer gothic but this book reads more like those commercials for those new drama reel apps. Although the story in its core is interesting, the writing and especially the conversations are clunky and not really realistic in anyway.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was somehow both terrifying and sweet. As always, KJ Charles has a detailed, impeccable historic setting. The Gothic atmosphere and escalating deadly antics build a vivid story that's complemented by the gentleness of Zeb and Gideon's relationship unfolding. The pacing and plot were compelling. I did not expect to be on the edge of my seat, reading (with all the lights on) until the wee hours of the morning and yet... I understand the appeal of horror-romance genre mix now. I was (nearly) positive Zeb and Gideon would get a HEA, but had no clue how they'd get there through all the twists and turns of the plot.
I also loved the representation of Zeb's ADHD that, while not named directly, was still very clear in a way that felt authentic to the character and the time period. (As someone who didn't have the language to describe my own ADHD until I was even older than Zeb, I really enjoyed the very real way it was portrayed.) It does contain a lot of ableist views from the people around Zeb and the author includes a content note at the beginning of the book addressing this.
Overall, a great read. Definitely darker and more suspenseful than much of KJ Charles' other work, but with the same level of compelling characters and beautifully detailed historic settings as can be found across her books.
I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley for review.
I also loved the representation of Zeb's ADHD that, while not named directly, was still very clear in a way that felt authentic to the character and the time period. (As someone who didn't have the language to describe my own ADHD until I was even older than Zeb, I really enjoyed the very real way it was portrayed.) It does contain a lot of ableist views from the people around Zeb and the author includes a content note at the beginning of the book addressing this.
Overall, a great read. Definitely darker and more suspenseful than much of KJ Charles' other work, but with the same level of compelling characters and beautifully detailed historic settings as can be found across her books.
I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley for review.
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
To say I've been excited to read All of Us Murderers is a serious understatement. I've loved every book I've read by KJ Charles, and I love closed-circle mysteries. This quickly jumped to the very top of my most anticipated releases as soon as I learned about it.
All of Us Murderers is about Zeebadee Wyckham. He is invited to Lackaday House, a gothic manor that has been in the Wyckham family for many years. Unbeknownst to him, his estranged brother, sister-in-law, and a few cousins are also invited at the same time. Even more surprising, Zeb's ex-lover, Gideon Grey, is also working at the house. Once the Wyckhams learn they've all been invited to compete for the family inheritance, tensions skyrocket, and they're all soon trapped together by bad weather. When threats soon begin to reveal themselves, Zeb and Gideon realize that they must work together to figure out what is really going on.
Zeb is a great main character. He's queer and has ADHD in the Edwardian era, and he's not often treated with kindness or understanding by his family. Still, he wants to be a good person and do the right thing. His breakup with Gideon haunts him, and their relationship has a rocky start once they meet again. There's a lot of longing in their early dynamic, and I loved seeing their relationship slowly develop.
The mystery in this is top-notch. It's layered and involves a web of family secrets, betrayals, and lies. There is some great gothic atmosphere to this story, and I genuinely got creeped out a few times. There are some truly shocking twists and reveals, too!
Both the romance and the mystery were paced perfectly. This was the first book I've read in a while that I had trouble putting down, and I always felt eager to get back to it as soon as possible.
I've read and loved a lot of queer mysteries and gothic novels this year, and All of Us Murderers is my favorite of the bunch. It balances the mystery with the romance masterfully, with neither aspect suffering from too little or too much focus. It's wonderfully romantic and delightfully dark and spooky at the same time. This is my new favorite KJ Charles novel, and I highly recommend it to any fan of queer romances and mysteries. This is a great one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Emotional abuse
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Murder
Minor: Incest, Rape, Slavery
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rep : ADHD, M/M Relationship
CW: Ableism, Homophobia
🔎Queer Historical Mystery (Early 1900s)
🏘️Gothic Mansion
🥀Exes in Force Proximity
💰Fight Over Inheritance
👪Complicated Family Dynamics
✍🏻Grandfather was a Famous Author
What I Loved
1) The way Zeb's ADHD is written has helped me understand someone in my life who has ADHD and recognise my own ableism and how I can rectify that so this book truly means a lot to me (I do not have ADHD so please look at reviewers who do to see whether they think the portrayal is accurate). "He'd been sitting as close to still as he could, which was to say fidgeting relentlessly and hoping it wasn't annoying his driver too much." Throughout the book Zeb deals with ableism from his family and it is truly heart-breaking. "It's always stop fidgeting and pay attention, as if that wasn't what fidgeting is for."
2) The atmosphere was so well built. I rarely find myself so completely immersed that I feel the time period coming to life but with this book I did. So if you are looking for a historical mystery that doesn't actually gloss over the historical element, definitely check this out.
3) The dry humorous moments in this book really worked for me.
"I didn't hear you come in. Will you please cough or something?" "I did cough" "Cough louder."
4) I did love the relationship between Gideon and Zeb. They had miscommunications at the beginning but they talked about their problems and the following quote truly sums them up perfectly.
"You are excessively chaotic," Gideon said. "I'm excessively orderly. On average, we could work."
5) The epilogue was too fucking funny. The quote about Goodreads had me actually laughing.
Summary
Please read this book when it is released it was so good! The mystery genre often lacks queer diversity and I will be reading more of K.J. Charles' work because the writing was great.
Thank you to Netgalley, Poisoned Pen Press and K.J. Charles for this eARC. This review is all my honest opinons.
Rep : ADHD, M/M Relationship
CW: Ableism, Homophobia
🔎Queer Historical Mystery (Early 1900s)
🏘️Gothic Mansion
🥀Exes in Force Proximity
💰Fight Over Inheritance
👪Complicated Family Dynamics
✍🏻Grandfather was a Famous Author
What I Loved
1) The way Zeb's ADHD is written has helped me understand someone in my life who has ADHD and recognise my own ableism and how I can rectify that so this book truly means a lot to me (I do not have ADHD so please look at reviewers who do to see whether they think the portrayal is accurate). "He'd been sitting as close to still as he could, which was to say fidgeting relentlessly and hoping it wasn't annoying his driver too much." Throughout the book Zeb deals with ableism from his family and it is truly heart-breaking. "It's always stop fidgeting and pay attention, as if that wasn't what fidgeting is for."
2) The atmosphere was so well built. I rarely find myself so completely immersed that I feel the time period coming to life but with this book I did. So if you are looking for a historical mystery that doesn't actually gloss over the historical element, definitely check this out.
3) The dry humorous moments in this book really worked for me.
"I didn't hear you come in. Will you please cough or something?" "I did cough" "Cough louder."
4) I did love the relationship between Gideon and Zeb. They had miscommunications at the beginning but they talked about their problems and the following quote truly sums them up perfectly.
"You are excessively chaotic," Gideon said. "I'm excessively orderly. On average, we could work."
5) The epilogue was too fucking funny. The quote about Goodreads had me actually laughing.
Summary
Please read this book when it is released it was so good! The mystery genre often lacks queer diversity and I will be reading more of K.J. Charles' work because the writing was great.
Thank you to Netgalley, Poisoned Pen Press and K.J. Charles for this eARC. This review is all my honest opinons.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC!
I really enjoy Charles’ writing but this was not my favorite showing of theirs. It took me a while to orient myself at the beginning of the novel as I was trying to parse the time and place of the novel. That started me off a bit on the wrong foot. I enjoyed Zeb as a character but wish the romance with Gideon was more prominent in the story. It took a backseat to the machinations of family members and inheritance game.
Rating: 3.5 rounded up
I really enjoy Charles’ writing but this was not my favorite showing of theirs. It took me a while to orient myself at the beginning of the novel as I was trying to parse the time and place of the novel. That started me off a bit on the wrong foot. I enjoyed Zeb as a character but wish the romance with Gideon was more prominent in the story. It took a backseat to the machinations of family members and inheritance game.
Rating: 3.5 rounded up
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to netgalley and publishers for this ARC!
This was an excellent read. I love how KJ Charles writes, and this little genre shift from romcom into slight gothic horror was a delight! The twists and turns were so much fun and I loved the ending and how everything wrapped up. Another great read from KJ Charles!
This was an excellent read. I love how KJ Charles writes, and this little genre shift from romcom into slight gothic horror was a delight! The twists and turns were so much fun and I loved the ending and how everything wrapped up. Another great read from KJ Charles!