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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a fun locked room (well, technically locked manor) mystery that had me hooked fairly early on. Part of the enjoyment of reading a mystery novel is the balance of not guessing the ending or a twist too quickly but also not having the reveal be something implausible. All Of Us Murderers did a great job maintaining the balance of a believable mystery and I think a future reread will be enjoyable in order to look out for what extra details I may have missed during my first read. I will say, it took me an embarrassingly long time to realise this was set during the Edwardian period rather than more recently - I just assumed I was supposed to believe rich Brits were Like That and it became vastly more enjoyable when it clicked this was a period piece.
I quite enjoyed being in my fellow ADHD king Zeb’s head as the story unfolded as he made for a likeable narrator and the queer ADHD rep (even if that’s not what we’re calling it in the time period) was refreshing. Zeb and Gideon’s interactions kept me hooked as the story unfolded but I felt the ending was a bit rushed. The epilogue felt a bit cheesy and pulled me out of the story as the ending felt a bit too rushed, turning what could’ve been a 4.5* story into a generous 4* read. If Zeb or Gideon had been less endearing, this would have been a 3* from me but I greatly enjoyed the characters. I'll be looking into reading more novels by KJ Charles after enjoying the writing style and characterization here.
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the eArc, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
I quite enjoyed being in my fellow ADHD king Zeb’s head as the story unfolded as he made for a likeable narrator and the queer ADHD rep (even if that’s not what we’re calling it in the time period) was refreshing. Zeb and Gideon’s interactions kept me hooked as the story unfolded but I felt the ending was a bit rushed. The epilogue felt a bit cheesy and pulled me out of the story as the ending felt a bit too rushed, turning what could’ve been a 4.5* story into a generous 4* read. If Zeb or Gideon had been less endearing, this would have been a 3* from me but I greatly enjoyed the characters. I'll be looking into reading more novels by KJ Charles after enjoying the writing style and characterization here.
Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the eArc, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
adventurous
Loveable characters:
Yes
This is one of my favorite book covers. Perfection. This was the first non-audiobook I've managed to finish in forever, so that says a lot. I really liked the two MCs and the setting was very fun. I think this book achieves what its going for in terms of tone, but for me it wasn't a total match as a reader. It was hard to both care about the characters and their predicament while also feeling that aspects of the story were meant to be over the top bonkers. I'm just not sure the emotional elements all landed for me as the story neared its end simply because the plot was so silly. And even though I think its meant to be an homage and be silly, I missed the intricate and immaculate plotting I usually love in a KJ book. Again, I think this is more an issue with me as a reader not being a perfect match for what this book is going for. If you're looking for something fun with lovable MCs and what I found to be really great ADHD representation, this is a good bet. If you can appreciate the camp a bit more than I did I think you'll adore it.
ARC provided by NetGalley
ARC provided by NetGalley
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
KJ Charles never disappoints. This time with a classic Gothic tale and perfectly flawed lovers.
dark
emotional
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
I received this from NetGalley as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Absolutely amazing! I loved the gothicness, the mystery, the gas lighting, not to mention the characters! They were all so interesting with such interesting motives and backgrounds. Loved the MC and the love interest, I highly recommend this!
Absolutely amazing! I loved the gothicness, the mystery, the gas lighting, not to mention the characters! They were all so interesting with such interesting motives and backgrounds. Loved the MC and the love interest, I highly recommend this!
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-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:
Complicated
KJ Charles's authorial genius shines once again in this satirical Gothic country house mystery crossed with second chance romance.
The Wyckham family is, undeniably, monstrous. They're conniving, backstabbing, and cruel. And they're all at Lackaday House, called there by their cousin Wynn, current heir to the family fortune and its appalling Gothic pile. Zebedee, youngest of the family and despised by the rest, arrives for what he thinks will be a pleasant two week visit with his mysterious cousin, only to find himself in a viper's nest. On top of that, his glowering ex-lover is there in the role of Wynn's private secretary. The house is creepy. The servants are unnerving. The company is dreadful. And beaming cousin Wynn is delighted to host them all as he considers who will inherit upon his death.
This is simultaneously a complex mystery, a gothic thriller, a romance, and a rollicking good time. Zeb's internal monologue gives the story humor and verve. His staunch moral character gives it its soul. A brilliant achievement.
The Wyckham family is, undeniably, monstrous. They're conniving, backstabbing, and cruel. And they're all at Lackaday House, called there by their cousin Wynn, current heir to the family fortune and its appalling Gothic pile. Zebedee, youngest of the family and despised by the rest, arrives for what he thinks will be a pleasant two week visit with his mysterious cousin, only to find himself in a viper's nest. On top of that, his glowering ex-lover is there in the role of Wynn's private secretary. The house is creepy. The servants are unnerving. The company is dreadful. And beaming cousin Wynn is delighted to host them all as he considers who will inherit upon his death.
This is simultaneously a complex mystery, a gothic thriller, a romance, and a rollicking good time. Zeb's internal monologue gives the story humor and verve. His staunch moral character gives it its soul. A brilliant achievement.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Oh my goodness this was such a delight! I binged this so fast; can’t remember the last time I’ve done that!
This was a unique one from KJ Charles, but she knocks it out of the park, as usual. I’m not sure I’ve ever read a book that’s a queer romance, gothic novel, and murder mystery all in one. It never feels like too much, though, and it makes it stand out from her other novels. It also doesn’t take itself too seriously, which I love.
At first, I wasn’t sure about Gideon, but I loved Zeb from the start. The way she portrays his ADHD is soooo relatable and made me feel seen. He can’t force himself to work on things he’s not interested in? Yup. He loses himself in intense focus once he actually has the opportunity to concentrate on something he’s interested in? Yup. He can’t stop talking or fidgeting? Yup. I’ve never seen an ADHD character portrayed in historical fiction so I really appreciated that. He was also hilarious! I took pics of so many lines I loved while reading on my kindle and I rarely do that.
The plot kept me guessing the whole time. I didn’t see the ending coming, but it wasn’t so out of left field as to be annoying.
All in all, I loved this one and would highly recommend it!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!
This was a unique one from KJ Charles, but she knocks it out of the park, as usual. I’m not sure I’ve ever read a book that’s a queer romance, gothic novel, and murder mystery all in one. It never feels like too much, though, and it makes it stand out from her other novels. It also doesn’t take itself too seriously, which I love.
At first, I wasn’t sure about Gideon, but I loved Zeb from the start. The way she portrays his ADHD is soooo relatable and made me feel seen. He can’t force himself to work on things he’s not interested in? Yup. He loses himself in intense focus once he actually has the opportunity to concentrate on something he’s interested in? Yup. He can’t stop talking or fidgeting? Yup. I’ve never seen an ADHD character portrayed in historical fiction so I really appreciated that. He was also hilarious! I took pics of so many lines I loved while reading on my kindle and I rarely do that.
The plot kept me guessing the whole time. I didn’t see the ending coming, but it wasn’t so out of left field as to be annoying.
All in all, I loved this one and would highly recommend it!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
thank you to the author and poisoned pen press for the arc!!
what a delightfully creepy, gothic romp! all of us murderers is kj charles’ mystery-meets-romance at its best — zebedee wyckham finds himself in the middle of an unpleasant family reunion to decide who will receive the wyckham inheritance, with no company but his horrible relatives, servants playing what zeb thinks are just practical jokes, and gideon, the man he’s still in love with. i am such a sucker for second chance romance, and even though kjc doesnt do it often, she hits the mark every single time.
i loved how much this book leaned into the gothic elements! the plot twists and surprise reveals were perfectly executed, and i appreciated kjc’s talent for writing in progressive ideas without making them feel preachy or incongruous with the time period. zeb’s adhd was also wonderfully portrayed with so much empathy, and a clearsighted understanding of how it affects his relationship with gideon.
there are some hilarious moments in here too: one line describing zeb’s cousin hawley as someone who “looked like he would give you a good time, and also the clap” that totally took me off guard and made me laugh out loud. i loved the chatty, gossipy affect of the epilogue, and all the characters’ endings did feel beautifully true to gothic form. all in all, a gorgeous romance and homage to the gothic genre!!
what a delightfully creepy, gothic romp! all of us murderers is kj charles’ mystery-meets-romance at its best — zebedee wyckham finds himself in the middle of an unpleasant family reunion to decide who will receive the wyckham inheritance, with no company but his horrible relatives, servants playing what zeb thinks are just practical jokes, and gideon, the man he’s still in love with. i am such a sucker for second chance romance, and even though kjc doesnt do it often, she hits the mark every single time.
i loved how much this book leaned into the gothic elements! the plot twists and surprise reveals were perfectly executed, and i appreciated kjc’s talent for writing in progressive ideas without making them feel preachy or incongruous with the time period. zeb’s adhd was also wonderfully portrayed with so much empathy, and a clearsighted understanding of how it affects his relationship with gideon.
there are some hilarious moments in here too: one line describing zeb’s cousin hawley as someone who “looked like he would give you a good time, and also the clap” that totally took me off guard and made me laugh out loud. i loved the chatty, gossipy affect of the epilogue, and all the characters’ endings did feel beautifully true to gothic form. all in all, a gorgeous romance and homage to the gothic genre!!
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
could a book be any more perfect? i hardly think so...
all of us murderers is a fun, dark murder mystery featuring an estranged family with secrets aplenty, a menacing house, and a lovely queer love story.
zeb, our main character, was a delightful narrator and one i loved from the very first pages. his rambling thoughts, the way he gets lost in books, distracted from tasks, feels achingly familiar to me. at the beginning zeb finds himself at Lackaday House at the behest of his cousin. what he expects to be a somewhat mundane vacation turns into a nightmare when he comes face-to-face with his ex gideon, after parting on bitter terms, now a secretary to his cousin wynn wyckham. it only gets worse from there. this isn't a trip to reconnect with wynn. this is a twisted family reunion; an inheritance game. unexpectedly, all the people zeb wishes to see the least are now under one roof, surrounded by a twelve-foot boundary wall, trying to sabotage one another. what could possibly go wrong?
at the beginning, i was not very sympathetic to bitter-ex gideon. the book alludes to some disastrous event, perpetuated by zeb, that cost gideon his job and reputation. and yet, through the character kj charles crafts in only a few chapters, i knew there was nothing zeb could have possibly done that earned him this kind of disdain. both from gideon and from the rest of his family. and if zeb did do something, it was a either a mistake he deeply regrets or a gross misunderstanding. but as you read more, you come to understand the lies gideon believed that caused him to hold such spite for zeb. all of this a part of a dark scheme to lay bare the black hearts of the wyckham family.
zeb's kindness and earnest manner, however, leaves him untouched by this scheme, and allows the two of them to move past their misunderstanding. the chapter where they fully reconcile and talk about their past genuinely had me in tears. it was done so wonderfully well. both of them taking accountability for the actions that separated them, wanting so badly to be better for the other. resolving to do better for each other. and i loved that we actually get to see this in the second half of the book. despite the tumultuous circumstances, their relationship continues to steadily bloom.
i think this was one of kj charles' more wicked books, especially for the lack of the preternatural. everything bad and evil here comes from people, and their greed. the rest of the cast were delightfully horrid. delightful, because it made for excellent storytelling. horrid, because the wyckhams truly were a contemptible lot (to varying degress). like zeb though, i was holding out till the very end for some flicker of goodness. and whereas zeb had to accept his family's reality with resignation, i was more than happy to leave them to their fate.(r.i.p. elise. for all her faults, she did deserve so much better)
i hope this review makes sense. i fear i haven't been able to put down all my thoughts, but i cannot recommend this enough. it's going to be a long wait till October, when i can have this book in my hands.
one thing I do wish for, is for the book to have some kind of family tree. maybe it's more than the wretched wyckhams deserve, but the book is about them and their foul legacy. and honestly, there were a few times while reading that i was confused by who was who's father, or brother, or mother, or child. a family tree dedicated to all their dead relatives (*ahem* and the soon-to-be-dead wyckhams *ahem* ) seems exactly as faux gothic as the wyckhams themselves.
Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
all of us murderers is a fun, dark murder mystery featuring an estranged family with secrets aplenty, a menacing house, and a lovely queer love story.
zeb, our main character, was a delightful narrator and one i loved from the very first pages. his rambling thoughts, the way he gets lost in books, distracted from tasks, feels achingly familiar to me. at the beginning zeb finds himself at Lackaday House at the behest of his cousin. what he expects to be a somewhat mundane vacation turns into a nightmare when he comes face-to-face with his ex gideon, after parting on bitter terms, now a secretary to his cousin wynn wyckham. it only gets worse from there. this isn't a trip to reconnect with wynn. this is a twisted family reunion; an inheritance game. unexpectedly, all the people zeb wishes to see the least are now under one roof, surrounded by a twelve-foot boundary wall, trying to sabotage one another. what could possibly go wrong?
at the beginning, i was not very sympathetic to bitter-ex gideon. the book alludes to some disastrous event, perpetuated by zeb, that cost gideon his job and reputation. and yet, through the character kj charles crafts in only a few chapters, i knew there was nothing zeb could have possibly done that earned him this kind of disdain. both from gideon and from the rest of his family. and if zeb did do something, it was a either a mistake he deeply regrets or a gross misunderstanding. but as you read more, you come to understand the lies gideon believed that caused him to hold such spite for zeb. all of this a part of a dark scheme to lay bare the black hearts of the wyckham family.
zeb's kindness and earnest manner, however, leaves him untouched by this scheme, and allows the two of them to move past their misunderstanding. the chapter where they fully reconcile and talk about their past genuinely had me in tears. it was done so wonderfully well. both of them taking accountability for the actions that separated them, wanting so badly to be better for the other. resolving to do better for each other. and i loved that we actually get to see this in the second half of the book. despite the tumultuous circumstances, their relationship continues to steadily bloom.
i think this was one of kj charles' more wicked books, especially for the lack of the preternatural. everything bad and evil here comes from people, and their greed. the rest of the cast were delightfully horrid. delightful, because it made for excellent storytelling. horrid, because the wyckhams truly were a contemptible lot (to varying degress). like zeb though, i was holding out till the very end for some flicker of goodness. and whereas zeb had to accept his family's reality with resignation, i was more than happy to leave them to their fate.
i hope this review makes sense. i fear i haven't been able to put down all my thoughts, but i cannot recommend this enough. it's going to be a long wait till October, when i can have this book in my hands.
one thing I do wish for, is for the book to have some kind of family tree. maybe it's more than the wretched wyckhams deserve, but the book is about them and their foul legacy. and honestly, there were a few times while reading that i was confused by who was who's father, or brother, or mother, or child. a family tree dedicated to all their dead relatives (
Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book is a gothic inspired whodunnit with an eerie setting, taking place in a possibly haunted house with an assortment of good, flawed, and downright evil characters. It is a little darker than I expected it to be, but I would still recommend it, especially to fans of Knives Out and The Haunting of Hill House.
The main character is not perfect, but he is still a loveable and good person who tries his best to be different from the rest of his terrible family. He really drew me in once I got to know him and I spent the rest of the book hoping that nothing bad would happen to him in all of the stressful situations that he ends up in. I also liked the ADHD rep, and felt like it was well done and fit the story and characters nicely.
If I were to try to sum up what this book is about, I would say complex family dynamics, terrible people and what they’re willing to do to get what they want, revenge, and not knowing what is real or who to trust. This house and this family are definitely haunted, but is it in the literal or figurative sense?
The romance is definitely more of a side plot, and I was unsure of how I felt about their relationship in the beginning (I’m not opposed to second chance romance, but some couples just shouldn’t get back together). However, after seeing them clear up all of their miscommunication and misunderstandings, a lot of which were the fault of other people, I started rooting for them. I actually wish I had another book that followed their story after the epilogue (and also gave more information on a few things in/after the epilogue… some aspects were a little rushed/vague, but that also fits with The Haunting of Hill House vibe).
The main character is not perfect, but he is still a loveable and good person who tries his best to be different from the rest of his terrible family. He really drew me in once I got to know him and I spent the rest of the book hoping that nothing bad would happen to him in all of the stressful situations that he ends up in. I also liked the ADHD rep, and felt like it was well done and fit the story and characters nicely.
If I were to try to sum up what this book is about, I would say complex family dynamics, terrible people and what they’re willing to do to get what they want, revenge, and not knowing what is real or who to trust. This house and this family are definitely haunted, but is it in the literal or figurative sense?
The romance is definitely more of a side plot, and I was unsure of how I felt about their relationship in the beginning (I’m not opposed to second chance romance, but some couples just shouldn’t get back together). However, after seeing them clear up all of their miscommunication and misunderstandings, a lot of which were the fault of other people, I started rooting for them. I actually wish I had another book that followed their story after the epilogue (and also gave more information on a few things in/after the epilogue… some aspects were a little rushed/vague, but that also fits with The Haunting of Hill House vibe).
I do have to say I wasn’t immediately hooked by this book. I couldn’t figure out when it was set (which is revealed much later on) and it has a pretty slow—and sometimes repetitive—start. However, it does eventually pick up, and of course the last 25% is pretty fast paced with all of the big reveals and the race against time, which I have come to expect with books in this genre. So I ended up enjoying this book despite the occasional pacing issues. I could overlook that in favor of everything I liked about it.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Advanced reader's copy review
This book was a brilliant, fun ode to Gothic literature. It had everything I could have expected, from a decaying mansion, creepy mist, estranged family fighting over an inheritance, ghostly monks, and mysterious writings on the walls. It was truly the perfect Gothic setting and elements. But what really made this book for me was Zeb. It was impossible not to love him, with his genuinely huge heart, always making the right choice even if it’s not the ‘smart’ choice. He always thought the best of everyone, even when they did not deserve it. I do wish he had given up trying to see the best in most of family sooner though. It was also a bit repetitive watching him try to convince them all he was not as self serving as they were. But in the end he managed to convince and save the one person that mattered, Gideon. I love a second chance romance so much, and it was so beautiful watching Zeb and Gideon learn to communicate and recreate a stronger relationship even with everything else going on. So overall I loved this book and highly recommend!
Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for the free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
This book was a brilliant, fun ode to Gothic literature. It had everything I could have expected, from a decaying mansion, creepy mist, estranged family fighting over an inheritance, ghostly monks, and mysterious writings on the walls. It was truly the perfect Gothic setting and elements. But what really made this book for me was Zeb. It was impossible not to love him, with his genuinely huge heart, always making the right choice even if it’s not the ‘smart’ choice. He always thought the best of everyone, even when they did not deserve it. I do wish he had given up trying to see the best in most of family sooner though. It was also a bit repetitive watching him try to convince them all he was not as self serving as they were. But in the end he managed to convince and save the one person that mattered, Gideon. I love a second chance romance so much, and it was so beautiful watching Zeb and Gideon learn to communicate and recreate a stronger relationship even with everything else going on. So overall I loved this book and highly recommend!
Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for the free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review