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A review by violetfemme
All of Us Murderers by KJ Charles

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.5

*KJ Charles is one of those authors who is equally talented  at writing well developed characters as she develops a tightly crafted mystery. In this novel, the main character , Zeb, is a recently laid off clerk who was invited by his estranged uncle, Wynn,  to attend a house party for two weeks along with his closest family members who all dislike him because they think he is a lazy irresponsible, immature layout because they do not understand his ADHD symptoms, but mostly because they are all terrible people in their own specific way.

Once the family arrives, at his uncle’s estate, he explains that he will decide who will inherit the family wealth by the end of this family reunion.
He also informs them that the person who will inherit the family wealth will marry his niece so that the wealth stays within the family. As you can guess, all hell breaks loose as several of the family members scrambled to become the victor in this very twisted plan (trap) that Wynn has set up. The only family member who is not interested in participating in this game is Zeb. Although he is not excluded from the mental anguish that is exerted by Wen on all of the family members during this hellish reunion.

The storyline also features a second chance romance with Zeb’s ex  (Gideon), who now works for His uncle,
as they both try to navigate Zeb’s  toxic family while confronting some hard truth about their future. In this book, KJ has expertly crafted a Gothic mystery, family drama, and a beautiful romance between two characters that learn just how well they complement each other.

Also worth noting that the main character Zeb has ADHD. Of course, ADHD is never described in the book as such because this is in period of history (Early 1900s) before ADHD was  recognized as a neurodivergence. That said, KJ does an excellent job of describing his symptoms and how it is perceived by other people as being irresponsible or immature, but also how his neurodivergence makes him someone that sees the world in a very unique way that ends up being a big advantage for him in solving the mystery at the center of this story. 
Overall, it’s an excellent story that I highly recommend. The story was tightly paced and kept me engaged the entire time. 

*I received an ARC copy ahead of the official publication date, but I was not compensated in any way to review this novel.