Paused this 65% of the way through in favor of something else, it wasn’t holding my attention. But when I restarted it I finished the rest of the book in a sitting. The tension of waiting to find out what happened is very well done, however I would have liked a few more answers by the end.

Kendare Blake did a magnificent job capturing the darkness and gloominess in this story. The author perfectly crafted the right setting and mood, which is something I appreciate deeply (especially in thrillers/suspense/true crime). As soon as you start reading, you’re completely hooked. Truly can’t stress enough how awesome Kendare’s writing is in this novel, so atmospheric, it was really easy for me to picture this whole Midwestern town, or its characters, or anything that was happening.

There’s a lot of mystery in this book, it keeps you questioning and wondering what is truly happening or where the story is going. A series of gruesome murders struck the Midwest, the nature of these crimes is truly brutal and there was no suspect, until one day, a 15 years old girl covered in blood was found in the latest crime scene and she became the number one suspect. This book has twists and turns and did I mention is loosely based on a real story?

I highly recommend it, this will be a great read during spooky season!

(Thanks Netgalley & Publisher for the eARC!)

Being a huge fan of Kendall Blake’s fantasy series, I was intrigued and excited to read this horror/suspense/mystery. “All These Bodies” kept me turning pages and I was drawn in to the well-defined setting and characters, but the interviews became somewhat repetitious after a while. I honestly did like the book, but as I finished it and got a this may become a serious” vibe, I became turned off.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a DRC of this title for review. All opinions are my own.

I have read Blake's Anna Dressed in Blood and if you were a fan of that, this is your next read. Blake mixes horror, gothic noir, mystery/suspense, and delivers it in a format that is both interesting and unique. Add in the fact that it takes place in the 1950s and you are set with a one-of-a-kind book and a story you don't want to miss.

Marie Catherine Hale was found at the scene of the Carlson murders. She was in the middle of the room, drenched in their blood, and utterly alone. She had no scratches on her, no injuries, and all the blood came from the family of Steve and Mr. and Mrs. Carlson. The little baby, Patricia, was in the other corner of the room, safe and crying. No one thinks she could have done it on her own. She couldn't have done any of the other so-called Bloodless Murders by herself either; those victims found completely bled out but with no trace of the blood anywhere. Or any other evidence either: no footprints, no fingerprints, no weapon, no forced entry, no sign of a struggle. Nothing. But Mary Catherine Hale at the last murder site.

So now, she has been taken into custody and the only person she wants to talk to is the clean cut son of the Sheriff, a prospective journalist himself, who finds himself drawn to Marie. She is unlike anyone Micheal has ever met, and as he tells the story to the reader, in a series of chapters and vignettes he eventually mails to the editor of the local paper, he struggles with whether or not she is guilty. She was there all right, and she certainly isn't innocent, but that doesn't mean she deserves to die. Which is exactly what the district attorney is aiming for. As Marie talks to Michael and her story becomes more and more unbelievable, he finds himself even more invested. And, more surprisingly, the stranger the tale, the more he thinks it might be the only answer.

Highly recommend. This is a relatively clean read due to the time period of the story (no vulgar language, etc) and could easily be enjoyed by readers grades 8 and up.

It's 1958 and a local family has just been found dead in their home. Drained of blood and with no signs of a struggle, they are assumed to be the latest victims in a string of what reporters are calling the Bloodless Murders. Only this time, there are two survivors-- the baby and a girl no one has seen before.

Michael Jensen is the sheriff's son. He's an aspiring journalist in his senior year of high school. When he first sees Marie Catherine Hale, dripping in blood after being apprehended at the site of the Carlson family murder, he is instantly intrigued. The two form an unlikely bond. When she's ready to tell her side of the story, she will only relay it to Michael. Seeing it as an opportunity to record the story of a lifetime, he agrees. As her story unfolds, it's up to Michael to sift through the details and find the truth.

This is, admittedly, my first Kendare Blake read, so I wasn't sure what to expect. What I found was a creepy, twisty story with a seemingly obvious solution that was expertly unfolded. The setting was so well written, I could easily picture the town. It's like a spooked up Hardy Boys novel. It was fast paced and thoroughly engrossing. I would recommend to readers who enjoy a good mystery with supernatural elements and aren't afraid of the dark.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.

I have enjoyed Kendare Blake's other books as have my students, so I was excited to read this one. I think this book is a good fit for my students. They will relate to the small town life and elements, and the mystery of the killings definitely hooks the reader. I did not realize it was going to be a series until I was in the last chapter, and I didn't really think it was going to turn supernatural. I think I wanted it to be realistic and get explanations, but I think the supernatural element will be interesting to teen readers. I do sort of wish the cover was different. I think this would be a great book for my male students as it is sometimes hard to get male main characters in YA, and the small town elements would really make my boys relate. I think the cover might be a turn off though. Overall, I enjoyed it, and it hooked my interest.

It’s the summer of 1958, and the body count is mounting. Connecting them all is the lack of blood left in the bodies or at the murder scenes. When 15 year old Marie Catherine Hale is found at a murder scene, standing amongst the bodies but dripping in blood, she is taken into custody. Authorities have many questions for Marie, but she refuses to speak with anyone other than Michael, the local sheriff’s son.

YA novels are lacking in murder mysteries, and Kendare Blake’s (Amazon affiliate link) All These Bodies fills a hole in that respect. Adding to its uniqueness is the fact that the story, told in first person voice, is not told from the point of view of Marie but is instead told from Michael’s point of view. This is the set up for a great novel. Unfortunately, the book has a tendency to drag and the ending is lackluster at best – an ode to popular YA genres and a letdown for the story’s potential.

So creepy, graphic, and good! Would give to any horror or thriller fans. Vampires/ creatures/ supernatural are so not my thing as a reader, but I loved this. It was believable!

An excellent addition to the YA mystery genre. A recommended first purchase for public YA and HS collections.

I liked this book a lot. Being unfamiliar with the author's previous work but reading her forward in which she basically makes it seem as though she's trying her hand at more "realistic" true-crime-esque fiction with some supernatural elements did feel a bit misleading after I'd finished with the story. The supernatural aspect ended up playing a much bigger role than I anticipated, and I do feel that it was to the detriment of the story that this was the case. I feel that it would have been a better read had the supernatural elements been explained in some way, even if Marie's ultimate fate had remained the same due to her belief in the seeming unreality of what she'd been a part of.

The atmosphere and setting were wonderful, though, and overall I found it an intriguing piece of historical fiction to - no pun intended - sink my teeth into.

This book wasn’t at all what I was expecting. The whole thing is written as a recounting of events by the main character, Michael, which was an interesting choice as it means the book was plot-focused rather than character-focused.

Marie as a character wasn’t fully actualized. I do think this was a deliberate choice by the author to make a point about women’s stories.

She is whoever the men of the story want her to be: a villain, a pawn, a romantic interest, a means to an end. And that’s possibly the true horror of the novel.

I would recommend this book if you want to read something that will leave you pondering long afterward.

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was definitely a step outside my recent reading slump where I was stuck in the Romance trope. Blake did it again with All These Bodies.
The story focuses on Marie Catherine Hale who is found at the scene of some gruesome murders all alone, covered in the victims blood. She has no wounds herself which begs the question of how she could commit the murders alone. Additionally the two victims Mr. and Mrs. Carlson are connected to the bloodless murders where victims are found completely bled dry. Which makes the reader wonder how it’s all connected.
Taken in to the station Marie will only talk to one person Michael the sheriffs son and a budding reporter. He quickly finds that the story may be deeper than anyone could have imagined. Delving into the paranormal and a long time mystery.
Being set in the late 50’s also changed the way the story ran as tech wasn’t quite what it is today. I loved the era and that it’s focal point was on a smaller town.
Overall, the book kept me guessing and made me wonder throughout I kept thinking I had it all sorted but I did change my thoughts a few times. I appreciate a book that keeps me on my toes.
I received the ARC from Netgalley for my honest review.

I loved the mysteriousness of this book. The way that it is told is haunting in its own way and I like the fact that it is narrated as a confession. I would definitely recommend this book to middle schoolers.

Bleak and subtle, this is a unique and atmospsheric thriller from a writer of dark tales. I'm a big fan of Kendare Blake's fantasy books, and was excited to see her take on a new genre. "All These Bodies" is historical true crime with teasing hints of the paranormal; BIG "In Cold Blood" vibes. The grizzly crime at the center of the story is investigated by a teen boy and inspiring journalist who is drawn to the story while also being drawn to the magnetic and mysterious young woman at the center of it. This book is both satisfying and unsatisfying in equal measure; the answers are always just within reach. I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended for general purchase for YA collections.

This story was ok. The supernatural aspect made me slightly uncomfortable. The relationship between the two main characters was interesting. Looking at how you treat someone after they have done something horrible, especially if they had a horrible upbringing. Also, how far would you go if someone made you feel special and as if you belong.

I have to say I was expecting more. The book starts off strong but peters out - I'm fine with not really resolving the central issue if there's a good emotional climax, but I can't say this really landed it. The promise of the beginning never really pays off. I'm surprised to see this compared so strongly to the author's previous "Anna Dressed in Blood" - I thought that book really succeeded immensely in the very areas this one falls down in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Children's Books for an early copy of this novel!


I'm sort of unsure about that one, really.

It starts off really strong, with the creepiest setting: a girl is found covered in blood, surrounded by three slaughtered corpses. Her accomplice is still on the run, the night is full of scary sounds... Goosebumps, people!

Sadly, it goes a bit downhill from there.

The first part is really good. Michael, the hero of the novel, is chosen by the girl as her confidant for her confession. Still in high school and with big dreams of becoming a journalist, Michael dives head-first into this new task... And gets very attached to the possibly-a-murderer girl in the process.
Mary – that's the girl – is a very mysterious protagonist, with a complicated background that becomes clearer and clearer as the interviews keep going.
Michael is a very likeable hero too. He's just on the right side of innocent and naive, while still brave and ready to fight for what he believes in.

But then, the supernatural elements start being added to the mix, and that's where the story begins being a bit weaker.
I think the thing that made me a bit unsure about the novel is that it seems as if the author is throwing in supernatural elements without really ever giving us an explanation. Don't get me wrong; not everything needs to be explained in great details, of course.

But here, it just gets very frustrating, to the point where the choice of the plot twist seems like it's a bit of an easy choice, so as not to explain who the real killer could be. You know – reminded me of King's The Outsider, in some way. Setting up a very good background of murder and creepy people but finishing the story with a lot of things left unexplained.

So, yeah. Strong points of the story are its protagonists and the set-up, because who doesn't like some true crime in YA fiction. But I really regretted seeing the author leaving us with so many unsolved mysteries and questions left unanswered...

Fans of true crime and the paranormal will really love this one. It started out strong, but seemed to lag a bit towards the middle and end. I would've liked to have seen more interaction between Marie and the narrator. I saw another review where they said that character development was not a priority in this book and I could see that, but it would've been nice to have a little more background on Marie--maybe have a chapter from her POV? From when she was with the vampire?
Even with all of these nitpicky comments, I enjoyed this novel a great deal. It's definitely unlike the majority of other YA novels out there and I think it the darkness and forbidden romance will appeal to teen readers a lot.

This book was received as an ARC from HarperCollins Children's Books - Quill Tree Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I love the story line of this book. An aspiring journalist is the son of the Sheriff and there is a murder taken place and the prime suspect will only talk to the journalist. A supreme story fallen into Michael's lap and at first he wants nothing to do with the case but, when Marie Catherine reaches out to him and feels that he is the only person she can confide in. My stomach literally dropped at almost every chapter I read. The book got more and more exciting by the minute and I was in high anticipation for each chapter. It was like I was running a marathon and all I had left was 100 meters to finish. A huge rush of adrenaline.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

This was a really good book, fast paced and full of suspense. I picked up this book because the cover and description intrigued me. All These Bodies starts off with a bang and sucks you right in. I could not put this book down and read the whole thing in one sitting. I didn't even realize this was a YA book until I'd finished it, so it's not just for kids. Adults will love it too!

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books/Quill Tree Books for providing me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.