All of Us Murderers channels all the horror tropes from classic Gothic novels to a mist-shrouded mansion in the moors of England. There our hero, Zeb Wyckham, must unravel the mysteries taking place before diaster strikes again. There are so many things I loved about this book, but first of all, I loved Zeb. He's filled with grief and guilt over a badly ended relationship, is struggling to get on when he keeps being sacked from his office jobs, and is much maligned by his family for his "fidgets" and odd behavior (read ADHD). With so much going against him and a very fraught family history, he still finds time to look out for others, give second chances, and hope for the best. At the same time, he's not hopelessly naive, and as the events at Lackaday House get darker and seemingly supernatural, he keeps his head and looks for the logical explanation for ghosts and other strange happenings. This book kept me guessing the entire time, as each character's motives and past misdeeds muddy the waters. It's definitely a spine-tingler and deliciously wicked! I found it satisfying in every way!

I enjoyed this book fairly, the romance was sweet but the mystery element if what was happening wasn’t as suspenseful or enticing as I would have liked. The descriptions of places left me confused and I didn’t know how to envision the house and grounds as a whole. I am a big fan of mysteries and gothic styles- this one just felt a little off to me.

I really enjoyed getting to read this book, it had that Gothic drama that I was hoping for and enjoyed how good everything flowed together to tell the storyline. I was hooked from the first page and enjoyed the tension that was going on and enjoyed getting to know the characters in this world. KJ Charles was able to weave a strong storyline and how everything worked well and was glad I got to read this.

Loved the representation in this of both ADHD and queer relationships. Loved the story and mystery. Zeb and Gideon are great characters and I can't help but love them.

This was incredibly fun — some very good twists and turns, incredibly rich with gothic references with just the right amount of ironic humor about it. The romance was lovely and the mystery gripping. KJ Charles really does so well when weaving in other genres.

All in all I enjoyed this read!

It was slow to start, and I am glad we got rid of the miscommunication trope near the start. Picks up around 30%. The hauntings etc are good, the foreshadowing and terror builds well and the atmosphere is definitely stifling.

Once we rly get into the story, Gideon and Zeb start to shine. The central themes start showing, we build upon G&Z and their relationship. There is some spice within, several explicit scenes that are nonetheless weirdly wholesome because of their past together.

One thing you know you're gonna get in a K.J. Charles book is representation!! I am so glad that despite these two being in a locked door mystery and in possible mortal danger, they are still able to have a heartfelt and genuine discussion about being in love with someone with ADHD.

The final excitement only takes about 30 pages, and could definitely have been stretched a bit to create more tension and horror.

I kept waiting for the title of this novel to be realized. There were a lot of strange events, twists and turns and some craziness, but eventually All of Us Murderers did finally happen. I have read at least one previous novel by KJ Charles and enjoyed it. I can be difficult to use the term enjoy for a gothic murder mystery, but I did like All of Us Murderers. And there were sufficient murders, for certain.

All of Us Murderers gives readers a haunted house, servants who appear ready to murder the Wyckham family if there is a complaint about service, a dysfunctional family, corruption, death, deception, and ghosts who are hidden in walls. In other words, All of Us Murderers is certainly a gothic mystery. All it lacks are dragging chains at midnight. Zeb and Gideon not only need to make sense of all this craziness, they also need to save their own lives, All of Us Murderers was dark, with generational evil combatting goodness, gentleness, and love.

KF Charles writes well-plotted, interesting LGBTQ novels with good characters. I do recommend this novel. Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing this ARC for me to read and review. The above are my honest comments.

4 stars

It took me a while to read this because I was very busy squealing about getting an ARC, but once I did, I had to read it twice.

Full disclosure, Jackdaw (also by KJ Charles) is one of my favorite books of all time, and there are a lot of the same relationship tropes I loved here. Zeb is a lot like Jonah (although not magical and much less malicious) in that he's a character who looks down on himself because of his faults (as someone with ADHD, the characterization/rep was perfect).

I also love a second-chance love story where the characters start out hating each other, but it's rarely done well. Like Jackdaw, it's done well...and both characters have a reason for the break-up that not only makes sense, but is something that they both learn to overcome. Again, as someone with ADHD, it was validating to see Gideon's struggle with Zeb. Gideon is orderly and annoyed by Zeb's forgetfulness...but he learns to see Zeb's virtues, just like Zeb uses tricks to help manage his executive dysfunction.

They learn to do all this in a house party from hell in a glorious gothic mansion, which is like a second character in and of itself. Zeb's family dynamics are completely unhinged. On a second read, it was fun to catch all the small clues and details that had been woven in. The atmosphere! The drama!

I loved it.

Thank you NetGalley, KJ Charles, and the publisher for this ARC!

This is a gothic mystery with everything you’d expect from a haunted manor story: dark corridors, family drama, and an atmosphere that never lets up. KJ Charles makes Lackaday House feel real, with its remote, misty setting and a creeping unease that runs through the whole book.

There’s a lot of dialogue — it builds up the characters, shows the grudges, and keeps the tension simmering. The story mixes murder mystery, adventure, and a touch of romance, which adds extra weight to what’s at stake.

If you like gothic fiction, this has plenty to offer, especially if you want queer romance tangled with family intrigue. It balances haunted-house vibes with sharp character drama, feeling both classic and new at once.

What a book!!! All of Us Are Murderers keeps you on the edge of your seat from page one! The night we meet the family, the vibe is instantly uncomfortable and eerie, perfectly setting the tone for what’s to come. It’s the kind of story where you never know who to trust, so you end up piecing things together alongside the characters.

The added romance makes it easy to connect with the main characters, which heightens the tension. You find yourself rooting for them and hoping everything turns out okay. The buildup was excellent and really helped me get fully immersed in the story.

Overall, I loved it, and I’ll definitely be checking out more of the author’s work!

I love a juicy gothic novel. The spooky house, the ladies in nightgowns, the wind on the moors. Inject it directly into my veins, etc. So when I heard that K.J. Charles, who I’ve been eyeing for a while, was writing one, and it was gonna be queer, I knew I had to get in on that. I was not disappointed. Charles writes with love and respect for the gothic genre, and the little girl inside me who wore holes in the family copy of The Woman in White, was very, very happy the whole time I was reading this.

You can read this book and interrogate how gender based tropes play out in gothic novels, or you can forget all of that and have a good time. Either reading is valid. Anyway, the plot, Zeb, the disgraced (and undiagnosed ADHD) son of a prominent family has been called back to the Estate for a family reunion. This sounds better than it is because the Estate is probably (definitely) haunted by ghosts as well as the living members of his family, and if you ask Zeb, he might prefer the ghosts. And to make matters worse, his ex, Gideon is now the butler. The mists swirl, the ghosts gather, the bodies begin to fall, and something is definitely not quite right. Will Zeb and Gideon make it out? Will they make it out, together? You’ll definitely keep turning the pages to find out.

Recommended for fans of Knives Out, The Woman in White, and And Then There Were None.
Will add links closer to pub date.
I received an advance copy in exchange for this honest review.

A locked room mystery combined with an LGBTQ romance seasoned with an element of horror. There is plenty of suspense and sexual tension here. I love mysteries set at English country houses, the whole gothic romantic vibe. The cover reminds me of the covers on old Victoria Holt novels (consumed those like candy when I was a teen).

A thrilling gothic murder mystery with a side of m/m romance.

Plot-driven, with a host of gleefully vivid side characters, an eerie gothic mansion with a life of its own, and a side of heart-warming second-chance romance, All of Us Murderers will delight KJC fans and readers of gothic mysteries alike. I also enjoyed seeing historical ADHD representation in the character of Zeb, and how different characters reacted to his unconventional habits and abilities. AoUM is a great read and a super fun ride. Recommended!

Loved this! A Gothic M/M murder mystery by KJ Charles. Another excellent book by Charles! Loved the MC—engaging, relatable, and someone I truly came to care for.
All the gothic feels here—old, creepy estate, a cast of characters who could all be villains, explosive family secrets and lies, mysterious noises in the night, and more!
Kept my attention the whole time—finished in two days. The mystery was riveting. The reveals were often unexpected, twists and turns in every chapter.
The romance is a lovely second chance relationship between the two most relatable and endearing characters in the story. A satisfying mystery, a warm and loving romance, and a HEA.

When I devour a book in just over two days, that says something. All of Us Murderers is an incredibly atmospheric love letter to the gothic thriller/mystery genre, from which KJ Charles removes the utterly unbearable tropes typically associated with it (like characters getting themselves killed because they simply can’t talk to each other—here, one sensibly invites the other for a walk to clear up misunderstandings, and as a result, they start working together). She also adds a touch of spice, which, during the romantic interludes, lets you catch a breath between bouts of tension (though I’ll admit, after the author’s last mystery book, I wasn’t expecting that much spice —I’m not sure I needed all of it here).

Aside from that, it has a wonderfully chilling vibe—the novel perfectly transports you to the musty atmosphere of an old house where strange things are happening. Even scarier are the people who come to stay there—Charles presents a repulsive bunch of nasty individuals, and apart from the main characters, no one here is remotely likable. Their elitist, prejudiced banter creates genuine discomfort. The mystery is fascinating, full of twists, and most importantly—it's logical and makes total sense.

I haven’t read much of Charles' books (yet), but I deeply appreciate that even in such a light form, she devotes serious attention to crafting believable characters and relationships, without resorting to cheap clichés. For example: although the main character is seen as weak and vulnerable, the author doesn’t make him a punching bag who silently takes every verbal blow from his family (just to make the reader feel sorry for him); instead, she gives him personality and initiative that allow him to push back and stand his ground. Also a round of applause for intriguing portrayal of a person with ADHD.

It was both very dark and very funny in a way that seemed very self-aware that it is a hammy overdramatic gothic novel. We begin with the protagonist pulling up to a very imposing manor house with huge intimidating gates, and when he opens the door a young woman in a diaphanous nightie runs out holding a candelabra for no discernible reason.
That said, it was genuinely chilling in some places. Not in a haunted house way, but in true KJC style, in a human way that just features really awful people. Vibe spoiler I wasn't sure if there was going to be any fantasy element at all but no, just terrible rich people being terrible rich people.
The ADHD representation, and I mean this in the best way, HURT-- not only Zebedee's practical struggles but his snowballing self-doubt that got worse every time he failed. And a lovely romance to top it off.

Absolutely loved this one! A M/M gothic thriller romance set in a remote, mist-ridden, gated crumbling manor house, with an excellent romance at the centre, dastardly villains, and plenty of suspenseful and satisfying twists and turns. KJ Charles keeps you on the edge of your seat and rooting for the romance. Highly recommended!

Another fun installment by Charles!

I admit, I thought (and was hoping for) more of a gothic atmospheric feel. Regardless, I still had a good time. Charles gives another charming romance where you can help but cheer them on. I appreciate the swing the author was trying to make as this was unique from other novels I have read from them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in exchange for an honest review.

This is my favorite book by this author. The plot was entertaining and this book would make a fun movie.

While predictable, this book displayed many good elements of an easily digestible gothic novel.

The epilogue was a bit silly, the pacing was inconsistent, and at times the writing felt quite modern, but I really enjoyed it overall.

I would recommend this book: 3.5 stars rounded up.

I thoroughly enjoyed this ARC! As a fan of other KJ Charles books, I was happy to see that the usual chemistry between romantic leads was strong, and pleasantly surprised at the suspenseful, gothic setting. The narrative is in the POV of Zeb, who has ADHD. As a reader who has ADHD, I thought this aspect was well-represented- it was neither a wholly negative or wholly positive aspect of him, just something he had to work with. Additionally, Charles thanks sensitivity readers in the end notes, which was good to see.

The story setup was very intriguing, with Zeb's extremely dysfunctional family trapped in a very creepy house thanks to cause both natural and contrived. I enjoyed that the reader experiences the elements of the "supernatural" threaded throughout the narrative from a character that is completely skeptical but no less afraid of the possible cruelty of regular people. The romance between Zeb and Gideon really worked for me, and the external plot beats move their relationship forward. Charles is very good at a slow reveal of interpersonal history, and that really shows here as the events that occurred between Zeb and Gideon prior to the book are not clear up front but instead slowly shared with the reader. At times, the Gothic aspects of the story fall into a bit of cliche, but I actually liked that aspect. Even in the narrative, Zeb is aware of how these cliches are playing out. Readers looking for a serious, traditional gothic might not find what they're looking for in this book, but someone looking for a lighter story that still has stakes will appreciate this playful nod to classic gothic stories!