I have to start with the cover, which I almost never comment on, but I had so many books with almost the same cover back in the day that I can't help but adore this one.

As stated above, there was a time in my reading life that I was addicted to the gothic/locked room vibe, and this fit that perfectly. It made me want to pull out my old books for a reread (although I expect I'd be a bit horrified at some of the themes).

This is not romance at the forefront, but then this wouldn't fit if it was. Charles is a master at twisty plots combined with smart dialogue, and the romance tops it off wonderfully. I love how she takes sometimes really problematic genres and elevates and updates them.

I loved that no one was "saved" but helped each other save themselves. I liked that they were able to work out their problems without unnecessary drama. I also really enjoyed how unpleasant the bad guys were because that just increases my enjoyment of their downfall.

A fun romp with a dash of romance. I am looking forward to the audio!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this review copy!

KJ Charles hit it out of the park again with All of Us Murderers. Zeb has recently been fired from another job, and is looking forward to a little peaceful respite in the country at the request of his reclusive relative. He is thus surprised to see his estranged brother and his carousing cousin, and most of all, his ex-lover. Things at the house quickly take a dark turn, with motives and relationships in question and Zeb trying to extricate himself from his family's ensnaring web.

I absolutely loved this Gothic style romance/mystery! It had me both swooning and on the edge of my seat with suspense, which is a hard combination to pull off. I think KJ Charles is good at the delicate balance between romance and excitement. I loved the setting of misty moors and Gothic manor house. There are some dark themes, which made me crave a little more warm and fuzziness from the epilogue than we got. Nonetheless, I loved Zeb and Gideon's relationship. Also the ADHD rep of our main character seemed to be very sensitively portrayed. Loved it and recommend it as a spooky season read!

Already pre-ordered! This author is an auto buy for me - did not disappoint!
A lovely, cozy creepy house and gah that family! book.
I loved the narration - flashbacks to give credence and context to the plot.
Loved Zeb and Gideon - love this name after reading Gideon the Ninth.
This family makes mine look cozy and pleasant - loved it! The strength and love, just beautiful!

A Love Story to Die For: A Review of KJ Charles's All of Us Murderers
KJ Charles's All of Us Murderers masterfully blends the lush, claustrophobic atmosphere of a Gothic mystery with the razor-sharp wit and intricate plotting of a classic whodunit. It's a delectable confection of suspense, paranoia, and a romance that will have you rooting for the lovers even as you suspect everyone around them.

The moment Zeb Wyckham and his estranged family arrive at the remote Lackaday House, the mood is set. Charles excels at building a palpable sense of unease, using the moors, the swirling mists, and the shadowy depths of the manor to create a setting that is as much a character as the people trapped inside it. This is not a house you want to be in, and the author ensures you feel the walls closing in with every creaking floorboard and flickering gaslight.

At the heart of the story are Zeb and his ex-lover, Gideon Grey. Their forced reunion is a brilliant source of tension and emotional drama. The history and heartbreak between them are as compelling as the murder plot itself, and their bitter, wary alliance provides the perfect foil for the terror unfolding around them. As the family's greed and paranoia reach a fever pitch, Zeb and Gideon's fractured trust is the only thing they have to hold onto.

The book’s structure, with its locked gates and dwindling sense of security, keeps the tension at a rolling boil. Charles skillfully introduces a cast of characters who are all equally suspicious and desperate, making it genuinely difficult to guess who the murderer might be. What sets this apart, however, is how the central romance isn't a distraction from the mystery—it's the very thing that drives it. The need for Zeb and Gideon to trust each other, to rely on their shared history and intuition, is the key to unraveling the secrets of Lackaday House.

For fans of gothic romance, murder mysteries, or anyone looking for a story with both a killer plot and a compelling central romance, All of Us Murderers is a must-read. It’s a beautifully crafted and utterly gripping read that will keep you guessing until the very end.

i found this one to be just okay.

Interesting premise albeit not the most original. Locked room mystery with deeply unlikable characters with the except or Zeb. Zeb is so earnest and sells the story for me, but don’t necessarily buy into the romance between him and Gideon until the literal end. Satisfying twists and turns made up for a very slow burn. Solid but not memorable.

I enjoyed the romance plot of this a lot more than the gothic horror plot. Zeb was endearing and warm, and I loved seeing his ADHD with a historical lens. I was invested in his relationship with Gideon from the very beginning, watching it evolve in the present as we discovered where it all went wrong in the first place. My only complaint in this regard is that for a forbidden romance it never really felt very forbidden (despite their past issues.)
The gothic horror never felt particularly earned to me, and the payoff felt more like an obvious conclusion than a big discovery.
Overall though, I enjoyed this a lot. This is the third KJ Charles book I've read this year and I will definitely be back for more.

*The publisher has provided me with an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.*

Just when I SWORE I was going to stop buying KJ Charles books, Netgalley sends me one unsolicited. Hmph.

Anyway, this is a fun Gothic romp, somewhat spoiled by the constant arch tone and jokey asides. It's KJ's house style at this point, so I can't complain that much, but if you're writing a Gothic you need to be at least SOMEWHAT serious if you want your reader to invest in the peril. Also has that (again, standard KJ) tendency to bring up some great societal ill (Britain's wealth being founded on the slave trade; sexual abuse of servants by their employers) not to actually do anything with it plotwise, but to nod at the reader and say "see? I've acknowledged that this is a thing. That makes me a good person, and my characters good people." At least Zeb's ADHD was a continuous throughline, no matter how heavy-handed it was. She still can't write female characters to save her life, though. Points for Zeb avoiding certain peril at one point by doing the smart thing and running away, but then points redacted for him doing something completely boneheaded and running headfirst into peril in the very next chapter. Come on man, I was rooting for you!

It's interesting that the cover copy references both Crimson Peak and Knives Out, because if this book has DNA in common with anything, it's Priestly's "An Inspector Calls." Again, it's hampered by the glancing treatment of the various crimes committed by our villains (and the fact that our mains were neither the victims nor the perpetrators, leaving them in a sort of motiveless no-man's-land) but you can see the inspiration.

cozy, spooky, and fun!!

i looove kj charles' writing, it's so easy to get into the story and the characters she's written here had so much personality!! it was a delight to read.

there were moments i liked and disliked. the relationship between Zeb and Gideon was so cute!! it didn't feel very forbidden to me but i did feel the tension and regrets in the first few chapters. thank god for communication

I preface this review by saying that I read almost all of Kj Charles' books. And they consistently are a 3 or 4 stars read for me. This one follows that trend. I really enjoyed the gothic setting and the meta element. But the relationship and the characters, which most of the time are the strong point of these books, did not convince me or take me in.
All in all, I would recommend this as a quick, fall read.
Thanking the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Zeb Wyckham thinks he’s taking a vacation at his cousin’s estate and is alarmed to arrive and find not only his pissed off former lover, Gideon, but some nasty, unexpected members of his family. His cousin announces an inheritance competition that Zeb wants no part of — to the disbelief of his relatives. Zeb finds himself unable to simply leave the party and must work with Gideon to escape.

This book is a gothic mystery with an M/M romantic subplot. The romance is enjoyable but felt a little more secondary. Still, we get a believable reconciliation, a little spice, and nice romantic declarations.

It was a fun and atmospheric read. If you’re looking for a thrilling, spooky tale, I’d recommend it. Lots of creepy estate descriptions, possibly-haunted-house antics, and interesting twists. Not scary, but I especially liked Zeb’s ADHD rep and how he and Gideon addressed/managed it.

This would be a great read at any time of year, but especially in the fall when the nights are longer and you’re looking for a suspenseful tale with a sweet romance running through it.

This is an honest review based on an e-ARC from the publisher.

I’m always thrilled to get to read a new book from KJ Charles, so when I heard her next title would be a gothic mystery romance, I knew it would be a new favorite. This story is full of love, betrayal, danger, romance, (and as long time KJ Charles readers will be sure to expect), the baddies getting their comeuppance.

Zeb has been estranged from his family for years, but when a cousin reaches out hoping to reconcile, he decides to accept the invitation. But he wasn’t expecting the grim and imposing home in the moors, where he finds his (hostile!) estranged family, his former lover, and the possibility of a large inheritance, provided he marry his cousin.

What follows is a thoroughly engrossing tale that you honestly won’t be able to put down — and may just want to read again as soon as you’ve finished. (Which is very rewarding to pick back up on all of the clues you may not have noticed the first time through). Charles is also so good at writing romance, and she writes Zeb and Gideon’s story beautifully.

Highly recommended purchase for fans of gothic romance, readers who love a good mystery, and anyone who loves a queer historical romance (with some murders).

What a ride. From the characters, to the setting, to the overall atmosphere of this book, I was reminded in the best way possible of my first introduction to romance novels: my grandma's collection of Victoria Holt books, which I devoured in secret when I visited her house as a preteen. I'm thankful for those books, as it made this reading experience so enjoyable, as I was able to fully enjoy the sandbox KJ Charles was playing in.

This book is chock full of the tried and true gothic romance tropes, and I enjoyed seeing an author I love try her hand at them. This book was properly creepy, and the mystery at its center had me engaged from the beginning. The clues weren't being thrown right in your face, allowing me as the reader to follow along and hypothesize with Zeb (short for Zebedee, horrible name) as he tried to make sense of what was going on in that house.

I do wish we had gotten Gideon's POV, as I found even late into the book I wasn't entirely sure of him. But that is also a common trait in gothic romances, so maybe that was what KJ Charles was playing at. But what I got from him was enough to make me enjoy his and Zeb's second chance romance, and their plight had my heart in my throat until the very end.

I do wish the epilogue wasn't so brief and mainly just a summary of what happened to all the characters following the conclusion of the main plot, and I will say that the contemporary references nearly knocked me out of the book right at the very end. But again, the quick summary is not uncommon in more recent gothic romances, so perhaps it was a nod to that.

Overall, KJ Charles really hits it out of the park with writing murders with dubious justification, making sure the why makes sense, even if it is just to the characters themselves. Very glad the Wyckham's are not my family, good lord.

I also cannot speak to the ADHD representation, but I saw she cited several sensitivity readers, and the representation itself was handled well in my opinion.

Also that cover is stellar, five stars for that alone.

My thanks to both Hartley Christensen and Netgalley for the early access e-arc!

What an excellent, Gothic novel! KJ Charles has done a remarkable job! Edge of your seat, stay up all night read. The family at the mansion are awful! Dark, suspenseful but also the voice of Zeb is deeply likeable. Highly recommend to fans of the Gothic genre and Knives Out. Also, this cover is INCREDIBLE. Would buy a copy for the cover alone!!

All of Us Murderers is another great installment from KJ Charles. Zeb is invited by his mysterious cousin to stay at his fake-gothic manor. He doesn't realize it is to vie for the family inheritance with his estranged family members. Zeb is also surprised to see his ex-lover, Gideon, employed as his cousin's secretary. It feels as though everyone is conspiring against him, and all his attempts to leave get thwarted, mostly by the moody Dartmoor fog. Once Zeb and Gideon speak about their past their animosity resolves and the two wind up working together to figure out what's really going on at Lackaday House. I enjoyed this book, but it wasn't my favorite of Charles' works. Some of the conversations felt circuitous and repetitive, but I loved the AHDH representation and the romance at the heart of this story. Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 Stars, rounded up!

First, thanks to NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I had fun! Read it in two sittings, and I quite liked the mystery of it all. The main two characters were kind and so lovely to read-- their chaos and care for each other as the book progressed was a genuinely good experience as we see the main character find his own self-worth as the story progresses. And as far as I am aware, the ADHD representation was done quite well, which is a definite plus!

There were a couple of things that took me a little put of the story: the setting, the style, and the epilogue. The setting-- time-wise, at least-- was confusing. It took me quite a bit to understand when this book was taking place. The style was not at all haunting enough. With the focus on the fact that the story is set in a Gothic mansion and the title, I assumed the writing to be a little more gothic horror and less... contemporary? Forgive me if that's the wrong term; I don't know how else to word it. Last, the epilogue was deeply disappointing. We get a rushed summary of events post-climax, including mentions of both Buzzfeed and Goodreads. It just felt like we didn't quite see more of the consequences of the family's actions.

All in all, I had a good time. The mystery isn't too daunting, nor is the text, so it is quite a low-stakes read.

Absolutely terrific! Mists, monks, moors, spiders, an awful lot of terrible people, some pretty funny jokes and two absolutely wonderful leads - I really don't need anything else in my books :)

All of Us Murderers is more of a romp (though it does get quite tense towards the end) than Death In The Spires, which was more somber (but equally gripping). It's pulpy and gothic in the best possible way and full of classic gothic beats (the aforementioned mists and monks, shady characters, flickering lights, huge staircases and so on).

The real stars here though are Zeb and Gideon. Especially Zeb - that man is the heart of the story and one of the most relatable protagonists I have seen on page in a while. And his huge heart somehow turns All of Us Murderers into a story about the importance of kindness and trying to do our best.

A great read!

P.S. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am not sure what to write in this review because I did not enjoy the book. The book looks like an excellent example of gothic suspense, which I now realise I don't like much.

Our hero goes to visit one of his relatives. He ends up in a large absolutely horrible house full of people who hate him. Including his ex boyfriend with whom he had a bad breakup. Events proceed. Everything stays miserable and awful and in fact gets worse. The characters are well depicted. The suspense kept me reading but it was not an enjoyable experience. The narrative was very conscious of being gothic suspense and there was much winging amoungst the characters and to the reader about it. I will say that I found the epilogue amusing.

This is a well done book, just not my cup of tea.

KJ Charles builds a unique set of characters and a thrilling setting for "All of Us Murderers." While I really enjoyed the book, I wanted the action to start a little earlier, and I was expecting a bit more of a locked room mystery. Instead, this is a slow but creepy build up where nothing makes sense, which achieved it's goal of keeping the reader on edge and guessing.

What an excellent, Knives Out-infused play on Gothic tropes! KJ Charles has really hit a home run with this one. The author juggles numerous genres skillfully and the reader is all the better for it. She gives the reader just enough to stay on the edge of their seat, to keep reading long after they should have been asleep (speaking from experience!). Highly recommend to both those who will be discovering Charles for the first time, as well as those who have loved her previous works.

The amazing thing about a K J Charles book is that even if you're not interested in the romance there's usually so much else going on that that doesn't really matter. In most other romances, the couple is the meal and everything else - plot and side characters especially - are the garnish. Not so with K J Charles. Everything is thoroughly cooked and prepared; everything is the meal.

Which was especially good for me here because - confession time! - I really was not vibing with Zeb and Gideon as a pairing. As characters they were both good, but as a couple, for me, they were only fine. I'm not really sure why. Probably I'm just not someone who likes an exes-getting-back-together thing. But like I said, that hardly mattered here because hot damn was everything else bonkers, compulsively readable. This is half send-up of the Gothic novel, and half (extremely) dysfunctional family dynamics, which I was especially pleased to see because that's another thing that Charles does really well from book to book. (Like...even in books of hers where I'm all about the couple I'm always jazzed when the pairing's families get brought in because she's just so damn good at the tensions and dynamics and love there.) I also really liked how though there were ghost sightings and flickering lights and a generally haunted atmosphere the characters basically went right away into figuring out how these things could logically be happening, because a) it was weirdly more fun that way and b) there was none of this ghosts-don't-exist-in-this-story-no-actually-they-do-no-actually yo-yoing nonsense. It's still creepy without pretending some of it could be supernatural! Even creepier than that would've been, actually.

I was also a huge fan of the reveal of Zeb's profession and the epilogue, which, after it got done with the grisly wrap-up, was pure delight. (I want to know more about Barnaby Black!) I could've done with a smidge more of that delight, actually. Like I was kind of hoping for a post-Lackaday House scene of Zeb and Gideon and Gideon's nieces. It wouldn't have been necessary, but after all the bleak Gothic darkness I wanted it.

With that said, I think this is definitely more a book for people who want bleak Gothic darkness. If you're that sort of reader, but not very much into romance, I would still wholeheartedly recommend this book. But if you're more the romance, cozy-mystery-at-strongest type, then no. For my part, I'm definitely glad I read this one, even if no character quite reached the heights of Joss Doomsday (but then, who ever could?). A dark, good time.