An absolutely brilliant Gothic romantic thriller that pays homage to both The Fall of the House of Usher and the more recent Gothic romance ouvre of Victoria Holt/Norah Lofts/Mary Stewart - and reminded me of just how much I used to love those books. I devoured this within less than 12 hours because I struggled to STOP reading even when I should, and I very much loved the ending. This is now one of my favorite-ever KJ Charles books, which is saying a lot!

KJ Charles' ALL OF US MURDERERS was 100% my cup of tea. Sinister locked room mystery, charming second chance queer romance, increasingly perilous and chaotic goings-on, major Knives Out vibes - Oh I had so much fun!

And can we talk about that gorgeous, vintage Gothic homage cover?

To say I've been excited to read All of Us Murderers is a serious understatement. I've loved every book I've read by KJ Charles, and I love closed-circle mysteries. This quickly jumped to the very top of my most anticipated releases as soon as I learned about it.

All of Us Murderers is about Zeebadee Wyckham. He is invited to Lackaday House, a gothic manor that has been in the Wyckham family for many years. Unbeknownst to him, his estranged brother, sister-in-law, and a few cousins are also invited at the same time. Even more surprising, Zeb's ex-lover, Gideon Grey, is also working at the house. Once the Wyckhams learn they've all been invited to compete for the family inheritance, tensions skyrocket, and they're all soon trapped together by bad weather. When threats begin to reveal themselves, Zeb and Gideon realize that they must work together to figure out what is really going on.

Zeb is a great main character. He's queer and has ADHD in the Edwardian era, and he's not often treated with kindness or understanding by his family. Still, he wants to be a good person and do the right thing. His breakup with Gideon haunts him, and their relationship has a rocky start once they meet again. There's a lot of longing in their early dynamic, and I loved seeing their relationship slowly redevelop.

The mystery in this is top-notch. It's layered and involves a web of family secrets, betrayals, and lies. There is some great gothic atmosphere to this story, and I genuinely got creeped out a few times. There are some truly shocking twists and reveals, too!

Both the romance and the mystery were paced perfectly. This was the first book I've read in a while that I had trouble putting down, and I always felt eager to get back to it as soon as possible.

I've read and loved a lot of queer mysteries and gothic novels this year, and All of Us Murderers is my favorite of the bunch. It balances the mystery with the romance masterfully, with neither aspect suffering from too little or too much focus. It's wonderfully romantic and delightfully dark and spooky at the same time. This is my new favorite KJ Charles novel, and I highly recommend it to any fan of queer romances and mysteries. This is a great one!




My Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 (5/5 stars).
Pages: 352
Tropes/Tags: Gothic, Queer, Achillean, Historical Romance, Mystery, Second Chance Romance, Closed-Circle Mystery
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5. There are some descriptive, spicy scenes.
Contains Depictions of: Period-typical homophobia, ableism, and misogyny. Mentions of sexual assault and abuse. Others may spoil the story; see the author's website for more detailed warnings.

I love a gothic horror where I am genuinely torn between horror of the supernatural and horror of humanity, and this book kept me oscillating wildly the entire time. Lately, exploring the genre has been a comfort for me as a reader. The world of 2025 is quite scary, and it's nice to have a place to have those feelings safely - this book more than fulfills that, and it also serves as a reminder that people have both instigated and survived horrors in the past, and that what we do right now, with the people around us, matters. Even when it feels like it doesn't.

All of Us Murderers is a quintessential gothic mystery complete with a creepy mansion and a sense of impending dread. Typical of KJ Charles the storyline also contains charming heroes and a romance that you cannot help but root for.

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.