BookPage top 10 Best Mystery & Suspense books of 2025 "Wildly inventive, twisty tour de force"―BookPage The lush Gothic drama of Crimson Peak meets the murderous intrigue of Knives Out with an LGBTQIA+ love story to die for from award-winning author KJ Charles. WHO WILL SURVIVE LACKADAY HOUSE? When Zeb Wyckham is summoned to a wealthy relative's remote Gothic manor, he is horrified to find all the people he least wants to see in the world: his estranged brother, his sneering cousin, and his bitter ex-lover Gideon Grey. Things couldn't possibly get worse. Then the master of the house announces the true purpose of the gathering: he intends to leave the vast family fortune to whoever marries his young ward, setting off a violent scramble for her hand. Zeb wants no part of his greedy family―but when he tries to leave, the way is barred. The walls of Lackaday House are high, and the gates firmly locked. As the Dartmoor mists roll in, there's no way out. And something unnatural may be watching them from the house's shadowy depths… Fear and paranoia ramping ever-higher, Zeb has nowhere to turn but to the man who once held his heart. As the gaslight flickers and terror takes hold, can two warring lovers reunite, uncover the murderous mysteries of Lackaday House― and live to tell the tale ? "This satisfying whodunit with a queer twist will keep readers up all night "― Publishers weekly "In this Edwardian gothic, a kind man succumbs to a family visit and barely escapes with his life."― Kirkus Reviews "The mist from the English moors creeps eerily over this story laced with romance, mystery, and intrigue."― Booklist " All of Us Murderers balances loathsome characters, a plethora of dastardly twists and well-earned romantic reconnection. Fans of historical romance and mystery lovers with a taste for steam will not put this book down till the last body is buried."― BookPage "KJ Charles offers a spooky, insular gothic novel about family secrets and murderous plots."― Shelf Awareness "BookPage top 10 Best Mystery & Supsense books of 2025" "Like an Edwardian Succession, this gothic romp is about who gets what in the event of a patriarch’s passing. But this is KJ Charles, so it’s also stylish and sexy." ― NPR, Books We Love 2025 KJ Charles spent twenty years as an editor in British publishing before fleeing the scene to become a full-time historical romance novelist. She has written over twenty-five novels since then and her books have been translated into eight languages. She lives in London.