Young Adult

All These Bodies

All These Bodies

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-09-23 09:50:59
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Kendare Blake
  • ISBN：1529052890
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Summary

Sixteen bloodless bodies。 Two teenagers。 One impossible explanation。 In this edge-of-your-seat mystery from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kendare Blake， the truth is as hard to believe as it is to find。

Summer 1958。 A gruesome killer plagues the Midwest， leaving behind a trail of bodies completely drained of blood。

Michael Jensen， an aspiring journalist whose father happens to be the town sheriff， never imagined that the Bloodless Murders would come to his backyard。 Not until the night the Carlson family was found murdered in their home。 Marie Catherine Hale， a diminutive fifteen-year-old， was discovered at the scene—covered in blood。 She is the sole suspect in custody。
Michael didn’t think that he would be part of the investigation， but he is pulled in when Marie decides that he is the only one she will confess to。 As Marie recounts her version of the story， it falls to Michael to find the truth: What really happened the night that the Carlsons were killed？ And how did one girl wind up in the middle of all these bodies？

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Reviews

Kelly ，

Historical horror is my jam， and Blake's stand alone is one that'll leave readers with more questions than answers。It's been a bloody summer across the midwest。 Or， rather， it hasn't been， though there's been a lot of death。 Each of the murders has been bloodless， victims found with a handful of slashes but without blood remaining in their bodies。 Now the killer -- or killers -- has turned to Michael Jensen's town in Minnesota， killing a mother， father， and high school student， and standing amon Historical horror is my jam， and Blake's stand alone is one that'll leave readers with more questions than answers。It's been a bloody summer across the midwest。 Or， rather， it hasn't been， though there's been a lot of death。 Each of the murders has been bloodless， victims found with a handful of slashes but without blood remaining in their bodies。 Now the killer -- or killers -- has turned to Michael Jensen's town in Minnesota， killing a mother， father， and high school student， and standing among them pooled in blood is Marie。 All signs point to Marie as the killer， but she refuses to talk to anyone except Michael。 He's an aspiring journalist and sees this as his opportunity to break a huge story。 But the longer he talks with Marie， the less he begins to believe what happened to be clear， true， or easy。 She's convinced him that she worked alongside a vampire -- nameless， faceless， long-gone from the crime scene -- and she can't help locate him。 But the legal system in Nebraska is hot on the case， pressing for more and more details， hoping to extradite Marie back to Nebraska in order to charge her。 The law there allows for conviction for accomplices to murder， not just the murderer， and this would bring peace and closure。 But as the truth。。。。or the supposed truth。。。unravels， it becomes much more complex。 Who is Marie？ Where did she come from？ What happened to her family and what did her stepfather do to her？ And is that story or her relationship to her stepfather the narrative she wants in the news？ This is a clever take on vampires， but it's also based loosely on two separate murder sprees in the midwest during this time。 It's got Midwest Gothic vibes， wrapped in an In Cold Blood style true fictionalized crime narrative。 There's not a romance， though clearly Michael develops some serious feelings for Marie。 They're not romantic; they're deeply emotional， and readers who want a story without a romance will do well here。 Likewise， again， a fresh vampire story -- maybe -- and though Marie's voice is rarely offered in the story， as it's told through Michael's perspective， her character is one of the most compelling and complex throughout。 I see a little bit of Holly Black with Robin Wasserman （ala The Waking Dark）， and， of course， In Cold Blood。 。。。more

Rebecca ，

The Illuminati is an elite organization of world leaders， business authorities， innovators， artists， and other influential members of this planet。 Our coalition unites influencers of all political， religious， and geographical backgrounds to further the prosperity of the human species as a whole。 The Illuminati is a secret society that strives to promote spiritual and moral values。 It was founded under principles of love， justice， unity， peace & relief。 To apply for membership。 Contact us via ema The Illuminati is an elite organization of world leaders， business authorities， innovators， artists， and other influential members of this planet。 Our coalition unites influencers of all political， religious， and geographical backgrounds to further the prosperity of the human species as a whole。 The Illuminati is a secret society that strives to promote spiritual and moral values。 It was founded under principles of love， justice， unity， peace & relief。 To apply for membership。 Contact us via email: Illuminatigranmaster@gmail。com or WhatsApp: +14703471692 。。。more

Selena ，

Riveting if a little anticlimactic—I’m not even sure I really liked it， but it was strange and twisted and wouldn’t let me out。

jessica ，

this book should be filed under ‘evidence confirming recency bias。’ the ending totally let me down and， because of that， the enjoyment i felt throughout now feels forgotten。i honestly was really loving this。 i think KB has perfected the small town feel。 the atmosphere， the characters and the way they talk， the description of the town and its citizens， and just the overall writing is such a good reflection of the time period and location。 i felt immediately transported and immersed。 its honestly this book should be filed under ‘evidence confirming recency bias。’ the ending totally let me down and， because of that， the enjoyment i felt throughout now feels forgotten。i honestly was really loving this。 i think KB has perfected the small town feel。 the atmosphere， the characters and the way they talk， the description of the town and its citizens， and just the overall writing is such a good reflection of the time period and location。 i felt immediately transported and immersed。 its honestly what i loved most about this。i also loved the murders。 you know im a true crime junkie。 the bodies。 the missing blood。 the one key witness turned suspect。 i ate it up and was fascinated by the real life inspiration behind it all。 marie did frustrate me with her vague nature and lack of willingness to answer questions。 i wanted to shake her most of the time。 but i like the bond michael formed with her as he tried to come at the investigation from a journalistic perspective。that leads us to the ending/reveal。 its… not great。 it creates more questions than answers。 the information discovered throughout the story is never explained properly。 and i just dont like how everything plays out。 its unfulfilling and boring and just doesnt satisfy a reader who put in the effort to read and get to that point。 such a shame。this book has really excellent world-building and writing style， but the conclusion is making it hard to remember that。↠ 3。5 stars 。。。more

Kristen Beverly ，

3。5 rounded up。 While I really enjoyed the storyline and mystery of it all， the narration to me seemed off。 I had to keep reminding myself that the main character was a teenage boy named Michael。 To me， that just did not come through on the pages。

Thindbooks ，

*this e-arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*I enjoyed reading this book！ It is 1958 in Minnesota where the Carlson family is slaughtered with Marie on the scene of the death and now Michael must study the investigation as Marie will only tell him her story。 This book gave me This Is Our Story and One of Us is Lying vibes but with more death。 I have only read Three Dark Crowns from this author but I knew I had to check out this book as I love mystery and thrille *this e-arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*I enjoyed reading this book！ It is 1958 in Minnesota where the Carlson family is slaughtered with Marie on the scene of the death and now Michael must study the investigation as Marie will only tell him her story。 This book gave me This Is Our Story and One of Us is Lying vibes but with more death。 I have only read Three Dark Crowns from this author but I knew I had to check out this book as I love mystery and thrillers。 I enjoyed the writing of this book with the mystery and all but I have to say that the middle part of the book kind of went downhill。 The beginning and the ending of the book was good though。 So the pacing was also a little wacky at times。 I also enjoyed the setting of this book as the time period shows how feminism was during the time period and that no one will listen to Marie。The main character is Marie in this book and it's told from her pov。 I really enjoyed her character as she is mysterious and you can't tell if she is a victim or a murderer。 I enjoyed her story in this book a lot but I do have to say that there really wasn't much character development in the book but the mysterious part did make up for it。 The main side character of this book is the detective but other then that I have to say there really weren't many side character's in the book。 There is romance in this book which I didn't enjoy really as it took away from the story。The ending was well done and I enjoyed how the creepiness went all the way to the end。 I really enjoyed this book and haven't read anything like this in a while。 I did have some minor problems with this book mostly with the middle being very slow but other then that the mystery/thriller was just amazing。 I feel that this book is a combination of many different books as I can see so many books that I can compare this one too。 I totally recommend reading this book and shelving it for a spooky Halloween read。 。。。more

Steph Carr （LiteraryHypeWoman） ，

3。5 starsAll These Bodies is inspired by two real murder sprees from the 50s but also mixes in a little fantasy。 I enjoyed it， but I'm not sure what to make of it。 The ending leaves more questions than answers， which I'm sure is by design， but that doesn't make it less frustrating。 I guess I'll just keep daydreaming about what went down until Kendara gives me answers。 （Please， give me answers！ Lol） 3。5 starsAll These Bodies is inspired by two real murder sprees from the 50s but also mixes in a little fantasy。 I enjoyed it， but I'm not sure what to make of it。 The ending leaves more questions than answers， which I'm sure is by design， but that doesn't make it less frustrating。 I guess I'll just keep daydreaming about what went down until Kendara gives me answers。 （Please， give me answers！ Lol） 。。。more

Jen ，

I loved the premise and the writing of All These Bodies， but I really wish I could have loved the actual plot more。 Blake's writing drew me into the story very quickly， but I ended up with quite a lot of unanswered questions at the end and I ended up feeling like the plot was incomplete at the last page。 Blake did a fantastic job at creating this tension between the narrator and the reader， but I honestly found myself not caring a lot about the narrator as I read。 I was very much interested in M I loved the premise and the writing of All These Bodies， but I really wish I could have loved the actual plot more。 Blake's writing drew me into the story very quickly， but I ended up with quite a lot of unanswered questions at the end and I ended up feeling like the plot was incomplete at the last page。 Blake did a fantastic job at creating this tension between the narrator and the reader， but I honestly found myself not caring a lot about the narrator as I read。 I was very much interested in Marie and her story。 I wanted to know how the Bloodless Murders happened， who actually did it， and if there are actually vampires in this world or just something merely hinted at to scare people。 Unfortunately， all these questions that seemingly propelled the plot were left unanswered and left me confused about the whole plot resolution。 The writing was great， and the story actually told on the page was unique。 But I was left with a lot of questions， including whether or not this story was supposed to be paranormal in nature or just a mystery。 I connected more with Marie than I did the narrator， but I'm unsure if I'm supposed to believe Marie given how unreliable the narrator was at times。 All These Bodies pulled me in from the start， but very much left me wanting more。 。。。more

Kera’s Always Reading ，

In the last 1950s across the Midwest a series of bizarre murders take place and the country wants answers。 The bodies are all drained of blood， but there is not a drop of blood found anywhere。Inside a farmhouse in Minnesota， a family has been slain and one girl， thought to be a survivor at first， covered from head to toe in blood， standing inside the home， is now the only suspect。 Fifteen year old Marie Catherine Hale has a story to tell but the only person she will speak her story to is the son In the last 1950s across the Midwest a series of bizarre murders take place and the country wants answers。 The bodies are all drained of blood， but there is not a drop of blood found anywhere。Inside a farmhouse in Minnesota， a family has been slain and one girl， thought to be a survivor at first， covered from head to toe in blood， standing inside the home， is now the only suspect。 Fifteen year old Marie Catherine Hale has a story to tell but the only person she will speak her story to is the son of the town Sheriff， Michael。 The aspiring journalist jumps at the chance… but why him？ He is only a teenager himself， still in high school。 Over the course of months of incarceration in the small town jail， she gives her story to the boy。 And what a strange story it is… Be side how could the story of 16 bloodless bodies not be a strange tale？The level of supernatural in this book is just right。 Enough to keep you guessing， but also woven with enough doubt that you never know what to expect。 I enjoyed this so much because Kendare Blake is a real storyteller with such subtle creativity that I simply could not put this book down。 。。。more

Zoe ，

I really， really wanted to like this， but it was too all over the place for me to actually enjoy it/understand what was happening。 All These Bodies follows a series of grisly murders and the one person who may have been involved， and a teenager who's tasked with interviewing her。 All together， it sounds like a great concept for the book。 The execution left a lot to be desired。 The plot felt all over the place， and the lack of closure really grated on me。 I wanted answers， like you normally would I really， really wanted to like this， but it was too all over the place for me to actually enjoy it/understand what was happening。 All These Bodies follows a series of grisly murders and the one person who may have been involved， and a teenager who's tasked with interviewing her。 All together， it sounds like a great concept for the book。 The execution left a lot to be desired。 The plot felt all over the place， and the lack of closure really grated on me。 I wanted answers， like you normally would when it comes to a mystery。 And I know that's for the story， but it really bothered me！ I wanted answers and confirmation more than anything， and I felt like I was left high and dry。 。。。more

Megan W。 （pnwbookworm） ，

This book was not at all a good fit for me。 It started out really strong and I was super interested。 After that it was just SO SLOW。 I didn't even really want to pick it back up because the plot seemed to go nowhere。 I also couldn't connect with any of the characters。 I was hoping it would at least end well but I didn't like the end either。 Overall it was a very unsatisfactory read。 This book was not at all a good fit for me。 It started out really strong and I was super interested。 After that it was just SO SLOW。 I didn't even really want to pick it back up because the plot seemed to go nowhere。 I also couldn't connect with any of the characters。 I was hoping it would at least end well but I didn't like the end either。 Overall it was a very unsatisfactory read。 。。。more

sam ☆ （tometravelling） ，

*Thanks to HarperCollins Canada and HCCfrenzy for the ARC in exchange for an honest review！*In the summer of 1958， Marie Catherine Hale is found standing in the Carson's living room， surrounded by their dead bodies and drenched head to toe in blood while not a drop remains in the deceased。 Is she a victim？ An accomplice？ Or the murderer herself？ The only one who gets the answers to these questions is Michael， a 17-year old aspiring journalist who becomes involved in the Bloodless murders when Ma *Thanks to HarperCollins Canada and HCCfrenzy for the ARC in exchange for an honest review！*In the summer of 1958， Marie Catherine Hale is found standing in the Carson's living room， surrounded by their dead bodies and drenched head to toe in blood while not a drop remains in the deceased。 Is she a victim？ An accomplice？ Or the murderer herself？ The only one who gets the answers to these questions is Michael， a 17-year old aspiring journalist who becomes involved in the Bloodless murders when Marie refuses to tell her story to anyone but him。The way Blake created Marie's character by shrouding her in a cloak of mystery for the entire novel had me hooked right from the beginning。 So many questions were raised during Michael's discussions with Marie--I was constantly re-evaluating her story of how she came to be at the centre of these murders despite previous assumptions。 By the ending though， it's clear that it never really mattered what story she told， everyone had already made their judgments against her。At its core， All These Bodies is about truth and how it's able to be swayed by people's prior beliefs， experiences， and prejudices。 By having a sense of ambiguity about the murders and who was truly behind them， it leaves the reader to draw their own conclusions and ask themselves what they believe which I thought was the perfect way to end the book。 。。。more

Melissa Young ，

I pretty much devoured this book。 Just before reading All These Bodies I was in quite the reading slump after reading so many fantasy romances。 However， this book provided an exciting change in pace and genre that I desperately needed。 Now thrillers are not books that I often go for， but I am really glad that I read this one。 I was hooked from the get-go。The whole premise of the book was really intriguing and after reading the synopsis I needed to know what had happened。 Often I pride myself on I pretty much devoured this book。 Just before reading All These Bodies I was in quite the reading slump after reading so many fantasy romances。 However， this book provided an exciting change in pace and genre that I desperately needed。 Now thrillers are not books that I often go for， but I am really glad that I read this one。 I was hooked from the get-go。The whole premise of the book was really intriguing and after reading the synopsis I needed to know what had happened。 Often I pride myself on being able to guess the ‘twists’ of books， but this one genuinely was not easy to guess。 Well maybe it is， but as I said I am pretty good at figuring these things out。 Throughout the entirety of the book， you saw very small glimpses into the future。 These should have felt like spoilers as they were giving away very important information， but they actually didn’t。 The inclusion of these felt detrimental to the flow of the story and how it was written and I must say I really liked this style。 THE NEXT SECTION CONTAINS SPOILERS READ AHEAD AT YOUR OWN RISKThe most disappointing part was the amount of time that was spent wondering over what happened at these crime scenes and who did it and the fact that it was never properly addressed。 You hear a lot about who the murderer could be， but never a lot about who they are。 Yes， you do get a name and how they relate to everything， but they are only actually present during one interaction with Michael and a recounting of what happened the night the Carlsons were killed by Marie。 Basically， I would have actually liked to people get to know them and find out their reasoning for the murders。 This brings me to my next point。 You never really find out why Marie and the murderer are actually killing people。 It is related to drinking their blood， but they aren’t vampires。 I thought the book was going to take a paranormal turn at one point， but it didn’t。 Maybe I’m too dense to have realised it or I’m not remembering properly， so do let me know if I am wrong。 *SPOILERS ARE DONE*There was a lot of build-up to the case trial and when it does actually come around it is quite underwhelming。 You don’t really get a first-person account of it and overall I would have liked to have spent a lot longer in the courtroom as it was taking place。 Overall I really enjoyed All These Bodies。 Although it is not a genre I would usually go for I will and already have recommended it to my friends。 If you are looking for an exciting thriller with an ending that you really won’t predict then you will love this book。 。。。more

Mimi Schweid ，

I received an ARC from Edelweiss and this book was wild。 It was tense and creepy and just what I hoped it would be！！

Angela Messaglia ，

Some really cool parts and some really slow parts。 Not my favorite Kendare Blake， but it was interesting enough。 I did like the paranormal twist - kept my guessing。

Paige （pagebypaigebooks） ，

"Deep down we all believe in monsters。"I'd like to thank Harper Collins Canada for sending me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review！I've also posted this review on Instagram and my blog。Instagram PostBlog PostContent Warnings: Death， violence， murder， sexual abuse （mentioned， not on page）， physical abuse （mentioned， not on page）， animal death， blood， cutting of skinAs many of you know， Kendare Blake is one of my all time favourite authors。 So I was beyond excited to receive an ARC of All "Deep down we all believe in monsters。"I'd like to thank Harper Collins Canada for sending me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review！I've also posted this review on Instagram and my blog。Instagram PostBlog PostContent Warnings: Death， violence， murder， sexual abuse （mentioned， not on page）， physical abuse （mentioned， not on page）， animal death， blood， cutting of skinAs many of you know， Kendare Blake is one of my all time favourite authors。 So I was beyond excited to receive an ARC of All These Bodies。 While this book is very different from her Three Dark Crowns series， it still has the amazing writing and ambiance。 Everyone that loves a good creepy small town mystery， this book is for you！ I loved the true crime vibes from this book。 The town and characters all felt so real。 I could vividly picture each person and the setting， which made for an even more thrilling read。 I have to say that I love our main characters Marie and Michael。 While the entire book is told from Michael's perspective， I still learned so much about Marie and got to know her personality very well。 I loved the complexity of her mysterious character。 The whole time reading I was thinking from every angle， trying to piece this mystery together。 Many times I found myself completely sucked into the story， I even put stuff I had to do on hold so I could continue reading 😂。 I never could guess what would happen next and I was intrigued at every turn。 I wasn't a huge fan of the ending when I first read it but I felt it worked very well with the story。 In fact as time goes on， it grows on me more and more。 I find myself turning over the story in my mind all the time， it's captured my attention。 I had a fantastic time reading it！This book will keep you thinking long after you've finished it。 I gave this book 4。5/5 Stars。 。。。more

donna ，

Thank you Harper Collins for the free arc via Edelweiss。 I could not put this book down。 I needed to know what happened。 It was very suspenseful。 The story is not like the Three Dark Crown series which made it more interesting。 I am still a little confused with the ending as we did not get a full resolution but it left me thinking。

Sandra ，

3。5 stars

Amanda Shepard （Between-the-Shelves） ，

This book very much reads like a documentary or podcast， so I feel like if you know that going in， it helps with the story！ In the vein of Blake's writing， the overall plot is slow-paced， but I still flew threw this book。 Creepy， mysterious， and I'm still not quite sure what's the truth and what's fiction。 And I think that's the point！ This book very much reads like a documentary or podcast， so I feel like if you know that going in， it helps with the story！ In the vein of Blake's writing， the overall plot is slow-paced， but I still flew threw this book。 Creepy， mysterious， and I'm still not quite sure what's the truth and what's fiction。 And I think that's the point！ 。。。more

Tiger ，

WARNING: I have no sense of what is a spoiler and what isn't， so this review may contain spoilers。 I also cuss like a sailor， so read at your own risk。 I am not a professional， I just like to read and share my thoughts on them。Why are half stars not an option？？ I feel bad giving it 3 stars， but I can't bring myself to give it 4。 I want to give 3。5 stars， but since half stars are not an option， this will have to do。 I received the Advanced Reader's Copy via a giveaway and I wish I was being paid WARNING: I have no sense of what is a spoiler and what isn't， so this review may contain spoilers。 I also cuss like a sailor， so read at your own risk。 I am not a professional， I just like to read and share my thoughts on them。Why are half stars not an option？？ I feel bad giving it 3 stars， but I can't bring myself to give it 4。 I want to give 3。5 stars， but since half stars are not an option， this will have to do。 I received the Advanced Reader's Copy via a giveaway and I wish I was being paid to review it， but I'm not lol Now， I'm not very big on vampire stories， it's just not really my thing， but I figured as long as they don't sparkle， I can handle it。 The cover is nice - it's simple， not overcrowded but also not boring。 It draws you in and makes you wonder what's going to happen。 The intro letter in the book is also pretty cool and I like the author's personality。 She seems really interesting。The book started off as a real page-turner and I was intrigued。 It didn't get boring， but it felt like it dragged on longer than it needed to like it was being stretched to hit a page goal which was kind of annoying。My biggest annoyance with this book is the fact that they keep bringing up the fact that she is a girl。"Nobody's going to execute a girl， no matter what she did。"Um， excuse me？ She can literally commit murder and get away with it JUST because she's a chick？ Mkay。 Sure。 It was fine the first couple of times they mentioned this， but it was repeated so much that it got really annoying and frustrating to read。 If the girl is guilty of a crime， she deserves to be punished for it whether she has a D or a V。 She can't be guilty because she's a girl？ Bullshit。I mean， this book feels like it goes out of its way to make us realize that Marie is a girl。 Like yeah， she's a girl。 We get it。 Girls do no wrong。 It's impossible。 All women are innocent and should never be punished even when they commit mass murder。One thing that stood out to me is when Marie said that the killer drinks the blood。 Maybe it's because Jensen is young， but I feel like MOST people wouldn't immediately jump to the idea of a vampire when they hear that。 Would they not just think it's a sick person？ Or someone who thinks/wants to be a vampire？ This boy just straight up jumps to the conclusion of vampire even though that's not what she said。 She didn't DENY it， but when she first mentioned it， she simply said "he drank it" and HE is the one that said vampire。 I don't know why but this part irked me。[No jury would buy that once they saw Marie， so young and so little。 So female。]I - efhbsjndkl WHAT。 I never thought one sentence could bring me so much pain， so much cringe。 "So female"。。。 what the fuck does that even mean？ You're kidding， right？ That's a joke， right？ Are you dead ass right now？ Either the author is a serious feminist or she's trying to capitalize on how butthurt women are these days which， honestly， isn't a bad play if you're wanting to make money。 Nothing against the author here， but I honestly hate it。 This gave me flashbacks to the feminist mess that was The Lost Apothecary。 I will never recover from that book。I'm not sure if this copy has been edited since it's an ARC， but the line breaks for their conversations confused me on more than one occasion。 Now， I understand when someone is literally speaking a fucking novel that you have to line break so it's not this huge wall of text， but the line breaks were happening after just one sentence and you know my dumbass didn't notice the lack of end quotes so I just assumed it was the next person talking but it wasn't and my brain had to stop multiple times to reread it trying to figure out who the fuck was talking。 Percy was my favorite character and really the only character I liked in this story。 I didn't hate the other characters， but they just didn't really stand out to me in any way。 Except for Pilson， fuck that guy。 He's a douche。I didn't like the ending， either。 It felt。。。 I'm not sure how to explain it but it felt as if it just ending too abruptly， I guess？ It made the story feel pointless which I get - life doesn't always have happy endings where everything is tied up all nice and neat， but this isn't real life。 It's based on a real-life case， but it's still fiction and I like my fiction to wrap up because I linger on the questions for fucking ages before finally moving on。Overall， this book wasn't terrible， but it wasn't an enjoyable read for me。 It just felt very bland。 。。。more

Gillian ，

I had high expectations for this book and was kind of underwhelmed。 This book was fine。 It was readable and interesting enough。 But it just didn’t live up to my Kendare Blake high expectations from past books I have read。 It took me a while to actually get into it and then once I did it was a little meh。 This book was advertised as a murder trial with vampires and I felt a lot of the vampire elements were missing。 I was expecting it to be more thriller-y and spooky but it wasn’t。 It kind of fell I had high expectations for this book and was kind of underwhelmed。 This book was fine。 It was readable and interesting enough。 But it just didn’t live up to my Kendare Blake high expectations from past books I have read。 It took me a while to actually get into it and then once I did it was a little meh。 This book was advertised as a murder trial with vampires and I felt a lot of the vampire elements were missing。 I was expecting it to be more thriller-y and spooky but it wasn’t。 It kind of fell a bit flat。 。。。more

Shivani ，

review to come

Minna ，

Thank you to NetGalley， Harper Collins and Ms。 Blake for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book。 An honest review was requested but not required。 This was a really interesting book。 It kind of defies genre and description。 Around this time of year， I tend to seek out "spooky stories" （thrillers， horror， stuff that will give me a scare）; I rarely find anything that truly SCARES me but I always hope for the best。 This didn't scare me per se but I definitely felt uneasy a couple of times （that Thank you to NetGalley， Harper Collins and Ms。 Blake for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book。 An honest review was requested but not required。 This was a really interesting book。 It kind of defies genre and description。 Around this time of year， I tend to seek out "spooky stories" （thrillers， horror， stuff that will give me a scare）; I rarely find anything that truly SCARES me but I always hope for the best。 This didn't scare me per se but I definitely felt uneasy a couple of times （that woods scene， particularly） and it DID put me right into that Halloween mood。The premise is， basically: a teenage girl， Marie Catherine Hale， is found standing amongst completely exsanguinated bodies of an adult couple and their teenage son， while their two year old child cries in the room。 The bodies have no blood on them （or in them， as I said） but Marie is absolutely dripping with blood。 [The author notes that she was inspired by real-life midwestern serial killer Charles Starkweather and his girlfriend， Caril Ann Fugate， as well as by the murder of Kansas's Clutter family， made famous in Truman Capote's In Cold Blood。]Local law enforcement takes Marie to the town jail， where she is bathed and incarcerated， and where she subsequently insists she will tell her story to only one person: the teenage son of the town's sheriff。 Of course， her story defies belief， both in the reader and in Michael， the teenager in question。 The plot is a little slow， as Michael graaaaaadually tries to get Marie's story out of her （she's rather reluctant to divulge details， and Michael isn't exactly an experienced interviewer） although the suspense builds carefully alongside the narrative。 The first-person POV （Michael's） makes it hard to really connect with Marie， who is still completely mysterious and remote despite connecting more with Michael than practically anyone save Nancy， the sheriff's secretary。 The ending was more ambiguous than I'd like - I'm a "Basic B" type reader and I like my i's dotted and my t's crossed for me - but it gave me shivers nonetheless。 Kendare Blake is a great horror writer （see: Anna Dressed in Blood） and I'm so， so， so happy she's returned to the genre to give us more chills。 。。。more

Michelle McFarland ，

All These bodies is about a 15-year-old girl who is arrested after a series of gruesome murders sweep in the Midwest。 All the victims drained entirely from their blood。 But can the story Marie has to tell really be taken as the truth？⁣⁣I was so happy when I received the ARC of All These Bodies and I can fully tell you that for me this novel did not disappoint！ This is a novel that is going to sink its teeth into you and claw it’s way into your heart and making a home for itself without you even All These bodies is about a 15-year-old girl who is arrested after a series of gruesome murders sweep in the Midwest。 All the victims drained entirely from their blood。 But can the story Marie has to tell really be taken as the truth？⁣⁣I was so happy when I received the ARC of All These Bodies and I can fully tell you that for me this novel did not disappoint！ This is a novel that is going to sink its teeth into you and claw it’s way into your heart and making a home for itself without you even realizing it。⁣⁣I really loved how the characters were portrayed in this novel， I specifically loved how Marie Catherine Hale was portrayed she was entirely a grey character。 She wasn’t somebody that was the hero in this story but she wasn’t the villain that the press made her out to be。 Like the story said she was someone that just couldn’t be defined and put into a box。⁣⁣I have never been so frustrated and angry with an ending！ But then again endings like this one is what I love。 An ending that shakes the reader to its core that even when it’s ended it’s stuck in your head for days at a time。 Marie Catherine Hale should’ve been the evil they hid from in this novel but instead we got to see a glimpse of humanity for the young girl who had it all wrong。⁣⁣⁣Overall， I would DEFINITELY recommend this to you guys。 But go in expecting that you will be crushed by the ending because I certainly am。⁣⁣ 。。。more

Kelsey Hlavaty （readingwithkelsey） ，

I received an eARC copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review。Ok first of all if you are looking for a creepy transitional read into the fall season， look no further because this book was it。 The way Blake mixes horror， gothic literature and historical fiction in this book is masterful because I really felt as though I was reading a historical account， or at least a gothic tale。 While it takes pl I received an eARC copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review。Ok first of all if you are looking for a creepy transitional read into the fall season， look no further because this book was it。 The way Blake mixes horror， gothic literature and historical fiction in this book is masterful because I really felt as though I was reading a historical account， or at least a gothic tale。 While it takes place in the 1950s really， the story is so unsettling that I felt as though it was happening right now。 Marie Catherine Hale is a super interesting antagonist and I loved how we were viewing her from a teenage boys eyes。 We did fall in love with Marie and we did believe her - not sure if I would have felt this way were it from any other perspective， but it worked。 This book never confirms if vampires are real or not， so if you're looking for a conclusive ending， you will not find it here but I love ambiguous endings so I was so happy with it （also， the last 20 or so pages are SO creepy）。 If this book was on your radar， I would highly recommend picking it up！ 。。。more

Amy A ，

In the Summer of 1958， the Midwest was plagued by a series of mysterious murders。 The victims all found drained of blood， but no blood found anywhere at the scenes。 In September 1958 the Carlson family is slaughtered in their farmhouse in a small town in Minnesota。 It is the same as the other deaths。 The family is found in their home completely drained of blood。 Except this time there's a survivor。 Marie Catherine Hale is found alive at the scene covered head to foot in blood。 But while she was In the Summer of 1958， the Midwest was plagued by a series of mysterious murders。 The victims all found drained of blood， but no blood found anywhere at the scenes。 In September 1958 the Carlson family is slaughtered in their farmhouse in a small town in Minnesota。 It is the same as the other deaths。 The family is found in their home completely drained of blood。 Except this time there's a survivor。 Marie Catherine Hale is found alive at the scene covered head to foot in blood。 But while she was once thought to be a surviving victim， she moved to suspect when it's found out that none of the blood is hers。 Michael Jensen is the son of the sheriff and a budding journalist。 He wants more than anything to get out of his small town。 When Marie decides that Michael is the only person she'll tell her story to， he just might be able to make that goal a reality。 Michael is faced with uncovering the truth of that fateful night， and listening to Marie's truth as she knows it。 Kendare Blake was really able to give readers a riveting true crime-esque story， but put her own spin on it as anyone who has read one of her previous books will be able to attest。 I really like how she played with fact vs。 fiction。 How our experiences invariably effect how we see things。 The whole idea of Marie revealing the story behind the murders and questioning the motives and the trustworthiness of this girl caught in the middle。 I mean is she another victim？ Is she complicit？ Does it fall somewhere in the middle？Kendare Blake really makes the reader think about all these things while the story progresses。 I really liked the idea of the story being told from Michael's point of view。 But not just Michael's point of view， it's Michael reiteration of the story， as though he's recounting it to the reader years from when it actually takes place。 It's one of the best parts about the book in my opinion and the asides alone make me want to go back a re-read the story looking for hints and clues about Michael's true fate。 Because， yes， the story leaves a lot open for interpretation at the hands of the reader。 This would make a great book for book club discussion in that there are so many open avenues to discuss， unfortunately too many spoilers to discuss openly in a review format。 The plot progresses slowly and methodically。 I wish there was a little more oomph at times to keep with forward momentum， but I think it lends itself well to the contemplative idea of the book itself。 Also， when things do occur that are out of the ordinary it really makes you sit up and notice。 Putting emphasis on the moments to either lend weight to or maybe disparage Marie's story。 This book is definitely a good one as we head into the fall season。 As I said， I'd love a chance to go back， with open eyes， and see hints and clues of what's to come。 。。。more

Audra ，

I decided to read this because of my love for Three Dark Crowns。 Although very different， I still adored Blake's writing。 Blake has a way with capturing the voice of her lead characters， and this was no different。 It felt as if I was hearing the story told to me， rather than reading on the page。 The true crime format makes even the supernatural elements feel realistic， urging you on to figure out what happened and why。 I recommend to anyone who likes fictionalized stories reminiscent of true cri I decided to read this because of my love for Three Dark Crowns。 Although very different， I still adored Blake's writing。 Blake has a way with capturing the voice of her lead characters， and this was no different。 It felt as if I was hearing the story told to me， rather than reading on the page。 The true crime format makes even the supernatural elements feel realistic， urging you on to figure out what happened and why。 I recommend to anyone who likes fictionalized stories reminiscent of true crime， slightly spooky stories， or just are big Blake fans。 。。。more

Miranda ，

Received from the publisher in return for a fair review。When Michael finds himself at the scene of the latest in a string of serial murders， he never expected to become a part of the investigation。 But Marie， who was discovered drenched in blood at the crime scene， has decided that she will tell her story to only one person， and that person is Michael。 As an aspiring investigative reporter， this is the opportunity of a lifetime。 However， Michael finds himself caring for Marie in ways an investig Received from the publisher in return for a fair review。When Michael finds himself at the scene of the latest in a string of serial murders， he never expected to become a part of the investigation。 But Marie， who was discovered drenched in blood at the crime scene， has decided that she will tell her story to only one person， and that person is Michael。 As an aspiring investigative reporter， this is the opportunity of a lifetime。 However， Michael finds himself caring for Marie in ways an investigative reporter should not feel about a news source， especially one who has been accused of such a heinous crime。This was a quick suspenseful read， which defined characters and well-written descriptions of the setting。 While the resolution wasn't quite what I was looking for in the story， it was satisfactory enough to be enjoyable for most readers of the genre。 。。。more

Doreen ，

9/13/2021 Interesting variation on her usual themes。 Full review tk at CriminalElement。com。 9/13/2021 Interesting variation on her usual themes。 Full review tk at CriminalElement。com。 。。。more

Chelsea ，

Wow。 Just wow。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=All These Bodies

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=All These Bodies&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,All These Bodies&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0