A Review of Kyrie McCauley's "All the Dead Lie Down"

Ah, yes. What’s better than an atmospheric, trope-filled romance that’s also a horror novel? Not much! In this, Kyrie McCauley’s “All the Dead Lie Down” delivers, both with its macabre content and its happily-ever-after (don’t ever take that away from my romances!). 

Marin has recently lost her mother and has few prospects. Is this a Regency or Victorian romance? Nope, set in the present day. When a horror novelist she admires hires her as the summer nanny for her two young daughters, Marin takes the position at forlorn and remote Lovelace House. The children’s father has also recently passed. From the beginning, Marin is tested by the mother, the children’s cruel pranks, and the strange nature of the house. When the eldest daughter returns unexpectedly from her summer studies, however, Marin finds it too difficult to leave the strange property. Even though, with Evie’s arrival, things get even stranger. Together, the two must protect the young wards, navigate Mother’s odd behaviors, and unravel a mystery a few generations in the making. 

The blurb compares this book to both “Bly Manor” and “House of Salt and Sorrows.” “House of Salt and Sorrows” was my favorite book from last year’s reading, so I jumped on the chance to read this as well. It lacks the fantasy aspect but does deliver on the haunting and the atmosphere. It’s a rather timeless setting on the coast of Maine, and it would make a lovely summer read if you like something that is both gruesome and light-hearted at times. The development of Evie and Marin’s relationship is sweet, and the younger girls seemed realistically portrayed, which can be quite difficult. I was hooked from the beginning on trying to figure out why their mother was behaving the way she was, and the answer does not disappoint. I was thoroughly entertained from beginning to end and look forward to other works in this genre from Kyrie McCauley.  I received this book from NetGalley.