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Dead Men Walking #1

The Death Club

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Chaos. Carnage. Killing.
The three Cs that make my life complete.

I know killing technically doesn’t start with a C – but wouldn’t life be better if it did? Just like it would be better if the Devil was my boyfriend, Santa wasn’t a d*ck and I didn’t live under a bridge.

I wished for my life to improve, but it didn’t. I was kidnapped, sold, sold again, stuck in a death game, sold AGAIN and now I’m living in a serial killer’s basement.

Oh and there’s another dude down here who lives in a cage and doesn’t talk. I call him Dead Man on account of his soulless eyes. He either wants to kiss me or choke me out. I can’t decide which I want most.

Anyways, my hot, tattooed, muscular insane Irish captor thinks I might make a good hit woman once he trains me up. Which is a freaking insult by the way as I’m already the best killer in town. Ask anyone. Except the cops. Don’t ask them or they’ll send me back to that creepy asylum where they gave me the crazy pills. But shh, that’s a secret.

Want to know another one? I quite like it here. Every day is anarchy and that’s my favourite flavour.

So I think I’m gonna join The Death Club and let my freak flag fly.

This is a brand new dark menage series set in the same world as the Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep series with character crossover. Each series can be read independent of each other and the lead female character will end up with more than one love interest.

549 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 15, 2021

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About the author

Caroline Peckham

90 books16.6k followers
I'm a #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Zodiac Academy series. I write all things dark romance, from fantasy to contemporary, high school bully to mafia, there's bound to be a book for you!

Me and my sister Susanne Valenti now write books together and we've built the most amazing, fun, crazy reader group on Facebook which we would LOVE you to join. Be the first to get teasers of upcoming books, plus interact with us daily, asks us questions, make friends with other book junkies and find your reader home.

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For all business inquiries please contact us at>>

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,063 reviews
Profile Image for Rebecca (life's chaotic catching up).
395 reviews1,010 followers
June 20, 2023
"People always hated others for being different, but really they just hated themselves for being average."

Wow, this book was just pure unadulterated raw CHAOS!!! Brookyln aka "The Bully Butcher" has been kidnapped by an underground crime organization but when Niall, a serial killer and part of the O'Brien crime family comes across her fighting in a death match, he sees real potential and decides to buy her so he can train her to be his new death partner. First, he needs to know he can trust her so while she trains for her new "career" and proves herself she is living locked in Niall's basement but she's not alone bc Niall has another prisoner down there in the basement already, Matteo, a deadly killer from the Cartel with his own trail of bodies to his name!! Brooklyn finds herself drawn to both men and the between the three of them there is enough CRAZY to spare!

"Your boyfriend's not the Devil, lass and he ain't deep in hell neither, because he's right here and he's got big plans for you."

This book started off really funny and unlike anything I have ever read before but then it just didn't go anywhere. There is really no plot, the whole book is pretty much just a stream of consciousness of three very disturbed people and their intrusive thoughts. And while it is REALLY funny at first, the jokes get old fast especially when nothing is really happening. I did really like all three main characters and I think if there had actually been a plot it could have been a good book but unfortunately, I was really bored for the entire middle of the book, it was super repetitive. The ending like most of the sisters books is where it finally picks up and the ending leaves off on a cliffhanger. Jury is still out if I will continue with the second book. (Kind of want to see what happens but also don't know if it's worth it.)🤔

"I couldn't help but hunger for her, she was all the right kinds of crazy and I was determined to find out how deep her insanity ran."

Thank so much to my SS SS Cecelia for reading this crazy book with me!! We were in the crazy house together with this one for sure!!
Profile Image for Redhead Haze.
217 reviews525 followers
October 13, 2022
Genre: Contemporary romance
Tropes: RH, enemies to lovers, slow burn, tragic past, hate to love
Trigger Warnings: death, torture, kidnapping, human traffic, attempted rape, virgin heroine
Series:   Dead Men Walking #1
Cliffhanger: Yes
Spice: 2/5 🌶
Rating: 4.5 ⭐

“The Death Club’s a shitty name,” Niall muttered.
“Pfft, it’s the best name,” I said dismissively.
“It’s shitty. It needs to be something like…” he trailed off in thought.
“The three muskillteers?” I offered.


600 pages later and not a single sane person here. Did I love it? Yes. Did it make me question my own sanity? Also yes. Would I recommend it? If you don't mind the trigger warnings, yes. You already know I'm a sucker for books by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti and this one, my Goodreads friends, was an insane ride I couldn't get enough of. It felt darker than the rest and there was a lot of grey area here, but ... I just couldn't help myself.

》》The Plot《《

With a traumatic past, a murderous spree and an escape from a highly secured prison for disturbed criminals, Brooklyn finds herself captured and sold into an underground Hunger Games style event at an elitist secret club, only to win and to be sold again. But her new Irish captor treats her better than she has been treated in a very long time and the man she has to share the basement with fascinates her. And there's also Coco Pops. So when Niall, her captor, offers to train her to be a better killer and work with him, Brooklyn accepts enthusiastically.

“Give me another shot,” I demanded. “I’ll kill the next one so good you’ll wish you could get inside my body and possess me. You’ll wanna get inside me so bad, Hellfire, it’ll make you ache.”
His throat bobbed. “What d’ya just say?”


After agreeing to help his nephew Kyan ( yes, Kings of Quarantine fans should be excited), Niall finds himself with a new person in his house. One that makes him confused and makes him want things that he thought were dead and buried ever since his wife has been murdered. He's not sure what he wants and his father's (who also happens to be the head of the Irish mob) arrangement for a marriage for him with a Russian mafia bride only tangle things more. Plus, there's also Mateo, the man he keeps in his basement and who refuses to give him the information he needs and who also seems to be just as fascinated by Brooklyn.

“The past is done,” he growled. “Which is why I’ll offer you somethin’ far better than a dead man ever can.”
“What?” I asked on a breath.
“Vengeance. Make a list, love. Of everyone who has ever wronged you deep enough to die for it. I’ll track ‘em down and deliver them to you with a weapon of your choice.”


Hate, lust, spice and madness are the main stars in this book and, with shared POVs between Mateo, Brooklyn and Niall, the story is a complete page turner with fast paced action, a lot of funny moments and its own special brand of insanity.

》》Characters and Relationships《《

👩🏻 Brooklyn

"I needed a saviour, so I became my own. She didn’t ride in on a white horse, she came with hellfire at her back, her body coated in a suit of sin. I’m not the girl you dragged into the woods that night. I’m your darkest nightmare brought to life.”

She's insane and childish and all innocent and psycho at once. She has absolutely no filter and that leads to some of the best verbal waterfalls I've ever read and some situations that left me in tears of laughter. Take Harley Quinn and double the madness, throw some innocence in the mix to stir things up, an obsession for Coco Pops and remove all the filters and you've got yourself one hell of a female MC. Unique just doesn't cover it all.

🧔🏼Niall

"I came damn close to falling all the fucking way down to the street below. 
No such luck of course. The Devil didn't want any competition so he'd refused my admittance to hell more times than I could count by now. He'd done me the courtesy of making sure I lived within my own personal hell at all times though, so I guessed he was winning."


Ever since Niall was introduced in Kings of Quarantine (which might just be my favorite series from the sisters) I was wondering what was going on inside his head. And I was not ready for it. There was a lot of pain and blame there, but there was also such a strong 'Devil may care' vibes and flickers of madness that I'm still trying to figure him out.

🧑🏽‍💼Mateo

"Satan, if you’re listening. I know this one was made by you. And bravo. He’s a work of art. Did you sculpt him out of the same clay you made Niall with because ho-ly fuck I’m not sure which of them gets me hotter."

I think he might be the sanest of them three, but that's a lot like saying 0×10 is greater than 0 to be honest. His quiet demeanor and his need for vengeance for being held prisoner is intriguing and I feel like we have yet to see the full extent of his demons.

👩🏻🧔🏼Brooklyn and Niall

“Oh Hellfire, I spent so long thinking I was the only one. It’s been so lonely. Are there more like us?”
His brows drew together as understanding flickered in his gaze. “Not many,” he said in a gravelly tone.
“Shame we hate each other.”


Their teasing is the best and when they go full psycho but keep the behavior of a 5 year-old I don't know whether to laugh or cry or be frustrated. There's a lot of chemistry going on here, but the slow-burn is a killer, with Niall being haunted by memories of his wife's death and with Brooklyn being inexperienced and with no trust left in people.

“It was so dark in this house before you came here,” he mumbled.
“Did you get new lightbulbs when I arrived?” I whispered.


It's infuriating and funny and at some point I was soooo not trying to figure them out anymore. Just sitting tight and enjoying the ride. I'm waiting for some fireworks, of course,  because my two little psychos deserve some happiness.

"Pretty is what you call girls who are sweet and bland and boring. You're not pretty. You're the only thing in the room no matter how full it is. You're the kind of woman men go to war for. Even beautiful doesn't cut it for you. You're breath taking in the most extraordinary way."

I love how there's sooooo much intensity in every scene with the two of them, but there's also layers and layers of restraint and mental talks on Niall's side about why he should stay away from her. I mean, the guy kills and tortures without blinking, but when it comes to giving in into his intuition and feelings he goes all logical and temperate??

👩🏻🧑🏽‍💼Brooklyn and Mateo

“If I were capable of crawling into the shadows of the past, I would string up your enemies by their necks and set a fire at their feet,” he snarled.

They are still kind of slow burn, but at least they're feeding us the spice we were craving. Mateo is definitely protective and possessive of her and I love it how he gets so obsessed so quickly with her. And he's this big bad wolf who didn't crack under torture but he's also this cinnamonroll who brushes her hair and remembered she wanted to hold someone's hand.

“Ooh, shit, did I turn you on too?” My eyes dipped to his sweatpants where sure enough there was a huge bulge pressing against them. “Oh my god, I don’t know my own power.”

Typical Brooklyn behavior is a thing in their relationship as well and she has a looot of lines that leave Mateo utterly speechless (not that he was very talkative to begin with). But I like how she bargains with Niall for little freedoms for Mateo and how that seems to be the first kindness he experiences. They are definitely good for each other in their little psycho ways.

》》Favorite Scenes《《

👩🏻Brooklyn 'passing' the test
🧑🏽🧔🏼Kyan calling Niall for help
👩🏻🧔🏼Brooklyn hearing Niall's laugh
🧔🏼👩🏻Niall seeing Brooklyn fighting in the games

"Ho-ly fuck, I think I'm in love," I announced loudly.

🧑🏽‍💼👩🏻Matteo analyzing Brooklyn
👩🏻🧑🏽‍💼Brooklyn giving Matteo a pillow
🧔🏼👩🏻Niall asking Brooklyn to work for him
⚔The Ass versus Arse fight
🧑🏽‍💼👩🏻Matteo going all "who hurt you?!" on Brooklyn
🧑🏽‍💼Matteo remembering her secret wish to hold someone's hand and taking her hand to calm her down
👩🏻Brooklyn's question with no filter
👩🏻🧑🏽‍💼Brooklyn telling Matteo about her plan to seduce Niall while he was obviously possessive and jealous

"Maybe I’ll do a dance for him next time. A striptease.”
“No,” Mateo snarled forcefully. “Don’t do that.”
“It’s not like I can’t dance, Dead Man. I’ve got moves.”
“That wasn’t my p-”
“I’ll grind my ass on him then he’ll peel my sweatpants down and he’ll be all like ‘great leprechauns, that’s the finest arse I’ve ever seen’,” I did a perfect impression of him but Mateo didn’t crack a smile. “Then I’ll let him have his wicked way with me and stab him in the eye!”
“You. Will. Not. Fuck. Him,” Mateo spat.


🧑🏽‍💼👩🏻Matteo brushing Brooklyn's hair
👩🏻Brooklyn's demands
🎊Anastasia putting Conner in his place

"Ah, the poor woman who is to be saddled with my youngest and most irritating brother for a groom," Conner interjected, offering her his hand.
"Ah, but you are clearly the ugliest, so at least Niall doesn't have that burden to bear," Anastasia replied smoothly.


📖 Brooklyn talking about Darkmore Penitentiary series
⛽ the Gasoline scene with Niall, Brooklyn and Mateo
👩🏻🧔🏼 Brooklyn hugging Niall
👩🏻🧑🏽‍💼 Brooklyn tending to Mateo's wounds
🧑🏽‍💼👩🏻 Mateo giving Brooklyn a really good time

"Sorry if you saw that, Satan, but I have a second boyfriend now, kay?"

🧔🏼Niall saying glove instead of love when speaking to Anastasia
👩🏻Brooklyn agreeing to be a honey trap for Mateo
👩🏻🧑🏽‍💼🧔🏼Brooklyn's story and Mateo's and Niall's reactions
👩🏻 Brooklyn advocating for Mateo to have a shower

"Plus he needs a shower. He's all hot and sweaty and lickable. If you leave him like that, I'm gonna end up licking him."

🧔🏼🧑🏽‍💼👩🏻Niall finding Mateo and Brooklyn sleeping in her bed
🧔🏼👩🏻🧑🏽‍💼Niall walking in on Brooklyn and Mateo
👩🏻 Brooklyn taking revenge
🧔🏼 Niall finding the video of Brooklyn taking her revenge
🧔🏼🧑🏽‍💼 Niall going to Mateo for help

》》Conclusion《《

Damn, that's a new kind of crazy I experienced here. Totally not ready for this. The only problem: it's addictive and I'm soooo looking forward to the next book. The slow-burn nearly killed me and all the seriously hilarious retorts Brooklyn delivers have me coming back for more. Again,  Caroline and Susanne did not disappoint.

"Roses are red, violets are blue, watch out beastie, I’m going to kill you."
Profile Image for Crystal (Crystalreads2) .
877 reviews820 followers
January 6, 2022
Its been a few days, and I am still reflecting on this book; it was past my expectations. I buckled up and boarded the crazy train; I fell in love with totally unhinged characters and wouldn’t have it any other way. I am still not ready to get off. Thank god there is going to be book two.

This book gives you a complete look at three completely broken characters, past, and present, and it’s far from roses. It’s filled with darkness, demons, dark humor, and craziness. Some may be a little more unhinged than others. I also feel like I saw a supercharged Harley Quinn and the joker at times. Many of us did, and it’s true. It is phenomenal.


The book is full of steam, crazy, character development, a fantastic plot, and so much more. Read the trigger warning. There is a ton of them, and it is not for the faint of heart. This book pulled me in, and I pulled an all-nighter to see what would happen next. The author left me wanting more. If you like dark and crazy, this book is for you. As I sit here writing this review, I am changing my four stars to five because I can't find any constructive criticism. Not one thing, It’s a beast of a book. I can’t wait for the next book.
Profile Image for Ceceliaₓₒₓₒ | hotforbooks.
134 reviews417 followers
Shelved as 'twisted-sisters-torture-specialists'
June 22, 2023
《 3.5 ✰ 》

She was a kindred soul. Someone so full of pain and hate that the only cure for it was violence. I knew that feeling well. And I wanted to get a taste of hers.

Nothing says love like bonding over murder!

This was W-I-L-D!! I enjoyed the beginning, skimmed the middle, and was hooked in the last 15%.

These authors create the most memorable characters and HILARIOUS banter…
BUT #1) I wish there were more 1:1 relationships.
BUT #2) I think a lot of their issues would be solved by shortening the length of each of their books by about 100-200 pages.

The Zodiac Academy Easter eggs were so much fun!


I’d always wanted to kill a Lionel. There was something about that name which just screamed evil overlord to me, and I felt it was best to rid the population of them just in case they ever tried to rise up and rule the world like some kind of megalomaniac dragon king.


⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Excited to continue the Twisted Sisters backlist journey!
Dead Men Walking status: engaged

bernie

⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Soul Sisters take on Twisted Sisters Part II! Thank you so much, Rebecca! Always the best time with my SS!
Profile Image for beth m.
805 reviews
March 20, 2021
Love the idea, follow through not so much

I absolutely loved the idea of psycho guys with a psycho girl badass bustin balls and taking names.

Didn’t happen.

The bulk of this book was nonsensical ramblings from the characters. I love the idea of some crazy, but it wasn’t crazy badass with some psycho, it was crazy mental institution that the authors tried making funny. Let me be clear, they weren’t making fun of mental health, but their way of showing crazy was a constant stream of internal rambling of phrases that don’t make sense in a way that cues the reader that there’s a few screws loose in the leads’ heads.

The female lead. There could’ve been such potential. But instead of making her sound like a tough chick they made her sound like a little baby with mental illness trying so hard to be funny. Again. I get it. The authors want you the reader to think she’s a funny psycho but she just comes off as obnoxious and dumb... and slow-ish? Her ramblings were just childish? They tried to make her funny by her messing up words to songs like “Hokey Cokey” instead of “hokey pokey”. The way she talked to some people with her ramblings just made her sound dumb. She was part of a hunger games type situation and in it she said to this one girl with a ponytail “stupid ponytail b***h is there a horse’s a** under there”... like stupid little comments like that. It lowers the potential of this book. It’s these baby-ish immature phrases that just annoyed the heck outta me and killed this book.

I wanted a badass psycho killer female lead with skills, instead I got a coocoo for Cocoa Puffs girl who’s IQ points are getting lower by every dumb thing and long winded ramble that comes out of her mouth. Her lack of sexual experience coupled with what comes out of her mouth from a sexual standpoint is cringe-worthy.
I’m not even going to get into the guys. I feel like the authors were trying to channel Harley Quinn but failed.

There’s a fine line of psycho, but let’s not forget that while Harley is psychotic, she is also a very well educated female lead. This lead was not. The male leads aren’t as awful and disappointing.

I felt like majority of this book was getting nowhere. The bulk information was the beginning and the very end, then it’s overwhelmed by junk dialogue that takes over the entire middle of the book with no real progression.


I notice the next book is out in 2022. Dear authors, please for the love of everything, fix this next book.
Profile Image for Valkyrie ✨.
638 reviews812 followers
May 14, 2022
May 2022: 2nd re-read. Just as good as the first time. Brooklyn remains one of my all time favorite female characters 🖤

Sept 2021: Original review.

“If she was crazy, then so was I and I didn't for one second believe being a psychopath was a sign of insanity. We were just a persecuted profession and we needed to stick the fuck together in this world of judgmental bastards.”



Holy Mother of Jesus Christ.

This was something else. I’m used to reading dark books, but I think it’s the first time I read the love story of three clinically diagnosed psychopaths and, against all logic and common sense, I actually loved it.

This book worked so well, I was invested from beginning to end. I understood the characters (dunno what that says about me lol) and their motivations, traumas and desires. And this story is proof of how talented these sisters are as authors. This same story in the hands of other authors could’ve been a colossal hot mess. But Caroline and Susanne made this crazy, fucked up story to work. Not only did this work, the Death Club is an amazing book. Probably in my top 10 of this year.

Keep in mind these characters are psychopaths who find pleasure in killing, alright? I don't want to romanticize any of this. Niall is a hitman who kills for money and loves violence. Brooklyn feels pleasure from pain and from inflicting it. And Mateo hates women and can’t have sex with them without hurting them, or even killing them. Although, weirdly enough I found him to be the more sane of the three.



So you know, this book has a lot of trigger warnings and it is its own brand of insane. But it was really well written and developed, that’s why it’s so good. And for a book with so many dark themes, murder and fucked up situations, I actually laughed out loud a lot. Like, a lot.

Brooklyn is an amazing main character. She’s so naive and innocent, and the jarring combination of that next to her thirst for blood created something really lovable somehow. She was hilarious and completely chaotic and unpredictable, which I loved. And her dirty mind and obsession with dicks and butts was fabulous 🤣

Niall had already picked my interest while reading KoQ but reading his POV made me fall hard for him. His angst and self-loathing got to me so good. The way he hated himself for feeling something for another woman after his wife’s murder 10 years prior was the kind of angst I live for. And it made his chemistry with Brooklyn a million times hotter.

Their banter was out of this world hot. They beated the shit outta each other and would end up tangled together, all hot and bothered. And it was the hottest thing. Seriously, at one point I had to sit down while reading because my knees were jelly.

Mateo was really interesting and complex. His backstory and the origin of his traumas was very unexpected and original. But there was something holding me back from fully loving him. Niall is a psychopath who enjoys killing people but he goes after rapists and doesn’t hurt women. Mateo on the other hand, the fact that he hates women, I don’t know y’all, call me crazy lol but it was a turn off for me. But his devotion and obsession with Brooklyn were deliciously addictive. So I'm not complaining.

It shouldn't surprise anyone at this point, but I'm hoping we get a real menage relationship in this series and the two men get involved together as well as with Spider. I'm convinced there were a lot of hints and subtle foreshadowing, so I'm holding onto hope until next book, which comes out...

... in 6 months ...

Profile Image for Abstract ♥ Books.
1,212 reviews1,656 followers
March 9, 2021



ALL MY REVIEWS CAN BE FOUND ON MY BLOG: ABSTRACT BOOKS

line

Web-Photo-Editor "Evil has so many faces," she murmured, tugging on my mask so that it slid down to conceal my features. "But I think I like yours the best.”


Star Rating : 4.5/5 Stars

POV : Multiple

Cliffhanger : Yes

Hero : Niall , Mateo

Heroine : Brooklyn

Pace of the story : Moderate

Angst Rating : 6/10

Heat Rating : 7/10

Triggers Involved : Past Trauma , Torture scenes

Web-Photo-Editor he couldn’t realise his cruelty was my weakness.”


Plot Summary :
Brooklyn is Messed up in the head. And she never disagreed. Her methods and way of thinking are different and she is a raw weapon. The one who attacks first and then asks questions. Life has never been easy for her. She has had her share of horrors and there is no way she would let anyone break her. That is until she catches the eye of an animal even more twisted than her.

Niall is the unhinged one in his family. Ever since he lost his wife years ago to a grusome murder , his head has never been right. Killing is the only thing that satisfied him to some extent. That is until he lays eyes on a girl whose whole soul spoke to his . She was just like him. Unhinged, just like him and there was no way he was letting her go.

Mateo has been Niall's prisoner for months. Things become a bit more interesting in his bleak life when Niall brings home another prisoner. A girl who intrigues him. With her mouth that never stops talking, she is the one thing he wants all for himself and there is no way he is going to let Niall take that away from him too!

Web-Photo-Editor a man without fear is a man without limits. I hadn't had any limits in ten long years.”


Overall Opinion :
These authors, it's like there is no trope they can excel in. When I first read about Niall in the Quarantine series, I knew how unhinged and crazy he was and how challenging it would be to write his book but damn these ladies hit the nail right on the head!!

Niall, Brooklyn and Matteo have a take that will literally make you laugh so much and shiver front terror too. All these three are unhinged and together they are anyone's nightmare. The best part of this series of Brooklyn. She was this chatterbox woman who had gone through some terrible things but she never lost her spark. The things she said, omg, she had me damn near dying from laughter!!! Absolutely amazing!

If you want to read an MFM take about three psychos who are so different yet so perfect together, then don't hesitate to read this one!! Also, the cliffhanger in this book was much milder than what I expected from these authors but it was still bad!! Highly recommended from my side!

My-Post-3
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Profile Image for Bex (Beckie Bookworm).
2,166 reviews1,438 followers
May 10, 2022



I Loved this It was beautiful psychotic chaos they say there’s someone out there for everyone and this proved that philosophy hands down. In this case, make that several someones. This really is a forage through pure insanity served up with a side order of total crazy.

Slow burn with lots of build-up Brooklyn's world is deranged it’s like she’s a fucked up Alice in her own personal psychedelic wonderland her persona is so erratic but also whimsical she’s a strange mix of innocent and savage and she has the homicidal maniac sweet little girl persona with her lolly pops and hair bunches and wacky dress sense down pat. It’s a toss-up whether she will kiss or kill you I don’t think she even fully knows herself it all depends on what mood she's in.

She’s Chaotic totally unpredictable needing lessons on control as she does does everything so spontaneously which puts herself at a clear disadvantage She’s definitely a bit of a liability being so unpredictable with her behaviour Spider/Brooklyn acts on all of her emotions in that present moment and like a child she’s so easily sidetracked.

We met Niall as well as Brooklyn in a previous series and I was so intrigued to continue on with their story here and it turned out to be so much more than I expected it to be. This is told from three points of view Niall the youngest son of an Irish mobster family he is totally unhinged and very much touched with his crazy. He’s lost greatly in his life and suffered tragedy and he is now the end result of all this pain.

Then there's Mateo locked up in a cage in the basement Niall is torturing him for information on a buried money stash so he has the means to escape his life and family who he hates. Mateo is equally as dangerous he’s the fixer for a cartel and he lives with constant daily demons. Both are equally drawn to our girl lured in by the echoes of her pain seeing in her their ideal counterpart but both fighting this connection tooth and nail, especially Niall.

We are also briefly introduced to a third male mad jack an inmate at the psychiatric hospital Brooklyn resided in not much is yet known regarding him and I’m very much intrigued to learn more about him going forward. I’m especially looking forward to seeing how the pieces of this will all fit together Niall and Mateo are sworn enemies and want each other dead and their only common interest is the girl both desire to own for themselves.

This ends on a cliffhanger that definitely left me wanting more and I can’t wait to dive into the conclusion of this. These authors always deliver fabulously and I’m never disappointed.
Be aware though that this one definitely skirts all moral boundaries and is packed full of bloodshed and violence throughout zero apologies given which is just how I like them

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Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/63435390
Profile Image for Heather.
182 reviews22 followers
March 6, 2021
Leave it to Susanne and Caroline to make me fall in love with a bunch of psychos. This book was a crazy ride and I’m pretty sure it brought out a different side of me. Seriously, if I start going on a mass stabbing spread I’m going to blame them. I mean all the cops have to do is read this book themselves and I’m sure they would understand, right?

This book is about three people with demons that have made them a little unhinged (okay maybe more than a little). You have Brookyln who experienced a horrid event that led to her making friends with the devil in her head. If you read the Brutal Boy series you know Niall already. The loss of his wife has left him with guilt and a need for blood. Then you have Mateo who has had a dark childhood and lacks control once he gets lost in his head. Brooklyn is kidnapped and sold multiple times before she ends up at Royaume D'elite, an elite club where all kinds of shady, criminal activity happens. They host the death games where 15 people fight to the death in a maze while members watch. After winning, Brooklyn is bought by Niall and taken back to his place. She is locked in the basement and finds she has a roommate. Mateo has been held captive for months for information Niall has been torturing him for. But no matter what he won’t say a word.

Most of the story is just these three which were different from the other books the girls have written. I enjoy it just being this trio because we got to know them better and get a feel of how they interact with each other. Niall and Brooklyn’s banter was hilarious. I also loved Mateo’s possessiveness of Brooklyn. And of course there is the hate between Niall and Mateo. I’m definitely looking forward to how they will handle this in the next books. I think they would make a good team but there is a lot of growing and forgiveness that needs to be done which I don’t think either character is willing to do on their own. Luckily they both have a certain girl to help push them.

I was so excited when this book was announced. I loved Naill from the Brutal Boys series so I just knew this book would be amazing. But I was thrown a curve ball because Niall wasn’t even my favorite character! Shocker, I know. I mean okay, he was a close second only about .00004 points behind. But no, Brooklyn took over my heart and soul. She was a riot and I couldn’t get enough of her. Her inner dialogue is just as good as her conversations with the guys. I love whenever she got common phrases wrong, especially when she would argue they were right. The fact that these authors were able to take this insane girl and make her someone I inspired to be is terrifying, but honestly, I'm okay with it. I mean she is a great killer and has two handsome devils fighting for her attention. I think she is doing just fine.

So we are once again gifted a cliffhanger, though I don’t think it’s as bad as it could have been. I was scared at one point near the end that the book would be over. Thankfully the lovely sisters decided to not be as cruel as they’ve been in the past. I’m still going to be anxiously waiting for the next book though. Anyway, I’m off to name some kitchen knives and google where I can find Coco Pops. We can travel again, right? Maybe it’s time for a trip to England.
Profile Image for Valkyrie ✨.
638 reviews812 followers
Want to read
September 2, 2021
Are you kidding me??? Niall got his own book???? And it’s with Kidnapped Girl and Basement Guy????? And they are all psychos?????? Sign me the fuck up 🥵
Profile Image for TheBookPlatypus.
1,002 reviews204 followers
March 14, 2021
Picture a character that’s a mix of Aileen Wuornos (infamous female serial killer), Kill Bill, and Harley Quinn all mixed up into a batshit crazy yet lovable woman named Brooklyn Meadow. Aka The Bully Butcher. Aka Little Psycho.

Brooklyn has always been a little off her rocker but when an attack on her happened that left her feeling a shattered, she decided to seek vengeance and went on a killing spree. She almost accomplished her job but two survived. She was then put in a mental institution. Again she learned that men are nasty creatures who do horrible things to women’s bodies without their consent. She escaped and has been on the run.

Here’s where the book it’s totally interesting. She gets captured by men who end up selling her.
And then gets put in this Hunger Games scenario where she has to fight for her life and she catches the eye of a Irish mafia fixer, Niall. He becomes the second main character of the book. He is also completely mentally unstable and bat shit crazy and you cannot help it just fall in love with this man.
“ hellfire. A sad, sad boy who felt as empty and alone as me. “
We call him Hell Fire. He ends up buying Brooklyn. And I don’t think he quite knows what he wants to do with her but possibly train her to become maybe a partner? He’s very intrigued by Brooklyn but wants to remain her captor as he is dealing with some grief from losing someone close to him. And he’s also going through a arranged marriage that his father has requested.

And then we meet the third main character, Mateo.

* I’m telling you all right now I am laying full claim to this man.*

He is a Mexican cartel fixer who has been a captive living in a small metal box basically of Nialls. Mateo refuses to give information to Niall that he wants. He’s had an extremely rough life and hasn’t seen the light of day for months while shitting in a bucket in the corner for six months.

Brooklyn nicknamed him Dead Man. These two captives form a very interesting bond. And Brooklyn actually gets under Nialls skin as well.

-There is sexy time with Brooklyn and both men. But not all three together. -

It’s a totally unconventional trio of crazy ass people who are brutal killers and completely hilarious.

I am not new to these authors, but what I can definitely say is noone can do dark comedy like they can. I haven’t read anything that comes close to the writing style of this duo Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti.
I thought I had another series of theirs labeled as my favorite. But this book literally grabbed my attention from the first word to the very last. It does leave off on a cliffhanger.
There’s going to be definite triggers. I mean this is full of murder. Talks of rape. More murder. blood and drama. And mayhem. But in between all of this and the hot ass sex.. it’s full of comedy. I mean, I was laughing through the entire book out loud.

5/5




(I won’t lower my rate over it, but I really wish that I didn’t sign up for this ARC and then spent the entire day reading it only to see that the next book won’t come out till March 2022... omfg 😫)
Profile Image for Alaina.
6,564 reviews214 followers
May 9, 2022
3.5 stars

The Death Club is the introduction to the Dead Men Walking series. At first, I was a little intrigued by the characters. Then I quickly found myself getting bored. Mostly because things were moving at such a slow pace. It just made it so easy to get distracted by everything else around me. When I finally found something that could keep my attention it was basically too late. The book was almost over, and I just didn't know how I felt.

Now I'm pretty sure I've met Niall before. Looking at other reviews for this book, I would have met him in another series written by Caroline. Unfortunately, I never actually finished that one so I might dive back into that one before I read the sequel for this one. Not that I think it would help fill in any blanks for this series since it's about different people. I just think it will put me in the mood to continue on with this series. Maybe, not sure.

In the end, I think the gangs are pretty interesting. I just hope things flow a bit better in the next book. I don't think I can handle another slow-paced plot when it comes to gangs and these guys.
August 28, 2023
This book was a whole lot of crazy and it was everything my little psychotic heart desired. I immediately latched on to the heroine and her neurotic thoughts. She's completely unabashed and on so many ways innocent but unfortunately the world has been cruel to her and something in her has snapped. Brooklyn is a product of her circumstances and it's rather heartbreaking seeing how the world failed her. In fact both her men are the same way and been molded into savage killers with no moral compass.

What I find funny about this book is how there is pretty much one single setting for the entirety of the book and yet 500+ pages and I never wanted it to end. I was riveted from the start and devoured this book and all the crazy drama even laughing hysterically out loud like a loon when I was taken off guard. Brooklyn has no filter and the way her brain works is beyond fascinating because at the end of the day this girl is living her life to the best of her ability and enjoying it in a way only she can. To be clear I LOVED this book and I will forever have a crazy girl crush on Brooklyn. While I'm bummed it seems to be less reverse harem and more menage (as she only has two by the end), with Brooklyn really there's no telling what will happen or who she'll pull under her spell next. I'm already bummed this book is a duet because I'm dreading finishing. The dark crazy intensity doesn't let up let up and I'm a junkie for it all. This book is not for the faint of heart, prudes or those without a little darkness in their soul, then again we're always accepting applications over here on the dark-side 😈 😈 😈

2023 REVIEW
Honestly I needed this reread more than I knew. Brooklyn is a heroine like no other, it's impossible not to love and appreciate her world view. Sure she may be mildly insane, but she also makes sure her world is the best it can be. Regardless of reality or fact Brooklyn lives to the beat of her own drum for sure. Trouble lands her at the mercy of another insane killer who can't deny his own pull to this crazy woman. Brooklyn's banter and her crazy thoughts really made this book. It was impossible not to laugh at the shenanigans but also root for Brooklyn to find her place in the world. This is by far my favorite duet ever and if I'm ever stranded on an island I better have them with me!
Profile Image for Jennasis.
391 reviews101 followers
April 18, 2022
DNF at 10%

The FMC is so over the top "I'm zany and querky and edgy as fuck and OH SO rAnDoM" Reminds me of attention starved middleschool me, and thats NOT a good look. I was willing to keep giving it a chance but the MC's voice is the exact same as the FMC. "I'm dark and unhinged and so crazy random, you'll never know what I'll do or randomly get distracted by in the middle of a scene!"

Bleh, so over the top, so childish for characters that are in their 20s and thirties.
Profile Image for Tanya Courtney.
397 reviews9 followers
March 17, 2021
I've wanted more of Niall ever since he popped up in Everlake prep, everyone loves a serial killer right! I suppose technically he's an assassin, but he loves a good killing spree...potato potatoe.

This book is pretty crazy, if you want humour, hijinx and the odd bit of murder this is one for you. It's about three deeply flawed people who have been broken and remade with darkness and hellfire. Two are a little bit crazier than the other, which was kinda restful when in his POV.

This book gives you a good look at the characters past and how they've become who they are and how they got to where they are in life. Mateo is still a bit of a mystery compared to Niall and Brooklyn.

I'm looking forward to the next one and seeing where the story goes, though I'm happy if it's just a good laugh and one long killing spree.
Profile Image for ⚚♆ Cynthia ♆⚚.
351 reviews23 followers
May 3, 2022
*** 3.5 STARS ***

The Death Club is the first instalment in the Dead Men Walking series, a dark menage romance. If you were fascinated as me with Niall’s character in the Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep series, the psycho deranged killer and Kyan’s uncle, you are in luck! Niall is one of the MMCs. If you haven’t read the Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep series (what are you waiting for?), don’t worry as it is not required and you won’t feel lost at all.

Brooklyn is the MFC, who has been living out in the streets for a long time until one day she is kidnapped and sold. She has to fight for her own life in a death game and ends up being bought (again) by Niall. However, she won’t be the only captive. Niall had also kidnapped Mateo, the other MMC, who he has been torturing for months to find out where Mateo hid loads of money he stole from one cartel.

If there is something that is quite unique in this book is the main characters’ inner monologue, especially Niall and Brooklyn’s. They are quite crazy and you cannot stop laughing at their thoughts. Also, seeing Brooklyn trying to become a professional killer was hilarious. Mateo’s personality is darker and more serious. I didn’t feel that much connection to him in this book so I am hoping that improves in the next books.

As the book is quite heavy on getting to know the characters, I found the plot a bit slow, especially once Brooklyn was in Niall’s house. However, there are lots of elements that have been introduced which I am quite excited about, especially around the gangs and Niall’s family.

It wouldn’t be a Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti’s book without a cliffhanger, I cannot wait for the next one to find out what happens next!
Profile Image for Cindy ✩☽♔.
1,166 reviews965 followers
April 29, 2022
This books very teeters on the edge between 2 and 3 stars for me. Because while it was entertaining enough for me to keep reading, the more I thought about it the less I rooted for the relationships and characters.

They’re a mess and damned hot mess. The men, Niall especially, are toxic. He treats Brooklyn like shit a lot of the time and keeps Mateo in a cage...like I don’t know it’s just hard to root for someone like that. The only reason it somewhat works is that they’re all psychotic. Basically, you wouldn’t ship them with anyone normal. Because no one in their right of mind should be straddled with these guys and their brand of crazy.

But because all three have all got plenty of screws lose you’re like oh okay maybe this is a case of there’s somebody for everybody?

I don’t know sometimes crazy characters work for me (such as A Death So Sweet) and sometimes they don’t 🤷🏻‍♀️

May or may not give the second book a try, given that I love a lot of the authors other books, but I haven’t decided yet.
Profile Image for Alli.
321 reviews14 followers
October 2, 2023
DNF at 35%
No real reason, just got distracted and forgot about it. I couldn’t get into it again
Profile Image for Naia Pard.
Author 1 book94 followers
July 1, 2022

This book was gruesome and weird and it did not surprise me having already read the Zodiac Series, (link to the review for the first book of the installment

I mean, the blood play was a bit too much, even for a dark romance (they did not have sex in blood, I am talking about their glee at the prospect of physically hurting people).

It had the vibes of a Tijan book. Imagine that Tijan is the classic in this type of romantic dark writing and this book is taking some notes from Tijan and then it adds some of its Harley Quinn type of batshit crazy.

The first time I tried to read this book I disliked it because of its too nonchalance tone. It was too happy-puffy. The second time I had a 6-hour train ride and some noisy people getting on my nerve in the vicinity. What I want to get at is that this book is good for certain moments in life, and those have to be really specific. I don`t think if everything is super great with your day you will want to pour your sorrows into this read.

It gets better if you are able to stick through the initial chapters. The chapters until Neil and Brooklyn meet are too hefty. Skip them if you have to (it won`t hurt the general plot line).

Instagram\\my Blog\\

Profile Image for Jess McDaniel.
905 reviews52 followers
March 7, 2021
I did not know I needed all these psychos in my life. I have loved Niall from the moment he dropped a bunch of heads on the table at a family dinner. So when the sisters announced his own series, I was sold.

This book is so different than anything I have read by them. The characters are literally insane and I never know what is going to come out of their mouths. The humor that's in this book had me laughing through the whole thing.

Niall is just as crazy as we have seen before. Naming his weapons is one of my favorite things about him. We also see how miserable he actually is over his wife's brutal death in this book.

Brooklyn is certifiably insane, not that she would want me to call her that. She is hilarious and is constantly running her mouth. The fact that she welcomes death, makes her impulsive.

Matteo's soul has been tortured since he was a younger. He is dark and broody, but has that soft spot for Brooklyn.

Getting towards the end of the book, I knew a cliffhanger was coming. I'm also pretty sure that the sisters only know how to end books on a cliffhanger. I can't wait for book two, Society of Psychos to come out. I need to know what happens next!
Profile Image for Ayesha.
387 reviews82 followers
March 16, 2021
A book filled with the good kind of crazy

If you have read Zodiac Academy and love Geraldine then you will love The Death Club!!! Its like Caroline and Susanne plucked out there inner Harley Quinn then mixed a dash of Geraldine to create none other then the amazing Brooklyn, an amazing female character who is dark, twisted and full of humour mix that with our favourite mad man Niall and you have an explosion, because they both have this compatible brand of crazy!!!

The Death Club can take a minute to get into, its not like there normal writing and that brand of crazy can take a few pages to settle but when it did I found myself whizzing through this book full of anxiety at wanting to see how this played out!

The Death Club is a smart, witty, crackling book filled with psychological suspense where 3 souls sing to each other in ways that only Caroline and Susanne could perfect
Profile Image for Cindy Brown.
207 reviews22 followers
April 11, 2022
I’m a loss for words.

I spent the weekend reading this book. Okay… I spent the weekend skimming over this book because I hated it so much.

I have nothing good or nice to say about it, there is nothing that I enjoyed.

I hated the piss-poor attempted at the Russian and Irish Mobs. Include the Mexican Cartel and it’s just a mess.

The characters are lacking so much. “Oh I’m so dark, dangerous, and psychotic”.

Don’t waste your time on this book.

Read a different series by these authors.
Profile Image for Addicted 2 📖.
467 reviews8 followers
March 23, 2023
One hot mess

OK, listen, just because I love certain authors doesn’t mean I don’t have a brain of my own; I will not automatically like a book or series just because it’s written by someone I like.

Let me start by saying, I love Niall, and I was excited about a book about him. He is a psycho that you love but this book? I get where the sisters were going with this, but to me it was a giant fail. They tried too hard to make out Brooklyn a.k.a. Spider, a version of HarleyQuinn. Instead what we got wasn’t a psycho, bad ass but a mentally unstable train wreck who babbled, said things that weren’t even funny and was just all-around annoying. You couldn’t make heads or tails of her character because she sounded so uneducated but then they made her sound normal with her inner thoughts and nothing jived.

The setting for the story allegedly took place during the Hades virus like the series kings of quarantine but at the psychiatric hospital, no one is wearing masks, and before then people were out on the street, but they were still on lockdown?
I can see sort of where the authors were going with this, but in my opinion, it was a giant hot mess, and I grew extremely bored and annoyed, and it makes me so sad because like I said, Niall is awesome - ya, I’d claim him as my book boyfriend lol.
14 reviews1 follower
April 20, 2022
dumbest book ever

I read a lot of books and I gotta be honest…this book sucks. The story is lame and the main character Brooklyn is just an idiot. It’s sad the way the authors play her off as funny. Aside from the whole wanna be serial killer bit she’s also obviously not full functioning in her head. And it’s supposed to be funny??? No it’s just sad.
Profile Image for Lilly.
21 reviews4 followers
November 18, 2021
Ugh this book was a huge breath of fresh air!
Brooklyn has to be one of my all time favourite FMC's, her brand of crazy was so refreshing to read an god damn hilarious 😂😂
Cant wait to see how B's, Mateos and Nialls relationship develops, it's not gonna be smooth I know that for sure 😅
March 8, 2021
𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊: THE DEAD CLUB


 


𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄: DARK ROMANCE.
𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐄:REVERSE HAREM, CAPTIVE-CAPTOR ROMANCE, DARK TRIGGERS
𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑: CAROLINE PECKHAM and SUSANNE VALENTI.
𝐓𝐘𝐏𝐄: BOOK #1 OF THE DEAD MAN WALKING SERIES.
𝐏𝐎𝐕: FIRST-PERSON: MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVE.(NIALL, BROOKLYN, MATEO.)

𝐌𝐘 𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐌 𝐋���𝐕𝐄𝐋:🔥🔥🔥🔥.5
𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐏𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓:🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠
𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐁𝐔𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆:🌏🌏🌏🌏🌏
𝐄𝐘𝐄-𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑:🦋🦋🦋🦋

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘:
This is a Spin off series for the BRUTAL BOYS OF EVERLAKE PREP taking place in the same world with some familiar and new characters.

An Hitman Niall, a crazy slave girl Brooklyn and the mysterious man in the basement...
They are as different from eachother as they can be but one thing pulls them together...fate or lets say the BIG RED..😜😂😈.

Brooklyn was sold multiple time before she entered hell on earth...Royaume D’élite, a place where darkness resides and innocent are sold for pleasure of depraves.
Niall instantly felt a connection to her and he bought her...not to save her but to harness her skill to kill and make a partner out of her...but its so easy said then done....
Mateo was trapped in Niall's basement for almost a year with him being tortured back and forth for information and Brooklyn came as a surprise to both of them...she was everything they wanted AND needed.

𝐌𝐘 𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒:
The time for Review has come and I am scared that no matter how many words I use..I won't won't able to do any justice to how good this book was...

I am serious when I say that once I started this book..nothing else mattered..real world just vanished and all I was left with was this trio of characters and the crazy Hilarious things that come out of their mind.

Isn't it the proof of author's talent when she makes you laugh at your FMC killing people and dancing on their corpse...Hell yeah!
I know Niall was the one who make them come together but it was Brooklyn who bonded them.

I got Serious Joker and Harlequin vibes from this book...I believe they even broke the crazy perimeter...

I have never laughed at, loved, and obsessed over a character more than Brooklyn...there were innocence and vulnerability to her( as much innocence a killer can have). Niall...oh God!! This guy...I met him in the previous books but it was amazing to see him in action...every expectation of mine was met to the T... Mateo was the unfamiliar one but he too made me fall for his broody exterior...

Now for the cliffhanger part...The authors took pity on us it seems...it wasn't brutal like I feared and it feels like I can wait for book 2...barely.

𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐉𝐔𝐑𝐘
Should you read this book? Hell yeah!!! This kind of read is a must for every Romance genre lover.
I don't believe anyone can make you fall in love with these physcos better than this co-authors..
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