They Want Us Dead

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Author(s)

CL Montblanc

Publisher

Wednesday Books

Genre(s)

Age Range

13+

Release Date

April 28, 2026

ISBN

978-1250340535

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In this new mystery from CL Montblanc, the author of Pride or Die, two internet enemies are forced to work together after a true crime meetup turns into a deadly case of its own.

Seventeen-year-old Sam Tombs hopes to get more eyes on the videos they make to raise awareness of crimes against LGBTQ+ teens. A true crime content creator event seems like the perfect opportunity to grow their channel―until the group becomes stranded at an eerie Victorian mansion, and one of them is killed in the night.

Sam’s alibi, and the only person they can trust, happens to be their mean, dorky internet nemesis Dylan. But the two must now put aside their rivalry and use their investigative skills to figure out who among the remaining teens is the killer, before their own deaths become tomorrow’s trending content.

Editor review

1 review

Chilling Thriller Story with a hint of Romance

April 13, 2026 (Updated: June 03, 2026)

Overall rating

3.7

Plot

4.0

Characters

3.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

In They Want Us Dead, Sam Tombs and their arch internet nemesis are being forced to live together. Sam’s channel is focused on getting eyes on crimes against LGBTQ+ teens, and now they’ve been invited to a true crime content creator event. This is a great opportunity until it seems that the group is stranded, and one of them is dead. Dylan and Sam are now forced to work together to figure out who amongst them is the killer.

What I Liked: This book has you guessing as to who’s done it the whole time that you’re reading. If you read closely enough, you may guess what is going on pretty early into the story, but this book does a great job of immersing you in the action that guessing isn’t the first thing on your mind.

This book spans many topics such as greed, gender identity, friendship, trust, and more. Each of these topics is handled with care, and there is nuance to each topic as it comes up between the characters. Something else that is covered in great detail throughout this book is the concept of right vs wrong, and when each of those is relevant. This becomes more important as things unfold throughout the teen's time at the house, and they take actions based on what they believe to be true.

The book is full of twists and turns, and just when you think you’ve figured someone out, they go ahead and surprise you. The dark humor throughout the book will keep you engaged even when you want to look away because you can’t bear to read on and see another one of these teens gone. I

There is a romance included in this, which is touching and well-developed. It’s fascinating to read as Sam and Dylan learn more about each other, especially as Sam develops feelings for Dylan and is frustrated with those feelings. The misunderstanding that they have of one another is cleared up throughout the book, making for a heartwarming entrance into their relationship. Their ability to trust one another also allows us to learn more about them individually as they share themselves with each other. It is through their conversations with one another that we learn about Dylan being autistic and Sam’s feelings regarding their gender.

Final Verdict: They Want Us Dead is a chilling thriller story about the extent people are willing to go to get what they want. This book is perfect for fans of Scooby Doo, murder mysteries, and escape rooms. Young adults 13 and up will enjoy going on this exciting adventure with Sam and trying to guess who is safe and who we should look out for.