A Corpse for Christmas

The Naughty List

by Ki Brightly, M.D. Gregory

Eddie accidentally becomes a serial killer. In the process, he ends up winning the heart of a man he never knew he could love with all of his.

Genres: Christmas, M M Romance, Dark

215 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 8, 2025

About the author

I spend most of my days writing, editing, and perfecting the craft of storytelling.

A note to readers: I don't hang out on Goodreads or social media, so if you have any questions about my books, please check out my website, which I host with M.D. Gregory.

Reviews

[martina (the life of a chaotic reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

im not saying that accidental murder isn’t fun, because it is. especially when it happens multiple times.
however it doesn’t feel as good as planned, psychotic, regular murder, you know?
i need my real serial killers during christmas time, im sorry

[♥ Rebecca ♥ · Rating 2 out of 5]

1. Christmas Mafia Prince - ★ ★ ★ ★ .5
2. A Bloody Merry Christmas - ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
3. Murder Under the Mistletoe - ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
4. The Silent Night Stalker - ★ ★ ★ ★ .5
5. A Corpse for Christmas - ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆


This is co-authored by the same author as another book in this series, A Bloody Merry Christmas, which was my least favourite before this one. So I was already skeptical. This features another homeless young man, Tyler, like Ezra from A Bloody Merry Christmas, and they knew each other and even mentioned Ezra in this one. Tyler runs into his ex-stepbrother, Eddie, who is a MASSIVE klutz and is so annoying. And then he accidentally kills someone because he’s so clumsy. But Tyler is so impressed that he pretends it was on purpose. And he keeps the charade up for awhile. But he’s just so annoying! So I guess this author isn’t for me. I hadn’t read anything by them before, but King's Killer is on my TBR. But it’s by this same duo as this, so I’m probably gonna remove it.

[True Loveislovereview · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tyler has a list. There are seven names on it, they all did horrible things to him. They have to disappear, one already did. With the help of Tyler’s only friends, Ari and Jules.
One on that list is Eddy, his ex-stepbrother. The one who left him five years ago, in the hands of his abusive (step)father.

Eddie is clumsy, always been, he’s more on his butt than on his feet. His head, hand, and foot coordination isn’t as it should be. He’s back in town and happy to run into Tyler.
Only, Tyler isn’t happy to see him, and the guy is heavily scarred in his face. What happened?

Tyler doesn’t want anything to do with Eddie, until Eddie kills a guy who’s on his list. Five to go!

What follows is a dark story, written in a lighthearted way. It was bloody, awesomely funny,
sexy and satisfying.
I read it in one sitting, and loved it


Review also on LoveBytes - LGBTQ bookreviews

I received an arc

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A Corpse for Christmas is part of The Naughty List, a multi-author dark romance series set during the holiday. Gregory and Brightly take us back into their New Gothenburg World for this creative take on dark romance. It’s got some second chance meets enemies to lovers vibes, plus some hurt/comfort, grumpy/sunshine, and murder.

Tyler has had it rough. His stepfather was cruel which led him to leaving. From shelters to homelessness, he’s had his fair share of people using and abusing him and his trust. Now he carries a list of the ones who deserve revenge. On that list is Eddie, his former stepbrother who left him behind.

Eddie fled to Cali to get away from his father, but he always assumed Tyler was fine. When he sees how untrue that is, Eddie is determined to find out what happened in his absence and why Tyler carries a list of names, including his. Unfortunately, Eddie is the biggest klutz in the world which leads to a series of crazy events.

I found the premise of this book to be unique and creative. Though I have to admit, it wasn’t really my thing. I could not find that draw to either character. The constant clumsiness wasn’t endearing for me. Though I’m sure some will find it charming. I was also confused by how quickly Tyler went from “I hate him” to “my savior.” There were just parts that I felt would benefit from more information. That said, the relationship between these two was quite sweet. The spicy parts were full of heat. I enjoyed their banter and closeness as the story progressed. I would recommend this book to those who like a bit of humor and softness in their dark romance.

I also enjoyed seeing glimpses from the great NG world. Red’s sass and Ari being Ari were definite highlights. I look forward to what these two authors do next.

[Showarst · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book to read and it continues an excellent series. Tyler felt abandoned by his stepbrother Eddie. When the two reunite, new feelings emerged and they began a relationship. I really loved these two together. The murders were hilarious accidents which worked out advantageously. I am loving this series and I always enjoy a story set in New Gothenburg.

[rinia carla · Rating 2 out of 5]

ehh they were kinda boring..eddie being a klutz got old really fast.

tyler deserved to kill everyone on that list!

[thebloggerandthegeek · Rating 2 out of 5]

Extremely boring.

[Abigail Beckwith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's Ki Brightly and MD Gregory's "A Corpse for Christmas." It's part of the multi-author series The Naughty List.

["Who Doesn’t Want Their Enemies Destroyed For Christmas?

A Second Chance for the Accidental Serial Killer
Eddison “Eddie” Wheelwright isn’t a bad guy, he’s just a chronic klutz. He escaped his abusive father by going across the country for college. To make his exit, he was forced to leave behind a good friend, Tyler. Eddie told himself Tyler would be fine. Years later, Eddie runs into him again. He has been hurt and is on the verge of homelessness. Tyler has not been fine. Guilt eats at Eddie, and he can’t ignore Tyler’s plight, especially since it’s almost Christmas.

Hope for the Homeless Man
Tyler Morrow hates a lot of things. His ex-stepfather, who gave him the scars on his face. Eddie, who left him behind to be tortured. When their lives collide on one of the worst days of Tyler’s life, Tyler decides to ignore Eddie. The plan fails when Eddie murders a man who exploited Tyler. He can’t help but give Eddie another chance to be part of his life. And a brand-new shot to earn space in his heart.

The List
Tyler has a list of men who caused him pain. Only Eddie has no clue what the list is for, so he sets out trying to solve the riddle. Through a series of unfortunate accidents, he leaves most of the men dead. Tyler thinks Eddie is murdering these awful men to protect him. What will happen when he learns the truth? Will he forgive Eddie for taking credit for something he didn’t do on purpose? Or will this be a death blow for their new relationship?"]

Oh Eddie, clumsy, klutzy, kind-hearted Eddie. He tried sooo hard and somehow failed and excelled at the same time. Good thing Tyler didn't care, not one bit. Because the end goal was the same: Eddie protected Tyler and made the world safer for him.

They were separated by time and fear for years, but the moment they were back together, the same old protective rightness came right back. Granted, it wasn't easy, with all of their past traumas, but it brought them closer together.

One of these days, I'm going to read the entire New Gothenburg universe...one of these days.

Trigger Warnings: death, mayhem, mentions of past child abuse, past domestic abuse, on-page confrontation with a former abuser, past exploitation, past mentions of sex work, facial scar as a result of childhood trauma, and more.

#acorpseforchristmas #kibrightly #mdgregory #mistletoemischiefandmurder #christmasmafaiprince #abloodymerrychristmas #stalkingaroundthechristmastree #murderunderthemistletoe #thesilentnightstalker #deckthehallswithbloodanddesire #thenaughtylist #thenaughtylistseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

[Mandy (MP Book Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Eddie Wheelwright reunites with Tyler Morrow—the one he once left behind—he’s determined to make amends. Instead, he accidentally kills the man exploiting Tyler. And then, somehow, a few more of Tyler’s enemies. Tyler thinks Eddie is avenging him on purpose. Eddie absolutely is not. With Christmas looming and bodies piling up, their second chance at love hinges on one tiny detail: can Tyler forgive an accidental serial killer?

I loved that this isn’t a simple “we drifted apart” reunion. Eddie and Tyler’s second chance is built on abandonment, trauma, and years of unspoken hurt, and so their reunion forces both men to confront the past rather than rewrite it. It was interesting that Tyler’s life had been shaped by violence, exploitation, and neglect. His scars — physical and emotional — aren’t just backstory; they inform every choice he makes, and Eddie becomes a catalyst, but not a cure. Tyler’s healing was jagged, reactive, and deeply human. I also loved that the story played with the tension between righteous fury and chaotic fate and the moral absurdity of someone becoming a hero by mistake. I also thought that both men carried distorted self‑images, as Eddie sees himself as a walking disaster and Tyler sees himself as unworthy of protection. Their journey challenged their internal narratives, asking whether people can rewrite the stories they’ve lived inside for years. Many emotions and feelings. This was an MM story with mature content.

** Please read any trigger warnings (or author notes)

[TaurReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A Corpse for Christmas by Ki Brightly and M.D. Gregory mildly hooked me at the start and is part of a multi-author series. The tension between Tyler and Eddie, their complicated past, and the messy feelings between them made things interesting at first, but the pacing felt a bit too fast for me to fully connect with either of them, especially with the heavier emotional themes in play. The jump from Tyler hating Eddie to falling for him happened very quickly, even with Tyler believing Eddie deeply cared about what had happened to him, and that emotional turn just did not fully land for me.

I enjoyed the writing style and the story kept moving, but I ended up more drawn to Ari, one of the side characters, than to the main couple. I also wished there had been more detail about what the people on Tyler’s list actually did to him, as well as more insight into what Eddie’s dad did to make him leave beyond being told he “wasn’t a good person.” It held my attention and I liked parts of it, even if it never completely pulled me in. I would still recommend it to readers who enjoy darker, emotionally tangled holiday romances and do not mind a quicker, fast-burn pace.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Savy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been waiting a long time for Tyler to finally get his HEA. If you have read some of Ki en Meg's other books, you might remember him, especially from 'Speak and Obey'. In fact, while this book is a standalone, I do think you might miss out on something if you don't read 'Speak and Obey' first, just to understand Ari and his relationship with Tyler. As always, I also loved seeing some other characters from the New Gothenburg world in this book.

Tyler's love interest is a very clumsy main character named Eddie. When they reconnect again after many years, Eddie immediately wants to help Tyler. And Tyler, being down on his luck, has no choice but to accept said help.
Trying to understand Tyler better, Eddie goes after the seven people on a list Tyler carries with him. However, things don't turn out as planned and when corpses keep showing up, Eddie start panicking more and more. Afraid to lose Tyler, he doesn't dare tell the truth. And Tyler, for once in his life taken care of and getting rid of some of his old demons, only falls harder for Eddie along the way.

While I was really looking forward to this book something didn't click for me. I didn't really get Eddie's character and I felt like their relationship took some turns that made my head spin. Maybe if some things between the main characters were talked about better, it would have felt neater.
It also lacked a certain suspense for me, even though I knew it was going to be a sweet story. It was still great to read, it was just missing that spark for me.

[SNik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of a multi-author series (The Naughty List), but can be read as a standalone. Former stepbrothers and friends. Dual POV. Heed content warnings.

Seeing his former stepbrother again is a shock to Eddie, and so is discovering that the list of names Tyler has, with Eddie’s name on it, is a hit list. Tyler has been struggling for years, but when Eddie kills a man from Tyler’s list he decides to give Eddie another chance, and maybe give in to their mutual attraction.

An accidental hitman? Sign me up. Eddie is hilariously clumsy and actually the holidays are bringing him some insane luck and the chance to have Tyler back in his life. I enjoyed the dark humor of this story, with Eddie and Tyler actually finding happiness together was the icing on the cake. Some touches of the holiday, along with plenty of steam, and some inadvertent justice served kept me entertained and smiling through this book. A bit of a cameo from the authors book Speak and Obey was fun, and really Eddie and Tyler are perfect for each other. 4.25

[Gabrielle Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an engaging story. Eddie and Tyler used to be step brothers but it has been years since they have seen each other. A lot has changed since Eddie left and now that he has come back to town, he finds that Tyler has suffered more than he can imagine. Eddie truly wants to help Tyler and goes about things in his own way, hoping that he can help Tyler.
I enjoyed this story and seeing Eddie and Tyler reconnect. Eddie is a disaster waiting to happen yet he always has luck on his side and this helps Tyler find his revenge. It was nice to be along for the ride as these two men find their way to happiness. I liked the way their relationship forms and a bond deepens between Tyler and Eddie. Their story moves along at a good pace and pulled me in right from the start. I am glad that the two were strong enough to survive and find one another again. They deserve all the love and happiness that they can claim.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the funniest Christmas story I’ve read.

Eddie and Tyler were stepbrothers and awful things happened when they lived at home. But Eddie got out leaving Tyler there to be on the receiving side of his stepdad’s bad behaviors. Tyler has really bad feelings for Eddie for leaving him there instead of taking him with him.

Later they meet and Eddie finds out what happened to Tyler plus the awful life Tyler has been living. Eddie tries to change that and the situations that happen are hilarious. Eddie is the absolute world’s greatest klutz. He proceeds to get into situations that are so believable and awful that I could not help but laugh out loud. Poor Tyler he is so beside himself with what he perceives Eddie is doing for him.

Then there is Tyler’s friend Ari. There is an interesting guy that another book could be written about. He is a real partner in crime.

This story made the stress of the holiday a little lighter.

[Ana Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

OMG, what a disastrous unaliver! I have never enjoyed a character more than I did Eddie😆

My God, how can someone be so clumsy and still manage to get things done? He definitely had luck on his side because the way he fumbled over everything was just an accident waiting to happen.

But jokes aside, what Tyler and Eddie went through was terrible. Even though Tyler blamed him at first for leaving and Eddie felt guilty about it, there was nothing either of them could do.

They were too young and Eddie couldn’t just take him. I’m glad they got rid of those jerks that harmed Tyler and that Tyler was able to finally stand up for himself.

Loved the way Eddie showered him with love and compliments, letting him know there was nothing wrong with him. That he was precious just as he was.

They both deserved to be happy and forget their crappy past.

This was such a fun read!

[Belinda Zamora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second chance, hurt/comfort, dark

Tyler has had a terrible life, he's been seriously hurt by people.
Hence the reason for a hit list.
His step brother Eddie is on that list.
They stumbles upon one another after years apart.
Eddie accidentally eliminates someone on Tyler's list.
This leads to the lightbulb reasoning to help whittle down the list as a means of amends to apologize to Tyler for hurting him.
Eddie was absolutely hilarious as a klutzy hitman with great luck on his side.
I really enjoyed seeing him and Tyler not only reconnect but find a way to stay happy together through the list.

[Suzanne Irving · Rating 5 out of 5]

These two authors are both great writers and I love the weird and original stuff that comes out of their brains when they work together. The idea of two step brothers isn’t original but the way these two guys interact is really fun to read. Eddie is just so funny to read as he literally stumbles through one thing after another as he tries to get Tyler to like him again. I don’t know how these writers keep coming up with this stuff and how well they get it to work because a funny klutzy multi un aliver is not something I would expect to enjoy as much as I did.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eddie abandoned his stepbrother Tyler, leaving him with Eddie's abusive father. When he returns 5 years later, Tyler is angry, disfigured and unforgiving. When Eddie trys to make things right by going to see one of Tyler's abusers, he accidentally brings the man death but Tyler thinks he is avenging him. It's a dark, m/m romance as only death brings their love to the surface. Eddie has the worst luck of anyone ever and is so clumsy and Tyler, though traumatized, is not aggressive but they are hot for each other. I received a copy of this through BookSprout and this is my voluntary opinion.

[FHR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tyler has had a rough life and has suffered, because of this he has scars which has led to him seeking his revenge from those who have wronged him. One such person who he seeks revenge from is his stepbrother Eddie. Eddie who reappears in his life after a long time but has his own demons and idiosyncrasies which lead to them reconnecting.

A story with darker themes, second chances, seeking revenge and finding love with the one you least expected to.
The story pacing is a bit off at times and character development could fave been a bit better, but overall this was a good read. 3.5 stars rounded up.

[K-Me · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eddie and Tyler were just a mess in different ways. Eddie has decided to take on Tyler's hitlist and all the clumsiness was hysterical. How could Tyler not accept Eddie into his heart? I felt for Tyler as he felt left behind, and he was badly hurt. A little bit of vengeance and gore mixed in with a holiday romance between two guys who deserved better!

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️s. This book is part of a multi author series called The Naughty List which is a dark holiday romance series of standalones. This is Tyler and Eddie’s story and is an enemies to lovers second chance story it has darkness but the relationship that forms between Tyler and Eddie has sweetness as well. Decent read.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this story. Please mind the trigger warnings because even though this was like a comedy of errors there are definitely a lot of “accidents”. This was definitely a different type of Christmas story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[J K H · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a slightly dark holiday story, this one is for you! Eddie escaped a rough childhood but regrets leaving Tyler behind - Tyler’s life has been so tragic that he’s kept a list of people who have done him wrong - Eddie is on that list but accidentally starts helping Tyler with that list. This book is funny and sweet while still being edgy. Definitely a fun read!

[Ren || Reading What I Want · Rating 4 out of 5]

this one was...a bit wild. a bit strange. a bit less than what i hoped for but definitely not what I was expecting.

tyler hurt my heart. honestly, so did eddie. poor boys. their spicy scenes were SO good. the plot was the, uh, strange bit.

just chaotic. almost too chaotic but regardless, cute romance with a bit of emotional angst.

[Kassandra Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it… obvi, it’s a Ki and Meg book, what’s not to love? Morally Gray is my new favourite Christmas colour.

I’d recommend if you like these tropes.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murderer or not…

This was a cute story of step-brothers finding each other again and being lucky in love but not so lucky when it comes to accidentally offing the bad guys in their life. Eddie, sweet Eddie….what a klutz!

[Kirstin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started as a revenge mission, but when Tyler’s ex-step-brother shows up and accidentally kills Tyler’s first target, it’s kind of a parody of murder that ensues.

I thought the idea was fun and it was entertaining but the dialogue seemed really stilted and immature to me.

[Betty]

DNF 29%. I loved the other books in this series, but this was just wasn’t working for me. The clutzy step brother accidentally killing people. A random kiss out of nowhere in a dirty alley where he used to perform sex acts for money? How romantic. Just not for me.

[Rebecca Bartlett · Rating 3 out of 5]

“He craved every single bit of me and I happily gave it to him. He could have whatever he wanted, as long as he stayed at my side forever.”


I had so much fun with this book. These two are the sweetest!! Highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone 🖤

[Stephanie W · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like a little danger to go with your holidays, this is the book for you. Yes, it will definitely place you on the naughty list, and worth every page turn to arrive there.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.