I recently read Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson, and I have to say, it’s one of the most unique and enjoyable mysteries I’ve encountered in a while. The book introduces us to the Cunningham family, a group notorious for their lethal tendencies. The story is narrated by Ernie Cunningham, who not only recounts the events at a family reunion in a snowy lodge but also breaks the fourth wall frequently, adding a layer of metafiction that keeps the reader constantly engaged.

One of the standout features of the book is how it pays homage to classic detective fiction. Stevenson cleverly incorporates Ronald Knox’s “Ten Commandments of Detective Fiction,” creating a puzzle that is both intricate and full of surprises. The plot is packed with twists and turns, and the witty, conversational tone makes it a joy to read.

Finally got round to reading this, apologies for the late review. This is a lot of fun: a closed-circle whodunit written by someone who really knows their murder mysteries. There are lots of savvy and knowing asides to the reader and lots of breaking the fourth wall. It's also full of twists and turns and I did not guess whodunit. Looking forward to the next one.

Unfortunately I have not been able to connect with this book and so after multiple attempts I have had to mark as dnf.

Absolutely brilliant you must read this
Thank you so much for this book a new author for me and i want the next book please

After hearing a lot of good things about this I was really looking forward to it, but it took me a couple of attempts at starting before I gave it a full go. Unfortunately it took me an absolute AGE to get into the swing of it, and I never really got on with the style. The overall story was OK, but the reality is I only finished it to find out if I was right about who did it.... (I was but not about why).

A gripping book that I struggled to put down. Brilliant plot with a host of interesting characters, I will definitely read more by this author.

I LOVED this book! Having somehow only just got around to reading it, I’m very glad I did.

The way the novel is written is very compelling - it’s narrated by Ern, someone who writes books on how to write books, and comes from a notorious family. He’s been cast out by his mother after giving evidence in a murder trial that saw his brother sent to jail. But now his brother, Michael, has been released. And Ern has to endure a big family reunion while wondering if he can get away with the bag of cash his brother entrusted to him.

There are so many layers to this novel. There’s a heap of mysteries regarding Ern’s father’s death, the crime that Michael apparently committed and how they are connected and link to much bigger things. But alongside the unfolding mysteries (which only grow as dead bodies start showing up) are the developments in Ern’s personal life.

He’s separated from his wife for complicated, sad reasons that we find out about as the story unfolds. But their relationship is written brilliantly - they clearly still have feelings for each other, even though their romantic relationship is over.

The writing is very clever, funny and moving all at the same time. I loved how, towards the end, so many references from earlier parts of the book finally make sense - the reference to punctuation is particularly brilliant. And Ern’s developing relationship with a new woman is very well done, not sentimental or overblown. The ending is really lovely and brought tears to my eyes.

This is the first novel I’ve read by Benjamin Stevenson and I definitely want to read more. I would highly recommend this book.

Fantastic author with a strong narrative voice. I went into this expecting a solid mystery read, and was quickly pulled in by the well-crafted and descriptive writing. Stevenson is masterful in his use of language. An excellent read by a brilliant writer.

This crime thriller has such a unique hook and style!

When I first began reading it, I wasn’t keen on the first-person, fourth-barrier-breaking narrative style but it grew on me as I became more familiar with the characters. And the way the author managed to stick to the ‘golden rules’ of classic murder mysteries, and yet still managed to FAIRLY dupe and misdirect me, won me right over.

On the downside, none of the characters are particularly engaging or endearing, including the main character and narrative voice, so I wasn’t as emotionally invested as I could have been in their survival. Although Ernest did eventually grow on me too. This seems to be a running theme in this book!

There is a complex back story beneath the main mystery plot here, involving heists, gangs and all sorts of different deaths. The construction is incredibly clever and that made it an enjoyable read, despite the characters leaving me a little cold.

This one is definitely worth a read for dark mystery fans looking for something a little different. Goodreads has this listed as ‘Book 1’ and I am already invested in the question of how the author can turn such a meta novel with a one-off concept hook into something more long-running… watch this space for more news on that one!

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

I LOVED It!!!!!!!! This book is fun engaging and impossible to put down. From the very first page I was gripped and my interest never dropped.

A hugely clever, dark, sarcastic and funny take on the classic crime novel format.

A hugely underappreciated distinctive crime novel which seems to be flying well below everyone's radar.

Full review to come.

This one wasn’t for me. I really wanted to like it as the protagonist seemed so real, complex and was very direct and charming. But I just couldn’t get into the plot. The writing style was also hard for me to get to grips with. The story was basically given away in the prologue (on purpose), but that wasn’t what put me off, as the protagonist goes back and recounts things as they happened. What stalled me was the rambling tone of the writing. I felt like I was racing to the ends of sentences, and although it made it fast-paced, I found myself stumbling over the words and becoming frustrated. I had to go back and reread entire paragraphs.

This book will find the right readers, I’m sure, but sadly wasn’t for me. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher, for a chance to read and review this book.

Various people gather for a family reunion at an isolated winter resort. It soon becomes clear that there are enmities and family secrets to be unveiled.

The conceit implicit in the book title wears thin pretty quickly and the knowing winks and humour of our narrator will appeal to some but irritate others.

In essence, this is a(nother) take on the country house murder mystery but fails to hit the mark.

My thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph publishing for the opportunity to review this book.
Brilliant! A combination of thriller, mystery , murder and mirth. Plus a twist.
A definite page turner with a difference. I would highly recommend especially if there's a snow storm.

From the opening lines, this book had me gripped. It is dark humour, quirky and light all at the same time. We are being told a story by Ernest Cunningham as he attends a 'family reunion' at a ski resort and explains how everyone in his family has killed someone.

This is a murder mystery with twists and plenty of references to the 'golden age'of mystery writing. I really enjoyed the style of writing, the reliable narrator and the nods to books of the past. I haven't read anything quite like this before but I want to read more.

“Everyone in my family is a killer. Everyone in my family is a suspect. But which of them is a murderer?”

My thanks to Penguin Random House Michael Joseph for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone’ by Benjamin Stevenson. I complemented my reading with its unabridged audiobook edition.

The narrator of this Australian dark comic mystery is Ernest (Ernie) Cunningham, who advises the reader in the Prologue that while these days this type of book has an unreliable narrator, “I’ll strive to do the opposite. Call me a reliable narrator.”

To prove himself he then lists the chapters where deaths will occur. He also pledges to ‘play fair’ according to the rules set down in Ronald Knox’s ‘10 Commandments of Detective Fiction’, 1929. These are listed in the Epigraph that Ernie says everyone usually skips. He suggests going back and reading and bookmarking.

Well, this opening was great fun and completely captured my attention. Certainly, I felt that Stevenson followed through and delivered a cracker of a murder mystery packed to the rafters with Golden Age references and crime fiction tropes.

The plot itself has the extended Cunningham family gathering at a ski resort to celebrate the release of Michael, Ernie’s brother, from prison. Given that it was Ernie’s testimony that led to Michael’s conviction, he is somewhat wary of how he will be received. In addition, a storm is on its way that will strand them. Well, of course, it is …. No further details to avoid spoilers though the Prologue gives a good indication of the upcoming body count.

‘Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone’ proved one of the most entertaining mysteries that I have read and I will be enthusiastically recommending it to friends who enjoy sharply observed whodunnits.

Highly recommended.

I’ve found myself watching ‘Only Murders In The Building’ recently and realised I enjoy a mystery/whodunnit more than I ever thought I would. Now, this novel is, for me, a perfect companion to this type of show or, if you’ve been watching things like Knives Out or See How They Run then I think you’ll enjoy this. Give it a go and see whether you can work out what’s actually going on!

Ern has good reason to be dreading the upcoming Cunningham family reunion. Tensions are running high and, up in the mountains with a storm incoming, a body in the snow is the last thing they need. In a bid to work his way back into the family fold, Ern tries to find the killer, but is it one of the family? The only thing the Cunninghams have in common is that they’ve all killed someone.

Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone was on to an instant win with that title and the opening lines. I was expecting this book to be pretty much along the same vein as How to Kill your Family or Blood Sugar, with the narrator looking back and recounting a variety of murders committed by members of his family. There are elements of that, but this novel is primarily a murder mystery unravelling in the present. Ernest, the narrator, does recount some family history, but only in the context of solving the murders that are taking place during the weekend of the family reunion. This, I thought, made the book better than I expected.

I thoroughly enjoyed Ernest as a narrator. He’s a great character, likeable and mostly reliable, and I appreciated the self-aware narrative style. It is a very cleverly written mystery, and totally engaging and unpredictable. The final twist did feel a teeny bit far-fetched to me, but at least it was unexpected! A bit more intense and convoluted than your average cosy mystery, but I would 100% recommend!

Nothing in this book piqued my interest.

I apologise to Benjamin Stevenson for being an outsider when it comes to humour and just not seeing the point buried in a plot. I was irritated from the beginning by the rules, “look on page x for the first murder” et al.

Elite Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

I thought it was going to be a brilliant book since I read the title and I was right.
Brilliant, darkly humorous, twisty, and gripping. An highly entertaining and well written book that i throughly enjoyed and kept me hooked.
Excellent storytelling, character and plot development.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine