I love Benjamin Stevenson’s writing style. These are great books with a lot of charm and humour. I initially found it tricky to keep track of who is who but decided to go with it and it does become easier as the characters are fleshed out. The mystery is good and the clues are all there, if you pay attention. All in all this is thoroughly enjoyable and I recommend this series as a fun and interesting read.

I don't know why I waited so long to read this!

Following our main character and creatively-blocked crime author, Ernest Cunningham, this novel takes a very meta angle on what it takes to write a mystery thriller. Beyond the introspective musings on 'main character energy' and complicated publishing politics, I really enjoyed how the Australian backdrop infiltrated the plot. There's a particular scene in the opal mines that is very heart-in-mouth!

I loved the self-referential and self-aware narrative and I would, unfortunately, say this is much stronger than the plot. I found the big reveal slightly convoluted but I confess I was reading it very quickly in a race to the end, so I perhaps didn't give it the time it needed to be properly satisfying.

Overall a fun and quick read that I would recommend to anyone with a penchant for quirky locked-room style murder mysteries.

Stylistically I suspect this is a bit of a marmite book. It's written in a deliberately self-conscious fashion - a mystery writer writing a mystery while solving a mystery, using the Rules of golden age detective fiction to both solve it and write it, I suppose. There's a lot of breaking out of the action of the story to speak directly to the reader, vast amounts of foreshadowing, and a lot of in-jokes about books and publishing. (But seriously yes, just how many books there are now with the main character's full first name and surname included in the title, now I've seen it I can't unsee it.) There's also a self-deprecating joke about the second book being notoriously hard to write. I haven't actually read the first one but I have read the third, Christmas special which I enjoyed more, so perhaps there is some truth to that. All that aside, I personally enjoyed reading it. It's an entertaining mystery that's witty and somehow manages to respectfully poke fun at the genre while still following all the rules to produce a satisfying murder mystery.

I loved the style of writing. It felt like I was in conversation with the writer as he went about his day. Solving the clues. It was engaging and really entertaining. It was just an individuals perception of everyone snd everything. The characters were interesting and the plot although a traditional who done it on a train. Was well executed with extra side plots. Throughly recommended as a homage to this classic plot.
Thank you netgallery and publisher and author.

This is one of those rare cases where the second book is even better than the first!

I do think it would be better to read Everyone in my Family Has Killed Someone first, to get the background about Ern and his family, and his ‘rules’ for murder mysteries. That said though, there is enough background included here for you to read it as a standalone if you really must.

In this story, Ern and his girlfriend are invited to a literary festival on board a train, along with a small cohort of fellow mystery writers, agents and fans, and it doesn’t take long for everything to all go a bit Poirot-shaped!

Ern makes for a witty, self-deprecating main character and first person narrator (similar to the character of Horowitz in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series by Anthony Horowitz) and the hook of his crime-writing rules being applied to real life murders is just as clever, if not cleverer, this time round. Perhaps that is because the narrative format feels more suited to the debonair, meta, book-centred world of a lit-con than a snowy family retreat?

Regardless of the setting, there are loads of puzzles and clues scattered throughout and the author ensures throughout that the story remains the very definition of a fair-play mystery – Ern reassures us on that point regularly, while updating us on name counts and other technicalities of his craft that we don’t normally see the workings of – I love it.

In summary, I love the concept, the plot, the characters, and sincerely hope the author will continue to plunge Ern into deadly peril on our behalf, despite my fond feelings for him!

My second book from this author, and a firm favourite for me. Such an easy read, wonderfully paced story and a thrill to read.

Very much along the lines of Murder on the Orient Express, this is fun and engaging but I'd say this is best read as part of the series to fully appreciate the main character.

Thank you Penguin and Random House and Netgalley.
My first by this author and certainly not my ,ast,
Murder mystery with a big of Agatha Christie thrown in.
Fun, well written, engaging and recommended,
Thank you

"Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect" by Benjamin Stevenson is a gripping and fast-paced mystery novel that promises to keep readers on the edge of their seats. Set aboard a train journey, the story unfolds with a classic whodunit premise: a murder has occurred, and everyone on board is a potential suspect.

Stevenson’s writing is likely to be taut and suspenseful, with carefully crafted characters each harboring secrets and motives. The confined setting of the train adds to the tension, creating a claustrophobic atmosphere where suspicion runs high and trust is in short supply. As the protagonist—perhaps a detective or an amateur sleuth—races against time to uncover the killer before the train reaches its destination, readers are drawn into a web of intrigue, deception, and unexpected twists.

"Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect" is ideal for fans of classic mystery novels, especially those who enjoy Agatha Christie-style plots with modern twists. With its engaging plot and well-drawn characters, this novel is sure to appeal to anyone who loves a good mystery with plenty of surprises along the way.

The book was well written and enjoyed the story. It was like a crossover of the murder on the orient express.

Another hugely entertaining novel from Benjamin Stevenson, very hard to put down, very definition of addictive.

A locked train mystery, a sort of homage to Orient Express, our reliable narrator Ernest finds himself knee deep in another mystery and so begins his second book..

Great writing, great plotting, a whole lot of fun.

Well this was good fun. I had heard nothing but great things about this authors previous novel and to my shame I still hadn’t picked it up, but after this I’ll definitely be fixing that.

Told with humour and warmth, as well as compelling insight and clever prose, this one will keep you guessing through to the satisfying conclusion. Definitely recommend.

This is an author I wasn’t sure that I had heard but is now definitely in my what else have they written pile. Loved it - well written and engaging - well worth a read.

I really enjoyed ‘Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone’ and am delighted to report that Benjamin Stevenson has remained true to form with his new novel ‘Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect’. I love the inclusion of the author as character, and this author is funny and flawed. The train in question is The Ghan, making the epic journey across the Australia from Darwin to Adelaide,
and is a character in itself – definitely one for the bucket list! The world of publishing, with author’s egos, the impact of reviews and the pressure of the second novel are all explored with a humourous touch, and the plot is a satisfying one. Recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for this book.

The sequel to Everyone in My Family is a Murderer, this murder mystery cleverly brings together several writers on a train journey through the Australian Outback. With the types of author (debut, forensic science, blockbuster, legal thriller, literary and psychological suspense) on board bringing a unique insight and contribution to the event, this novel kept me second-guessing until the end.

Better than the original – would recommend.

(Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review)

I love the way the books in this series are written, it’s one of my favourite parts about them. They’re written through the perspective of the narrator who is actively writing the book and he keeps referring to us the readers which really helps engage you in the plot and connect with the main character. It’s charming and funny and I just love the way it's written, I’ve never read anything like it.

The mystery was full of twists and turns and many of the reveals I never saw coming (though I will brag and say one of the main twists/clues I got near the beginning and was very proud of myself). Only a few of the characters from the first book at back in the sequel which means we get a bunch of new side characters but it never felt overwhelming and they were introduced well so that you got to understand who they all and their unique personalities (cause there are some very fun ones).

I could read so many of these books and I hope the series continues to grow!

The plot is as deep and dark as it gets, multi-layered with 'who knew what when?' as the strands come together and the finer details get filled in. This is a compelling, gripping book full of mystery and suspense. Only a few authors can write deeply involving psychological drama of the very highest quality.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

I absolutely loved Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, and was delighted to get this second novel. Here, the same protagonist is on a long train journey with a bunch of other crime writers. Again, there are nods and specific references to the classic crime novels, notably of course, Agatha Christie's Death on the Orient Express. Long train ride, murder, bunch of likely suspects....

Maybe it was because all the things that surprised and delighted me first time round didn't surprise me anymore, but I didn't enjoy this so much. But you know, I'm picky, and this is still a good book both in its own right and as a sequel. It's just not AS good.

Benjamin Stevenson is a good writer, but this, for me, feels like the weaker half of a two-book deal. I hope he will move on to a fresh new theme for his next book and recapture the refreshing bounce and originality of book 1. Tall order, I know!

However, I still absolutely recommend Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone. That was a hoot! I stand by what I wrote about that one:

"If you like classic mysteries, especially the great British crime classics, you will absolutely adore this book. It’s both an education on the classic crime novel form and a great read as well. Highly recommended."

My thanks to Netgalley, publisher Penguin Random House and the auther for giving me a free copy of this book. All my reviews are 100% honest and unbiased, regardless of how I acquire the book.

I wasn’t aware of the author’s first book so it was missing the background on our main character - all his meant for me was another book to add to my TBR. I didn’t feel like the first book background impacted the second book as our main character/ narrator informs us it isn’t a sequel with returning cast.
I enjoyed that chatty nature of the narrative for the most part, occasionally wishing for him to get on with it.
This was pretty close to a cosy crime mystery but with a little more edge, modern day Poirot rather than Miss Marple, seeing as it’s a murder mystery on a train with a grand reveal with all the guests at the end!

I received this ARC from NetGalley and provide my honest review.

Ernest Cunningham is back again. No murderous family members in sight this time. No, this time Ernest is at a literary festival for crime writers…….that is being held on a train. When one of the authors dies under suspicious circumstances, Ernest gets to murder solving.

I think I enjoyed this one more than the first. It was a good, fun read and rattled along (sorry) at a good pace. A certain element of disbelief must be suspended but not so much that spoils the enjoyment.

More fun for fans of the first.