Ernest Cunningham is back. One year after most of his family was killed in a ski resort massacre, Ernest’s life has changed. He wrote a book about the ordeal, and now he’s in Australia for a Mystery Writers Conference. This years festival is being held on a train, and Ernest is a speaker.

He’s joined by now-girlfriend Juliette and a cast of fellow writers, aspiring authors, and dedicated fans. Ernest is hoping this change of scenery will inspire his second book.

But then people start dying. Will Ernest solve the case for a successful sequel?

***
I liked this follow up to Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone. It follows the same format (first person, locked door mystery).

This story had a Knives Out vibe to me. It was entertaining and, while I’m not a reader who actively tries to keep track of clues to solve the mystery, kept me guessing.

I liked Ernest, but it was honestly the secondary characters who kept me interested. Juliette, Brooke, Simone…they were more intriguing.

Thanks to @netgalley and @marinerbooks for the eARC!

Check out this book for a clever whodunit and a worthy sequel.

This book was so fun! It had the same entertaining tone as the first book, but this book made me laugh out loud even more. The narrator's tone is so funny and snarky. There were a lot of characters to keep track of and that was a little tricky, but this was a quick fun read and I would recommend it for anyone who likes a quirky murder mystery. I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Enjoyable, but I felt like it was too slow moving at times.

Thank you Net Galley & to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars

Last year after reading Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone I immediately fell in love with Ernie and have been patiently waiting for his next mystery. It was definitely worth the wait as Everyone On This Train was an amazing follow up. (While these can be read as standalones I highly recommend reading both!)

Our favorite conversational narrator Ern is back and again finding himself in more mischief. As always we can count on Ernie to be upfront and honest with the facts as we work alongside him to find out who the killer is. There were so many moving parts to this and they call came together seamlessly. I would genuinely love to know if anyone is actually able to solve these books. I may get a piece or two but never the overall picture, the ending is always a surprise!

This style of narration and Ernie are so wonderfully different from what I normally read but also hold that familiar Golden Age/Agatha Christie charm. I just cannot get enough of it and I sincerely hope there are more books coming soon!

Read if you love:
🕵️‍♂️ Detective mysteries
🚂 Trains
📚 Ernest Cunningham
💛 Golden age mysteries

Just a side note but I absolutely love when books have diagrams and maps in the front so that was a really nice touch.

Thank you Mariner and Netgalley for my review copy!

I read the premise of this book somewhere and it sounded so interesting to me that I got an early review copy from NetGalley. Only after I'd read the first few chapters did I realize that a) it was the second book in the series, and b) while it is meant to be acceptable to jump into as a stand-alone, there was no way I could read it without having read the first book, Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, beforehand. So, with apologies to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author, it's now eleven months later and I've just finished both the first book and this book — right as the author has released the third book in the series, Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret.

Right off the bat, I'll say this book is much more engaging having read the first one, which I noted in my review, was "occasionally too clever by half, I'll cut it a lot of slack for being so fresh and interesting." Having a familiarity with the protagonist, Ernest, a mystery writer who constantly breaks the fourth wall, made the narrative of the second book easier to to get into, since I already had a feel for how the story would be told — which is more important than normal, given how unique the style is.

As for this specific mystery, a celebrity author's murder among a train full of mystery writers is a great setup for a sequel, and I love that the cast not being Ernest's family members allowed the murder mystery to be the focus instead of the convoluted family dynamics. The writing is just as biting as it is in the debut, and it also remains occasionally too clever for it's own good, although I am just as willing to excuse it as I was in the first book, as it remains as unique and interesting. And while I did figure out a few of the twists <spoiler>e.g. GHOST being hidden in the Goodreads reviews, that were not written by McTavish at all</spoiler>, I did not correctly guess the murderer. But, that said, there were enough clues sprinkled in for it to feel like I theoretically could have.

Overall, I am a big fan of the series, and will keep reading them as long as the author writes them. They appeal to my love of classic mysteries — e.g. Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot — but also to my love of modern, current day stories. In this way, I think they compare favorably to the Benoit Blanc movies.

Full disclosure: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

"Everyone on This Train is a Suspect" is a delightfully fun read filled with twists and turns that kept me engaged throughout. As the second book in the series, it took me a little time to catch up and understand the context, but once I did, the story truly came to life.

The characters are vibrant and well-developed, and their interactions add depth and intrigue to the mystery. The storyline is cleverly crafted, delivering surprises that kept me guessing while still tying everything together in a satisfying way.

Overall, this book is a great pick for fans of mysteries with a touch of humor and personality. Whether you’ve read the first installment or are diving straight into this one, it’s a highly entertaining ride!

Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson is a cleverly crafted, darkly humorous thriller that keeps readers guessing from start to finish. Set on a train journey through the Australian Outback, the novel follows a group of passengers—each with their own secrets—who become embroiled in a tense and mysterious situation when a murder is discovered on board.

The protagonist, Richard Osman (not to be confused with the famous British TV host), is a disgraced former detective who is now just trying to lay low. However, when a body turns up, he is pulled back into the investigation, even though everyone aboard the train seems to have a motive, and nobody can be trusted. The novel plays with the conventions of the classic "locked room" mystery, but with a fresh, modern twist that includes sharp wit, unexpected humor, and a self-aware narrative voice.

Stevenson excels at building suspense and keeping the reader on edge. The setting of the train, isolated in the vast, unforgiving Outback, heightens the tension, as the passengers have nowhere to escape. Each character is well-developed, with enough complexity to keep you wondering who might be hiding the truth. The plot is twisty and full of surprises, and Stevenson’s use of misdirection makes it a true page-turner.

What sets Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect apart is its playful tone and meta-narrative. The protagonist often addresses the reader directly, poking fun at the genre and the characters themselves, which adds an engaging layer of humor to the otherwise suspenseful narrative.

Overall, Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect is a delightful mix of classic mystery, dark humor, and sharp writing. If you're a fan of Agatha Christie-style whodunnits with a contemporary, irreverent twist, this book is an absolute must-read.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. Taking a classic and making it your own can be hard, but Benjamin Stevenson does this so well. Elements come through, but Stevenson's voice comes through too. The second book is not a copy of the first which is refreshing. Looking forward to the next installment, or maybe Ernest can catch a break.

I really enjoyed this one. Usually I prefer the first book in a series the most but I feel this one was even better than the first. Excited to read the third one soon.

This book is about an author talking about writing a mystery, and then a murder happens when he’s at an author event so in a way you’re reading him write the book within the book, while also reading the book within the book, while really, you’re reading and trying to solve the main mystery. The fourth wall is practically non-existent in this book while the author always talks to you, the reader, directly, and promises to never hide anything.

The fourth wall is practically non-existent while Ernest, the author, always talks to you, the reader, directly, and promises to never hide anything. He’s playing with his cards open. He also gives hints along the way and tells you about how a mystery should be written, while also trying to stick to those rules himself. It’s a marvelous journey literally, figuratively and literary-ly.

This is book 2 in a series, I didn’t really feel like I missed anything by jumping in at this point. Reading this did make me wanna go back and read book #1 though. And I’ll absolutely be reading the next book in the series.

This might be the funniest, wittiest mystery I’ve ever read. The book is so meta, and the humor is so on point, it was an absolute hoot to read. I laughed out loud at many points throughout the book. The kind of self aware meta-narration + humor this book adopts is so smart, it really tickled my brain in the right spot. I was so delighted while reading it.

This is a must read if you like cozy mysteries. There were many nods to Agatha Christie, starting with The Orient Express. But it also subverts some of those expectations many times, with a wink and a nudge.

The main character is not the most loveable, nor is he the smartest. He’s definitely no Poirot, he makes mistakes, makes wrong assumptions. I got annoyed at times because of it, but since he’s also always very forthcoming, I can see how the mystery wouldn’t be so mysterious if he was brilliant. The author within the book promises to never hide anything, and never lie to the reader so that we can be on the journey with him and try to solve it alongside him.

I solved the mystery about halfway through the book, but there were still a few unexpected twists, and thanks to the way it’s written it never felt boring.

This is a really great mystery with a big cast of characters with varying levels of loveability. And the fact that most of them are authors makes it even more awesome, since I always love reading books set in the world of books.

Thank you to Mariner Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

If you enjoyed Knives Out, Murder on the Orient Express, or Benjamin’s debut novel, this one is right up your alley. Ernest is invited to a writing festival, but his journey takes a deadly turn when someone is murdered on the train. Packed with dark humor, the amateur sleuths bumble their way through solving the crime, making for a clever and entertaining locked-room mystery!

Another zany story from Benjamin Stevenson, Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect is a well-crafted mystery. Easy to read but not predictable, with the same 'breaking the 4th wall' narration as his previous book, this sequel was a very fun read.

e-book ARC from Netgalley, all opinions are my own

I LOOOVED the first book in this series, and my high hopes for the sequel were well met! Ernest Cunningham, the narrator and "author" of these "memoirs", is a delightfully meta plot device for the story. Nothing from the first book seemed recycled in this story, and the 'death on a train' trope had well developed, obvious Agatha Christie callbacks.

There is another twist at the end that I kind of guessed, but nonetheless was happy to read. I can't wait for book 3!

I really wanted to love this book - and at first, I did. But I found myself getting stuck and not wanting to jump back in, so ultimately decided to put it down. I did enjoy the humor, but there were just a few too many characters for me to fully immerse myself into the world of the book. That being said, I can absolutely see how this would be a book that many people would love. So, while it wasn't for me, I would still recommend giving it a try if it sounds like something you'd enjoy!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of this novel. I highly enjoyed it and will be recommending it to others.

This is the second installment in the Ernest Cunningham series, and since I loved the first, I wanted to read this one as well.

This time, we catch up with Ernest at a mystery writer’s convention that’s being held on a large passenger train. When one of the writers is murdered, the other writers (with their great knowledge of murders and how to solve them) start investigating.

This one has the same breaking of the fourth wall, humor, and nice wrap up at the end to show me all the clues I missed. I really like this style of writing, and the humor is written in a way that appeals to me.

I didn’t like this one wuite as much. One of the things I loved about the first one was the family element, which a sequel can’t really have. But I did still really like this one (highly recommend the audio as well)!

This was a fun meta mystery that I think most people would enjoy. It was well paced and had plenty of moments to be surprised

ɴᴇᴛɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ || EVERYONE ON THIS TRAIN IS A SUSPECT [thank you to Mariner Books and @netgalley for my #gifted copy!]

Title: Everyone on This Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson
Genre: Mystery
Format: Audio
Star Rating: ★★★☆☆
Narrators: Barton Welch & Megan Smart
Narration: ★★★★☆

ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ:
When the Australian Mystery Writers’ Society invites a group of crime authors to a festival aboard the Ghan train, inspiration turns to real-life horror as one of them is murdered. Now, the remaining writers—each an expert in a different crime genre—must use their skills to solve the case. But with everyone knowing the ins and outs of committing the perfect crime, finding the killer among them becomes a deadly challenge. How do you catch a murderer when all the suspects know exactly how to get away with it?

ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
This book, in my opinion, was incredibly hard to follow. Since the author only introduces the characters in a list at the beginning of the novel, it was difficult to remember who was who as the mystery unfolded. However, in classic Ernest fashion, the case was as amusing as it was curious - and it was a fun ride! However, I might recommend at least having the “suspect” list printed for reference as you read. Otherwise, like me, you may be disengaged because you have no idea what’s happening & therefore can’t remember anyone’s motives.

I would also say that, while this is kind of a stand alone book, I would recommend reading the first book before this one, as its events and consequences are referenced often.

ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Agatha Christie
Locked Room Mysteries
A Reliable-Yet-Unreliable Narrator
Unlikely Crime Solvers
Red Herrings

ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟꜱ:
GR: 3.88
# of Hours: 8 hours 24 minutes
Pub Date: January 30, 2024

In the follow-up to Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone, our protagonist and narrator, Ernest, is on a train with his girlfriend, Juliette, as part of a mystery author's convention. His (and our) first book, wasn't exactly successful, and he's having trouble drafting a novel and earning his advance. But when one of the guests on the train dies and Ernest suspects murder, he not only wants to find the killer to protect himself and the other passengers, but maybe he'll get a book plot out of it, too.

The best part about this series is the totally unique storytelling style. Ernest is a cheeky, fourth-wall-breaking hero who teases us with clues that are just too clever for their own good. In the first book, it came off a bit more unexpected, and was more prevalent, but I loved those aspects of this book just as much. He promises never to lie to you, and he doesn't, and I love a good reliable narrator. The mystery in this one was also quite a puzzle--in the best way possible--that had me guessing until the very end. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Thanks to the publisher, Mariner Books / HarperCollins) for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 10/10

What a fun and innovative mystery! The main character is a nonfiction writer and traveling on a train as part of a mystery writing festival. But then one of the writers is killed. Who can solve the mystery? This is the second book after Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone. This can stand alone but start with the first one since you’ll want to read both, anyway.