Benjamin Stevenson opts for an unusual approach in this mystery novel, a gambit that doesn't pay full dividends. Ernest Cunningham, having survived the harrowing events of EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE (which, full disclosure, I haven't read), has written about the experience in a moderately successful true crime book. He's now hoping to transition into fiction. All he has to do is figure out how to develop a plot; for his first book, he simply wrote down every bad thing that happened to him. History starts to repeat when Ern is invited to a mystery writers convention on a luxury train barreling across the Australian Outback. Some of the guests wind up dead, while the others are all practiced in plotting murder.

The conceit of Ern recounting the events as if they're true can be fun, as when he occasionally jumps ahead in his thoughts to hint at mayhem yet to play out or tells you exactly how many times the killer's name will be mentioned, stopping the action to update the count. Plenty of other times, though, it only serves to distance the reader from the action, and produces longueurs in the book's extended midsection. This technique also strands the reader in Ern's head with his second-guessing and rampant insecurity; in many respects, he's the least interesting character. The literary life, replete with grudges and petty jealousies, is well-drawn, and the book rallies for an inventive and surprising conclusion.

I really enjoyed the first installment of this series, “Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone,” but I think I actually liked this even more.

So many twists. I tried to play detective and figure out who the killer was, but I ended up giving up trying to figure out who dunit and enjoy the story. The reveal? It kind of blew me away. Not even close to what I was thinking.

I’d definitely recommend this to others.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

Narrator Ernest is back for a second mystery, this time traveling by train across Australia with fellow mystery writers and fans. He is, as in Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, extremely honest with the reader if not entirely straightforward. This engaging style, along with well-drawn characters, and several twists and turns, make the reader's journey much more fun than being on the actual train. I'm grateful to NetGalley and HarperCollins for access to an advanced copy for review.

Such a fun read featuring amateur detective Ernest Cunningham! A cross between Agatha Christie & "Clue," "Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect" is a delightful whodunit set on a train in Australia. Throughout the journey, bodies begin to pile up under suspicious circumstances during an on-board book festival. As the title states, everyone on the train - authors, festival goers, employees - are suspected of these murders because they all have motive.

Lots of twists & turns before the climatic ending, with a lot of humor along the way! I loved Stevenson's style of writing, as his comedic background brings so much flavor to the storyline. It's hard not to love his main character Cunningham, though at times he can make you exasperated!

Can't wait to dive into the first book in this series. While there are some references to "Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone," this book does not read like a true sequel, so I had no issues following along. Nonetheless, it's moving up on my TBR List because this one was so much fun!

Everyone on this Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Sequels can be tricky. I know we all have a movie in mind where the second one does not live up the first. Well, I’m pleased to share that this was a successful sequel. Ernest was back and was as good as ever. Everything I loved about the first novel was here: a narrator who broke the 4th wall, humor, a step-by-step formula that must be followed, and a mystery/crime that must be solved.

The cast of characters were vibrant and unique. The plot was engaging; I found myself trying to solve the mystery alongside Ernest, which kept me very busy. The ending - one thing was a bit of a stretch - was mostly logical and could easily be deduced from the clues. It took a bit to get going in this one, but the set up was well worth it.

I would recommend reading the first book as this one alluded to it frequently. While there were allusions, this book was different from the first. It stood by itself and solidified Ernest into my favorite crime-solving narrator.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, and it lived up to my expectations. If you enjoyed the first novel, like a locked-in mystery, and enjoy a narrator who talks to you, the reader, you don’t want to miss this.

Another twisty, tricky, well-plotted mystery. I didn’t love it as much as the first but that was just so exceptional that it’s hard to match. With obvious comparison, that was And Then There Were None to Murder on the Orient Express: beyond fantastic to simply excellent.

That said, the mystery was great (I didn’t figure this out completely) and there were some dark, social themes I liked seeing addressed. I thought the book did an exceptional job of not romanticizing the writing community but showing its ups and downs. It’s certainly not always murderous but there are good and bad people anywhere, and I liked the honesty of addressing some of the more unsavory aspects of the industry as a writer myself.

I truly enjoyed this and can’t wait to read more in this series and by this author.

Note, though: Goodreads stars are orange not red.

A mind-bending meta murder mystery that is both nostalgic and fresh, I'm happy to say not only is Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect a worthy follow-up to Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, it also manages to build upon its established formula by exploring new territory and subject matter. I highly recommend reading the series in order, as events of Book 1 plays critical role for these characters.

Benjamin Stevenson manages to make this novel even more self-aware than its predecessor—by utilizing publishing as the story's backbone (comparing to analyzing the structure of a murder mystery plot in the first novel). Swapping family members for mystery writers, there are ample discussions regarding imposter syndrome, plagiarism, and business manipulation—in some ways an even juicer topic than family secrets. (You'll even find an Easter egg 'review' on the Goodread website that's linked to a specific plot point). I also appreciate the continuing development of Ernest Cunningham as a character, who's struggling with the irony of his success—by publishing the account of his family deaths as a marketable item.

I also love the train setting; not only does it echoes the iconic murder mystery of Agatha Christie, it being The Ghan is another nice touch, providing realism as well as adding a 'travelogue' flair for those readers who doesn't reside in Australia. Same praise as the previous effort, I appreciate the story doesn't rely solely on the meta gimmick, but ensuring the mystery is layered like an onion. If I were to be nitpicky, the deduction in this one doesn't feel as 'clean' as Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, but it is still gripping with some very imaginative revelations.

If you are already a fan of the first book, Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect is an unquestionable recommendation; even though its meta voice is no longer a novelty this time around, there are enough new factors mixed in to keep it cozily familiar yet entertainingly unpredictable. I hope the work on the third book in the series is well underway, as the ending hints at a new element to the setup that already intrigues me tremendously!

A writer's festival is meeting on "The Ghan" a luxury train that travels across Australia to Adelaide through the desert. Five writer's have been invited to participate and they and their guests are in the rear sections of the train. Ernest Cunningham, who "wrote" "Everyone in my family has killed Someone" (which you may have read) is one of the authors involved. He is desperately trying to come up with an idea for his second book (that he has already received an advance for). His first book was easy to write because it was a true story he was actively involved in, but multiple murders don't usually happen to a person more than once in a lifetime.
This book is written in stream of consciousness and can be a bit confusing at first until the reader gets the rhythm of the first person narrative. He includes blatant hints, hearsay, gossip and codes, but the mystery is still difficult to figure out. The story moves quickly once the train gets moving and all the characters have reason to want the first victim dead. There are multiple backstories and mysteries involved and the narrator does his best to unfold the conclusion in a timely manner.
The book would be enjoyed by lovers of Agatha Christie, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle both of who are mentioned in the narrative.
This is a delightful book, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Benjamin Stevenson, you have outdone yourself again!

I was a huge fan of the first book in the Ernest Cunningham series, "Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone". I was still thinking about the story weeks after I finished reading the book. It was smartly written. It had comedy and drama. It kept me guessing and at points laughing until the satisfying conclusion.

The second book, Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect, not only lives up to the hype of the first book but also exceeds it. I went into this book excited to jump back into Ernest's world. I can't help but to wonder if danger follows Ernest or does Ernest just find danger. I don't want to discuss the plot much in this review but this second book is just as fun as the first. If you've never read the first book, I would recommend reading both back to back. It's not necessary but you'll fun staying in this world for a lot longer.

Wholeheartedly recommend both books in this series!

First of all I need to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

With that said, what a pleasure it was to read this sequel. I had enjoyed the first Ernest Cunningham book so much. I was afraid that something would be lost in the second novel. Although I enjoyed the first in the series more, this was still a definite winner. Lots of fun. Here is hoping for a third installment.

Thank you for a netgalley of one of my most anticipated books of 2024.

I loved this book. I really did. The fact the narrator interacts with the reader the whole entire time is quite fun.

Yes Ern is quirky and odd at times. But that is part of his charm. What made me really enjoy this plot is the characters. There were so many, but once you have them down it is quite easy to follow along.

Yes it took a hot minute to get to the dead body, but worth the payoff. The story is well set up and I think the plot is well fleshed out. I did not find there to be a lag in the movement of the story. The ending where we find out who did it was fantastic. It is well explained and intricate enough that there are many ways it could go. But not so intricate that it was unbelievable.

Well there was one small moment at the end where I was like no effing way. But it did not bother me enough to question the ending.

If you have not read this series, I highly recommend you picking them up. But yes, you should read them in order.

Ernest Cunningham has survived his family and found himself with a book deal for a follow-up but he has writers block. Maybe a change of scenery will help him to work out his next book?

That new scenery happens to be a train trip with a who's who of mystery writer colleagues. The fourth wall is nonexistent, the spoilers flow (and are pointed out regularly), and the tone expertly matches the first in this series.

I loved it, I will follow Ernest on all of his adventures!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced readers copy of this book to be published January 30, 2024

If you are looking for a good, slow mystery Benjamin Stevenson one to deliver. I really enjoyed his first "Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone" so it was fun to pick right back up with familiar characters in "Everyone on This Train Is A Suspect". I had a slightly harder time getting into this book and it started a bit slow. I loved all the references back to the first book and how it reads like the author is telling you the story (much like the first book). It's fun, not a page turner but enjoyable and well written.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication.

Ernest is taking a luxury train across Australia to the Australian Mystery Writers Festival when a murder or two happens. Ernest hopes to use the mystery writers on board and their perspective specialties to solve the murder and give you the opportunity to solve along with him. The narrarator breaks the fourth wall and talks to the reader the whole time. It’s funny, smart, clever and creative. Definitely for fans of Agatha Christie. Tons of red herrings, twists and turns. Totally different than any other mystery I’ve read recently. I didn’t read his first book before reading this and it was fine but he does make many references to his first novel which is fun.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Benjamin Stevenson writes mystery novels that are different from most that I have read. The main character/author (Ern) in the story writes in the first person and speaks directly to the reader. Ern is sure to follow the “rules” for writing a mystery book, gives clues for the reader to solve it for themselves (takes me back to middle school and trying to solve The Westing Game). There are plenty of rd herrings, plot twists and surprised to keep the reader engaged I. The story.

Just as fun and tongue in cheek as the first one. I really enjoy this author and will continue to pick up books by him.

Another highly anticipated sequel that did not disappoint

After enjoying Ernest Cunningham's voice in the first book in this series, I looked forward to reading this one. Even though these mysteries are following "the rules" of mystery writing and have a mostly-reliable narrator, they still manage to surprise and throw twists at the reader. The voice of the character is quite entertaining and caused some snort-laughing for me. But, though with a light step, some darker underlying issues are touched upon in the motives for the deaths. (And seeing Ern get his comeuppance from Juliette was chef's kiss!)

For fans of Golden Age mysteries and the previous novel in this series

Ernest Cunningham is back in this sequel to Benjamin Stevenson's "Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone." After the events in the first book (a family reunion on a mountain involving buried secrets, a serial killer, and an alarmingly high number of murders for what's supposed to be a vacation), Ernest published a successful book about the incident, and his publisher wants a second. He's having trouble coming up with a plot but when he is invited to a crime writers' convention taking place on a train, he hopes that will give him the inspiration he needs. Unfortunately, that inspiration comes in the form of more people dropping dead around him--good for his writing career, not so good for the people who were murdered. Ernest must put his detective skills to work to find the killer before the train reaches their destination.

If you liked the first book in the series, you'll likely enjoy this one as well--the humor, narration, and everything that made the first book feel so original are back here. I think the author does a good job of making this feel "similar-yet-different" to the first book and I probably enjoyed this one more than the first. There are still a lot of characters to keep track of, but the narrator does a good job of keeping everyone straight and periodically providing recaps of suspects, clues, etc. in an attempt to be a "fair play" mystery that provides the reader a chance to solve the mystery along with him. I felt like the characters and plot of this were a bit easier to follow than in book 1, and the locked room setting of the train is enjoyable.

I will say that if you have not read the first one, you may want to do that before starting this--there are a number of references to events that take place in the first book that really only make sense with the full context of that book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE was one of my favorites last year so I was very excited to get my hands on an early copy of the sequel. It did not disappoint! I love how witty and interesting Stevenson makes his books. I am a little sad that I couldn’t figure this one out however, I always enjoy when a book has a surprising ending and this did. I will be eager to read whatever Stevenson writes next!

I absolutely loved Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone, so I knew I was going to love Everyone on This Train is a Suspect--and I was right! This had a real Agatha Christie-feel to it and some crazy characters alongside our hero from the first book, Ernest Cunningham. The other mystery writers that join him at the Australian Mystery Writers Conference that is being held on a luxury train are all so different, with tons of secrets of their own. There's lots of backstabbing and twists that were so surprising! I also absolutely love how Stevenson uses Ernest to break the fourth wall once again and pull the reader right into the story.