From the author of Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone, comes a fun locked-room mystery. I found some superb qualities of Agatha Christie's novels. Brilliantly written and a suspenseful mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat. This whodunit takes place on the experiential tourism-oriented passenger train, The Ghan, that travels through Darwin and Adelaide in the Australian Desert. There are 7 writers that belong to the Australian Mystery Writer's Society aboard the train, 2 will be dead by the end of the journey and 1 will be in handcuffs.
How do you find a killer when all of the suspects know how to get away with murder? These writers also know how to solve one.
The book is directly addressed to the reader, giving endless clues to who the killer is. The narrator is a debut writer, Ernest Cunningham. He suffers from impostor syndrome and becomes intrusive inside of the story reminding us it is a fiction and inserting himself to the reader. He is on this journey with his wife Juliette who thought it would inspire him to write his book aboard the train. Little did they know they would encounter a real-life mystery to solve.
Brilliantly written and fun to digest as if we are getting a first hand experience aboard this train ride through Australia. Thank you NetGalley and Mariner Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Title: Everyone on the Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson
Publication Date- 01/30/24
Publisher- Mariner Books
Overall Rating- 5 out of 5 stars

Review: Review copy given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I never thought I would say this but this was someone better than the first one. If you were worried about Stevenson would follow up Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, he does and he does it even better. I am not going to spoil the first novel, or this one for that matter but I will warn you, you need to read the first one, first. He leaves it open such that you technically can pick this up and not fully be spoiled by the first novel but I would recommend reading Everyone in My Family first, there’s a lot of easter eggs.

Where to even begin for such a fun novel. Stevenson balances a very solid, thought provoking murder mystery with comedy, social commentary, a character study and so much more. There truly is nothing else out there like this series. I would say the closest and not to be compared because on it’s own great level, but that would be something of the like of Anthony Horowitz which I adore.

What sounds out in this series is how on the nose and smart it is. You truly go alongside the detective, who is open and honest about everything that is happening and man I ate it up. I love these characters so much and it was such a privilege to spend another novel with them.

For a sequel, you never want it to be too much like the first but not so far away you don’t recognize it. This hit that balance perfectly. If you are a mystery fan you don’t want to pass this one up.

4.5! (maybe 4.75....????) Better than the first one!! The second of the series, somehow both very meta and also a classic locked room mystery at the same time?? The format of the narrator talking to the reader is done so well here and really had me trying to figure everything out before the reveal, which I did (yes a brag) but in a way that felt really satisfying because it wasn't obvious and even through that I was still surprised at so many pieces of the reveal and the actual ending!! Assuming (hoping...) that there will be more and definitely looking forward to them!

This book about a murder that takes place on a train in Australia during a gathering of mystery writers and their fans was just okay for me. I did not read the first book so perhaps I would have enjoyed it more if I had done that. I'm also not a nuanced mystery reader so that was also an obstacle to my enjoyment. I did like the first person narrative, the landscape descriptions, and the humor.

Ernest Cunningham is struggling to write his second book but first foray into fiction after the events on the mountain. When he is invited to attend the Australian Mystery Writers Society crime writing festival as a featured author, he jumps at the chance to attend with his girlfriend Juliette and seek inspiration for his book. Traveling on a historic train from Darwin to Adelaide through the Australian Outback, Ernest unfortunately gets his inspiration in the form of a murder. One of the featured writers, the incomparable but absolutely horrible Henry McTavish drops dead during the second day of the festival. Ernest sets out to find the killer using the expertise of his fellow crime writers. The task is harder than it seems given the victim gave everyone plenty of reasons to want him dead and all of the suspects are experts on how to commit murder and get away with it.
Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson is the follow-up to one of my favorite books from last year, Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone. Somehow this book is even better than the first. Stevenson is fantastic with characters. Ernest is snarky without being annoying and the first person narration allows the reader to really connect with Ernest and solve the mystery along with him. Unfortunately for poor Ernest, I hope Stevenson continues this series.

I absolutely loved the first book in the series (it was a rare 5 star read for me), and I was so excited to pick this one up. Maybe it was my mood (as there are plenty of positive reviews on this one), but I just did not get the same excitement out of reading this newest installment. There are SO MANY CHARACTERS, and not all of them are as well developed as they should be for the role that they play. I did not find myself wanting to turn pages late into the night, but rather it took me several days to get through this one because I just wasn't excited to jump back in. I do love Stevenson's unique style. I loved the setting on a train in rural Australia during a writer's convention. I enjoyed the premise behind the plot, but I just felt like it was over-the-top outlandish at times (and not in a good way). I will absolutely pick up Stevenson again.....but with the hope of the excitement of book 1 of the series.

Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect was an interesting take on a locked room mystery. The narrator is both a participant and author of the story, and they are writing after the murder(s) have taken place and the mystery is solved. So there are conversations between the narrator and the reader throughout the whole book about the rules of mysteries and why characters can or can't be the murder. I found this component took me out of the story a bit because it kept breaking up the flow of the book, but it was something I enjoyed in small doses. I had not realized this was a second in a series and I think there was a lot of backstory in the first book that would have helped me be more connected to the main character.

Overall, I liked the approach and the connection to the Agatha Christie style of Murder on the Orient Express. You have a set list of possibilities and I enjoyed the path of trying to determine the murderer. Enjoyable cozy mystery.

Thank you to Mariner Books and NetGalley for granting me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is for anyone that loves a locked room mystery plus it involves writers, publishers, and readers! It was a captivating read. This is Stevenson's second Ernest Cunningham novel and I felt that it was much better than the first. I look forward to the third installment.

Thanks to Mariner Books and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book for my opinion.

I read the first book by Stevenson, Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, and enjoyed it. There was some verbal trickery that I didn't quite agree with but still, a fun book. Having read that book made this one more enjoyable and so did expecting that the author would toy with the readers expectations.

Ernest Cunningham returns as the first person narrator. He's been asked to come along as the debut writer on the Australian Mystery Writer's Society's fiftieth anniversary of their Festival. Along with five other writers, he will be doing a series of panels for a select group.
Also on the train is his girlfriend, Juliette, and his literary agent, Simone Morrison, as well as any number of other characters. Ernest is not excited to see Simone as he is late on delivering his next book, the one he has already gotten an advance for. It's just too bad because he just doesn't have a brain for fiction. So it's with mixed emotions that Ernest realizes that a death along their journey may not be entirely natural. He decides that he is going to investigate, all while writing his next book (the one we are reading) while adhering to the rules he lists at the beginning of the book.
As in the first book, Ernest drops clues as to who the murderer will end up being. Also like the first book, many of those clues were deft red herrings. It made it a little hard to read and some of the story felt a little thin but it was overall a very nice read and I'm hoping that the epilogue is a hint to how the next book in the series will be rolled out.

Four stars
This book comes out January 30, 2024
Follows Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone
ARC kindly provided by Mariner Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

The second book in the Ernest Cunningham series was just as entertaining and fun as the first book. It was clever and funny - if you liked the movie Knives Out, then I think you would enjoy this book. I hope Benjamin Stevenson continues this series. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

3.7
Clearly clever but curiously uninteresting. I mean, it's probably me, but...I was watching the smart parts go by this whole book without even a spark of interest, so.

I enjoyed Benjamin Stevenson’s, Everyone In my Family Has Killed Someone, so I was thrilled to receive an ARC of his latest madcap mystery novel, Everyone On This Train Is a Suspect. I do recommend that you first read Everyone In My Family… as references are made to that novel several times.

As with the first book, our narrator, Ernest Cunningham, is a highly likeable author, who stumbled upon writing murder mysteries, after he wrote about his own family’s murder mystery caper. It is through the voice of Ern that we are taken backstage, as amateur sleuths, and with our narrator at our side, we work to solve the murders together.

As the title suggests, this murder mystery takes place on a train, and much in the vein of Agatha Chrisitie’s, Murder On The Orient Express, we navigate a large cast of characters, suspects and murder victims.

The first half of this book dragged somewhat for me. There was quite a bit of rehashing from the first book, as well as set-up for this book. At about 50%, the story really got going and I was hooked to the end. I enjoyed navigating through the action scenes (as in the first book the action scenes are quite far-fetched, and have a made-for-the-big-screen feel), who-done-it moments, and a few surprising twists.

I recommend, Everyone On This Train Is a Suspect, to fans of Benjamin Stevenson’s first book, lovers of Agatha Christie, and anyone who enjoys a cozy mystery. Stevenson’s latest mystery is fun ride for sure!

3.5 Stars - rounded up to 4 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the eARC of Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson

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!