Ernest Cunningham is back!

I thought EVERYONE ON THIS TRAIN IS A SUSPECT was just as wry and delightful as the first Ernest installment, EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE. The sequel felt more like a traditional mystery to me than the first book, but retained Stevenson's/Cunningham's signature voice, humor, and self-referential teasing about writers and the publishing industry.

You do *not* have to read that one first to enjoy EVERYONE ON THIS TRAIN..., but parts of that first story are referenced. And that one's a lot of fun too, so why not?!

Two thumbs up from me for this humorous mystery series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the free review copy of this book.

Review to come @fromsarahsbooknook on Instagram closer to release date.

A delightful book - this is full of the same breaking the 4th wall cleverness as Stevenson's first book. It's a clear homage to Murder on the Orient Express, which could have annoyed me but didn't, because Stevenson acknowledges the reference at the offset. There were a lot of characters to keep straight, and to be picky, they could have been better fleshed out, but keeping up is worth the effort.

Ernest Cunningham is back! Fresh off his true crime debut, Ernest is invited to a writers festival taking place on the Ghan, a luxury train traveling across the Australian outback. Amongst the seemingly random collection of writers on board are hidden histories, bad blood, and more secrets than can fit in one luxury train car. When one of the writers drops head during a panel session, Ern suspects foul play and dives right back into the role of amateur detective. Will he be able to unravel the web of secrets and lies in time to stop a killer from escaping, or worse, killing again?

A++. All the stars. Somehow EVERYONE ON THIS TRAIN IS A SUSPECT is even better than the first book in the series. It’s cleverly self referential, continually breaking the fourth wall and giving the reader all the clues they need to solve the mystery. I did not solve the mystery (lol).

More than being just a fun, fair play murder mystery, this book is an offering to readers. Readers are more than just part of the story - the readers make the story. This one is ours.

Thank you to Mariner books and NetGalley for the gifted copy.

I only recently read the first book in this series, Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone, which I so thoroughly enjoyed. Our narrator, Ernest Cunningham, is such fun. He often breaks the 4th wall, which often annoys me a too cute a ploy, but for this series somehow works. I love the old school mystery, the straightforward yet withholding narration, really makes you think. Very clever writing, as good as if not better than the first of the series. Hope for more!

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the ARC! I enjoyed Benjamin’s novel “Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone”, so I was excited to dive into this one. It’s a nod to Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express” but with an original twist.

If you liked the 4th wall breaking, mystery rule following, first book in this series, then you will like this one even more! Sorry for the travel pun, but once again Ernest Cunningham gives the reader a lot to unpack. Luckily for us, he is there to help point things out along the way. He even bold face tells us who the murderer is going to be and counts down until their denouement (de-noo-moh). This book is for every mystery lover who wanted more information on how Mr. Poirot's little grey cells worked, but also wants a less serious look at the traditional mystery arc. Whether you are a person who likes figuring it out ahead of time or just wants to chuckle along as the main characters finds themself in precarious situations, this book is for you! You can get your thriller and a little respite from the seriousness all at the same time!

4.5 stars, enjoyed this more than the first book, maybe I was more prepared for the narrator's tongue-in-cheek tone.

ARC through NetGalley. I liked this one better than the first book. I felt as though some characters weren’t developed enough and at time it was hard to follow the motives of all the different characters since there are so many characters. All the twists and turns. I didn’t see the ending coming.

I absolutely loved this book. Dare I say that it is better than the first? The “locked door” atmosphere was exactly what I wanted on this snowy day. Full of twists and turns, this Ernest Cunningham whodunnit, is perfect for those that love a good twisty tale, with amazing characters!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

1 Sentence Summary: Ernest Cunningham has been invited to the Australian Mystery Writers’ 50th Anniversary Festival aboard the Ghan, a famous train between Darwin and Adelaide, and he is hoping for some inspiration to write his second mystery novel, but then somebody is murdered, and it’s looking like real life imitates fiction after all.

My Thoughts: Sequels are difficult, but I feel like mystery sequels are even more difficult. This book was fantastic, though, and definitely lived up to the first book! There were enough similarities to make it fun, but also enough differences to make it interesting and exciting.

I love Ernest’s fourth wall breaking voice. Like the first book, this one is written as if the narrator, Ernest, is actually the one writing the book. He frequently pauses to talk directly to the reader, which I really enjoyed!

This was veryyyy twisty. The ending was WILD and there were so many plot twists that I wasn’t expecting! Overall, I did like Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone better, but this was still such a fantastic and well written murder mystery.

Recommend to: murder mystery fans and ferroequinologists.

(Warnings: swearing; mentions of rape; death)

I really enjoyed Stevenson’s last book, Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, so I was so excited to be able to read this one before pub day! And I think I liked this one even better! I love the writing style and POV; it’s so unique to read a fiction novel that’s written as a memoir about murders! I also enjoyed the sarcasm of the main character/narrator and how he spoke directly to the readers. I was surprised by who the killer turned out to be, and I liked that we got the classic detective monologue at the end detailing every part of the case. And the epilogue? I did not see it coming AT ALL 😮‍💨

Many thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the opportunity to read before pub day on January 30th!

If you read and enjoyed Benjamin Stevenson’s first book, I highly recommend giving this one a read. Imagine being on a train with a bunch of mystery writers, when someone is killed. You’re trapped with a bunch of people who know how to get away with murder. But you’re also one of many who knows the clues to look for. This was fun from start to finish.

Stevenson is back with his beloved crime fiction narrator, Ernest Cunningham!

An absolute PERFECT whodunnit which picks up shortly after the events that concluded the first mystery “Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone.” If you have not read the first book, I highly recommend it, for additional background context as the narrator’s famous 4th-wall breaking style opening speaks to readers and frequently refers back to the murders in the first book.
The setting for this fantastic whodunnit is the famous Ghan train which whisks riders away on a once in a lifetime journey across the Australian outback. Making the journey even more fun, is that riders on this journey are attending as invitation only guests to an exclusive authors’ event including the industry’s most famous crime and mystery writers. There are publisher sponsored author panels, fancy dinners under the stars, author meet and greets, and plenty of opportunities for, you guessed it, MURDER. I adore books about books/authors, and the plot of this mystery centers on past slights, author competition, and publishers’ attempts to cash in on the next big manuscript. The unique locked-room train setting combined Ernest’s hilarious and brutally honest narration lead readers on quite the entertaining journey. I can 100% guarantee readers will NEVER predict some of the twists before amateur sleuth (now published author) Ernest brilliantly lays them out for local authorities and readers. This is the type of book that makes me want to give a standing ovation (or at least a high five to another reader) after its conclusion. FUN, twisty, SMART, and unique; mystery lovers should absolutely add this one to their 2024 TBR piles.

I’ll be highlighting this book on my socials on February 2nd!

I liked the first book. I loved this one. It was so much fun and the mystery appealed to me more.

I laughed out loud several times and constantly changed my mind about the killer's identity. Always a hallmark of a good mystery in my opinion.

The ending with all the twists and reveals went on a bit too long for me, but it was still entertaining. I really hope the series continues and look forward to seeing which trope Ernest stumbles upon next.

This book is an excellent follow up of the first! Every character has their own charm and is enjoyable to read. The book is keeps you engaged from start to finish. This is a perfect recommendation for anyone who loves light-hearted books with a touch of mystery.

As someone who devoured the author's previous book, I started this one with eagerness and excitement. I wasn't wrong to go in feeling that, but the narrator did put me in my place by continually referring to this book as a sequel and that sequels can sometimes disappoint. Although, I was not disappointed with this sequel, I was more disappointed with myself for still not picking up all the clues that the narrator laid out, despite the content warning at the beginning being a clue itself! If you don't mind your narrator speaking in first person, and reminding you that first person accounts are notoriously biased, then I believe you have found a book that is worth your time. Ernest Cunningham is both parts a fumbling new writer and an amateur detective with only one case to his name, but that doesn't stop him from looking at the world through the lenses of a true crime addict with survivor's guilt. He wants there to be a story unfolding before him because using his imagination is just not good enough for writing, but he also wants a chance to justify his survivor's guilt, to find a reason why he lived when so many others died months before. It is a combination that has you rooting for Ernest to succeed over Alan Royce, but tinged with empathy, as his snooping skills are a practice of self-care, in some form, as he continues to grapple with the emotional and psychological repercussions of seeing so many dead bodies.

Juliette makes an appearance, apparently that relationship flourished after Ernest's last adventure. I won't say in what capacity she appears in this book because that would be a spoiler, but her presence feels more like a side character than a side kick, unfortunately. Besides Juliette and someone else, don't expect any other familiar faces to make an appearance. Having too many familiar faces in the sequel really drives home that it is a sequel, and makes it appear that the previous case is connected to the current one Ernest is trying to solve, which it is not, thank goodness. The author delivers a new adventure, not a continuation, which, to me, is better than leaning on familiarity.

Wow! This was a very interesting story from the get-go. A mystery writer's festival through Australia on a train when murders occur, and everyone is a suspect! The moment I started reading this book, i knew it was going to be unlike a lot of the other mystery/thriller books that I have read lately. I enjoyed the first person point of view and felt like I could understand the story a lot better, mainly because I knew what the narrator was thinking and how/what he thought through the whole book, including the crimes and suspects.

I also felt like because with there being so many characters having the story told in first person point of view made it less confusing and the story flowed easily. This book was a great read and I enjoyed how all of the characters linked together from the past to the present with some good plot twists! I would definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley, Benjamin Stevenson, and Mariner Books for allowing me to review this ARC!

If you enjoyed Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone, the sequel will be a winner for you too! This feels like Murder on the Orient Express and is such a fun locked room mystery! I love the narration style with Ernest speaking directly to the reader and often breaking the fourth wall. I loved this cast of amateur detectives, each thinking they have a critical role to find the killer. I loved this writing style, how we get all the clues and how Ernest allows you to solve the mystery along with him as it unfolds. The ending how this all unfolded and did not figure out the killer on my own! This was a lot of fun and I cannot wait to see if there is more to come from Ernest but will read whatever the author writes next! 

Recommend if you enjoy:
A reliable narrator
Murder on the Orient Express
Locked room mysteries
Goodreads one star reviews 
1st person narration / breaking the 4th wall
Books about authors and the publishing world

Couldn’t get into it. Too many characters to remember with too many similar names. I didn’t care enough about the victim to care who did it. I DNF at 52%.

Couldn’t get into it. Too many characters to remember with too many similar names. I didn’t care enough about the victim to care who did it. I DNF at 52%.