One of my very first ARC reviews was Benjamin Stevenson’s Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone. I still remember inhaling it on the plane last year, amazed at every new twist and turn. It had been so long since a modern mystery excited me, and I felt so lucky to be reading it. And I haven’t read anything quite like it on both the puzzle and tonal front since…

So when I saw that Stevenson wrote a sequel, Everyone on this Train is a Suspect, I was thrilled. I grabbed the ARC as quickly as I could (thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the gift copy). It has been a huge act of self discipline to wait until 2024 to read it. But here we are, I’ve finally allowed myself to read it… can it live up to all my hopes for Ernie and his amazing mysteries?

A fair play train mystery…

As readers know, I love a good train mystery. The closed circle cast, the picturesque scenery, the implicit deadlines - for me they all add up to the perfect mystery recipe. Here Stevenson has added another layer of intrigue with a literary festival on a luxury train. It’s almost too perfect an escapist fantasy - gorgeous train car through breathtaking scenery surrounded by writers and readers.

Train mysteries are a classic Golden Age trope, and Stevenson shows he knows them well. As in Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, he literally announces major milestones, showing his work. These milestones comes at time points, locations, and word counts - blending the traditional signposts with more modern / transparent ones. Every clue is perfectly placed and easily referenced as part of the denouement; Stevenson literally calls out when important information has been shared.

Incredibly, even with this level of transparency, the mystery itself is quite knotty. There are multiple layers that click together in quite a satisfying way. Despite this complexity, Stevenson writes his characters such that the overall story feels believable and their connections sound. I love that there are multiple puzzles to solve in this one, and that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. These books really do feel like reading the best Golden Age mysteries when it comes to puzzling, but with more modern sensibilities on character and storytelling. And unlike many modern mysteries, it’s not quite so easy to simply “meta-guess” the answer, due in large part to these layers of complexity.

…that doesn’t take itself too seriously

It’s not just that Stevenson writes an excellent, puzzling story - he’s also a master entertainer. As before, Ernie narrates this book in first person, and it’s full of asides and musings that make the read feel like a conversation. The narration is full of moments where Ernest reacts to himself in real-time, correcting or adjusting a phrase or sentence to better clarify his point. This feels remarkably like how my actual conversations work, and I found myself sliding into the narration so easily it almost surprised me.

The humor not only makes this a joy to read, it also helps hide the clues. Here Stevenson solves a common issue with lower tier Golden Age mysteries: for clues to stay hidden, they need to be obscure. Stevenson instead chooses to hide clues into observational humor or wry character details. Instead of minimizing them, he points out important elements and laughs at them. And as you’re laughing along, it’s easy to miss the salient points - until you start to put the pieces together at the end. Stevenson effectively uses humor (and other emotions) as a clue-hiding tactic. In my opinion, it makes for a naturally entertaining read that feels even more fair.

Time for a vacation

One other element to note here is a cast shift that drives a tonal difference. Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone followed a fraught and murderous family gathering. I still remember reading at top speed, jaw hanging slightly, amazed at how much these family members despised each other. The book portrayed the kind of fervent animosity you really only get with families. Add to that the idea that each family member was responsible for a death, and you end up with high drama.

But Everyone on this Train is a Suspect does not follow that family dynamic. Instead, you have crime writers, each with their own specialty. Instead of a family reunion, the setting is a literary festival - and try as they might, the writers just can’t snipe as hard as the family did. Instead of understanding each character’s murderous past, we profile their area of crime expertise (forensic, psych, legal, etc.). Plus, a luxury train through a gorgeous desert landscape is much less claustrophobic than a snowed in ski resort. The result is a much mellower vacation read.

The best comparator I have is the difference between Knives Out and Glass Onion. Where the former was full of anger and feelings running amok, the latter is more puzzly fun. Your preferences will vary, but on the whole I think I prefer the mellower luxury vacation read…

Reader’s notes and rating (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

It almost feels too early in the year to have a five star review to give, yet here it is. I didn’t think it was possible to top the prior book, but Everyone on this Train is a Suspect somehow managed. I would recommend it to basically anyone curious about the modern murder mystery - it’s fun, engaging, with a real set of puzzles inside. Perfection - five stars.

Read this if...

You love a great mystery and appreciate a really funny book

Train mysteries are also your thing

You liked the first and wished West Heart Kill were just a little less serious

Skip this if...

You’re not into written asides / conversational tone

Books about writers feel a little too navel-gazing

You enjoyed the tension/suspense more than the puzzle in Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone

Everyone on this Train is a Suspect will be published on January 30, 2024. You should read it.

This second book in a fun cozy mystery series is just as good if not slightly better than the first. There is quite a lot to love about this one, the locked door (or train) aspect of the mystery, all of the quirky characters, the twists and motives of all of the suspects, and finally the Australian outback setting. This was a really hard book to put down and one that had me guessing almost to the end.

Ernest is back and having a tough time. He has published his first book about the events that happened at his family reunion which sold well in true crime circles. He is now working on his second book, a fictional mystery and having a tough time. He is excited to be on this train with all of these other writers but is also somewhat intimidated by them, until one of them is murdered. He then starts to feel in his element and works hard to solve this new mystery before the bodies start to stack up again. Ernest shows some growth in this story, as he overcomes his insecurities as an author and some of his survivors guilt from the first book. I love how he breaks the fourth wall to give us hints as to how mysterys work and how authors work as well. He also has a very dry sense of humor which I always appreciate in characters. 

Everyone else on the train is pretty well fleshed out. There are a few characters that are not, but they end up not being important to the mystery. We again have a cast of suspects that are not very likable. They are all keeping secrets, and go to great lengths to keep them from coming to the surface even after the first murder. I love how all of the authors think that they have solved it or think that they could have done it better. 

The mystery itself is well done. All of the suspects, even the characters you know couldn’t have done it, certainly had motive to commit the murders. It was great fun trying to figure it all out with Ernest, and to root for your favorite characters to either be guilty or maybe not. There are some great twists, and even an action scene or two to spice things up. The pacing is fairly steady, but you are so interested in the story that you are never bored.

One of my dreams is to one day visit Australia, and if I ever do make it there, I will have to see about taking a trip on the Ghan. It sounds wonderful and a great way to see the Outback. But hopefully there will be no murders on board if I do. If you enjoyed the first book in this series, you will certainly get a kick out of this one. I look forward to seeing more of these books in the future.

I didn’t like this as much as the first one, but it was still a lot of fun. Highly recommend for fans of Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club. I felt like the pacing was a bit slow on this book and I didn’t find the characters quite as compelling, but still worth a read.

I loved reading Everyone in my family has killed someone. That felt like a fantastic movie in my head and I hope it turns into one in reality.

This was no exception! I enjoy mysteries set in trains since I am a huge fan of Agatha Christie and Murder on the Orient Express is one of her best works. I was excited to see Benjamin Stevenson's new book set on the train.

He does a good job of dropping clues and giving us enough to solve the mystery. I was glad to see Ernest back and hope to read future books with him solving cases.

It was full of twists and I was surprised by who the killer turned out to be. Looking forward to reading more mysteries by Stevenson.

I just love the way Benjamin Stevenson or rather Ernest Cunningham tells a story!
I loved Everyone on This Train is a Suspect as much as if not more than Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone. I loved the setting of the train, and Ernest does a great job of introducing all of the characters, giving us all the information we need to try and solve the case alongside him. This was full of twists and turns and I absolutely flew through it. I had so much fun reading it, and trying to solve the case before Ernest revealed it all.. I was surprised by not only the killer but also how it all ended and I loved every moment. I hope we get more books from Ernest, I'm definitely not ready for this to be the last one!

This book was fun and twisty the whole way through! I read this in 1 day. I liked this sequel even better than the first book. The whole book takes place on Ghan, a train, filled with mystery writers, agents, editors and fans celebrating the Australian Mystery Writers’ Conference. I love the way the author weaves this story as told through the main character, Ernest Cunningham, as if he is writing the book and solving the mysteries along the way. There is suspense, twisty characters, true-crime and a train full of mystery and delight. Fantastic.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

This was such incredibly fun read; I thoroughly enjoyed this follow up to Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone.

Following Ernest Cunningham on his latest misadventure, this time on a train, and attempting to figure whodunnit was a delight!


Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the advance copy.

In this mystery thriller where the reader gets invited to help, this follow up story is a great ride. This was a delightfully fun page turner and enjoyed this one just as much as the first book!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for this Arc in exchange for a review!

I have been very into the current crop of mysteries that take a meta lens to themselves, including Stevenson’s first novel and others such as West Heart Kill. It’s fun to unpick exactly what we love about mysteries as we are reading one. I look forward to what Ernest gets up to next. A boat journey, perhaps? Deserted island? There are plenty of classic mystery locales to explore.

In this follow up Ernest Cunningham novel, we’re back as Ernest finds more dead bodies and works to solve the mystery. With the humor and wit that we expect from the first book in the series, this one continues the tradition of breaking the fourth wall and invites us into the case.

This time, we’re on a train at a writer’s conference and when one of their own dies, everyone, it seems has a motive.

While I’m not a mystery reader, these books are so much fun that I love to sit back and let Ernest take me on the ride with him as he does all the heavy lifting to solve the case.

This was a fun mystery. I liked our “detective” being a somewhat hapless author who is recording events. Inserting himself & trying to solve it. Ernest Cunningham is a survivor of another mass casualty murder mystery involving his family- he also wrote a book about it. Now he finds himself at a literary festival on a famous train. Lots of personality conflicts, old grudges & secrets lead to the death of a famous author. Ernest has his next book if he can solve the murder(s) & survive himself.

Snuck in oneeeee last book for 2023 and I can’t think of a better page-turner to help me do it! This one absolutely lived up to the hype of book one, and in such a clever, brilliant way. Stevenson’s mystery writing is fresh, nuanced, hilarious, self-aware, and classic all at once. Can’t wait to see what he writes next!

4.25 stars

Ernest Cunningham, after the success of his first novel documenting the murders that took place at his family's reunion, has been invited to a writers festival aboard a train. Struggling to come up with an idea for a fictitious murder mystery, it's only too lucky that there should be one (or more!) murders aboard the train.

If you enjoyed the first Cunninghman novel, Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone then you are sure to also love its sequel! Filled with the same fourth-wall-breaking narrator and meta murder mystery structure, it's just truly a delight to read.

100% loved this book. Sequels are hard, but I honestly felt like this one was even better than the first book.

What I liked about the first book was continued in this one, and the story got even better. Like the author said in the end, sometimes second chance makes it better. Because we get a chance to learn from the first. Sure he did! My indulgence in the story was higher this time. Even though most characters were writers, which I don't relate to, the characters were built very well.

The sharp sense of humor from Benjamin Stevenson has to be the highlight of the book. Even in the most morbid situations, he can bring humor. And not even dark humor, just regular, everyday humor. That's a skill, that's talent.

This book is amazing. Mystery/Thriller lovers who want a change of scenery from the dark, deathly stuff, must read this book!

These books are so good. I honestly thought I had this one figured out but obviously the joke was on me.

Such a fun read! A satirical view on mystery writers while also playing homage to old style Agatha Christie-like books. I giggled a lot and really enjoyed his style of writing. It’s a very entertaining, fast read.that keeps you guessing. I will be going back to read his other book.

Follow me on TikTok @jillandjackets for more reviews.

How does an author tell you exactly what happens before it happens, tell you who to suspect and why, and yet you still can't figure it out? Because he is a genius that's why. Twice now I've gotten the murderer wrong and I'm not even mad about it. I am in awe of the motives, red herrings, and twists throughout Stevenson's books.

Don't let the humor and cozy feel of this book fool you, everything is meticulously thought out down to the last little detail of a comma. The pacing, dialogue, characters, and setting are all a delight. I loved how the Aussie outback and accents were such a huge part of this novel, which easily transported me back there.

A sequel that is just as good as the first and now anything written by Benjamin Stevenson is an auto-buy for me!

My thanks to Netgalley and Mariner Books for an advance copy of this book.
Pub date: Jan 30, 2024

This was such a fun read. I think maybe after reading the first in the series, I was better prepared because I think I enjoyed this one better than the first one.
In this story we find that Earnest Cunningham has been invited to a writer’s retreat on a train. He is thrilled because he assumes it is because of the sale of his first book. His girlfriend from the first book joins him on a writer’s retreat on a train. It was a good nod to Christies Murder on the Orient Express but with humor.
When the bodies start piling up, the reader is left guessing who the killer is because there are so many possibilities.
The author’s humor is sometimes subtle and sometimes it hits you over the head, especially if you are familiar with the first book in the series. There are enough quirky characters and humorous situations that it kept me turning the pages.
I will look for more from this author in the future.
If you are looking for something that will make you laugh as well as give you a good mystery to solve, you need to read this novel.
I will be posting a more in-depth review on my blog at Virginia-Gruver.com

5 stars!

I really liked Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone and so had high expectations when it came to the sequel and was so happy that they were met. This might be my new favorite cozy mystery series just because I LOVE how it references the mystery genre and every single character - including the new ones - is just fun and intriguing and likeable. Overall, definitely one of my best reads of 2023!

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

Thank you NetGalley, Mariner Books, and Benjamin Stevenson for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

After LOVING Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, I was so excited to be back in Ernest’s world. I was not at all disappointed, as the sequel is just as good if not better! There is certainly no sophomore slump for Stevenson.

If you enjoyed the writing style of the first book, you will be delighted with this one as well. It is laugh-out-loud funny and the mystery is even better and more twisty than before.

There is no doubt this book will make my top 10 of 2024!