Reviews with content warning for Rape - Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect

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Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson

88 reviews

lastblossom's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

tl;dr
Strong (possibly better?) follow-up to the first book (although first book knowledge not necessary), with more signature meta-commentary, twists, and a solid mystery.

Thoughts
Ernest Cunningham is back, once again tripping over unfortunate circumstances and the corpses that come with them. In a role reversal from the previous book, Ernest is now one of many murder mystery authors, and probably the least qualified of the bunch, but he brings back his signature self-aware writing style and collection of adverbs to sassily, wittily, and sometimes accidentally, uncover a murderer. I previously enjoyed the energy and style of the first book. The sequel doubles down on that mood - heaping on the meta commentary about the "fair play" mystery. If you liked it the first time around, you'll like it this time too, probably even more. One bit of meta foreshadowing in particular, is extremely effective in its blatant-ness, and I applaud the author for leaning into it. Combine that with a blunt but honest look at The Industry, and you've got another fun mystery on your hands. If I had any complaints, they would be the same as the first. Ernest remains entirely un-earnest, with high emotional walls that make it difficult for a reader to care about him or the stakes involved. Two books in, it's clear this is purposeful, but it can have an alienating effect, and I can totally see this not being everyone's cup of tea. If you liked the first book, jump on it! If you haven't read the first book, but this sounds interesting, there aren't any major spoilers, and you can start here if you like.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for a review copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!

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neeeek's review against another edition

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dark lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

To many buzzwords to fit trends that don't add to the narrative

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inirac's review against another edition

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funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Enjoyed this but getting a little weary of the asides, especially at the beginning. It's really jarring for an audiobook (that and the lists).

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whitneyfoster's review

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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charliettea's review

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adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect was a great read. I started it without realizing it was a sequel, but that didn't bother me at all because he made it a point not to spoil the first book. I love murder mysteries, and this one being amongst crime and detective authors made it marvelously meta. I'm not one to try to solve the murders myself before reaching the end, though this author makes it somewhat approachable to do so. Despite this, I would categorize this as difficult to guess the solution. He provided relevant information, but nothing felt obvious. I loved finding everything out at the end which was complete with a dramatic monologue explaining everything.

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