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

I loved this sequel even more than the first book! If you haven't read Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone, the first novel in the Ernest Cunningham series, I highly recommend that you do.

Stevenson crafted an excellent story that made me both burst out laughing and gasp from suspense on multiple occasions. Stevenson's unique protagonist as a writer who writes about how to write mystery novels is a humorous and charming aspect of the book.

I couldn't put this book down! I really loved how all of these new characters were introduced. They all were fleshed out well and were able to make sense without feeling like the story is just a mess of strangers with confusing backstories. I did feel like the mystery was more confusing this time, so honestly I didn't solve much on my own. The denouement did have to do some heavy lifting to get me to understand everything, but I still enjoyed it. I look forward to what comes next from Benjamin Stevenson!

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toffishay's review against another edition

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funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

This was a really fun reading experience, enhanced by the fact that I actually read it on a long train ride! The meta, self-aware narrative device really works for me and I think it makes it stand out from other mysteries. I love a train-based mystery so I had fun with that as well, even if the mystery didn't grip me quite as much as I would have liked. Our narrator feels a little more far-removed in this sequel, but even that is worked into the plot...

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anntharai's review against another edition

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funny reflective tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.5

This book was very up and down for me - there was a lot of eyerolling early on but gradually got in the groove with it. I think as a writer there were things that annoyed me as it talked about several of the industry issues that rile me 🤣
It's all very meta and interesting, and it did what it said sequels should do for those who haven't read the first book - it made me want to read the first book. So. Well done.

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itshrewsbury's review against another edition

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4.5

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kitpotter's review against another edition

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challenging lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

4.75

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libraryoflanelle's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

If you’re in the mood for a fast-paced, funny, and cleverly written whodunnit, look no further. I'd recommend this one along with the previous book, "Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone". They are not sequels in the traditional sense, but I'd recommend reading both for the full experience and to be in on the inside jokes.

I've found myself leaning towards the Mystery genre a lot less in the last few years, but still sometimes find myself in the mood for one. This one definitely quenched my thirst for a silly, fun mystery that still kept me gripped and often unable to predict what was happening. I absolutely love how Benjamin writes our narrator Ernest's voice in an upfront, fun-loving way, with a running commentary on the mystery genre as a whole.

I don’t tend to specifically seek out humour in my books, but when it's done well, it really gets me. Our narrator Ernest has such a fun sense of humour, and the way he breaks the fourth wall makes you feel even more in on the joke as a reader.

Overall, this book was a super fun and mysterious time, which is exactly what it set out to be. I personally preferred this one to the previous book (likely due to my love for Agatha Christie), but would recommend both!

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher Michael Joseph for the e-arc. All opinions are my own.

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bibliomania_express's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious reflective tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

Everyone on This Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson is a fantastic mystery and a worthy follow up to the first book. It has the same fourth-wall breaking charm, frank narrative voice, and sly introduction of clues as the first, with a new setting and cast of characters. I had so much fun following Ernest as he tries to navigate the world of authors and literary festivals, blunders about his personal life, and unravels multiple secrets from the past.

There were some things that I guessed, wondered if I was wrong, and then was vindicated. But that just enhanced my enjoyement of the story. There were also a lot of things I didn't guess, and I loved the whole denoument scene. And it's so fun thinking back to all the "spoilers" in the first chapter and seeing what they mean once you know.

I also really enjoyed the setting and how vivid the Australian countryside is. The bit about opal mining was particularly interesting. I also appreciated that the book has a map of the train, which made it clearer to see where everyone was in specific moments.

This book does deal with some heavy topics. In line with the fourth wall breaking, Ernest lists all the crimes committed in the first chapter.

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mauve_heard's review

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing fast-paced

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

4.75

A beautiful cocktail pairing to Brian Johnson's Knives Out with a few extra shots of classis Aussie wit. Stevenson played with the tropes of the mystery and whodunnit genre and had fun doing it. This was an easy page-turner and a thoroughly enjoyable read.

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