Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect is the second book in the Ernest Cunningham series however it can be read as a standalone which is what I did. This book follows a mystery writer's festival taking place on the Ghan train travelling through rural Australia. As the title suggests a murder takes place and Ernest is given the task of deducing who committed it on a train full of people whose job it is to plan how to get away with murder.

I really enjoyed this book! The first person narrative voice was a real stand out and I loved the witty, dry sense of humour throughout. Additionally I loved that the book recognised its similarities to other mystery books such as Murder on the Orient Express and played off of these both for comedic purposes and for plot twists. As someone who loves books and reading, I love books which include insights into the publishing world and I was here for the shear amount of drama between the authors, publishers and fans within this book. Aside from the drama and humour, I thought that the author handled potentially sensitive topics well and it felt like these subjects had proper fleshed out storylines rather than being thrown in for a plot twist or shock value which is becoming increasingly common in mystery-thrillers.

My only slight complaint with this book is that I found at the start you get introduced to a lot of characters in very quick succession and some of the characters have quite similar names for example there is an Andy and an Aaron. To begin with I found myself struggling to keep up with who is who and which backstory connected with which character.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and especially loved its unique first person narrative.

've not read the first in this series, but I loved this one about a writing festival held on a train. There's a murder and of course everyone, just like the title says, is a suspect.

I enjoyed the mystery and the suspects as the train made its way through the heart of Australia, clues laid out en route. All the suspects have their reasons for being on the train, but not all for the writing festival which, for a few, becomes a convenient cover.

This was quite clever and the murder mystery well done. I think I'll have to go back and read the first one, as there were some references that I missed because I haven't read it, although it didn't spoil my enjoyment of this one and they were well laid out.

Looking forward to number 3! Recommended especially if you like a good meta read. I'm finding I quite enjoy them!

I really enjoyed this author's other works, but for some reason, I just did not enjoy this book unfortunately. I have given him another chance with his Christmas novella, and he has redeemed himself with that one!

The second mystery thriller book in the Ernest Cunningham series set in Australia, and it was a really enjoyable read! The book takes place not long after the end of book one, and the MMC Ernest is invited to an Australian Mystery Writer's Conference which takes place on a boujee train however everything goes south when the key speaker is murdered and they are all enlisted to work out what happened so that they don't get framed or end up the next victim. It was a really good premise especially when you have a whole cast of murder mystery writers who literally write about how to get away with murder in their books and then theres Ernest who is flying high after his debut and trying to furiously work out wtf is going on (haha!) and I think I probably enjoyed it more than book one (which I really enjoyed too)! It kept me guessing and then second guessing and I enjoyed the plot twists and I was shocked when I found out who it was. I enjoyed the new characters which kept it new but it was also written well to keep up with the 'new faces' and did't feel overwhelming to read. Im also so glad that Ernest and Julia finally get together!
Really enjoyable read and look forward to the next book!

“Seven writers board a train. At the end of the line, five will leave it alive. One will be in cuffs. Body count: nine. Bit lower than last time. And me? I don’t kill anybody this time around. Let’s get started. Again.”

Exchanging a snowbound lodge in the Australian Alps for The Ghan, a train that travels through the outback from Darwin to Adelaide, and introducing a mostly new cast of characters, Everyone on this Train is a Suspect is the sequel to Benjamin Stevenson’s quirky mystery, Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone.

Like the first book, the story is related by Ernest Cunningham in the first person, while he is writing a book in the aftermath of events, regularly breaking the fourth wall by addressing the reader. It’s a tricky narrative technique that Stevenson handles brilliantly, and Ernest is a witty and charming narrator.

The storyline is roughly chronological and begins as, invited to participate in the Australian Mystery Writers Festival on the Ghan, Ernest accompanied by his girlfriend Juliette board the train in Darwin. Under pressure to produce a second book for his publisher he’s hoping to find inspiration on the journey, and when a fellow author on the train dies, it would seem he has it. Given the calibre of crime writers aboard, the mystery of who and why should be easy to solve, but then crime writers are also primed to get away with murder. Even though Ernest is forthright in sharing hints and clues I struggled to narrow down my list of suspects. There are plenty of red herrings and twists, and importantly the pace never drags.

As entertaining as its predecessor, Everyone on this Train is a Suspect is clever, compelling and fun.

I love Benjamin Stevenson’s writing style. These are great books with a lot of charm and humour. I initially found it tricky to keep track of who is who but decided to go with it and it does become easier as the characters are fleshed out. The mystery is good and the clues are all there, if you pay attention. All in all this is thoroughly enjoyable and I recommend this series as a fun and interesting read.

I don't know why I waited so long to read this!

Following our main character and creatively-blocked crime author, Ernest Cunningham, this novel takes a very meta angle on what it takes to write a mystery thriller. Beyond the introspective musings on 'main character energy' and complicated publishing politics, I really enjoyed how the Australian backdrop infiltrated the plot. There's a particular scene in the opal mines that is very heart-in-mouth!

I loved the self-referential and self-aware narrative and I would, unfortunately, say this is much stronger than the plot. I found the big reveal slightly convoluted but I confess I was reading it very quickly in a race to the end, so I perhaps didn't give it the time it needed to be properly satisfying.

Overall a fun and quick read that I would recommend to anyone with a penchant for quirky locked-room style murder mysteries.

Stylistically I suspect this is a bit of a marmite book. It's written in a deliberately self-conscious fashion - a mystery writer writing a mystery while solving a mystery, using the Rules of golden age detective fiction to both solve it and write it, I suppose. There's a lot of breaking out of the action of the story to speak directly to the reader, vast amounts of foreshadowing, and a lot of in-jokes about books and publishing. (But seriously yes, just how many books there are now with the main character's full first name and surname included in the title, now I've seen it I can't unsee it.) There's also a self-deprecating joke about the second book being notoriously hard to write. I haven't actually read the first one but I have read the third, Christmas special which I enjoyed more, so perhaps there is some truth to that. All that aside, I personally enjoyed reading it. It's an entertaining mystery that's witty and somehow manages to respectfully poke fun at the genre while still following all the rules to produce a satisfying murder mystery.

I loved the style of writing. It felt like I was in conversation with the writer as he went about his day. Solving the clues. It was engaging and really entertaining. It was just an individuals perception of everyone snd everything. The characters were interesting and the plot although a traditional who done it on a train. Was well executed with extra side plots. Throughly recommended as a homage to this classic plot.
Thank you netgallery and publisher and author.

This is one of those rare cases where the second book is even better than the first!

I do think it would be better to read Everyone in my Family Has Killed Someone first, to get the background about Ern and his family, and his ‘rules’ for murder mysteries. That said though, there is enough background included here for you to read it as a standalone if you really must.

In this story, Ern and his girlfriend are invited to a literary festival on board a train, along with a small cohort of fellow mystery writers, agents and fans, and it doesn’t take long for everything to all go a bit Poirot-shaped!

Ern makes for a witty, self-deprecating main character and first person narrator (similar to the character of Horowitz in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series by Anthony Horowitz) and the hook of his crime-writing rules being applied to real life murders is just as clever, if not cleverer, this time round. Perhaps that is because the narrative format feels more suited to the debonair, meta, book-centred world of a lit-con than a snowy family retreat?

Regardless of the setting, there are loads of puzzles and clues scattered throughout and the author ensures throughout that the story remains the very definition of a fair-play mystery – Ern reassures us on that point regularly, while updating us on name counts and other technicalities of his craft that we don’t normally see the workings of – I love it.

In summary, I love the concept, the plot, the characters, and sincerely hope the author will continue to plunge Ern into deadly peril on our behalf, despite my fond feelings for him!

My second book from this author, and a firm favourite for me. Such an easy read, wonderfully paced story and a thrill to read.

Very much along the lines of Murder on the Orient Express, this is fun and engaging but I'd say this is best read as part of the series to fully appreciate the main character.

Thank you Penguin and Random House and Netgalley.
My first by this author and certainly not my ,ast,
Murder mystery with a big of Agatha Christie thrown in.
Fun, well written, engaging and recommended,
Thank you

"Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect" by Benjamin Stevenson is a gripping and fast-paced mystery novel that promises to keep readers on the edge of their seats. Set aboard a train journey, the story unfolds with a classic whodunit premise: a murder has occurred, and everyone on board is a potential suspect.

Stevenson’s writing is likely to be taut and suspenseful, with carefully crafted characters each harboring secrets and motives. The confined setting of the train adds to the tension, creating a claustrophobic atmosphere where suspicion runs high and trust is in short supply. As the protagonist—perhaps a detective or an amateur sleuth—races against time to uncover the killer before the train reaches its destination, readers are drawn into a web of intrigue, deception, and unexpected twists.

"Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect" is ideal for fans of classic mystery novels, especially those who enjoy Agatha Christie-style plots with modern twists. With its engaging plot and well-drawn characters, this novel is sure to appeal to anyone who loves a good mystery with plenty of surprises along the way.

The book was well written and enjoyed the story. It was like a crossover of the murder on the orient express.

Another hugely entertaining novel from Benjamin Stevenson, very hard to put down, very definition of addictive.

A locked train mystery, a sort of homage to Orient Express, our reliable narrator Ernest finds himself knee deep in another mystery and so begins his second book..

Great writing, great plotting, a whole lot of fun.

Well this was good fun. I had heard nothing but great things about this authors previous novel and to my shame I still hadn’t picked it up, but after this I’ll definitely be fixing that.

Told with humour and warmth, as well as compelling insight and clever prose, this one will keep you guessing through to the satisfying conclusion. Definitely recommend.

This is an author I wasn’t sure that I had heard but is now definitely in my what else have they written pile. Loved it - well written and engaging - well worth a read.

I really enjoyed ‘Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone’ and am delighted to report that Benjamin Stevenson has remained true to form with his new novel ‘Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect’. I love the inclusion of the author as character, and this author is funny and flawed. The train in question is The Ghan, making the epic journey across the Australia from Darwin to Adelaide,
and is a character in itself – definitely one for the bucket list! The world of publishing, with author’s egos, the impact of reviews and the pressure of the second novel are all explored with a humourous touch, and the plot is a satisfying one. Recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for this book.

The sequel to Everyone in My Family is a Murderer, this murder mystery cleverly brings together several writers on a train journey through the Australian Outback. With the types of author (debut, forensic science, blockbuster, legal thriller, literary and psychological suspense) on board bringing a unique insight and contribution to the event, this novel kept me second-guessing until the end.

Better than the original – would recommend.