Four strangers are on the "milk" train going from London to Newcastle in the early hours. To pass the time they try to guess stuff about each other. When they can't guess the profession of the main in the brown suit (they've mentally christened him Mr Brown) he admits "Actually I'm a murderer" Not sure whether or not to believe him, a couple of them report what they heard to the police when they arrive in Sunderland. What follows is a long and intertwined story of missed opportunities, blackmail, love and revenge.
I like this book a lot and the style it has been written in.

I chose to read a free eARC of Actually, I'm a Murderer but that has in no way influenced my review.

On a late-night train journey to Newcastle, four strangers start idly chatting to pass the time. The conversation moves to work, and what each of them does to earn a living. The last thing the group expects is for the most insignificant among them to say "Actually, I'm a murderer". Surely it's a joke. Something controversial said off the cuff to shock them all awake. Not really believing Mr Brown, Tony and Clair mention what was said to the two police officers on duty outside the station. Their concern is brushed aside. However, by the end of the following day, one of the travellers will be dead and one will be blackmailed into committing a crime. That singular comment, that one moment in time changes everything...

Actually, I'm a Murderer is a fun, entertaining historical murder mystery. Not really surprising but you do know who the murderer is pretty much from the outset of the book. The mystery aspect is more about who the next victim is and how they will meet their grisly end. I loved how one moment in time, one seemingly inconsequential comment, changes the lives of all those present. The story is told from three perspectives: Tony Davies, Constable Aline James and John Brown. These three individual, believable voices lead the reader through the chaos that rains down upon all of them following Mr Brown's fateful declaration. But how does Aline end up mixed up in all of this? Aline is one of the two police officers Tony confides in when he disembarks the Newcastle train. Whilst her male colleague brushes Tony's concerns away, Aline's interest is piqued. She's hoping for a promotion (a rare thing for a woman in the police force in 1973) so makes it her business to keep a cautious eye on the passengers.

Would I recommend this book? I would recommend Actually, I'm a Murderer to fans of well-written cosy crime (particularly those who read Deary's books as a child, or those who have children who read this author now). It is a light-hearted, humorous, murder mystery where the identity of the murderer isn't really any part of the mystery! It's a clever tale, skilfully delivered by an accomplished, skilled writer. I loved the premise. I thought the characters were all interesting and played their parts well. I liked how the many strands of the book all come together in a wonderful, slightly nerve-wracking finale. I liked the historical aspects of the story. Again, we see how differently female police officers were treated compared to their male counterparts. This seems to have become a bit of a theme in my reading this year. That and trains! I absolutely despised Aline's beat partner, Constable Greatorex. He made my blood boil. I did enjoy Aline's determination though. Her drive to get that promotion and the lengths she went to to get it. I can see this book being adapted for the screen in the future, and I can see Deary's fan base increasing exponentially. All in all, I enjoyed Actually, I'm a Murderer. A fun, light-hearted, easy-to-read novel with a gentle, engaging pace and a cast of wonderful characters. Recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of Actually, I'm a Murderer. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

[Review will be published on 24th June 2025]

It is hard when you find a novel that seems right up your street by any author you respect but that just doesn't inspire you to pick it up. Unfortunately, that was the case with “Actually, I’m a Murderer”. It has all the right components: an interesting premise, a cracking start, a good plot and as you might expect from Terry Deary, more than a few jokes (per page!) but somehow, it really didn’t gel for me.

The multiple characters’ diary-style episodal format has been done so many times of late by other authors and is obviously very popular with readers, however, I have never really enjoyed this, finding it makes the book overlong and depriving it of flow and continuity – that goes for all books using this format, not just this one. But that aside, I can’t quite put my finger on why (and I hate to say it) I found it all rather uninteresting – I didn’t care for any of the characters, nor what happened to them. However, it wasn’t a chore to get to the end and ultimately, the finale is quite clever and entertaining.

I think the problem is that I expected a bit more from this rather excellent author and so feel a little disappointed - my view of the same book, if by a different author, would probably have been more forgiving. But to be fair, I have read many, many books that are much inferior to “Actually, I’m a Murderer”.
If humorous cosy(ish) crime is your thing, you could certainly do a lot worse!

I enjoyed this one loved the multi character they were all interesting and different.
It was definitely a quirky unique book!!
Love it

This book delivers a twisty, entertaining mystery that kept me guessing throughout. I loved the dark humour, intrigue and suspense.

Four people meet on a train, they start to chat and to guess what each does for a living, the young man is an actor, the young woman a technician, the well off man something in government and the fourth? Well, a nondescript man, a Mr Brown says “Actually, I’m a murderer”.
The story is told from three different points of view, Mr Brown, the actor and the young policewoman that the actor and the woman from the train report toon leaving the train.. Mostly set in 1973, but also 50 years later, this is an engaging tale that kept me gripped, wanting to find out what happens next. There are plenty of twists and turns, well written and I almost read in one sitting.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.

3 Stars
One Liner: Great premise but a mediocre read

1973
Four people are traveling in a railway compartment of the early mail from London to Sunderland. They talk a little about themselves to pass the time.
• Claire works in electronics, hoping a desk-sized computer will make her a fortune.
• Tony is an actor going home after a tour.
• Edward is a top lawyer and adviser to the Heath government.
• John, the fourth man in the compartment, says ‘actually, I’m a murderer’.
They think he’s being funny, but who knows what will happen next?
The story comes in the first-person POVs of Tony, Aline, and John Brown.

My Thoughts:
I didn’t know the author was famous until I finished the book. Turns out, he is the author of the Horrible Histories Series (64 books!) and is quite popular. It did me good coz I didn’t have any expectations about the book.
The premise is intriguing. Being set in the 1970s gives it a sort of old-world vibe, but not much. Still, the setting and the use of the period are the best part of the book.
It’s not easy reading about the casual sexual harassment of women (but sadly, we don’t have to try hard to imagine women police not being safe with their male counterparts, as this happens even today). Still, it is realistic.
The presentation makes the story more engaging in a way, as we get the details from three POVs, one of whom is the killer. However, the foreshadowing sometimes spoils the suspense, and the lack of detail actually works in reverse to make some twists too obvious (yeah, I’m referring to the repeated use of ‘my lover’).
Now, readers don’t have to like the characters to enjoy a mystery. It’s usually the annoying one who gets popped off, so it’s not a loss. However, there’s hardly any likable character in the book. The narrators do have some sort of personality, but nothing you can actually root for!
Also, this brings me to a recurring issue in many books. Why is it that the so-called experts end up making so many mistakes once the story starts? The same happens with Mr. Brown, too. Though we see hints of his talent, he spends a lot of time making mistakes like a novice.
The initial rambling didn’t do the book any favor, TBH. The first quarter is slow when it should have hooked the reader. The pacing gets better later on, thankfully, but this is not a fast book.
I did figure out the twists, which is always a positive sign. It shows the story follows a well-planned arc rather than throwing in twists just to shock the readers.
Of course, a certain development is a bit strange, but it makes sense in a convoluted way, just like the characters. It aligns with their personalities.

To summarize, Actually, I'm A Murderer is a decent cozy mystery that combines dark themes with teeny bits of lighthearted scenes, and unlikeable characters. I’m not sure who to recommend this to.
Thank you, NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK (Constable), for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Four strangers meet on a train in the year of 1973 and to pass time they share details about themselves, including their jobs. When one man declares he is a murderer no one believes him but in the following days one of his fellow passengers will become his latest victim.

As the author of the Horrible Histories series, I was excited to see that he had decided to delve into the adult crime genre. This was an interesting concept with a clever plot and a unique writing style. The story is told by multiple narrators and takes on a chatty, humorous tone. I found I wasn’t prepared at first for this style so it took a while for me to warm to it, however once I finally did, I soon found myself starting to tire from it again and at times found my focus waning.

Even though the multiple characters were interesting, I found I was at times confused as to whose narration I was reading and it ended up quite predictable. I definitely appreciate what the author was trying to do here and it has great promise. I especially enjoyed how different and quirky the story was and can see current fans and new readers of this author, especially those who like cosy crime, really enjoying this. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

A very good and easy read.

The first few pages of the book are so infuriatingly meta that I feared the worse but, not to worry, once we get into the book proper, all is more conventional.

I see that the author has drawn partly from his own life in his character Tony Davis and this is quite enDEARYng. The story is good, good plot with some surprises, especially the Tony death one although both Aline and Tony are surprisingly slow with regard to Helen's attacker.

The book is very funny in places, Aline has a nice line in put downs and Mr Brown is just hilarious.

Definitely worth a read. Something a bit different and not at all taxing. 3.5 up to 4.

One of my favourite authors, MW Craven, raved about this book, so I was eager to read it myself.

The book starts in 1973, with four strangers meeting on a train, marooned in a single carriage together. The polite conversation takes an unexpected turn, when one of the travellers announces the words, “Actually, I’m a murderer”.

The story telling meanders through the thoughts and actions of the narrating characters, showing the same events from differing perspectives. Occasionally the timeline returns to our current time, giving a glimpse at the repercussions of that conversation on the train.

The attitudes and speech in the book reflect the opinions of 1973, to say that this wasn’t a positive experience for a female police officer, would be an understatement. Aline deals with these situations as best she can, but I certainly didn’t envy her daily battle.

I really wanted to love this book, but sadly I didn’t. I found my attention wandering frequently, and I wasn’t eager to pick up the book at every opportunity I could. Which tells me I wasn’t the right reader for the book, though I’m sure others will love this quirky read.

I’m aware of Terry Deary as the author of the Horrible History series for children. Actually, I'm A Murderer is emphatically not a children’s book. It starts with a 1973 journey by four strangers who occupy a train compartment and pass the time by guessing each other’s occupations. As you’ll have guessed from the book’s title, one of them claims to be a murderer and yes, there is a subsequent murder.

I really enjoyed this book. Each chapter is narrated by Tony Davies (a mediocre actor), John Brown (the self-confessed murderer) or Aline James (a policewoman who gets involved when the four leave the train at Sunderland). Deary’s plotting is meticulous, although I do wonder if anyone could really be as naïve / stupid as Tony!

The characters are beautifully depicted. Although Aline is clever and highly ambitious, Deary shows the huge challenges that women had to face in the workplace in 1973 and I’m afraid that it’s quite plausible that the police force was more misogynist than most other organisations. Aline’s fellow policeman, Greatorex, is an unpleasant bully and sex pest, driven by his lust for Aline. Tony wants to be an actor but isn’t a very good one and is – as Aline says in her first chapter – a buffoon. He subsequently discovers that his talent is for writing, not acting; and the book starts with him reflecting upon the events, fifty years later, when he is a rich and successful popular author. He is 77 years old when the book opens in 2023 – just as Deary was at that time – and was born in Sunderland, just like Deary. John Brown (probably not his real name, but “a name as good as any”) is a precise careful person. He describes himself as a sociopath, not a psychopath – someone who is not mentally ill but simply has no empathy at all with other people, so he can kill without any qualms or regrets.

Brown’s plans always include an escape plan, even if he cannot anticipate why he might have to invoke it but Deary shows how precise, carefully thought-out, plans can be derailed by people acting in unexpected ways. I enjoyed the way that Deary throws in unexpected twists. For example, Tony meets another policewoman who turns out to be Aline’s house-mate in a house whose landlord is the local villain. The ending is unexpected but also very clever. This is Deary’s first crime novel but it’s very good indeed and I shall definitely look out for any subsequent adult books he may care to write.

#ActuallyImAMurderer #NetGalley

I loved this book! I would definetly recommend to those loving a cosy murder mystery. It was not what I expected (in a positive way).

Four strangers occupy a train carriage, where one of them confesses to being a murderer. What happens next involves corporate espionage, blackmail and more murder.

The story is told from some point in the future, alternating between two of our characters, one of whom was in the train carriage and the other who was a police officer that the existence of the “murderer” was reported to.

It all unfolds with a level of humour one might expect from Terry Deary, and the plot is intriguing enough to keep you coming back to find out what happens.

This is one for fans of similarly humorous crime books, such as Richard Osman, and I’d recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC.

This book made me mad and sad and glad!!!!! The writing was very good and captured the trials and tribulations of women in the 70's and especially those in the police. I was getting so annoyed for the MFC and what she subjected to.
I enjoyed the multi character view's in the book and it was not confusing to following along at all. I also liked how the beginning and the ending all tied in with one another.

I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.

An enjoyable adult crime caper from Terry Deary.

Quirky, funny in parts - though at times trying to hard to be funny - it's a good debut that reads quickly and is an entertaining romp. Full of characters that aren't really that likeable, it has vibes of 70s sitcoms which is the era in which its set.

It starts very well but there is a bit of a dip in proceedings through the middle but it all comes to a inventive finale that left me happy to have read this one. Feels very much like a standalone read but I hope Terry Deary has more adult fiction to come

Much Enjoyed

I wasn’t sure what to expect, we are horrible history fans… this didn’t disappoint! Nevermind who is the murderer - who is being murdered!!!! What a fun read!

This was such a good concept and I enjoyed the writing style. However non of the characters were likeable and even though they were at times sending themselves up it fell a little flat for me.

It was also incredibly obvious who the murderers were and none of the twists were a suprise to me. I'm not sure if this was deliberate but the clues were over done. I read a lot of murder mysteries so guessed very early on.

Having said that it was a fun read and I'd recommend it to people.

The story started quite slowly for me however it picked up and I’m glad I stayed with it. It does ramble at some places but it’s worth sticking with it. I quite enjoyed it and it was quite different from the usual psychological thrillers that I usually read.

Really clever plot idea and deftly woven narratives from three different narrators. I also enjoyed the humour in the book and the brilliant, yet unexpected ending. Very clever and very readable.

Actually I'm a Murderer is actually brilliant! It's just like watching a quirky BBC2 drama or even an episode of Inside No 9.

Most of the story takes place in 1973, where four strangers meet on a train. Things take an unexpected turn when one of the passengers, Mr Brown, announces to the others that Actually I'm a Murderer.

Soon after, the lives of the other passengers, plus local police officer Aline, become tangled together with some unintended consequences (and a murder or two!)

I loved the mix of character viewpoints, including Mr Brown and his clinical hitman professionalism. Terry Dearey has proven that he's not just a great children's author, and I can't wait to read more.