Set on a luxury train going through the heart of Australia, this book pits a wannabe writer of mystery novels who is well-versed in Golden Age crime fiction, against other crime novelists in an ultimate locked room mystery. With pretty much no one being what they seem, it makes for an enjoyable and intriguing mystery.

A delightfully fun mystery! I love the narrative voice used here, consistent with the first book. Keeps things light and fun while still being a murder mystery.

Stevenson is a master of the clever murder mystery. Ernest is a narrator that keeps you on your toes. His lack of self esteem borders on being too much but is so relatable. I was hanging on every word and am planning to reread again to pick up more. The genius of Stevenson is the details. I would heartily recommend this masterpiece.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book!

To start with, I didn’t read the first one. And actually I think that’s for the best since now I’d like to read it and I can comment on this book as a stand-alone piece. This book alludes to its prequel in a few key moments but I didn’t feel like it gave anything away (other than Ernest’s survival of the first book which as he comments early in the book - is an inevitability of being the narrator).

I love a locked room mystery and I love a self-aware book. This was both of those and I think in the best possible format. It built a very interesting web of characters and had me guessing the new murderer at every turn. The idea of an actual fair play mystery novel is also awesome and I know it’s not the authors creation, but it is masterfully done here.

Really enjoyed. 5/5 Tremendous

This book was INCREDIBLE. It was witty, fun, hilarious, and just overall a really special read. I laughed out loud at so many moments. I did not want to put this book down. It was SO GOOD. I loved getting to catch up with Ernest again. This book was somehow better than the first in the series and that is not easy to do. I will legitimately recommend this book to anyone and everyone. I need all my friends and family to read this book ASAP.

Another winner! To be honest, it would be hard for Benjamin Stevenson to release a sophomore book in this series after the theme and drama of the freshman one, Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone." It was like a genealogical thriller with a twist for locked room mystery fans. This time, the plot takes place on a train and all the guests are writers, publishers, and readers. So, in a way, it retains that family-esque appeal while giving readers a tight connection to them personally too. Stevenson's narrator is amazingly charismatic, sometimes annoying, but generally livens up the overall story so that readers are indeed connected on many levels. The best part... at a few moments, we had it all worked out only to discover Stevenson's masterful way with words intentionally confused and mislead us but in a way it was brilliant. Definitely hoping for a third, but honestly, can he pull it off?

I understand that this book has a specific audience - probably the same audience that read or will read the first book in the sequel - but that audience is not me. I rarely, if ever, do not finish a book but I am unable and unwilling to spend more time reading a book that is confusing, muddled, and not very good. I’m over a third of the way through the story and aside from being on a train and being told (no less than 200 times thus far) that there is a murder at some point in the book, what in the world is happening? There are characters flowing out of every orifice and whether they are meaningful or just drivel remains to be seen. Godspeed to those who decide to read this book.

Benjamin Stevenson is such a unique author. When I read "everyone in my family has killed someone" it was unlike anything I had read before. With that said, I was excited to get my hands on this. Ernest is back, this time with a love interest. Oh and they are trapped on a train with other authors. Stevensons books require the reader to really pay attention. He even tells you "this is going to be important later" but as the events unfold the reader is still surprised/enthralled. His writing style is definitely not for everyone but I am liking what he is bringing to the thriller genre

While I think this book has a clear audience, I don’t think that audience is me. I found myself frustrated with the exposition and time spent focusing on the events of the first book in the series, and have therefore chosen not to continue after about 30/40% of the book, due to a frustration with the characters led by my own preferences.

For fans of Richard Osman and Anthony Horowitz, a fiendishly fun locked room murder mystery from the author of the indie darling Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone —this time set on a train full of mystery writers, agents, editors, and fans.

Well-written and well-plotted. I liked it!

This is the second book I have read this week telling me first person narrative means the narrator survives but leaving me with so many questions and without a narrator at the end. Yes, everyone on this train was a suspect. Even the beloved girlfriend of the narrator although he was trying to convince himself that she was exempt. People were dropping dead left and right leaving many relieved and shocked at the same time.

It became our narrator's job to find the culprit and write a second book based on this story. He had this reputation where people around him die and he ended up writing about it. He was not only narrating all the events happening in this train that was no different than a prison once on the move, but he was also walk us through his thought process. It sounded more like a memoir than a novel he was writing.

I liked the variety of the characters included in the story. Also, all the dirty laundry of the literary world was put on a display. Most of the successful writers on this train were doing one weird thing or the other, while not so successful ones were trying to play the game by the rules and getting punished for it. This was a great whodunnit!

Fantastic follow up. I thoroughly enjoyed it, the perspective and style are so unique, all around just a fun, smart mystery. I listened to the first Ernest book, and read this one on kindle, I think both formats work so well for the stories, I hope there will be more adventures of Ernest and Juliette in the future!

Whodunnits: we’ve all read them, or watched them, and we generally know what to expect. And Ernest Cunningham knows that we know what to expect, which makes the amateur detective breaking the fourth wall so much fun. I loved the first book in this series bc it was so unlike anything I’ve ever read, but I do remember not loving the actual murder mystery of it all. I LOVED all of it in this book though!

You can tell that the author is a naturally funny person (it checks out: he’s a standup). I don’t know how to explain it but humor in books just hits different when you’re giggling without realizing it vs when you can tell an author is trying to make you laugh but it’s not landing.

We have crime writers and crime readers on a train with a murder mystery plot and publishing beefs going back decades, told from the POV of the most endearing and self-aware amateur detective. Oh and the best epilogue I’ve read in years. This was a fun, entertaining, and refreshing read. Can't wait for more in the series.

Thank you NetGalley and Mariner Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I was obsessed with the first book and just as obsessed with the second. This was so clever, funny, and written extremely well. There is a smartness to Benjamin Stevenson's writing that just clicks. He gives you all the information but has a way of putting it, that the killer is always a hard guess and a surprise. I hope he keeps writing Ernest novels forever. Absolutely pick this one up when it releases in January. One of my favorites of this year!

It’s always hard to write a review about a book where books reviews and the way they make authors feel are one of the main themes LOL. A good second entry but I would like to see something different from this author next as they obviously know the drill.

Thank to the publisher, and Netgalley for a copy to review.

I really enjoyed this. I had just finished the first one, then got to enjoy the sequel. I enjoyed both, but this one a bit more than the first. Just like the first one, the title is very eye catching. I like it.
This was a fun thrill ride through the Australian desert. Both books are set in Australia, I've never been to Australia. I've heard it's beautiful...and hot. I think the setting of a train is perfect, and although it's been done before, it never gets old. This one was a fun, and fast paced. If you're into mysteries,murder, and humor then please check this out. I would say you don't have to read the first one if you don't want to. It could work to read them in any order, or if you choose as a stand alone,but I suggest to do the author a favor, and read both of them. I think he would really like that. Happy Reading everyone.

Ernest Cunningham is back in the follow-up to Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone. Ernest is still dealing with the events from the mountain. Suffering from survivors' guilt, Ernest is having difficulty going from "true crime" to fiction. With a due date for his next book coming up, Ernest decides to attend the Australian Mystery Writer's 50th Anniversary celebration as a panelist. However, when one the writers is murdered, he finally has the topic of his next book. Follow along as Ernest and the other writers fight to figure out who is the culprit.

Benjamin Stevenson has done it again! I loved Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone and I think I enjoyed the sequel even more. This is not a typical murder mystery. Ernest Cunningham has no problem breaking the fourth wall with spoilers (the killer's name is written 106 times in this book) and going back with a review of what we learned. There was so much to this book that every time you thought you had it figured out, another twist would happen, and I never expected the ending. This was one of my most anticipated book to come out in 2024 and it did not disappoint.

Everyone on This Train is a Suspect comes out January 30, 2024!

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the opportunity to review Everyone on This Train is a Suspect. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

I wouldn't have thought it was possible a few days ago, but with Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect author Benjamin Stevenson has unseated his last book as my favorite modern-day whodunnit mystery. Yes, this book is that good!


Ernest Cunningham has once again gotten caught up in murder and mayhem and must step into the role of amateur detective, all while still abiding by the rules of a fair play murder mystery, of course. This time around, he's attending a mystery writers' festival that's taking place on a train traveling across Australia. The panel of crime writers are quickly at odds and drama and deceit soon follows with Ernest determined to once again save the day. 


Ern is one of my all-time favorite sometimes bumbling, always entertaining book detectives. His awkward approach to crime solving is so endearing and relatable that I can't help but root for him to solve the mystery, catch the villain, and hopefully do it all without totally humiliating himself in the process. Getting to share his self-deprecating, humorous thoughts is a perfect compliment to the mystery side of the story. 


Benjamin Stevenson knocked it out of the park with another clever whodunnit featuring more quirky characters and the same witty, breaking-the-fourth-wall narrative style as the first book. Add in the trapped-on-a-train setting, and my mystery loving heart was over the moon happy with this sequel. I loved the mystery, the setting, the characters, and the humor. It was absolutely perfect from beginning to end.


Thank you to Netgalley and Mariner Books for providing me a copy to read and review.

As Everyone on this Train Is a Suspect points out, sequels are hard. But this is another book with a great title that is as fun and creative as it is meta.

This time around, Ern is on a train through Australia with several other mystery writers. Once again the story is told through his perspective and with hindsight which is a great combo. There are few murders this book and the reveal isn’t as overly complicated and consulted as in the first book, but it’s still an excellent read I’d highly recommend.

I think because this isn’t the first mystery involving writers I’ve read, some of the twists and turns were a bit more familiar and not as shocking as with the first book. Having said that, I’d still read anything Mr. Stevenson writes and hope to hear from Ern again.

This is a great follow up to Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone’. I love his conversational writing style.

Ernest gets to ride on a train up and down the length of Canada with several other mystery writers. When murders start happening, of course Ernest starts investigating.

I can’t wait to see what happens next for Ernest!