Reviews with content warning for Blood - 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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inhaledmocha's review against another edition

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dark funny tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.25

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boba_n_books's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Sometimes sequels to mystery novels don't hold up to the original. I'm happy to say that is not the case with Everyone in This Train is a Suspect.

Ernest Cunningham is back, and even at a crime-writing festival on a train, murders continue to follow him. Surrounded by crime writers, Ernest and the remaining 5 authors are on the case to figure out who did it. What first seemed like a simple murder turns out to bring in elements from years ago, and Ernest will need to give it his all, and trust some new friends, in order to solve the mystery.

I listened to this one on audio again and believe that audiobook is the best medium for these novels. The narrator is so funny, and the humor is so effective through the spoken word.

This novel has the same meta and fourth-wall-breaking tone as the first. I did miss Ernest's quirky family, but we do get some cameos from Uncle Andy, which was fun! There were just enough call-backs to the first book without it being too much. I just love this author's prose and the way he creates a compelling character arc through a typical whodunnit mystery.

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kirstym25's review against another edition

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funny mysterious fast-paced

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

4.75

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korpney's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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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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disguisedposer's review

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funny mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

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foldingthepage_kayleigh's review

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adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

I won this ARC through a giveaway that HarperCollins Canada hosted over the winter holidays, which I was stoked about because I loved the first book in this series and was highly anticipating the second.

This book absolutely lived up to my expectations and I’m already looking forward to the third! This series is fun and continues Ern’s breaking of the fourth wall. Of course, I’ve got a soft spot for books about books and this definitely fit the bill.

A unique take on a classic murder mystery that I’d recommend to all Agatha Christie fans and those who are looking for a laugh out loud read!

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