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

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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persephonefoxx's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

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

4.5

This book almost had me whipping up a murder board on the second page.

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jackierobinson's review against another edition

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funny mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

4.75

This was so funny and clever! Loved it.

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nerdyprettythings's review

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2.5

A follow-up to Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone and featuring the same narrator and style. I really like the "I'm just presenting the facts, ma'am” thing, where you're promised it's fair play and you'll have the opportunity to solve the mystery. But the meta-level felt a little overboard for me this time, it's a sequel about a sequel about a man trying to write a sequel. Also, all of a sudden he's presented as kind of dumb this time? There are some clues they bash you over the head with that he's lost on and some that are important to the mystery that get glanced over… and the narrator says he doesn't know what adverbs are?

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ivylee's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.75

I came for the train full of writers, and stayed for the snarky narrator and well-layered mystery.

A murder mystery and loving sendup of the publishing industry. A sequel in the style of Sherlock Holmes, where references are made to the previous work but it doesn’t super matter if you haven’t read it. I hadn’t read Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone, and I still loved this book. Stevenson succeeded in getting me to add his previous works to my TBR! Also, as a bookseller, the start of this book especially had me cracking up. If you’re at all involved in bookselling or publishing, Stevenson will wink directly at you more than once.

A reliable and snarky narrator accompanies you through a series of crimes, casting you as Watson - making you privy to all the clues and able to piece it together yourself, if you pay close attention. Presented as a true crime retelling of events in the narrator’s life, he will often speak directly to us and discuss the facts of the case. I was able to put together one of the twists, but the plot and motives are sufficiently layered to keep a keen reader guessing and second guessing through till the end.

I listened to the audiobook and was delighted by not one but two moments of direct address to audiobook listeners. I do wonder if those are in the printed version. It would be very fun if they weren’t!

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aloevera's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

4.25

A very good sequel. I love this writing style and it was fun to have something that builds but feels different. I will say having the reveal rely on a mystery identity again is maybe pushing it. I think it was fun but I hope it branches out more when the series continues.

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thumbeleia's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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pookiee's review against another edition

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adventurous funny 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

4.5

i love these books. they poke fun at mystery conventions while containing an interesting murder mystery in themselves, which must be hard with being so meta. and the emotional parts feel sincere as well. i haven’t seen anything else like it and i hope there are more.

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