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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
“Sometimes a second go at things is exactly what you need”
Solid 4 out of 5. Many things that I enjoyed in the first book were also in the sequel (yay reliable narrator!). I loved reading more Ern!
Solid 4 out of 5. Many things that I enjoyed in the first book were also in the sequel (yay reliable narrator!). I loved reading more Ern!
funny
fast-paced
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Not as good, I thought, as the first book of the series but equally fiendish. The plot is well laid out with teasers, red herrings and genuine clues all along the way. the humour at places is somewhat more forced than book one but that's a moot point. Overall I like his style and waiting to reaad third book of series.
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I had my eye on Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect from the minute I bought Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone. It's the perfect sequel, with spoiler-free callbacks.
The title also does a brilliant job of giving you a peek at the plot, reminding you of Murder on the Orient Express, and doing all that with a little wink so you know not to take it too seriously.
After reading these novels, I think of Benjamin Stevenson as the Penn and Teller of crime fiction.
Like the American magicians, Stevenson is a master of his craft, but with a unique and humorous approach. He blends superb storytelling skills and perfect comedic timing with an in-depth knowledge of murder mysteries.
On top of all that, Stevenson (or Ernest Cunningham as the narrator) regularly breaks the fourth wall to stand shoulder to shoulder with the reader. He plays fair and gives you the same information he has access to, pointing out clues as they appear in the story.
Of course, there are twists and secrets hidden within the layers of information that you discover as the train makes its way from Darwin to Adelaide.
Best of all, Ernest tells the reader how many times the name of the killer will be mentioned during the story. There's even a great horse-racing-style commentary based on a running tally of their mentions to date.
Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect is an excellent read if you like crime fiction that doesn't take itself too seriously. That's why I'm hoping there'll be more Ernest Cunningham stories in the near future.