A review by rowanhill
Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

As soon as I read the prologue of this book, I knew I was in for a good time. Reliable narrator Ernest Cunningham (Ern) fully delivers in the dark humor and the promised body count. Despite Ern’s honesty as he recalls his family reunion turned murder mystery, this story has many twists that will keep you guessing. With so many characters to keep track of, things can get a little convoluted at times. However, if you like complicated family drama in the vein of Knives Out, this is definitely a book for you.

Three years after the fateful night that landed Ern Cunningham’s brother Michael in jail, the family has decided to have a reunion at a cold, isolated mountain resort in Australia to celebrate Michael’s release. Despite Ern’s ostracization from the family for testifying against Michael, he is required to attend in order to mend fences. But there is a whole lot more to that night than either Michael or Ern has let on to the family or each other. To make matters worse, a local man is found dead on the resort property. With nobody but a bumbling local police officer to investigate, the task of discovering the killer falls on Ern, the self-published author of guides on writing crime novels. Being part of an infamous family full of secrets, the killer could be anyone. 

As Ern informs us from the very beginning, he is a reliable narrator and expert in how to write murder mysteries. He proves both to be true as he tells the tale of his family reunion gone awry and delivers on the promise of the title. I love his dark humor and, though honest, Ern finds many ways to surprise you and keep you guessing. Every person in his large, blended family carries their own baggage and secrets, more than even Ern knows when he arrives at the isolated mountain retreat. Though figuring out who committed the murder at the retreat is at the center of this story, the real fun was in learning about the different characters and slowly unravelling their secrets, even Ern’s. 

Though the characters really make this story shine, there are definitely a lot of them. Additionally, Ern tends to break the fourth wall and jump back and forth in time. Where a lot of this works really well, it can get a little confusing at times given the amount of characters and storylines. I found some of the fourth wall breaking a little tedious as well, but this is only a minor complaint. 

Special thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC!
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