Benjamin Stevenson pays tribute to Golden Age Detective fiction with this clever whodunnit!
The follow-up to Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone brings back amateur sleuth and mystery writer Ernest Cunningham in a witty locked-room whodunnit!
Ernest is on a crime-writing festival aboard a train that crosses part of Australia with other mystery writers when a murder occurs. All the suspects know how to solve a crime, but they also know how to get away with murder.
This was one of my most anticipated 2024 reads, and I loved every minute of it! There are nods to Agatha Christie and other Golden Age Mystery writers, with the murder occurring on a train ride being just the beginning. Ernest abides by Ronald Knox's famous Ten Commandments of Detective Fiction. But these books don't take themselves too seriously, which is fun, and Ernest often breaks the fourth wall. He addresses the reader directly and often humorously with his observations and self-deprecation, even pointing out the strictness with which he is following Knox's commandments. Yet, Stevenson writes his mysteries so cleverly that while he may have Ernest point out the rules to you with one hand, he keeps you guessing with the other.
There is a reasonably large suspect pool of writers, agents, etc., with years of history, rivalries, and secrets. The mystery is solidly plotted and well-paced, with a few red herrings and twists. Ernest is an incredibly likable sleuth who addresses the reader conversationally and is not afraid to admit when he's made a mistake or incorrect assumption or things did not go to plan. It's like sleuthing with a funny best friend who keeps it real and performs all his own stunts. An entertaining page-turner!
Mystery lovers, don't miss this one! Out January 30. 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the gifted eARC.
My steep had to be a fun twist on a classic! So I chose Crepe Earl Grey by Mariage Freres, a black tea with bergamot, vanilla, and candied citrus inspired by the Crepe Suzette. Available in the US from Dallas, Texas based tea company The Cultured Cup
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