When the Australian Mystery Writers’ Society invited me to their crime-writing festival aboard the Ghan, the famous train between Darwin and Adelaide, I was hoping for some inspiration for my second book. Fiction, this time: I needed a break from real people killing each other. Obviously, that didn’t pan out.
The program is a who’s who of crime writing royalty:
the debut writer (me!)
the forensic science writer
the blockbuster writer
the legal thriller writer
the literary writer
the psychological suspense writer
But when one of us is murdered, the remaining authors quickly turn into five detectives. Together, we should know how to solve a crime.
Of course, we should also know how to commit one.
How can you find a killer when all the suspects know how to get away with murder?
Release Date: Jan 30, 2024
Publisher: HarperCollins
Imprint: Mariner Books
Price: $14.99
Ernest Cunningham survived a tragedy, then wrote a book about the events. He’s been paid an advance to write a second novel, but is struggling to write a fictional story. Ernest is happy to be invited to be part of an author’s panel on a luxury train ride through the desert of Australia. He’s hoping he can get ideas for his next book, but didn’t think the inspiration would come from another real life murder. However, when one of the authors on the panel is murdered, Ernest puts his writing skills and his detective skills to use again to catch a killer.
Everyone on this Train is a Suspect is the sequel to Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, but it works well as a standalone. I didn’t read the first book so it did take a little bit to get to know Ernest, the main character and narrator, and get used to the writing style of the book. However, once I did I could just sit back and enjoy this unique book. Ernest believes in authors playing fair to readers in mystery books, but often expects real life to work the same way. He is insecure, flawed, and doesn’t always make the right decision, but he is still likable. Ernest is a character to root for, both in the investigation, his writing career, and his personal life with his author girlfriend, Juliette, who is also on the train trip.
This book plays tribute to the golden age of detective stories and also cleverly talks about the publishing industry. It was also interesting the way Ernest talks to the other authors and uses their areas of expertise, such as forensics and psychology, to investigate the crime. The narration style is casual and chatty with Ernest speaking directly to readers, pointing out clues to help solve the case along with him. Even with all the clues and Ernest’s help, I wasn’t able to correctly identify the killer! I was surprised and entertained by the dramatic ending. I also loved the humor throughout the book. This is a mystery novel for mystery lovers and I highly recommend it.
~ Christine
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