Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone: A Novel

This story goes back and forth over different time periods which is fine, I like that in a book. What I didn’t enjoy was being told on what page things would happen. The main person in it is a author of how to do books and he keeps talking about not doing this or that because his I suppose agent wouldn’t be happy, found it all quite annoying

A book I bought based entirely on the title, this is an Australian novel about a man who’s family have all killed somebody, and we follow the events of their family skiing holiday as he introduces them all to us. It’s a fun narrative which peels back layer after layer of mystery to reveal more and more about the background to what’s happening, keeping the reader engaged throughout. I did find that I kept forgetting that the setting was Australia, and having to reset my mental picture.

Ernest Cunningham promises to tell us the truth in "Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone," a novel by Benjamin Stevenson. In chapter one, Ernie's older brother, Michael, wakes Ernie up in the middle of the night for help in covering up a felony. Michael feels betrayed when Ernie reports Michael's misdeeds to the authorities. Next, Stevenson takes us to a bitterly cold mountain retreat where the Cunningham clan is gathered for a reunion. Michael, who is scheduled to be released from prison, is expected to join them. The organizer of the event, Ernie's Aunt Katherine, invites her nephew even though he testified against Michael in court. (Ernie's mother, Audrey, is furious at him for being disloyal.) It turns out to be a good thing that Ernie is there, since his profession is creating how-to guides for mystery writers. When multiple murders occur in the resort during a fierce snowstorm, Ernie gets in touch with his inner Poirot and launches his own investigation. Stevenson is funny at times. Ernie talks directly to the reader, explaining that he will abide by the rules that classic detective authors traditionally held sacred. Furthermore, Ernie is a nebbish, and it is amusing to watch him initially bungle the case and nearly get himself killed—until, at long last, the light dawns and he is ready to bring everyone together for the big reveal. Alas, there are manifold problems with "Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone." I did not care for Ernie or any of the other colorless characters. The plot is a muddled mess, and even when Ernie tells us whodunit and why, I had only a vague idea what he was talking about. In addition, this book is incredibly slow-moving. I was hoping for a breezy and involving thriller with a touch of humor. Instead, Stevenson awkwardly combines elements of family dysfunction, savagery, misdirection, and boatloads of secrets, all for very little purpose.

I have never read a more amazingly unique prologue! It had spoilers, humor, intrigue - and even links (in the e-book) to all the deaths in the book. Ernie’s family is gathered at a ski resort to celebrate his brother’s release from jail. A dead body is found and the mystery begins! The story is told after the reunion while Ernie is writing a book about the events. I loved this because the narrator often talked directly to the reader and we got so many glimpses into the future. I also liked how the book didn’t take itself seriously - pointing out the cliches that mystery novels have, etc. This was a little bit of a slower read for me, but I enjoyed it a lot! I’d definitely recommend it for Mystery or Thriller lovers who want something a little different!! I received a copy from the publisher and this is my honest review.

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone is the first book in the Ernest Cunningham mystery series written by Benjamin Stevenson. I discovered the author both on NetGalley and via the top 2023 books to read per Goodreads. It might have been on a Goodreads Choice nominee too, so I decided to give it a chance. What a fun book! I loved the way the story is told; Ernest is an author of books that tell mystery authors how to write books the right way (think Golden Age of fiction rules about murder mysteries). He clearly tells us from the beginning about ~8 family members and how they've all killed someone. But in the first few chapters, everyone seems to be kind and gentle. Then the bombs begin to drop! And the author breaks the wall between readers / writers to basically partially spoil the book in a really fun way... by giving just enough clues that are twisted and truthful but misleading all at the same time. For all those reasons it was a 5-star book... but the plot did get in its own way a few times when trying to explain backstory and the convoluted history between several characters both current in the story and already dead in the past. For those reasons, I had to knock a bit off... but still a solid read and I cannot wait to check on the second book coming out in 2023, which takes place on a train where everyone is a suspect!