There is something deeply satisfying about a murder mystery that knows exactly what it is and invites you in on the joke. Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect doesn’t just ask you to solve a crime, it asks you to notice how crime stories work, how clues are planted, and how easily a confident narrator can lead you astray. Set aboard a luxury train cutting across the Australian outback, this sequel doubles down on voice, structure, and clever design choices, making the reading experience feel intentional from cover to colophon.

The Cover

The cover of Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect catches the eye for a couple of reasons. First, the color palette stands out within the genre. Light sky blue meets gentle cream with pops of bright red. This scheme carries forward with friendly, styled illustrations of the macabre subject–murder. The type styling of the title features a simple, readable sans serif on a shifting baseline that mimics an arhythmic, bumping ride along the tracks. Fun details abound without jeopardizing clarity. Cover designer Richard Ljoenes killed it with this one (pun intended)!

Interior

The interior layout of Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect presents as clear and easy to read. The chapter headers are no-nonsense and no frills. The epistolary elements are clearly identifiable by a different type-treatment.

The front matter has a fun typographic illustration, which is repeated larger on the author page. Type is kinda a big deal in my world, so I spent some time looking at it…there might be easter eggs.

A couple of meaningful quotes take up a page of their own and set the tone with a bit of a chuckle to start the journey.

Before the story, a map of the train route and a diagram of the train as it is referenced in the story are provided. Followed by a “program” for an event with bio information about the guests (ahem! suspects). Bookmark this page – you’ll want it for reference.

After the content is even more content! A blurb about train enthusiasts, an ad for another upcoming book, and a short history of the publisher, Mariner Books. I love bonus content and thought it was worth mentioning here.

Did the design affect whether I bought the book?

This being a sequel to a book I very much enjoyed, I would have bought this book with no cover (well, metaphorically). However, it did jump off the bookstore table and grab my attention, being instantly recognizable as a book in this Ernest Cunningham series, so it could be argued that it was contributory.

Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect has a lot of characters with a lot of backstory (…motives). The reader is given the gift of a cheat sheet right up front, and the narrator makes sure to circle back to certain important touchpoints regularly. However, if you are not paying attention, it is easy to get things muddled.

Ernest Cunningham and his girlfriend, Juliette, return from Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone, the first novel in the series. Their personalities remain clear and true from one book to the next. A romantic subplot bolsters the relatability of the narrator.

The remaining passengers, writers, train employees, and other side characters are profiled pretty succinctly. While the plot is driven by characters, it has to have a lot of them to keep the mystery mysterious. So the reader doesn’t spend too much time getting attached to any one person (besides the narrator and his companion). That said, the characters are still well thought through and nuanced in some ways, while still being caricatured enough to poke fun at in the narrator’s signature tone.

Benjamin Stevenson, writing as Ernest Cunningham, the narrator, writes in a self-aware way and consistently calls your attention to it. The style manages to convey mystery, but at the same time instructs and pulls the reader along. Humor positions the lessons as endearing rather than pedantic. Narration that comes across as friendly and jovial, even when the stakes are high, and actions have consequences.

Generally, the theme of Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect is a murder mystery – you follow along trying to beat the narrator to the conclusion of who dunnit. Other themes are at work beneath the surface. These underpin the motives (or potential motives) of the killer. Obsession, revenge, love, fame (or infamy)– the usual suspects.

Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect plots a well-crafted murder mystery and adds the bonus of a self-aware narrator. This gives the plot layers. Yes, we examine the characters for motive, method, and opportunity. At the same time, we notice the writing that is called out to us in calculated moves to make the reader aware of how writers slip details past you. Cleverly, this second distraction proves able to throw me off my detective game. The cover may have urged me to buy this book, but my familiarity with the series made the decision ,and will surely keep me coming back for more!

I am wholeheartedly invested in this series. I love the tone and voice, the complex plotting and overload of characters, the literary details, and subtle clues. Benjamin Stevenson’s Ernest Cunningham Mysteries are a ton of fun!

If you like murder mysteries, you absolutely should give Stevenson’s Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect a read. I suggest reading the series starter, Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone, first, but it isn’t strictly necessary.

Are you a murder mystery reader? How often do you figure it out before the reveal?

May your life be as full as your bookshelf and as long as your TBR list.

Happy Reading!