Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone - Benjamin Stevenson

Published by Penguin Random House Australia: Australia, 2022.
Followed by 'Everyone on This Train is a Suspect.'

This odd whodunnit, written by Benjamin Stevenson, stars the character Ernest Cunningham, an author who is writing the whodunnit that we are reading, based on the 'true story' that happened to him at his family reunion - a family that, as the title suggests - is full of killers. Ernest promises that he will not lie to us - the audience - and begins by sharing the 'ten detective commandments' of real-life detective author Ronald Knox, commandments that the character-author Ernest continually refers back to throughout the narrative.

Author Cunningham (as opposed to real-life author Stevenson) has mostly written self-help books for people wanting to write fiction - including detective fiction - and as such becomes the family's go-to detective when a stranger is found dead in the snow outside their resort, killed in a way that reminds Sofia (step-sister to Ernest, and a doctor) of a serial killer, 'The Black Tongue.' Cunningham also frequently comments on proceedings to the audience, letting them know when they shouldn't make an assumption, what things they should focus on, and even when the layout of the book might cause them to think particular things. Some of these are helpful, while others can slightly obscure the truth; in the latter case, Cunningham will always apologise and justify his 'deception' on a technicality.

As you may tell from all the above, there is a humorous element to this book, and also a slightly-meta one. On the other hand, the murder mystery part of the book is actually pretty disturbing at times - not graphic, but certainly a bit grim. 

It makes for an interesting mix of tone, one that I usually enjoyed, and occasionally found a little off-putting. I would still recommend the story, and (knowing there is a sequel) would be intrigued to read more in the same universe, but would hope that author Stevenson, as opposed to author Cunningham, leans more into the comedic-meta aspects and slightly away from the grim aspects.

It is a very clever story overall though!

Completed 12 May 2025.

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