Book Review: Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson

What happens when you mix Murder on the Orient Express with a train full of crime writers holding a grudge? Benjamin Stevenson tells you exactly that in his latest novel, Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect. In his second Ernest Cunningham mystery, our protagonist is once again thrust into a life-or-death situation when a train ride through the Australian desert turns into traveling crime scene. 

Cunningham, best known for publishing a book detailing the murders that took place during his family reunion the previous year, has been invited to the Australian Mystery Writers’ Festival. While he has not written anything since, Cunningham sees this as an opportunity to be inspired for his next novel and venture into the world of fiction. Given the title of the book and Cunningham’s narration, that endeavor into fiction was not accomplished. 

The festival takes place onboard the Ghan – a world-famous luxury train with a route from Darwin to Adelaide through Australia’s remote outback. Shortly after the trip begins, Cunningham’s dreams of a quiet, inspiring literary journey are shattered. With a variety of crime writers featured in the festival – ranging from psychological thriller to justice crime to non-fiction – the trip seems fated to take an ominous turn from the start. 

Cunningham stars as our narrator, from the onset ensuring that the reader trusts him and that everything transcribed in the following chapters is a recount of what actually took place onboard the Ghan. 

“Here are some further truths. Seven writers board a train. At the end of the line, five will leave it alive. One will be in cuffs. 

 

Body count: nine. Bit lower than last time. 

 

And me? I don’t kill anybody this time around.

 

Let’s get started. Again.”

As Cunningham begins to interact with his fellow authors, he realizes that he isn’t just being conversational – he is treating everyone as a suspect. He has become the detective in his own story yet again. While solving this crime will make for another compelling book, Cunningham is determined to solve this one before too many lives are lost. In doing so, he might help alleviate some of the guilt he still feels from his last run-in with a killer. As the storyline continues, it doesn’t come as a shock that all the writers onboard are interconnected, and each is hiding something. The question becomes which secret is enough to kill for?

“‘People kill for two reasons,’ I said. ‘Love and money.’

 

She shook her head. ‘Maybe people kill for the love of money. But it all comes down to love.’ She opened the door. The warm light of the carriages spilled onto the deck and gave us a better view of the tracks rushing under us. ‘Hell, like you say, everyone’s got a motive. Maybe everyone did it.’

 

‘I think that’s been done before.’

 

‘Nothing beats a classic.’ She closed the door behind her.”

Throughout the novel, Stevenson mixes the thrill of a murder mystery with the humor of a narrator who can laugh at himself. Cunningham wants the reader to have all the same clues he had and figure out just who the killer is with him. Along the way, he makes a lot of mistakes and continually admits he is a novice in this field. Through all of this, Cunningham becomes relatable and someone that the reader is cheering on. 

“Those of you hoping I said the right thing next haven’t paid enough attention: my mistakes are voluminous and swift. I’m a double-down kind of guy.”

Creating a feeling of comradery with the reader is not something easily accomplished, but Stevenson does so deftly. All in all, Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect is a fresh take on the classic whodunnit. In developing Ernest Cunningham, Stevenson has brought a modern-day Poirot to the mystery scene, and his newest novel is not one to miss.