Fun & Clever Read
'A sequel is an admission that you've been reduced to imitating yourself'
I loved Everyone in my Family Has Killed Someone, so I was excited to read the sequel - Everyone on this Train Is a Suspect. The book sees our protagonist from the first book attend a writer's festival on a moving train (think Orient Express,) as he tries to come up with an idea for his second book. However, when a dead body is discovered, Ernest might have more inspiration than he was hoping for!
I enjoy the humour and wit in Benjamin Stevenson's writing and this book certainly has the same charm as the original. There's also a similar convention as the first book which highlighted the page numbers of certain events - this one has to do with how many times the murderers name is mentioned. It's certainly clever and keeps the reader engaged with the story, as well as adding a 'meta' type element to the read.
The ending is also very clever, and all of the threads came together to make for a high impact conclusion. However, I didn't find the pace of the rest of the book as quick as the first book and some bits did drag in places.
Overall, Everyone on this Train is a Suspect is a fun and clever read and I'm very excited to see what Ernest will get up to in his quest to write his third novel. Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Random House - Michael Joseph for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
