Bookworm in the City

Everyone in my family has killed someone / Benjamin Stevenson

I’m always ridiculously happy to pick up a book by an author from Australia or New Zealand, that takes places there, because for some reason there don’t seem to be that many available here. The only ones I recall reading are by Jane Harper (so good), and I’m starting to wonder why: am I overlooking others because they get mixed up with other English language writers, or is the Dutch market not considered interesting enough? Translation is one thing, but even the English language editions are difficult to find.
But, at least there is one new book that made it out here, and it’s obvious why: it’s entirely on-point and riding the hot wave of classic whodunnits. The blurb on the cover says “Knives Out meets Richard Osman” and that’s exactly it. If that’s your thing: read this book. If you don’t like characters stepping out of their own story, or if you don’t like smart-assery: don’t bother. Personally, I happen to like all that, and enjoyed the heck out of it.

It’s going to be difficult to write about this book without giving away any spoilers, especially because that’s exactly what main character Ernest does all the time by warning the reader when a murder is about to happen, or an important detail is coming up (which technically makes this a spoiler as well after all).
Ernest is a member of the Cunningham family, and a good way to describe them would be: dysfunctional. A better way to describe them, would be: A Hot Mess. There are secrets, betrayals, and, of course, murders, so when they’re gathering for a family reunion, it’s just asking for trouble.
Ernest and his step-sister Sofia play family bingo with items such as “Lucy talks business” and “Ernest ruins something”, and readers could check their own murder mystery bingo card: group gathering at an isolated location. Check. No phone reception. Check. Big reveal in the library. Check.
Ernest is a great character: flawed and uncool and not the most important person in the story. Or so he claims. But not only is he telling the story, due to his job as writer of how-to-guides for wannabe detective authors he is also voted most capable of solving the mystery when a dead body is found, and the family appoints him lead investigator.
The book has a section for each family member during which their personal story is interwoven with the current mystery, and then there are half-chapters for extra explaining.
Things can get meta and you have to pay attention. Or you can just wait for Ernie to point out that you might have missed a hint a couple of pages back.

I liked this book a lot and even thinking about it now, makes me smile. I love it when books do that.
I also love it when the cover of the book fits the story, and that’s exactly what this one does: