Everyone in my family has killed someone

The Cunningham family reunion at a ski resort proves to be far more eventful than anyone would have envisaged. Shortly after most family members arrived a body was found in the snow. And there was a storm rapidly closing in on the resort. All the ingredients for an Agatha Christie style crime novel but with several twists.

The narrator of the book, Enest (Ern) Cunningham stresses that he is a reliable narrator, one who would not normally lead the reader astray. However, he is has published books about writing crime fiction and is happy to point out similarities in the plot creation with other crime novels. The narrator bases his theories on Ronald Knox's '10 Commandments of Crime Fiction' and will from time to time identify which 'commandment' has just ben used.

As the story unfurls it soon becomes obvious that this is not a normal family and that members have been involved in the death of a number of individuals over the years. These stories are gradually revealed as the narrator investigates the murder of the body found in the resort grounds. Page 2 of the Prologue reveals the pages of the book where a death is revealed. Chapter 14.5 of the book also provides a brief summary of what has happened so far in case the reader is confused. There are many twists and turns in the plot as information is gradually revealed about the characters and their past lives. And, of course, the case must be solved.

The author, Benjamin Stevensen, of Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone is a comedian as well as an author so there is much humour scattered throughout the pages, especially in  the regular updates provided by the narrator. An entertaining read.

Shortlisted for the 2023 Australian Book Industry Awards - General Fiction