Shannon's Library

LET’S GET EXCITED ABOUT THIS BOOK!

Ernie Cunnigham, crime fiction aficionado, is a reluctant guest at his family reunion. Family reunions aren’t for everyone, of course. Three years ago, Ern witnessed his brother kill a man and immediately turned him in to the police. Now Ern’s brother is being released from prison and the family is gathering to welcome him home. As if that weren’t bad enough, the reunion is taking place at a remote mountain resort. The day before Ern’s brother is set to arrive, a man’s body is found frozen on the slopes. The longer the body goes unidentified, the more overwhelmed the local policeman becomes, and the more Ern realizes it’s up to him to find the murderer. Holmes, Christie, Chesterton: he’s read them all. He knows what patterns to look for, what rules killers follow. And, of course, he knows his own family. Every member of which, as he’s told us from the start, has killed someone.

Shannon’s Rating – R (For 7 F-words and a smattering of S-words. Everything else was PG-13 — including the murder descriptions.)

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LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS BOOK!

Oh, my goodness! What to say about this book? When in truth, the less I tell you about this book, the better. All you really need to know is that it was, by far, the best book I read this summer! Immediately after finishing it, I made everyone in my family read it… minus my nine-year-old son! As of today… my mom, my husband, my three daughters and my son-in-law have all read it and also declared it to be the most fun they’ve had with a book in a long time. That, my friends, is the best way to describe, “Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone.” It’s just pure fun. Have you seen the movie, “Knives Out?” (If not, go watch it tonight.) “Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone” has been compared to “Knives Out,” – and for good reason. They are both examples of murder mysteries done right.

A good murder mystery will have certain elements: A colorful cast of suspects. Multiple motives. Detectives, both amateur and/or professional. An isolated and remote setting. Misdirections and red herrings a plenty. And, most importantly, a satisfyingly surprise ending! “Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone” delivers on all of these accounts. As an added bonus, the book was also exceptionally funny. Like laugh-out-loud funny. There were multiple times I was happily reading along, completely absorbed in the narration, and would find myself chuckling. I was confused somewhat by this. How were seemingly ordinary sentences so funny? But then I realized the author of this book, Benjamin Stevenson, is a stand-up comedian. He has toured around the world with his twin brother performing a comedy show called, “The Stevenson Experience.” Clearly, this man knows how to illicit a laugh and he did so multiple times throughout “Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone.”

As an avid reader, I’m always on the hunt for something unique. Something I haven’t read before. Something that stands out and surprises me. The style of “Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone” was certainly unique and caught me off guard right from the beginning. Throughout the story, the author talks directly to the reader. He teases that he’s helping us, the readers, by giving us certain clues and helpful tips. (Which, of course, turn out to be not only unhelpful, but misleading.)

I’ve mentioned before that one of my strange talents is figuring out the mysteries in books, movies and TV shows. I’m rarely surprised. Hence, when I don’t see an ending coming, it’s absolutely delightful. I love it! I did not guess the ending of “Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone,” and neither did any of the family members who I forced to read this book!

And that is all I’m going to say about this one. Go read it before you hear too much about it. Prepare to be delighted, entertained, and most of all…surprised!

I cannot wait for the sequel, “Everyone on This Train is a Suspect,” coming out on January 30, 2024. Yes, I’ve already pre-ordered it!! Although now that I think about it, I better go order multiple copies. I’m not sure my family will be patient enough to pass just one copy of the book around to each other.