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  • Published: 17 October 2023
  • ISBN: 9780143779940
  • Imprint: Michael Joseph
  • Format: Trade Paperback
  • Pages: 336
  • RRP: $37.00

Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect

Can you solve the cleverest murder mystery of the year?




The eagerly awaited follow-up to the international bestseller EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE - another deliciously witty locked room mystery, for fans of Richard Osman and Anthony Horowitz.

6 WRITERS. 5 DETECTIVES. 4 DAYS. 3 WEAPONS. 2 MURDERS. 1 TRAIN...

'An outstanding and exceptional mystery from start to finish . . . everything fans would hope for.' JANE HARPER

'Stevenson’s brilliant and creative second closed-circle mystery toys with golden age mystery tropes while delivering its own hugely satisfying whodunit .... This is another triumph from a gifted genre specialist ... deliciously clever.' PUBLISHERS WEEKLY US

'It's fun and diverting, with a plethora of red herrings.' NEW YORK TIMES


When the Australian Mystery Writers’ Society invited me to their crime-writing festival aboard the Ghan, the famous train between Darwin and Adelaide, I was hoping for some inspiration for my second book. Fiction, this time: I needed a break from real people killing each other. Obviously, that didn’t pan out.

The program is a who’s who of crime-writing royalty:

the debut writer (me!)
the forensic science writer
the blockbuster writer
the legal thriller writer
the literary writer
the psychological suspense writer.

But when one of us is murdered, six authors quickly turn into five detectives. Together, we should know how to solve a crime.

Or commit one.

How can you find a killer when all the suspects know how to get away with murder?


'Sparkling with wit and witticisms about the world of writers and writing, Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect offers a tip of the hat to the great Agatha Christie novel while at the same time being a modern reinvention of it. Leave it to Stevenson to make high-jinx and murder deviously good fun.' NITA PROSE, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid and The Mystery Guest

'Clever, satisfying, impossible to put down and gloriously inventive. It's fantastic. Books like this are why we love reading.' STUART TURTON

A wild and wonderful ride . . . I laughed out loud.' HAYLEY SCRIVENOR

'Crazily good crime fiction. Don't miss this train!' CANDICE FOX

'This is just as cleverly written as the previous book, with wit, laugh out loud moments and humorous asides and observations on the nature of writers and festivals… If you enjoy meta fiction and Stevenson’s previous novel featuring Ernest, then you will surely enjoy going along on this wild and deadly train trip with him.' MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE MAGAZINE

Praise for EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE:

'What an exceptionally fresh, smart, funny book — I’ve never read anything like this before.’ Jane Harper

'As fresh and zingy as a salted lime. It's Knives Out meets Richard Osman. Or Dexter by way of Agatha Christie. Or Schitt's Creek with a body count.' A J Finn

‘Readers won’t want to put this story down . . . This is undoubtedly a future classic.’ Big Issue Australia

‘For something different, look no further than the very clever and entirely experimental Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone . . . One of the most anticipated books of the year.’ Weekend Australian

‘The best thing I’ve read in ages. I absolutely loved it. Whip-smart, twisted, funny, and constructed with the pinpoint precision of a bloodthirsty watchmaker.’ Stuart MacBride

‘I absolutely LOVED it. Engaging, entertaining and charming. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything like it. It was such a fun read.’ Marian Keyes

'Clever, unexpected, and not to be missed.' Karin Slaughter

‘Elegantly sinuous, superbly plotted, and surprise-packed . . . One of the best damn things I’ve read this year.’ WrittenbySime

‘The most original novel you will read this year . . . a funny and clever novel that pays homage to the classic British murder mystery.’ Canberra Weekly

  • Published: 17 October 2023
  • ISBN: 9780143779940
  • Imprint: Michael Joseph
  • Format: Trade Paperback
  • Pages: 336
  • RRP: $37.00

About the author

Benjamin Stevenson

Benjamin Stevenson is an award-winning stand-up comedian and USA Today best-selling author. He is the author of the globally popular ‘Ernest Cunningham Mysteries’, including Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone, which is currently being adapted into a major HBO TV series, and Everyone on This Train is a Suspect. His books have sold over 750,000 copies in twenty-nine territories and have been nominated for eight ‘Book of the Year’ awards.

His latest mystery is Everyone This Christmas Has A Secret, which will be released in October 2024.

Instagram: @stevensonexperience

Also by Benjamin Stevenson

See all

Praise for Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect

Praise for Benjamin Stevenson

I absolutely loved it. Utterly original, hugely entertaining, and a must-read for every fan of the mystery genre. What an exceptionally fresh, smart, funny book - I've never read anything like this before.

Jane Harper

An ingenious and hilarious meta-murder mystery

Sunday Times

As fresh and zingy as a salted lime. It's Knives Out meets Richard Osman. Or Dexter by way of Agatha Christie. Or Schitt's Creek with a body count. It's also the most luxuriantly enjoyable novel I've read in years

A.J. Finn

The best thing I've read in ages. I absolutely loved it. Whip-smart, twisted, funny, and constructed with the pinpoint precision of a bloodthirsty watchmaker

Stuart MacBride

This book had me hooked from the first chapter. Deliciously funny, dark and intriguing

Alex Pavesi

This was such a clever, compelling read. It's a must for anyone who loves the rules of crime fiction, but it still packs plenty of twists. It had me laughing and turning the pages in equal measure. Bravo Mr Stevenson!

S.J. Bennett

An outstanding and exceptional mystery from start to finish...everything fans would hope for

Jane Harper

Clever, satisfying, impossible to put down and gloriously inventive. It's fantastic. Books like this are why we love reading

Stuart Turton

Sparkling with wit and witticisms about the world of writers and writing, Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect offers a tip of the hat to the great Agatha Christie novel while at the same time being a modern reinvention of it. Leave it to Stevenson to make high-jinx and murder deviously good fun

Nita Prose

This crackles on the page. Such an original voice

Jane Fallon

Fun and diverting, with a plethora of red herrings

New York Times

Awards & recognition

Danger Prize (BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival)

Shortlisted  •  2024  •  Best Fiction

Ned Kelly Award for Best Fiction

Shortlisted  •  2024  •  Ned Kelly Award for Best Fiction

Discover more

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Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson

READ MORE: https://www.penguin.com.au/books/everyone-on-this-train-is-a-suspect-9780143779940 The eagerly awaited follow-up to the international bestseller EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE - another deliciously witty locked room mystery, for fans of Richard Osman and Anthony Horowitz. 6 WRITERS. 5 DETECTIVES. 4 DAYS. 3 WEAPONS. 2 MURDERS. 1 TRAIN... 'An outstanding and exceptional mystery from start to finish . . . everything fans would hope for.' JANE HARPER ----------------------------------------------------------- When the Australian Mystery Writers’ Society invited me to their crime-writing festival aboard the Ghan, the famous train between Darwin and Adelaide, I was hoping for some inspiration for my second book. Fiction, this time: I needed a break from real people killing each other. Obviously, that didn’t pan out. The program is a who’s who of crime-writing royalty: the debut writer (me!) the forensic science writer the blockbuster writer the legal thriller writer the literary writer the psychological suspense writer. But when one of us is murdered, six authors quickly turn into five detectives. Together, we should know how to solve a crime. Or commit one. How can you find a killer when all the suspects know how to get away with murder?