Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone

“Do you promise that your detectives shall well and truly detect the crimes presented to them, using those wits which it may please you to bestow upon them, and not placing reliance on, nor making use of, Divine Revelation, Feminine Intuition, Mumbo Jumbo, Jiggery-Pokery, Coincidence, or Act of God?” The Detection Club oath - 1930

It took me just under one minute of listening to this audiobook (and the delightful word jiggery-pokery) to know I was going to love it!

Author Benjamin Stevenson takes inspiration from the greats like Agatha Christie, G. K. Chesterton and others, and uses Ronald Knox’s 10 Commandments of Detective Fiction (https://www.writingclasses.com/toolbox/tips-masters/ronald-knox-10-commandments-of-detective-fiction) to lay the groundwork early for this story, and the result is a mystery that I believe would make any of them proud!

The Cunningham family has a reputation as killers after dad, Robert, died after purportedly murdering a cop years ago. Now his son, Ernest, Ern’s mother and stepfather, stepsister, aunt and uncle, and ex sister-in-law are all gathered in a ski chalet in Australia’s Snowy Mountains to reunite with Ern’s brother, Michael, after his release from prison. Unfortunately, Ern’s testimony put him there making things awkward to say the least! Michael’s arrival with Ern’s ex-wife on his arm is just in time for a mysterious stranger with a mouth full of ash to turn up dead on the ski slope, and for a snowstorm that limits the police response to one seemingly inept cop, Crawford.

When Michael is assumed guilty by Crawford, Ernest is left to figure out ‘whodunnit’ to clear him. The mystery deepens when Michael offers cryptic clues that suggest a connection between the event that put him in jail and the events that led to their father’s death. As Ern digs deeper, the body count starts rising! There’s a LOT more to this story, but that gives you the bare bones.

In a clever narrative structure, reliable narrator Ernest breaks the fourth wall in presenting the mystery directly to us, his audience. This gives a cozy, familiar feel to the proceedings, in the same way a friend telling you their secrets would. By interspersing references to one of Knox’s commandments as it relates to an event, he steers the reader in their own detecting, making us the Watson to his Sherlock. Considering the sheer number of characters, this is very helpful, as are his occasional recaps of events. 

I loved the dark humor, the excellent narration by Barton Welch, and the overall fun I had in trying to solve this! I had suspicions about one of the major reveals, but the way it was laid out was entirely unexpected.  Despite a few confusing spots, the wonderful narration kept my rapt attention and I enjoyed every moment of this! I think this story lends itself brilliantly to audio. It’s a great start to a new series that those who liked The Thursday Murder Club, Clue, classic Agatha Christie, Knives Out, or similar stories would likely enjoy.  I can’t wait for the next book and more of Ernest! 

★★★★ ½