Second in this mystery murder series is better than the first!
This book is filled with wry humor, cryptic clues, sardonic asides; it's quite witty and clever. At times I laughed out loud as the author in the story writes his first-person account of a trip he takes on a train. This isn't just any old train, it's the luxury Ghan, and on board are writers, publishers, agents, reviewers, and fans who are attending the Australian Mystery Writers' Festival.
The fictional author is none other than Ernest Cunninham who had made his true crime debut writing about the murders that took place during his family reunion. His book sold well, but his agent wants him to take a stab at writing fiction. He's on this train with his girlfriend, Juliette, whom he met at the resort where the family reunion was held. They plan to attend all the of the panels, workshops, and discussions while Ernest works through a bit of writer's block. Lo and behold, one of the more famous authors is murdered and finally, Ernest has the inspiration he needs for a book.
You will remember, having read the first book, that Ernest is very direct and speaks to the reader about the rules of writing detective novels and he's a stickler to following them. He points out the obvious and also throws in some tantalizing hints of what the reader should be figuring out. It's all great fun and he invites the reader along on his mission to out the killer and solve the case.
I enjoyed this one so much more than the first. May be because I do love trains and the Ghan is unique. I'll definitely look for more titles by Benjamin Stevenson in the future as I love the style of the writing and the way he tells a story in this unique way.
Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner for the e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.
This is the second book featuring Ernest Cunninghman. After Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone.
Genre: murder mystery in the style of the locked room
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