Reviews

“Well, in that case, could you tell this wannabe Poirot to stop harassing your guests? And if you want to quell panic, how about not throwing the word ‘murder’ around?”

Must have read mysteries.

Detective Ernie Cunningham begrudgingly attends a family reunion, at a remote mountain resort, in a bad snow storm, and people are dying.

It seemed clear to me: the only way to put my family back together again was to find out which one of them was a killer.

I had such high hopes for this original, clever, and quirky novel. Benjamin Stevenson did a bang up job of the introduction, plus laying out the scene and then my hourglass just kept pouring sand as the story went along… You know everyone has killed someone, it is in the title! At some point, I wanted to get to The Point amidst all the cute quotes.

“And you write crime novels?” She flung her arms up. “I hate the ones where the main character is a writer anyway.”

halleyc's review

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challenging dark funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

racheyreads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read Benjamin Stevenson's next book in this series coming later in 2023. Cover to cover, I had a blast reading and I loved every character. They were all the same but also so different in so many ways and it was so much fun reading and learning about all of them with how this book was set out.

There was also layers of misdirection paved through the writing and each time it came up I couldn't help but laugh. Numerous times I chuckled to myself and each time I got caught out by the phrasing or narrative I just smiled - it felt so silly but so obvious at the same time!

The only thing that could have given this book a negative mark was that I did guess who the killer was, quite significantly, before the end of the book. However, I loved every single word that it didn't take away from my enjoyment at all and I feel that is something worth keeping the star for.

senpai_no_lie's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

I good mystery, though the narrator does near constant fourth-wall breaks and is rather cheeky. I found the premise clever and the family/revelations satisfying.

shelvesofamber's review

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5.0

This book was absolute perfection! Another new favourite author to add to the list, and an Aussie one at that!

Firstly, I always love when Australian authors include our slang in their books. It always serves to make me feel more at home the second I read the first page.

This book was genuinely incredible I loved everything about it. From the Cunningham family workings to the twists and turns I was completely hooked on this story, the amount of gasps I gusped during this was definitely not what I expected. I am absolutely going to picking up the next in the series when it releases.

wickens14's review

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dark lighthearted mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

the narration takes the cake. what a fresh voice to tell a whodunit. the mystery was layered and the player’s backstories handled efficiently. the clues made you feel like the author was playing with you, and he was: just honestly. the story made you reach for explanations but then make you second guess yourself or hand you the answer in a sly joke or comment. this book was fun and entertaining to read (of course, the big plot twist was predictable… but it’s always like that with thrillers). i love media!

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