A review by emilyacv
Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson

adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

This is a lighthearted mystery novel with a wacky cast of characters. The narrator is kind of giving “I’m not like other first person narrators, I’m QUIRKY” and I found that mildly irritating at times. It’s an interesting concept in that the narrator (Ernest) is actively “writing” the book as he goes through the story, but I do think his constant “real time” interjections took away some of the ~tension~ I like in normal mystery/thrillers, though it did play on the classic mystery tropes, and the whodunnit reveal was very satisfying. All the pieces the reader needs to figure it out are there and you get to see them fall into place.
The real epilogue was a bit overboard, in my opinion - did we need to get that graphic and wacky right at the end? I also feel like the sexual assault plot line was treated a little too lightly… I would have appreciated some more sensitivity there
overall, a fun mystery read if you don’t want anything too dark or thriller-y, definitely more tame, but not an absolute must read. 
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