Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone Series: Ernest Cunningham #1
Published by Mariner Books on March 2022
Genres: Adult Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 371
Format: eBook
Source: Publisher
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Everyone in my family has killed someone. Some of us, the high achievers, have killed more than once. I'm not trying to be dramatic, but it is the truth. Some of us are good, others are bad, and some just unfortunate.

I'm Ernest Cunningham. Call me Ern or Ernie. I wish I'd killed whoever decided our family reunion should be at a ski resort, but it's a little more complicated than that.

Have I killed someone? Yes. I have.

Who was it?

Let's get started.

EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE

My brother

My stepsister

My wife

My father

My mother

My sister-in-law

My uncle

My stepfather

My aunt

Me

I’m not going to lie: this was a lot of fun.

The first chapter sets the right tone and dark humor for the rest of the book. It’s told from Ernest Cunningham’s perspective, the black sheep of the family after he betrayed…. never mind. You’ll see.

And while none of his family members are fantastic people, it’s easy to be on Ernest’s side as he navigates through his family’s politics as the large Cunningham family is trapped by a blizzard in a remote ski lodge location. See, his oldest brother is finally, FINALLY, out of jail and this is a family reunion. And also perhaps a perfect time to talk about the very large amount of cash Ernest has been holding onto since his brother went to jail. And maybe someone else sees it as the perfect time to take their revenge.

The main characters are well described and well drawn. I liked/disliked all of them and as the story moved forward, their backstories were brought to the surface. Complicated, gritty and yes, everyone in that damn family killed someone. But they all had their own reasons. I’m not saying they were justified… but, well. You’ll see. And the plot moves fast. There’s a blizzard, there’s a murder, there’s missing family members, an estranged wife, a shady step father… you name it. And all of them fit together like well worn puzzle pieces.

It’s clever and fun and while I did figure it out early on, I really liked the ride and there were a few surprises in there that caught me totally off guard. I think anyone who enjoys a good thriller with a lot of family dynamics will eat this up.

Take it with you on vacation. And just say not to family reunions.