Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone / Benjamin Stevenson
NY: Mariner, 2023, c2022
371 p.

I've been reading a rash of recent books lately! There are a bunch in my library that have been coming across the counter and are tempting me, even if they aren't on my to-read list already. 

The first one I checked out was this buzzy title. Everyone who read it that I talked to said they enjoyed it, and I was in the mood for a quirky mystery so I picked it up. It was a quick read and really fun. It's based on classic Golden Age novels; the narrator, Ernest, is a writer instructor who teaches people to write mystery fiction (despite not actually writing it himself). 

He's also the younger brother in a mixed up family, whose testimony sent his older brother to jail for murder, for which his mother has never forgiven him. But now they are having a family reunion of sorts, at an Australian ski resort, to celebrate Michael's release from prison. But as the title indicates, this is no easy family to gather with.

There are all sorts of issues with the characters, most hidden and slowly revealed as the story progresses. There are relationship issues, money issues, drugs, personalities and family history to reckon with. The story turns into a classic sort of  'locked room' mystery once a snowstorm hits, stranding them all at the resort along with a few staff members, and a dead body or two.

But the story is also self-aware; the book opens with the 1929 Ten Commandments of Detective Fiction from Ronald Knox, which Ern refers to during the narrative. The asides to the reader, and the dark humour, add to the entertainment value of this one -- it's a lot of fun to read. The author plays with the tropes of mystery fiction even as he is using them, and his character is commenting on them. It's a cleverly plotted and enjoyable read, even if there are some dark bits and some dark secrets revealed. 

Definitely recommended for the mystery fan who is familiar with Golden Age books. You'll get a lot out of this one!