Published: January 17, 2023 (US)
Publisher: Mariner Books
Series: Ernest Cunningham #1
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 384 (Hardcover)
My Rating: 3.5/5.0
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis:
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
Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone is possibly one of the best book titles I’ve come across. It’s not beautiful, but boy, does it catch the eye and make you wonder what kind of family this could possibly be. Mobsters? Serial killers? Particularly accident prone people? And then the synopsis itself produces more intrigue and the voice of our storyteller, Ernie.
Ernie is the unfortunate victim of his family’s ire since he sent his brother to prison and isn’t looking forward to the family reunion at a ski lodge in the mountains of Australia. I for one never think of Australia as a place that gets enough snow to warrant a ski lodge or winter sports, but it certainly does. Ernie arrives just before a snowstorm really begins to hit and the family drama begins immediately. I don’t want to spoil the plot, but I will say that as the story progresses Ernie reveals more and more information about his past and each of his family members. You begin to learn how each is a killer and it does complicate the fact that someone was murdered in a most unusual manner right by the lodge. Of course I began to wonder which family member might have killed this man that no one seems to recognize since they are all apparently capable of killing.
While the story does focus on solving who murdered this stranger in the snow, it’s ultimately about unraveling this family’s turbulent past. None of the characters are particularly likable, though one naturally feels favorably inclined toward Ernie, as he is the one narrating the story. Remarkably, none of the characters are overtly evil people either. They’re mostly just normal, with a variety of problems, past traumas, and resentment.
It was interesting to see how the story unfolded and how the murder was solved in the end. This was an entertaining read that kept me on my toes, but ultimately I didn’t love the story quite as much as I loved the title. I did like how the author made the past relevant to present day events in the story and I even liked the Ernie’s somewhat quirky way of almost breaking the fourth wall by pointing out to the reader that certain things would happen on page XX or reference something and then say we hadn’t gotten there yet. It was entertaining and rather than being spoilery it made you ponder how such a thing would come to be. Overall, this was engaging and provided a fun exploration of a family’s dirty secrets revealed one by one.
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