Living With B

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson
Published by Mariner Books on January 17, 2023
Genre(s): Mystery, Thriller, Crime
Pages: 384
Format: Kindle
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I joined a book club recently, and this was the first book that was decided on. I was a little hesitant, because I don’t always like the ultra-popular books, but… this was pretty good. Admittedly.

Plot Details

Everyone in the Cunningham family has killed someone, whether indirectly or directly. Some are high achievers, killing more than once. It’s not to be dramatic, it’s just the truth. Some of the Cunningham’s are good, others are bad, and the rest are just… unfortunate.

And from the beginning, this family reunion was never going to end well.

When a body is found in the snow, it’s clear one of the Cunninghams did it. But which one? Don’t trust a Cunningham. Ever.

My Thoughts

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone has been hyped up for a while, and typically when a book reaches a certain level of hype, I start to worry. However… this one was clever!

I usually see something coming ahead of time. I’ll clock a twist halfway through and sit there like, “Yep. Called it.” But this time? I had no freaking idea what was in store for me. Not once did I correctly guess who the killer was. And to be fair, I kind of stopped guessing early on when I realized I truly had no clue who could’ve done it.

The family’s messy history, and the almost curse-like weight that follows the Cunningham’s, became such a strong foundation for the story. It made the twist feel earned instead of random.

I also loved the narrator, Ernest. I enjoy when the fourth wall is broken, and I really liked the way he told the story from his perspective. It felt intimate and self-aware in a way that worked so well for a murder mystery.

Since it is a murder mystery, I can’t reveal too much without spoiling it. But it’s one of those books that keeps you on your toes the entire time.

It’s an entertaining, laugh-out-loud book that also reveals some pretty devastating truths throughout. The story slowly builds up the reveals, the trauma, the anger, and the pain. Everyone has something weighing heavy on their heart.

By the end of it, everyone kind of grew on me. At the very least, I had more empathy for them.

Final Verdict