Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson Summary

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson is a mystery novel where Ernest Cunningham, a crime fiction expert, attends a family reunion at a ski resort. When a serial killer begins targeting family members, Ernest must identify the murderer—but everyone present has already killed someone in their past. The book features 11 interwoven mysteries and combines Golden Age detective fiction tropes with modern humor and meta-fictional elements where Ernest directly addresses readers.

Benjamin Stevenson is an award-winning Australian stand-up comedian and USA Today bestselling author who works as a literary agent at Curtis Brown Australia. He has sold out comedy shows from Melbourne to Edinburgh and combines his comedic talent with mystery writing. His books have sold over one million copies in 29 territories and earned nine Book of the Year nominations. He specializes in blending humor with intricate mystery plotting in his Ernest Cunningham series.

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone is perfect for readers who enjoy classic Agatha Christie-style mysteries with contemporary humor and clever twists. It appeals to fans of Anthony Horowitz, Stuart Turton, and meta-fiction who appreciate self-aware narratives. The book suits those seeking lighter, witty crime fiction rather than dark, grisly thrillers, and readers who enjoy solving puzzles alongside protagonists. Mystery enthusiasts who value fair-play detective fiction and innovative storytelling will find it especially rewarding.

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone is widely considered worth reading, earning critical acclaim and commercial success with over 750,000 copies sold globally. The novel successfully modernizes Golden Age mystery conventions while maintaining humor and clever plotting across 11 interconnected mysteries. It's currently being adapted into an HBO series following a competitive Hollywood auction, indicating strong market validation. Readers appreciate Stevenson's fair-play approach to clues and his ability to surprise while playing by established mystery rules.

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone stands out through its meta-fictional approach where protagonist Ernest Cunningham directly addresses readers and references specific page numbers where events occur. The novel contains 11 simultaneous mysteries—one for each family member's past killing plus the current serial killer. Stevenson deliberately breaks traditional storytelling rules while honoring Golden Age detective fiction conventions, creating a self-aware narrative that's both a genuine whodunit and commentary on the genre itself.

Chapter 9 in Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone represents Benjamin Stevenson's favorite joke in its entirety and showcases the book's rule-breaking approach to mystery fiction. Stevenson mentions his publishers were concerned about this chapter's unconventional structure but ultimately trusted him. The chapter exemplifies the novel's experimental meta-fictional elements and demonstrates how Stevenson challenges traditional mystery conventions while maintaining reader engagement. Readers familiar with the book often reference this chapter as a standout moment.

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone consciously pays homage to Agatha Christie's Golden Age detective fiction while modernizing the format for contemporary readers. Like Christie's locked-room mysteries, Stevenson traps characters in an isolated ski resort setting. However, he adds Australian humor, meta-fictional awareness, and a protagonist who has read Christie's works and recognizes mystery tropes. The book follows fair-play rules Christie championed—providing readers all necessary clues—but with added self-referential commentary and comedic elements Christie's work lacked.

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone is the first book in Benjamin Stevenson's Ernest Cunningham Mysteries series. Subsequent installments include Everyone on This Train is a Suspect and Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret, with Everyone in This Bank is a Thief scheduled for October 2026. Each novel features Ernest Cunningham as the protagonist and maintains the series' signature blend of humor, meta-fiction, and intricate plotting while exploring different locked-room mystery settings.

Benjamin Stevenson leverages his stand-up comedy background to inject wit into Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone without undermining the mystery's tension. Ernest Cunningham's direct addresses to readers create humorous moments while advancing the plot. Stevenson wrote the book during lockdown seeking lighter alternatives to dark crime fiction, intentionally balancing laughs with genuine suspense. His approach ensures readers experience both entertainment and satisfaction from solving clues, treating mystery fiction as collaborative rather than adversarial between author and reader.

Benjamin Stevenson wrote Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone because he found crime fiction too grisly during Australia's COVID lockdown. He turned to Golden Age detective fiction by Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Ronald Knox, wondering how these classics would work in modern settings. This led to creating Ernest Cunningham, a protagonist who has read famous mysteries and recognizes he's inside one. The concept emerged from Stevenson's desire for lighter, witty crime fiction that honored traditional mystery rules.

Benjamin Stevenson spent two years writing Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, solving 11 interconnected mysteries simultaneously—10 past killings by family members plus one serial killer. The most complex challenge involved Ernest's direct reader addresses mentioning specific page numbers, requiring excruciatingly difficult editing. Stevenson initially doubted publishers would accept this experimental running gag. Surprisingly, one murder genuinely surprised him while writing, and he worried about sullying beloved classics like Agatha Christie, though reader response proved overwhelmingly positive.

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone is currently being adapted into a major HBO television series following a competitive Hollywood auction. Benjamin Stevenson has also worked with Broadway Video, the company behind Saturday Night Live, on scripts for upcoming projects. The HBO adaptation reflects the book's commercial success—over one million copies sold in 29 territories—and its appeal to visual storytelling through its isolated ski resort setting and ensemble cast dynamics.