Only Murders On the Train

Six crime writers embark on a journey on Australia’s famous Ghan train. The journey also serves as a mystery writers’ festival, and the six writers are scheduled to appear on panels throughout the trip. Among the authors is the famous Henry McTavish, the bestselling creator of Detective Morbund. Also on board are book publishers and agents, and a select group of mystery fans.

Our hero, who tells this story in the first person, is Ernest Cunningham, one of the writers. Cunningham has one book under his belt. He experienced a series of murders within his own family on a ski trip. He solved that mystery, identified the murderer, and wrote a true crime book about it. He is hoping to find ideas for his follow up nonfiction mystery on this trip.

But, when one of the writers becomes a victim of a murder onboard the Ghan, Ernest and the remaining authors find themselves in the midst of a real-life murder mystery. Each passenger becomes a suspect as they race to catch the murderer before the train reaches its destination.

Well, most of the suspects are the mystery writers themselves, each skilled in one or more aspects of the art of detection. They become an impromptu group of detectives, just not as collaboratively as that sounds. They hide and selectively reveal clues to each other as the story progresses.

The book is full of “author / insider” asides. Cunningham explains his view of the “unwritten rules” that a good “Golden Age” mystery must follow, and he promises to follow those rules in this book as he reveals the story of the crimes committed within the book itself: murders (yes, there’s more than one), theft, trespassing, and even improper use of adverbs.

That last bit about the adverbs is an example of the humor of the book. It wasn’t what I expected. Honestly, when I read on the book cover that a comedian had written a murder mystery I was expecting, or maybe hoping for, a Donald Westlake-ish novel.

If you’ve never read a Donald Westlake novel do yourself a favor and find yourself one to read. Westlake was a prolific American writer most famous for his comedic “crime capers”. Many of his books were made into movies, including The Hot Rock starring Robert Redford, Bank Shot starring George C. Scott, and Point Blank with Lee Marvin. My favorite Westlake books are the Dortmunder series.

Stephenson’s style is not like Westlake’s. He doesn’t find humor in putting his hapless characters in seemingly ridiculous situations like Westlake did.

What Stephenson does instead is break the fourth wall and talk directly to the reader at several points in the book letting you know where he is in his writing process and providing “help” for you to solve the mystery. I found myself frustrated with all of that and wished instead that he’d just move the story along.

That is until the big reveal at the end of the book when, ala Hercule Poirot, Ernest unveils the murderer. The ending completely changed my mind. Up until that point I thought I was reading a so-so “closed room” murder mystery only to find myself marveling at how well the author had laid down the trail of crumbs / clues that led to the surprising ending, AND how well his red herrings had put me off the real culprit. Well done Benjamin Stephenson!

RATING: Four and a Half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐🌠

RATING COMMENTS: Australian comedian and author pulls off a well-executed “closed room” murder mystery set aboard his country’s famous Ghan train. If his intent were to create an homage to Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, he’s done a damn good job of it. I’ve knocked off a half star because of my own misplaced expectations and the author’s style which, though it moves the story along well, also frustrated me.

WHERE I GOT MY COPY: I picked this book up from the “Bestsellers” shelf at the QBD bookstore near my sister-in-law’s house in suburban Brisbane, Australia.