Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone Book Review

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson begins by listing the 10 Commandments of Detective Fiction by Robert Knox, and really sets the tone of the book within the first 3 pages. The book wastes no time and after just one page, lists every page in which someone was killed.

Despite the first page being the rules of writing a crime book, the book really laughs at the traditional third-person writing, with a first-person format that communicates with the reader (literally).

The book’s first chapter depicts Ernest Cunningham’s explosive involvement with the (almost) start of the entire chain of killings. The story then jumps to 2 years later, when the Cunningham family have a reunion at a remote ski resort, and on the second day of being there, a man is killed from supposed natural causes. The Cunningham family aren’t so sure. From there, the humour and bloodshed spread, with about 3-4 genuinely surprising plot twists.

The book was hilarious to read but spared no tension when needed. The book connects every single detail in the final reveal and really makes you think that the entire book is a recount, not fiction. It really competes with movies such as Knives Out, with a similar hilarious tone, but 14x the murders, and really 14x the humour. It would make an amazing movie/tv series, and HBO seem to have their eye on it, as they have already bought the rights to the book.

Benjamin Stevenson’s writing style is exceptional, with its strong balance of humour and tension, plot twists, murder, romance, and everything you want to see in a crime book. The book is comparable to some of the greatest crime novels ever written, and definitely is one of the greatest books of this decade. This is not Stevenson’s first book. He’s written two novels in the past – Greenlight, and Either Side of Midnight. Greenlight was shortlisted for the Ned Kelly Award for Best Debut of Crime Fiction, and Either Side of Midnight was shortlisted for the International Thrillers Writers award for Best Original Paperback. He is also (unsurprisingly) a comedian, not just in his books, but also in real life.

Written by Kayden Goyal

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson is published on 29 March in Australia (Penguin, $32.99) and 18 August in the UK (Michael Joseph).

If you’ve ever looked at a pile of junk and thought, “This is just trash,” Thomas Deininger might have something to say about that. Based in Rhode Island, this incredibly clever artist has a knack for turning what most of us would toss in the bin—think broken toys, bits of plastic, even old electronics—into jaw-dropping pieces of art. What’s wild is how his sculptures often look like realistic animals or landscapes from a distance… but when you step closer, boom—you’re hit with the chaos of everyday debris woven into a detailed scene.

I first came across his work when I was scrolling through some recycled art ideas, and his “Striped Bass” piece totally stopped me in my tracks. From far away, it’s like you’re looking at a photograph. But up close, you start spotting action figures, bottle caps, and tangled wires all working together to make up the image. It’s mind-blowing.

What I really love about Thomas’s approach is how it blends creativity with a message. His work is fun and clever, sure—but it also hits on bigger things like overconsumption and the mountains of waste we create. He somehow manages to make that message stick without being preachy, just by showing how beautiful and meaningful our “trash” can actually be.

Whether you’re into environmental art or just love seeing imagination come to life, Thomas Deininger’s work is definitely worth checking out. It’s inspiring, a little chaotic, and totally unforgettable.

Have you read?