Everyone in My Family has killed someone by Benjamin Stevenson is one of the few books that I have read follows the “Play Fair” mystery. A “play fair” mystery is one that includes all the clues necessary for the reader to solve it. They involve the reader in a game as well as entertaining him or her with a gripping story. In the beginning itself, writer lists down all the rules that he will abide by and since write himself is a narrator that makes the writing all the more exciting.
The book starts with a family reunion with narrator hinting on secrets harboured by each one of the family members. Story is quite captivating with narrator unveiling each of the murders in a dark humour and entertaining way. The way the writer has sprinkled clues throughout and makes a callback to the previous clues is very pleasing and keeps the reader engaged throughout the novel.
Personally I felt as a reader, that I was at a disadvantage of solving the mystery before the narrator because of the way it was concluded (you will need to read the novel to understand what I am saying). Nevertheless I found the novel a page turner and impossible to put it down.