4.5 stars. I wish I had read more of this on the train, but I was finishing up another audiobook at that time. But the scenic train I was on for 3 days was fresh with me while I read this book and it made it much more exciting because I could feel the tiny rooms, the rocking train, the tiny shared bathroom, the slim hallways that only allow one person. I could not relate to the high speed car chase or the deserts or the murders, thankfully. I really enjoyed book 1 and I also enjoyed book 2 with Ernest back to his snarky self as he travels across Australia on the scenic train the Ghan attending a Mystery Writer's festival. The author never fails to make me laugh and I was thrilled and wrapped up in the mystery until the very end! Well, not the very very end, which is the author thanking EVERYONE by name at the Penguin Publishing that helped with his book. I was awfully suspicious why there was 10 minutes left of my audiobook when it felt concluded, I started to get worried!

Great Knives Out-ish murder mystery that's a fun who-dunnit, like book 1.