Everyone This Christmas Has A Secret (Ernest Cunningham, #3) by Benjamin Stevenson opens with the main character traveling to a magic show prove his ex-wife's innocence in a murder. It involves ruling out the different people in the show. Will Ernest prove that his ex-wife is innocent without ruining things with his fiance?

First and foremost, a big thank you to NetGalley for approving me to read this book. I received a copy for free in exchange for my honest review. The approval for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) came after the book was already published and being busy with the holidays both contributed to the delay of me reading and reviewing the book.

The synopsis intrigued me, and I wasn't sure what to expect from this author as I haven't read anything by him before. However, it feels like Benjamin Stevenson is following a step by step guide provided to him in a writing class because the main character keeps mentioning how things should go according to "the norm". I find it quite annoying and invasive to the actual story. The actual motive to the murder was plausible, but the execution of how it was done was a bit far fetched to me. Additionally, I didn't particularly care for any of the characters.

The story had the ability to be fantastic but was lackluster. I am going to give the author another chance, but Everyone This Christmas Has A Secret (Ernest Cunningham, #3) by Benjamin Stevenson wasn't really for me. With that being said, it might be right up your alley. Three out of five stars.

This author is killing it, but not literally. Book three has been my favorite so far in the Ernest Cunningham series. The use of the Advent Calendar was top notch and creative.
Benjamin never disappoints!
Thank you NetGalley.

This one was such a fun read! I was immediately interested and couldn’t turn the page fast enough. I will be checking out more from this author in the immediate future now!

This series is a real delight! I've thoroughly enjoyed each book, and I'm gradually learning more about Ernest with every installment. This particular story is structured around the 12 days of Christmas, and while I wish I could have read along day by day, my schedule didn’t quite allow for it. I love the humor throughout the story, especially Ernest's witty remarks to the reader. It really adds a fun and personal touch to the experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was so much fun! I love how committed Ernest is to the rules of mystery writing. I’m always interested to see what clever punctuation or some such that leads to the mystery being solved. The cast of characters were interesting, and kept me invested. I can’t imagine living somewhere where there is a heatwave during the Christmas season, it’s always interesting learning about the weather patterns in other parts of the world. It was fun when I caught on to a few things before the reveal, and there were some great twists I did not see coming. As always, I cannot wait for the next one!

I didn't hate it, but there were a lot of characters introduced (which, of course makes sense. How can we be unsure of the killer if we don't have a large pool to choose from?) I don't do well with a lot of characters introduced without detailed descriptions of them and their appearance. I can't keep them straight without that information. So, because of that, I felt lost and as though I was playing catch up for most of the book.

The writing style was fine. The storyline was cliche, but not terrible. The murder mystery was fun (since I don't read many murder mystery books). The chapters flowed, left a few good cliffhangers, kept you interested; so all-in-all I enjoyed it and would read another one of his books.

This was a lot of fun and just the right length to enjoy during the holiday season. I loved to play on an advent calendar as well! It gets a little OTT at the end, but I honestly loved it. Can’t wait for more!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the free ARC eBook.

Ernest is back for another exciting adventure and mystery. "Unwrap all the Christmas staples: presents, family, an impossible murder or two, and a deadly advent calendar of clues." It has been described as a mixture of Knives Out and The Thursday Murder club and I think it's a perfect description.

Ernest finds himself, once again, on the case of a murder - this time the current partner of his ex-wife Erin. The story follows an advent calendar and a Secret Santa as it reveals the events through each chapter. It was so much fun! I love this series!

I have loved every one of Benjamin Stevenson's books, and this is no exception! He has the best way of writing, making the reader feel like you're right there in the middle of the story. The murder is gruesome, the murderer is questionable, and the cast of characters are, of course, over the top in the best way. I absolutely cannot wait to read whatever Benjamin writes next!

This was a fun quick holiday novella, although it was more graphic than I thought it would be. I wouldn't call it a "cozy mystery". This is my first introduction to Ernest, but "Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone" has been on my TBR for quite awhile. I liked the Australian setting and the warm weather Christmas theme! This was a quick whodunit. Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for this ARC. I'd recommend!

This delightful holiday novella is the third installment in a mystery series that continues to impress with its clever twists and witty protagonist, Ernest Cunningham. This time, Ern finds himself investigating the death of his ex-wife’s new partner, a case that brings new challenges—and new suspects—his way. What I really appreciated about this entry was how grounded the mystery felt, even amidst the sleight of hand and misdirection. The characters are crafted with unexpected empathy, and while the plot keeps you guessing, I never found myself rooting for anyone to be guilty. It’s a tricky balancing act, but Stevenson pulls it off with style.

The novella’s structure, which cleverly mimics an Advent calendar, adds an extra layer of charm to the already engaging mystery. Each chapter unfolds like a new door to open, offering both clues and surprises along the way. I loved the humor, too, which lightened the mood without detracting from the suspense. As usual, Ern’s first-person narration invites readers into the heart of the story, breaking the fourth wall and making it feel like we’re right there beside him, unraveling the mystery. The final twist was particularly satisfying, delivering an Agatha Christie-esque moment that left me grinning. If you're after a festive, fast-paced read with just the right amount of cozy mystery fun, this one’s a must-read.

I love the wit and humor Stevenson threads through his novels. The walk through of the old school murder story rules are a great addition. I loved the story and it wrapped up so perfectly, never a loose end! The ingenious in how Ern comes to solve the mystery left my jaw on the floor. I brain gets a little thrown around when there are so many important minor characters but I would definitely recommend this to anyone who like a great Agatha style mystery!

I loved the set up of this mystery with a chapter for each day of the advent calender and a clue in each chapter. It would even be fun to read a chapter a day up until Christmas if you could be that patient. I didn’t enjoy this as much as his other two books but it was a good story in his typical, creative style. I also can say that it wasn’t cheapened by being a holiday story it was written to his normal caliber. Good solid story, creatively done

I think this was a good book. It sort of dragged at certain parts and sometimes was a bit confusing and not in the it's a suspense good way. However I liked the concept and I think it was executed well. I like when there are christmas books that are not just cozy easy romances so I did enjoy that aspect.

A very clever book in the same style as his previous bestsellers. I loved the quirky characters and bringing the reader into solving the mystery themselves.

Once again, our non-detective, non-fiction author Ernest Cunningham has been asked to investigate a murder. The third in the Ernest Cunningham series is a Christmas novella! I mean who doesn’t love a good Christmas installment, especially when it’s a Christmas murder mystery.

I loved the first book in the series, I liked the second book in the series, but this novella just wasn’t great. Sure, it’s a novella, it’s short, it’s holiday themed, but something was missing throughout the story. There were entirely too many characters for such a short book, and while I do enjoy the puzzles Stevenson creates, I never fully bought into the story. I’m hoping the next installment is a bit more flushed out and we see some character growth, as I feel Ernest’s characters has become a bit stale.

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret is out now. Thank you to Mariner Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my review. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books.

After a high-profile man is murdered and the suspect has no memory of anything, Ernest makes his way to the theater, funded by a the man, for information. Finding himself backstage at the resident magician’s show, Ernest is introduced to the crew who helps make the show happen, who also become his unlikely suspects in their own ways.

Written as an advent calendar, information is revealed 1 chapter at a time, leading up to Christmas. Its a classic case of whodunit, but after writing 2 books, Ernest has more eyes on him than ever while trying to find the killer.

Benjamin Stevenson just has such a distinct voice that shines in this book - whether you love it or hate it. Our detective returns to try and solve the mystery of his ex-wife's new husband's murder. If you can stomach the voice (which I will admit at times grates on me - maybe this is an author to read by audiobook?), then this will be a fun cozy winter mystery, reminiscent of the Anthony Horowitz books but with much more irreverence.

This one was a fun Christmas read. I am a big fan of Benjamin Stevenson's work. This one is top of the list!

Everyone This Christmas Has A Secret
Book 3: Ernest Cunningham Series
By Benjamin Stevenson
4 ⭐️

I zipped through this fun murder mystery. Since this is a third in a series, it’s very fair to say if you liked books 1 & 2 you’ll like this one. I’ve read book 1 but not 2 (I meant to and just haven’t gotten to it yet). Other than maybe missing an Easter egg or two, I didn’t have any issues at all. I’d even argue you don’t need to have read any of the previous books to enjoy this. It’s written in the same style as the previous books.

Short n Sweet blurb: The star detective of the series agrees to investigate the murder of his ex-wife’s boyfriend for which she’s being accused of committing. The clues are laid out as an advent calendar - one door = one chapter. This book gives you magicians, more than one murder to solve, and secret Santa gifts under the tree.

Thank you to NetGalley, Benjamin Stevenson, and Mariner Books for this eARC.