What fun!!!! A murder mystery advent calendar is what I never knew I was missing in my holiday season. While I find it hard to remember that Australia is warm during Christmas (so readers adjust yourself), this was still appropriately festive and a really fun time. Told with his trademark charm and sass, this is another feather in Stevenson’s cap.

This was a fun quick read for the beginning of the holiday season. Ernie is up front about his "holiday special" and relays that it could be read as an advent calendar with 24 chapters. Inventive, but I barreled right through it because it was so entertaining. The sense of fair play is on display as always, as Ernie heads to another part of Australia to help his ex-wife Erin clear her name of her long-time partner's death. Lyle was the head of a successful non-profit that helped rehabilitate drug users. The story is full of quirky characters and a reveal worthy of a Columbo episode.

Thank you to Mariner Books for sending me an ARC. I enjoyed this book and was happy to see the continuation of Earnest story. We get to see more into his life of fame now and we even see some character growth from him. This novella follows Earnest as he has to solve a murder before Christmas that is ex-wife is implicated in. We follow a new cast of characters in this holiday special. I think that this one was missing some of the charm of the previous work. You still get the inside look at murder mystery books, but it almost feels watered down. I do enjoy the complexity of the mystery and think it was wrapped up nicely. However, I feel like more of the story went into building up this new mystery instead of spoofing it. I think I would re-read this one again to get a look into the hints. I would also recommend this book, however the other books are needed to fully understand this book. It is a quick read and an interesting look into Christmas since this takes place in Australia. I would give this a read if you want a fun Christmas mystery.

Like the other books in this series, Benjamin Stevenson (in shorter form, darnit!) brings on another clever, well written, and Fair whodunit. I am recommending it to one and all who lean cozy mystery but want something different, challenging, and fun.

A huge thank you to@marinerbooks for the
ARC and finished copy! Thank you to Mariner for the eARC as well! I adore the Ernest Cunningham mysteries. These books have absolutely captivated me since the start of the series. I love the traditional mystery aspect mixed with the meta vibes of Ernest writing books about his escapades.
For such a short story this was SO satisfying. I was hooked and found it so interesting, clever twists and atmospheric settings. I'm ready for more Ernest Cunningham ASAP.

I just adore the Ernest Cunningham books and this was no exception. Immediately ran out to buy it as advent calendar gifts for friends and family after reading it.

As always, Benjamin Stevenson has written a delightful, witty, twisty and fun mystery. It was short and quick but fleshed out and developed well enough to my liking. The quick pace made for a more exciting story.

Our narrator suggests reading the book a chapter at a time throughout December for an Advent Calendar experience. I admit I was very interested in the idea (how fun!!) but could not keep myself to one chapter a day. Instead I finished the entire book in a single day.

While not required reading for the series I definitely recommend adding this to your list if you enjoyed the previous two books in the series

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

This was that direct to home video sequel that you keep in your house and consider canon but not a necessary for everyone. I think it was cutesy done and a little side book to complement the series just not as enjoyable as the first two. Fun short read before Christmas though!

Ernest is back! Ernest’s ex-wife’s boyfriend is murdered during the Christmas holiday and when Erin is arrested, Ernest must prove her innocence by uncovering the real murderer.

This is a short novella, just under 200 pages, you can read in 1-2 sittings, or you can read a chapter a day like an advent calendar (if you can wait that long!). I recommend reading the first two in the series to understand some of the characters and references to previous storylines, but this can definitely be read as a standalone. This is one of my favorite mystery series because I love Ernest as a reliable narrator, the mysteries are plotted so well, and the twists are well executed!

Recommend if you enjoy:
🎄An advent calendar of clues
🎄Reliable narrator
🎄Locked room cozy mystery
🎄Murder mystery
🎄Abstract set of clues that tie together well!

Very entertaining Christmas mystery novella. Ernest is his humble self and solves this mystery beautifully. Not without putting himself in peril, of course. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

Thanks to NetGalley for my sneak read!


What a fun way to start my holiday reading.
This is my first taste of the series, I'll be reading the others!

This was a really quick, fun and entertaining read! There were the right amount of clever twists without being predictable. The story kept me engaged and guessing the whole time while also mixing in humor throughout. Although it is the third in the series, enough backstory is provided that it could be read as a stand alone. This review was also posted on Goodreads and Amazon.

Benjamin Stevenson’s “slapdash sleuth” Ernest Cunningham returns in a new adventure that follows the rules of both fair-play mysteries and holiday specials—and wants you to know that it’s following those rules. A few days before Christmas (Australian Christmas, so it’s scorching), Ern heads out to the desert ostensibly to see a performance by the magician who’s slated to appear at his upcoming wedding, but he’s actually there to clear his ex-wife of a murder charge. The case, helped along by an advent calendar, involves a drug abuse charity, with several administrators and graduates of the program implicated in multiple crimes. Stevenson again has Ern detailing the case after the fact, allowing him to jump ahead in the action and warn you about chaos yet to come. Stevenson also takes the holiday special conceit seriously, keeping the action trim, which aids the pacing after the occasionally bloated EVERYONE ON THIS TRAIN IS A SUSPECT. Ern seems a far more competent investigator in this outing, which has a cleverly-staged solution.

I cannot even believe how much I love these book - for me, they are just the best, consistently befuddle me, and just leave me with the feeling of having finished an excellent and very satisfying book [with some wondering at how I missed some - OH OKAY, missed most of the clues LOL].

This book was fun because even though I had NO idea WHO did it, I DID know two of the ways the killer did what they did [thank you CSI and the BritBox/iTV show 'Grace'] and to say I was very excited might not be a strong enough way to express it [there may or may not have been dancing]. :-)

Ernie is still a great MC and I love how the author uses Ernie to tell the story, and as with the Spanish Inquisition, no one expects murder at Christmas [with VERY unique murder tools - paper guillotine anyone?], and that really adds the uniqueness of this story [I *KNOW* there are plenty of Christmas murder mysteries out there {I have read a good chunk of them it would seem LOL}, but the MC as the narrator and the...umm...well, the STYLE of the...umm...deaths is what makes this book and series one-of-a-kind].

This was just what I needed and I am just waiting, holding my breath in anticipation for the next book!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Benjamin Stevenson, and Mariner Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved returning to this series for the third installment. These are always so cozy and feel like a classic mystery. I enjoyed the narrator's conversations with the reader as usual. The references to famous mysteries, authors, and their plots is always a fun little easter egg. Benjamin Stevenson definitely has a way with leading the reader to think one way, and then flips that thinking on its head by the end. Overall, the mystery was not my favorite of the books, but I still found it an enjoyable time. Can't way to see what Ernest Cunningham gets himself into next.

I loved this book! My one complaint is that it went by so fast. Ernest Cunningham continues to be such a fun, engaging narrator. I loved the way the clues were laid out as an advent calendar! I’d never seen anything like that before. I’m excited to read more Ernest Cunningham, maybe a wedding murder??

Every great series has a Christmas special so it’s only fitting that Ernie gets one!

While I love a good holiday rom com, this holiday murder mystery was the perfect change of pace. And at only 175 pages it makes for a quick read.

This series is just so much fun, filled with puzzles and keeping you guessing until the end. The addition of an advent calendar and some presents under the tree gave this cozy mystery just the right amount of Christmas.

Read if you love:
🕵️‍♂️ Detective mysteries
🎄 Christmas specials
🪄 Magic shows
📚 Quick reads

Thank you Mariner and Netgalley for my review copy!

I absolutely loved this book. I heard Ernest was getting a holiday story, and immediately requested it at the library. Ernest is en route to check out a potential wedding reception entertainer, or so we think. It turns out someone has been accused of murder and it’s up to Ernest to solve the case. Unfortunately for Ernest more murders happen while he’s solving the case as the countdown to Christmas gets shorter and shorter. I read this completely on the edge of my seat. Honestly, I was not a fan of mystery novels until I started reading and Ernest and his exploits. Do yourself a favor and spend some time with Ernest this Christmas. You’ll be glad you did.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the advanced reader copy of Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret, in exchange for a honest review.
Ernest is at it again, this time stumbling into a new murder mystery just in time for the holidays. When he receives the call that his ex-wife, Erin, has been arrested for murdering her boyfriend, Ernest finds himself investigating the cast and crew at a magic theatre in search for the truth.
Creatively mimicking an advent calendar, each “day” a clue is revealed that helps Ernest get one step closer to solving the mysterious murder. While I appreciate the author’s sense of humor, I find I do have to be in the mood for it. Sometimes I chuckle to myself out loud at the witty prose, other times it feels more like we just need to get on with the story. For this reason, I landed on 3 stars for my review of Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret. Until next time, Ern!

Benjamin Stevenson has done it again. A twisty plot, a comprehensive cast of suspects, and a little sprinkling of holiday magic provide the totally reliable narrator with enough material to delight and confound the reader--while at the same time providing and highlighting clues that should lead us to the answers ourselves. I find his entire series charming and engaging, and was absolutely thrilled that this little "Christmas Special" lived up to the others.