This was a fun novella and I really liked the Christmas setting and the use of the advent calendar to tell the story. This was a great introduction to the series and worked well as a standalone. I can’t wait to read more books in the series.

Thank you, NetGalley and Mariner Books for this book for review. I have read every "Everyone Has Killed Someone" books and this one was a great holiday addition! Similar theme and crew this time around at Christmas. Definitely did not disappoint with the twists and turns. I will continue to read Ernest and his crazy family and hijinks.

How is it that no matter how smart I think myself, Benjamin/Ernest prove that I’m actually not smart at all?
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As a lover of movies like Knives Out & Murder on the Orient Express, Mr. Cunningham’s tales would slot in the genre nicely.
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Thank you to HC for the early copy! ^_^

"𝘚𝘪𝘹 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴. 𝘚𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘴.
𝘓𝘦𝘵’𝘴 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮."

I loved 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙈𝙮 𝙁𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙃𝙖𝙨 𝙆𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 and I'm glad it wasn't a standalone because this series is so much fun. This one was just as unique, clever, and funny as the first two books. This time Ernest finds himself trying to solve the murder of his ex-wife's husband, as she's been arrested for the murder. He quickly finds it may not be as easy as his previous cases because Erin woke up with literal blood on her hands and all clues point to her guilt.

The mystery was really solid this time around and I found myself changing my mind on who the culprit was. It was just complicated enough to feel clever yet not confusing. I thought the magic show and advent calendar aspects were really entertaining. Just overall a super enjoyable read.

While I do recommend, I think this would most be enjoyed by people who have at least read 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙈𝙮 𝙁𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙃𝙖𝙨 𝙆𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚. It would be completely fine in my opinion to go ahead and read if you haven't gotten to 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙄𝙨 𝙖 𝙎𝙪𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩 yet. Also, don't feel like you have to wait until December to read. It is set during Christmas but it doesn't really have that holiday *feel.*

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for providing me a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Benjamin Stevenson’s fast-paced, fourth-wall breaking Christmas “special” - Everyone this Christmas has a Secret is the third installment of the Ernest Cunningham mystery series and finds said detective trying to clear his ex-wife of of murdering her rich philanthropist boyfriend.

Not having read the previous two books in the series, it took me a bit to catch up with the characters, and the more foretelling than foreshadowing style of the writing, giving clues and a heads up to the reader to pay attention. Once I did though, I was rewarded with a clever plot, witty writing and a solid whodunit with a cliffhanger of a climax tied up in a bow by the 24th day of the Advent calendar.

I recommend Everyone This Christmas has a Secret to readers who enjoy humorous cozies and detective fiction. I received this advanced reader copy from Mariner Books, courtesy of NetGalley.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the ARC of this title.

It feels like the hot new trend with today's mystery/thriller authors is having them get their gang back together for a special novella set around the holidays - Janice Hallett did it for The Appeal, Nita Prose just did one for her Maid series, and now Benjamin Stevenson's done it for the Ernest Cunningham series.

I can't be that mad about it (get that bag!), but so far, they always seem to have the same feeling as a quickly-tossed-off Christmas album from your favorite pop star. It's a stopgap cashgrab, and even when the stopgap is delightfully meta about understanding it's a stopgap cashgrab, like this does, it doesn't fully paper over the feeling that the author would rather be writing something they didn't have to squeeze a kiss under the mistletoe into.

This was...fine. I started with book 2 of this series, liked its arch meta thing, and then couldn't get through the original book that started things off. It's a breezy read (I basically read it in a sitting despite its potential to be an advent calendar sort of a thing), and hits the notes you want from this series. I just wish the song didn't feel so contractually obligated.

I loved this novella so much that it felt like Christmas came early! It is a witty and clever fair-play mystery with a festive twist. And a great addition to the series. Set up in an advent calendar format, with a clue behind each of the twenty-four "doors," this one sees Ernest trying to prove the innocence of his ex-wife in the suspicious death of her boyfriend. Stevenson had me laughing from the first paragraph and binging this novella.

The unique setup sees the rules of fair play mystery combined with those of Christmas TV specials. I won't spoil those rules because part of the fun is having Ernest point them out along the way. The mystery is layered, compelling, and satisfying, and I enjoyed trying to identify clues and red herrings. Ernest's deductive skills are better than mine, though, and I missed a few, so I enjoyed his signature daring denouement. Ernest's sharply observed inner dialogue and banter with the other characters kept me in stitches. This lively and action-packed holiday whodunnit has humor, action, danger, and Australian-style festive holiday vibes. Super entertaining, and I cannot wait for Ernest's next adventure!

Thank you to Mariner Books and Netgalley for the gifted review copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the digital advance reader copy.

If you haven't read the previous two entries in the Ernest Cunningham series, definitely start there.

If you've already read those and enjoyed them, then make sure to pick this one up.

This time around Ernest doles out his honest, not-at-all unreliable narrator clues via an advent calendar countdown (and said advent calendar is, itself, a clue).

Days before Christmas, Ernest receives a desperate call from his ex-wife, who is in jail as the primary suspect in the murder of philanthropist Lyle Pearse, her partner of two years. However, Erin remembers nothing of the night he was killed. She was asleep the entire time, yet she was found in their bed covered in his blood, while his body was found downstairs.

Using his usual wit, panache, and a bit of luck, Ernest uncovers what happened to Lyle and why.

I really enjoyed the solution to this one. Perhaps it's been done before, but I thought it was clever and satisfying.

Plus, I enjoyed Ernest's tips on how to create an enjoyable festive entry in any mystery series.

A solid holiday whodunit for those who are already fans of the series.

*language, mostly off-page violence

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson is the 3rd book in the Ernest Cunningham series. I love this series. It’s so much fun finding the clues and trying to puzzle out the killer/motive. Love the use of the Advent calendar. I’ll try not to include any spoilers, but the nature of this murder, or rather the suspects makes this case especially delightful, considering a number of them are quite skilled in the art of misdirection. Great cast of characters, really fun story, and you have to love the occasional 4th wall breaking. (not Deadpool level, but still quite fun) While this volume is considerable shorter than the first two books (and is billed as a Christmas Special, lol) it doesn’t skimp on story or fun. I’d like to thank Mariner Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R3EZSYP4VS2VWU/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins Mariner Books for gifting me a digital ARC of this wonderful Christmas-themed short story by Benjamin Stevenson. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Ernest Cunningham gets a frantic call from his ex-wife saying that she needs him. Under the guise of seeing a magic show by world-famous magician Rylan Blaze, Ernest meets up with Erin in jail. Covered in blood with no good alibi or knowledge of what happened, Ernest begins investigating, and there are plenty of other suspects.

Told in the form of an Advent calendar, this is pure Ernest Cunningham fun. Believing in the Golden Age Mystery rules, Ernest "talks" to the reader, giving all the clues necessary to solve the mystery. But I'll bet no one but Ernest could solve it, even with all the clues. It's absolutely pure fun in the best of ways that only Benjamin Stevenson can pull off. While this novella could certainly be read on its own, the first two books in this series are too good to miss, so read them first! Highly recommended!

I couldn't put this latest installment in the Everyone series down. Ernest Cunningham is back in this shorter mystery set in a theater. Set up a bit like an advent calendar in honor of the season it's set in, with one clue/chapter for each of the 24 days leading to Christmas, it's fast-paced and fun with Stevenson's typical excellently written characters and a clever plot. I've loved every book in the series so far, but this is the one that has tipped me over to Stevenson becoming must-buy author for me. It was just such a fast, fun read that I could not put it down. Looking forward to the next installment in Ernie's adventures!

Happy Publication Day!

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret is the newest in the Ernest Cunningham series by Benjamin Stevenson. I found this holiday themed novella to be a super quick, really fun, and utterly festive read.

In this book we join Ernest as he travels to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains to help out his ex-girlfriend who has been accused of murder. As with all his books there is a great cast of characters and lots of hijinks as we follow Ernest as he uncovers the clues to solve the crime. I loved the first two books and this one as well, his writing style really works for me as a reader.

I’m a big fan of holiday stories and loved that he tied this in with following the rules of a traditional Christmas Special. I also really loved that he gave us the chapters laid out like an advent calendar, with as he said in the prologue “Twenty-four chapters hold twenty-four clues and various bits and bobs that help me with the case. Well, twenty-three clues and a killer, because the best chocolate’s always behind door number twenty-four.” I felt the author loves Christmas as much as many of us do, that that came through in the book.

He even brings up the “yuletide cash grab” of other authors like Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle in the prologue, and therefore got a bit ahead of those who will dismiss this holiday novella as a yuletide cash grab. I’m all for it if it’s a holiday themed mystery like this, bring it on and take all my yuletide cash!

Thank you to the publisher Mariner Books, the author, and NetGalley for the gifted digital ARC to review in exchange for my honest review.

Let me be clear--I am not a mystery reader for the most part. Just not my bag. That's what makes Stevenson's books so fabulous--they cross that genre line while maintaining everything that makes said genre what it is. I was hooked by Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone, immediately read Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect afterward, and requested Everyone This Christmas Has A Secret from NetGalley (Thank you, NetGalley!) because I couldn't wait for it to come out.
I was not disappointed.
Everything magical and wonderful and funny and intriguing I loved about the prior books was absolutely present here. Of course, being a Christmas Special, it was required (as per the genre rules, which Stevenson, of course, adheres to with the same wit and precision) to be briefer. That, in and of itself, is a feat, because it lost nothing for a shorter wordcount. I've already slotted it for December reader for both the book clubs I belong to.
Great book, great fun, even with the murder and mayhem, which is another amazing feat by this amazing author--the squick factor is there without making the reader want to put the book in the freezer. (If you get the reference, you earn a gold star.)

This was a really fun and clever novella! It had all the trademark wit and charm of Stevenson’s previous books. I loved the way the Christmas theme was incorporated, especially treating clues like the gifts in an advent calendar! The only drawback for me was I didn’t feel 100% invested in or knowledgeable about all of the suspects. I’m not sure if there were just too many of them, or if the novella’s shorter format didn’t give enough time to fully establish their characters? Nevertheless the final reveal was super satisfying- particularly learning what I got right (and what I had missed)! I also really enjoyed the inclusion of “Ernest Cunningham’s 7 Commandments of Holiday Specials” at the end ☺️

Overall this was a really fun, quick, and satisfying addition to the Ernest Cunningham series! If you’re looking for a lighthearted holiday murder mystery, or if you’ve simply enjoyed Stevenson’s previous books, I would recommend you pick this one up!

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

4.25 stars

Festive read, but I preferred the first two “Everyone” books over this one. The mystery elements were not too easy or too hard to figure out., I could see an entertaining movie/series adaptation coming out of all of these books.

I really should have expected that I would enjoy this 'Christmas Special' sequel in the Ernie Cunningham murder mystery series a bit less than the previous two books—it makes sense, since this book tells us it very faithfully follows the rules of the 'Christmas Special', which to be honest are always my least favorite of any TV series. As usual, the novel is extremely faithful to the bit it's doing.

i really truly loved everyone in my family has killed someone. somehow, everyone on this train is a suspect was even better than that and quickly became my new favorite. the ernest cunningham books are some of the most fun you'll ever have while reading a murder mystery. better yet, they're devastatingly clever. and (mostly) honest too!

now, don't get me wrong — everyone this christmas has a secret uses the same goofy humor we've come to expect in this series. it brings back some previous characters (ernest, juliette, erin, and a couple of quick nods to uncle andy) while rounding up a whole new crew of victims and suspects and devious masterminds. however, because there ARE so many new characters, it can be very difficult to keep track of the minor ones that matter.

i know that holiday one-offs are typically quick little asides full of tinsel-coated fluff, but i still thought this one felt rushed. the story could have easily used another hundred pages to develop characters and the mysteries and more. that said, i cannot WAIT for benajamin stevenson's next foray into full-length metafiction mysteries.

thanks to mariner books for the digital copy of this book on netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun return into the Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone universe. Even with it being a mini mystery, like all the books in this series it was very cleverly plotted. Ernest continues to be an absolute darling of a narrator - he’s personable and quippy and lays out the pieces of the puzzle in a way that’s both easy to follow and allows the reader to try to solve it before him. While it’s definitely Christmas-ish with the use of an advent calendar device, it isn’t knock-you-upside-the-head holiday focused. And I really enjoyed the magician angle because it made some of the crimes slightly fantastical.

My only critique is that it was a very quick read so it was hard to get fully invested in the new characters. But over all this was delightful. Thank you to Mariner Books and Netgalley for this ARC, which comes out tomorrow!

4.5/5

I love joining Ernest in these adventures. He would be a great television character. Quick mystery that kept me in suspense until the end, with a tip of the hat to Agatha Christie novels.

At this point, I eat these novels up with a spoon, they're so funny and snarky. My only complaint about this one is it's short and feels rushed.

The setting is Christmas time but it's Austrailia so it's hot, that was a nice switch up from other holiday novels with a winter Christmas. As usual, this had a great cast of characters and our narrator Ernest is fantastic. The mystery is super interesting and compelling from start to finish.

I highly recommend this series but you have to start at the beginning.