Who doesn't love a good Christmas mystery? Benjamin Stevenson brings his special brand of humor to all the mysteries in the Ernest series and this one is no different. I absolutely loved this book, just like all the previous books. My only complaint is it could be longer.

Ern takes his turn as a holiday sleuth in this loving send up of the Christmas special. It's boiling hot once again during an Australian yuletide, and Ern has been called upon by his ex wife to prove that she did not kill her philanthropist boyfriend, even though she woke up inexplicably covered in his blood. Santa hats, presents under the tree, and the true meaning of Christmas all make their scheduled appearances. I am excited to see which mystery setting is next for our hero.

This was a quick read that fits well into the “Everyone I Know…” series. I find myself getting a bit tired of the overly wink-wink nature of mysteries, which is why I think this one isn’t totally for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the actual murder mystery of this one, but the look behind the curtains nature of the narrative got semi-tiring by the end. This is a personal criticism and one that I think most people would consider a feature, not a bug. I do like our detective in this series, and it’s an extremely fast-paced, well-thought out mystery. Just a bit too aware for me.

Everyone This Christmas Has A Secret is the third in the Ernest Cunningham series. And as he admits, even the golden mysteries' favorite authors weren’t “immune to a little Yuletide cash grab”.
If you’ve read the prior two books in the series, you know that Ernest believes in fair play. He wants the reader to come to the “lightbulb moment” at the same time he does. The book is structured like an advent calendar with 24 chapters and a clue in each of the first 23.
It’s as entertaining as the two prior books and had me equally as baffled. I did not guess the who behind the whodunit although I did find a hole in the method. I got a big kick out of the rules for holiday specials.
This is perfect for fans of cozy mysteries that want a dose of humor. But I would not recommend starting with this one. Save this for after you’ve read the prior two.
My thanks to Netgalley and Mariner Books for an advance copy of this book.

Detective Ernest Cunningham has quickly become one of my favorite characters, so I couldn’t wait to read his Christmas special!

‘Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret’ is a holiday-inspired sequel to the books ‘Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone’ (which is currently being developed into a television series) and ‘Everyone on this Train is a Suspect.’ This novella follows Ernest solving another murder, setting out to prove his ex-wife’s innocence while wearing a Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer costume, of course.

This novella is for fans of classic mysteries with a twist. I’ve always loved a good mystery, and this book gets so many bonus points for making me laugh! Breaking the fourth wall and poking fun at some of the secrets behind a run-of-the-mill mystery made this such an enjoyable read.

It was also so much fun to have each chapter representing each day of an advent calendar to keep readers on top of all the clues, and even though it was all laid out for me, I still was surprised by who the killer was! Author Benjamin Stevenson has truly mastered writing a witty mystery — and this one is all about Christmas! How could it get any better?

Thank you so much to Mariner Books and NetGalley for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. As instructed, I will be posting my review via social media on the title's publication date (October 22).

I love this series. The author always surprises me with the ending. I will definitely be reading more from this author. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret is the 3rd book by Benjamin Stevenson following the "cases" of Ern Cunningham. Stevenson has a unique narration and writing style that lends itself perfectly to using a chocolate Advent calendar to structure the book's chapters and advance the plot. Once you start reading, this book is hard to put down as it opens with Ern's ex-wife waking up from sleep covered in blood and discovering her husband's dead body in a bloody pool of blood on the floor. Add in humor and a cast of quirky suspects, and you will be asking when is the next book coming out.

I was so excited to get this e-Galley! I actually ended up reading the book instead of working on a couple of projects with looming deadlines, which should tell you something about how much I like the Ernie Cunningham books. This book was slighter than the others as “Holiday Specials” tend to be, but just as fun and self-referential. This was the closest I’ve come to solving a Cunningham fair-play mystery before Ernie gathered all his suspects and started sharing his “deductions,” with the usual results of mayhem, confessions, and bodily harm to himself. I missed Ernie’s family and Juliette and can’t wait to have them feature in the next full-length book. 4/5 stars; would recommend as a fun, funny, and quick holiday read (for reference the first book in the series got a 4.5/5 stars and the second a 4/5 stars.)

Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for letting me read an eGalley of this book.

After Ernest's second outing as a detective in Everyone On This Train Is a Suspect, I have carved out a special place in my heart (and my bookshelf) for Benjamin Stevenson's Ernest Cunningham mysteries. And the latest of Ernest's adventures in sleuthing does not disappoint. Once again, Stevenson leans into "annotated" storytelling to tremendous effect. The Cunningham mysteries spool out almost like a radio play, where a good part of the fun is the conversation between the narrator and the listener (or in this case, the reader). Ernest proves himself, yet again, a chatty, humble, somewhat nerdy interlocutor, quick to point out and explain (sometimes in hilarious detail) critical plot points (often his own mistakes). The effect is a mix of adventurous romp and hilarious lecture on the finer aspects of the literary mystery genre. Sure, the gimmick of one chapter for each of the days of Christmas would usually feel like pandering. But Stevenson's meta approach to the whole endeavor turns the gimmick into a clever in-joke that only serves to add a layer to the enjoyment. Love, love, LOVE!

I received a free copy of, Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret, by Benjamin Stevenson, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Ernest Cunningham has a murder to solve, with a few clues, will he be able to solve the mystery by Christmas? This was a different kind of mystery then Im used to, but an enjoyable read.

Superbly clever Christmas mystery!

“In keeping with an accidental theme—my first case involved a full stop, my second a comma—this may well be the first mystery ever solved by Comic Sans.”

Your ever intrusive narrator, Ernest Cunningham, is on his third case when his ex-wife’s boyfriend is murdered during the Christmas holiday. When Erin is arrested, Ernest must prove her innocence by uncovering the real murderer.

The Ernest Cunningham series has long been a favorite of mine because the mysteries are expertly plotted and flawlessly executed. Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret is no exception. While it helps to have read the previous two books, I think that a newbie reader will still enjoy it. This is a fantastic mystery to read a chapter a day (like an advent calendar) during the upcoming holiday season - if you can resist flipping the pages for a whole day!

I did find that the ARC may have included a few rather major issues (Ernest refers to the killer’s pronoun during the reveal and then reveals the killer as the opposite and forgets that one suspect is still under suspicion). However, I still thoroughly enjoyed this meta-fictitious mystery and highly recommend it!

5/5 stars

Expected publication date: 10/22/24

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the ARC of Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret in exchange for an honest review.

Just like the first two installments of the Ernest Cunningham mysteries this third installment held up to the reputation. This installment was fast-paced with twists and turns at every corner as Ernest takes us through the advent calendar doors throughout the book in order to find the killer. I really enjoyed how Benjamin Stevenson was able to take pieces from the first two books and continued to weave previous plot lines into his newest edition. I also liked how this edition was a 'Christmas Special' since this book was shorter than the previous two which gave Stevenson a lot of room for wherever Ernest will go next in the series.

A big piece of why I've enjoyed every book in the series is because of the main character, Ernest, being both our narrator and "author" of the book while we're reading. Yes, Ernest always alludes to that he will find the killer because if not there wouldn't be a book, but this factor does not stop Stevenson from keeping us on our toes throughout the entirety. The ending especially of the Christmas Special left me wondering what will come next and how Ernest will solve the next murder. The Ernst Cunningham book always leave the reader questioning who is guilty, but even with all of the clues being laid out in front of us the whole time the books are always one step ahead which makes the endings more thrilling when all the facts are laid out.

Benjamin Stevenson has such a distinctive voice when it comes to mysteries. I love the sarcasm, the fun, and the way he brings it altogether for a delightful read while solving a mystery at the same time. This is a cute, easy read to bring the holiday spirit into your life (with or without snow).

The Christmas setting made me want to hoard this book until the perfect December day. Maybe I captured the spirit of southern-hemisphere Christmas better by reading it in a summer heat wave, though. The format lent itself well to a holiday novella style - I think Ernest's fourth-wall-breaking style works well with every type of story. I love how Stevenson uses all the familiar, comforting mystery tropes and makes them fresh.

Thank you the publisher and Netgalley for my e-ARC of Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret!

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
🏜️ once spent Christmas in the desert
🩸have ever gone to bed and woken up covered in blood
☎️ called in a murder before it occurred
📖 enjoy mystery novellas

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

My name’s Ernest Cunningham. I used to be a fan of reading Golden Age murder mysteries, until I found myself with a haphazard career getting stuck in the middle of real-life ones. I’d hoped, this Christmas, that any self-respecting murderer would kick their feet up and take it easy over the holidays. I was wrong.

So here I am, backstage at the show of world-famous magician Rylan Blaze, whose benefactor has just been murdered. My suspects are all professional tricksters: masters of the art of
misdirection.

THE MAGICIAN

THE ASSISTANT

THE EXECUTIVE

THE HYPNOTIST

THE IDENTICAL TWIN

THE COUNSELLOR

THE TECH

My clues are even more abstract: A suspect covered in blood, without a memory of how it got there. A murder committed without setting foot inside the room where it happens. And an advent calendar. Because, you know, it’s Christmas.

If I can see through the illusions, I know I can solve it.

After all, a good murder is just like a magic trick, isn’t it?

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

Another hilarious and well executed story from Stevenson! I don’t know how he does it, but his mysteries are a true work of art, and this short Christmas novella didn’t disappoint! Cunningham is someone who really takes in all of the little details which come together in the end to reveal a killer. Even though he continually gives us, the audience, clues, I still fail to make the connections, and was 100% shocked by the end. I prefer this as I enjoy a good surprise! You won’t want to miss this fun Christmas special!

To be released in time for Christmas, Ernest Cunningham is back for his third time as a writer/amateur detective solving a murder. He and Juliette are soon to be married when his ex wife Erin calls in distress. She has been accused of murder and he goes to put his investigative skills to work to help clear her name. In great Christmas spirit, Ernest narrates his search in advent calendar countdown fashion. He gives clues along the way to help the reader guess what happened and keeps us guessing. His humor and wit are still ever present and it makes this a really fun read. More a novella than novel, (or a #2.5 as Ernest says), but a good addition to the series for Benjamin Stevenson fans. Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for my ARC.

Cleverly written in an absurd and amusing way, this well-cloaked mystery has murder and mischief, deceit, and suspense that kept me immersed from beginning to the finale. The pacing of this solidly wicked plot felt like a speedy train blowing past the whistle stop. As expected, each chapter leaves a clue that once put together will earn you a victory if you guess the killer’s identity. This was an entertaining, complex, unique, and downright fun book to read. I can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next.

Another great addition to this series! Once again, Mr. Stevenson laid out all the clues and evidence I needed to figure it out just like Ernest does, and once again, I failed to do so. Then the explanation comes, and I'm like "Yep, that makes perfect sense, and here's everything I didn't put together." That's the mark of a great mystery, IMO, and Mr. Stevenson is an excellent writer in that regard, taking his cues from the literary greats and bringing their methods into the 21st century. I can't recommend this series enough!

5 stars

**I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and comments contained within are my own.**

This is the third book I've read by Benjamin Stevenson and another 5 star.
I love the irreverent writing style and the way he breaks the fourth wall. This novel is also meta in the way that it tells you the rules for writing a murder mystery and you work alongside our narrator Ern to solve the case.
Though this book is shorter in length, the story moves at a fast pace and each of the many characters are introduced in a way that is memorable and doesn't allow you to forget who they are. I sometimes find that too many characters in a book make it hard to keep plot points straight, but that isn't the case here.
I was so excited to receive this ARC for review and will be picking up the physical copy once available and eagerly awaiting the next installment in Ern's adventures.

Ernest Cunningham is at trying to be a detective again. This time he is drawn in by a text and call from his ex-wife that her boyfriend is dead and she is accused of murder. He leaves his fiancée, on the guise of checking out a performer's show that might be booked for their wedding. The crime solving begins, with his "favorite" reporter on his heals. As usual a second murder occurs and the suspects are everyone. Can he prove his ex-wife's innocence?
I really enjoyed this 3rd book in the series, perhaps because it was shorter and got to the point quicker. The story moved well without a lot of repetition and had a surprising ending. This was a fun read!