Fun as always, albeit much shorter than the other entries in this series. And I confess that despite the “fair play mystery” claims, l was unable to identify the killer. Just wish it had been a bit more fleshed out.

This was such a great time! And it felt like an Australian Christmas in Kansas. Hot! I like the way Ernest talks to the reader. He is very open about following the rules of the Golden Age of crime fiction. There was a few little pieces which I figured out early on but I was still surprised by the killer's reveal. These books always have humor, murder and a fun theme.

Stevenson has done it again - he stumped me!
I had my guesses but yet again I didn't figure this one out.
I really love Ernest and this cast of characters. I love the way he talks to the reader throughout - it feels like we are solving the murder with him - and I truly haven't figured it out before the big reveal in any of these books!
I really hope there/s more - there's got to be at least one more, right?!

Everyone this Christmas
National bestselling author Benjamin Stevenson brings us a Christmas present with the third installment in his Ernest Cunningham series.

Read along from the perspective of Ernest’s masterful thoughts as you are presented with an “advent calendar of clues” in this Australian holiday murder mystery.

There are no hidden clues in this fair-play mystery. Can you figure out whodunnit?

I really enjoyed the humor in this novel.

Publication date: October 22, 2024 by Mariner Books HarperCollins Publisher

#whodunnit #murder #mystery #Christmas #Australia #arc #netgalley

The perfect Advent Calendar.....

In the requirements of the classic mystery detectives, Ernest Cunningham now has his very own Christmas special. In the hot Australian Christmas, Ernest gives you an advent calendar full of 23 clues and 1 murder. You can read one chapter a day, or like me read it all at once.

I loved this special. It was the fun direct-to-reader style of the previous books with the same amount of intrigue and action. It was shorter than the usual books, making it a faster read, perfect for a special. I loved the Advent calendar motif, even if I didn't restrain myself. Frankly, I would be surprised if anyone did wait. Despite being slightly shorter, (or at least feeling that way. I didn't check since I have an E-ARC), the characters felt fleshed out and nothing rushed. Ernest may have solved the mystery a little faster than normal....but this is his third murder. So he's slowly getting better. Overall- I definitely suggest picking up this book when it comes out!

A person is murdered and someone is waking up with their blood on them and no recollection of what happened. Ernest is here to help solve what happened. It so happens that most of the suspects are currently working at a magician’s show. Who did it? The magician, the hypnotist, the magician’s assistant?

This is a short novella taking place around Christmas time. There are clues to help you determine the murderer(s) similar to an advent calendar. I thoroughly enjoyed this book just like the other two.

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

Before I get into the review, a quick thank you to both NetGalley and the publishers over at Mariner Books for allowing me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret is the third book in the Ernest Cunningham series. The murders following Ernest around this time are full of holiday cheer. Ernest receives a call one night requesting his help solving a murder, but while investigating that murder, a severed head rolls into Ernest's path. Can he stop the killer before they strike again? Can he do it in time for Christmas? Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret comes out on October 24th and is available for preorder now.

As comes standard in the Ernest Cunningham books, the storytelling style and direct to reader method just grip me from the very first page. I said in my review of the second book that I don't know how this author can keep going in this format and keep it fresh. I think this being a novella and it being centered around a Christmas theme helped a lot. And, surprisingly, I'm still so willing to read another Ernest Cunningham mystery. I say surprisingly because I thought it would start to get old but it hasn't. This style and this voice are so fresh for someone who has been reading Mystery novels for a while now. I also liked how theatrical the murders were in this one. It fits the story so well since Ernest is investigating a group of people who work on a magic show. Is it absurd? Yes, but in the best way.

I do like that I can never fully unravel the mystery until Ernest is explaining in stereotypical Mystery novel fashion, but I do kind of find it a little frustrating that Ernest keeps pointing out that this is a fair play mystery. Maybe it's just because that phrase is said so much in the series, but I know it's also kind of necessary to the structure of the whole thing. I also felt like some of the characters were a little flat but I went in expecting that since this is only a novella and not a full blown novel like the rest of the series.

Overall, I would say this is great for people with a history of reading Mystery novels who want a breath of fresh air in their reading. Also, this could be a good starting point for new readers to the genre who could be turned off by some of the stereotypical Mystery novel annoyances: unreliable narrators, twists with no foreshadowing, twins. As for the Christmassy nature of this one? I would give it four blood-soaked poinsettias.

I recently had the pleasure of receiving an advanced copy of "Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret" by Benjamin Stevenson. This book serves as the third installment—or perhaps the 2.5 installment, as the narrator cheekily suggests—of the Ernest Cunningham series. Despite the unusual timing of reading a Christmas-themed book during a 100-degree summer, I found myself thoroughly enjoying it. I've fallen for the character of Ernest all over again.

Ernest's narration brings a unique charm to the unfolding mystery, reminiscent of the classic Holmes style. His wit endears him to readers, making it impossible not to root for him. Stevenson masterfully crafts each character with a clear motive, compelling you to piece the puzzle together alongside them. One particularly creative touch is how the advent calendar is integrated into the storyline, cleverly revealing the mystery piece by piece.

A delightful followup to its two predecessors. Fans will enjoy it more if they've read the first two books but it is not necessary. Benjamin Stevenson has definitely discovered a unique spin on the mystery thriller genre with his bullet point main character Ernie who tells us exactly how to solve a mystery. The Christmas spin is fun as well. Overall, a fast and fun read!

Thanks to Net Galley for the digital ARC.

I'm a big fan of Benjamin Stevenson's first two mystery novels and was excited to see another book from him out so soon--even in the shorter form of a Christmas special.

This story revolves around a murder mystery writer Ern is unusually motivated to solve -- or rather to prove his ex-wife, the accused killer, is innocent. As is his pattern, the protagonist shares information in a first person meta-narrative that invites the reader to play along. He even divides the chapters by highlighted clues to (mis)lead you to the answer.

It takes place in Australia across the span of a few days before Christmas, using several clever conceits in honor of the sub-genre (Christmas mysteries). A secret Santa gift exchange, advent calendar, and themed costumes all end up being relevant to the plot.

It feels like author Benjamin Stevenson has fun with this one and it's a light and easy read despite some gnarly wounds. I can't wait for it to be officially published so I can mull over the clues with a friend.

Review also posted on goodreads.

Ernest is back again, this time solving a Christmas-themed crime.

Ernest and his fiancée Juliette are planning their wedding when Ern gets a call from his ex-wife, Erin. Erin is unfortunately caught up in the murder of her boyfriend / partner and needs Ernest’s help solving the case. Using the excuse of seeing a magician (who’s been ‘hired’ by his uncle to preform at their wedding), Ern heads off to help, without telling Juliette the full truth of where he’s going or why. Erin’s partner was wealthy and ran a non-profit dedicated to helping those with substance abuse issues. Many of the graduates of the program are now employees of the program, meaning there’s a nice cast of characters with lots of secrets and potential motives.

Like the previous two books, there’s lots of breaking the 4th wall, challenging the reader to solve the book along with Ern, etc. It’s also set in Australia, at Christmas, meaning it’s the middle of summer, something I always find kind of fun - something about shaking up the stereotype of a snowy, cold Christmas.

I throughly enjoyed this story, even more than the second book. I loved how it was structured like an advent calendar with lots of clues buried in the story. I thought the way he revealed everything on the ski gondola was lovely - a way to pay homage to golden age mysteries while putting a modern spin on it. While the fair play / challenge to the reader structure isn’t for everyone, if you enjoyed the previous books, you’ll probably enjoy this one as well.

Highly recommended! Bring on book four!

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.com that I voluntarily chose to review.

4.5/5 stars
This book has it all! I am obsessed with the Ernest Cunningham universe. This is one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint. Ernest has a holiday special adventure this time. I love the reoccuring cast and the new holiday special characters. I can't wait to see where Ernest goes next. I think you will enjoy this book just like his others with a festive tinge. Thank you to Mariner Books and Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Everyone This Christmas Has A Secret is the third book in the Ernest Cunningham series by the brilliant Benjamin Stevens. And when I say brilliant, I mean brilliant.

I absolutely LOVED the first two books in this series, and I really enjoyed this holiday novella.

Ernest Cunningham is back and the author's style of addressing the reader, once again works fantastically. I love all the clues the author drops in an honest way.

Ernie gets a call from his ex-wife Erin who has been accused of murdering her boyfriend.

I love the way the author lays out the clues for the reader to play detective along with Ernest.

I cannot say how much I LOVED this novella that packs the punch of a full length novel.

Can't wait for the next book to see what Ernest is up to next!

Highly recommend!

Stevenson takes on both mystery and Christmas special conventions in this third entry of the Ernest Cunningham books. To the former, just like the earlier works, we have fun meta-exposition on what constitutes fair play in a murder mystery (e.g., there are identical twins but we know about them and they don't switch places). To the latter, the book is short and fun with some holiday trappings.

As to plot action, Ern's ex-wife Erin has been charged with the murder of her new paramour. Ern takes on the case and does his good-natured, slightly wise-cracking thing. Also, of note, just as in the first two books, Stevenson spends time with (and is respectful of) the characters' backstories.. For example, while Ern and Erin's marital history isn't overly rehashed, there are small moments that show its lasting effect. And Erin's trauma from the (relative) carnage of the first book was thoughtful without consuming the general sense of fun---a difficult balance that, for me, was perfectly reached in this latest edition.

If you liked the first two, you'll really like this latest one!

If you loved the prior two books (like I did) you'll love this one. Ern is back, Ern is getting himself into nonsense, Ern once again has no regard for his own safety if it means solving a mystery (and getting to write a new book). This is more novella than novel and with the shorter length does come a less convoluted mystery. The resolution was a little simple, but it's still so fun; the little advent calendar thing was so cute, and I liked the callbacks to the prior novels.

I will read every one of these that Benjamin Stevenson is willing to publish.

Publishes 10.22.2024

This novella was just as fun and witty as the first two novel counterparts. I have yet to come across a writer that is smarter than Benjamin Stevenson when it comes to murder-mysteries.

This one takes place over Christmas, and gives the reader clues via advent calendar doors at the end of every chapter.

Ernest as a narrator is clever and funny as always, and just when I think I have everything figured out, I realize I don’t. That’s not due to Stevenson using the normal cop outs of this genre; he is very aware of all the overused tropes, and has Ernest directly speak to readers the ins and outs of the rules (think the meta-ness of the Scream franchise). This is what makes reading these books so much fun. Ernest will also drop hints that seem obvious and ones that don’t (he is, after all, recounting the past events of the murder and his investigation when narrating). He also takes clichés and uses them in a fresh way. For instance in the beginning, he states that for a “Christmas Special,” the detective must learn the meaning of Christmas. This comes to play out in an insanely clever way, and not the way one would suspect. The self-awareness Ernest has is always on the nose. He even touches on how Christmas Specials are essentially cash grabs (not to worry, as stated above, this is at the same high caliber as the first two installments).

I hope this series continues forever (Stevenson teases Ernest will be back in a big way soon in his Acknowledgments, fingers crossed for the third installment to take place over his wedding weekend).

An easy 5 stars. Pick up this series if you haven’t ASAP.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this delightful book as I have not read anything by this author prior. I will definitely be reading everything by him going forward. Great character development, witty dialog, awesome story line. This is definitely a 5 star read. Thank you Benjamin Stevenson for giving us a wonderful story that you can get lost in

Thank you to Mariner Books and NetGalley for granting my request to read Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret.

I am a big fan of the first two books in the Ernest Cunningham series, and I had just as much fun reading this holiday special. It is shorter than its predecessors, but the characters/suspects remain compelling.

In this book, it is up to Ernest to prove his ex-wife, Erin, didn’t murder her boyfriend. I like that Erin returned from the first book and how her trauma from Book #1 wasn’t brushed off. There were consequences. I also like how even though she and Ernest are divorced, the book isn’t bogged down with tension or animosity between them or between Ernest and his fiancée, Juliette.

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret has the signature style of the first two books - breaking the fourth wall, fair play clue discovery, establishing rules. My favorite part is that the book is offered up like an advent calendar. At the end of each chapter there was a starred number (1 through 24, but out of order) and a word was attached to each number, so I played along by writing down each word to see if it would reveal some kind of solution to the mystery at the end. SPOILER: I am never able to solve the mystery. I always have to wait for Ernest to spell out all the clever details, and then I go ahhhhh, missed that clue.

Bring on Book #4! Something is bound to happen at Ernest & Juliette’s wedding.

Enjoying this series by Benjamin Stevenson. My favorite is still the second book of the series, but I really enjoyed this one.

Another case for Ern. I thought I figured it out but I was wrong. Can't wait to see what's next.

Another fun entry in the Ernest Cunningham series! This time, he's off to help his ex-wife, who's been arrested for murdering her wealthy partner. The story unfolds through a Christmas advent calendar (24 chapters for the 24 days of advent), and include a myriad of suspects. As in the previous books in the series, Ern doesn't hesitate to break the fourth wall, and he invites the read to solve the case right along with him.

This is a quick, light read and very clever, as always. Although we don't get to know any of the potential suspects too well, I really enjoy how each book in the series gives us more insight into Ern. Looking forward to see what he's up to next! Perhaps solving a murder at his wedding??

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.