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.

I loved the first book in this series and I was fond of the second, and think this third one is a lot of fun. I don't know that the genius and intricacy of the first book can be matched, butI think the stakes felt higher in this one which made it feel personal to Ern which I felt was lacking a bit in the second.

I also enjoyed the meta-ness of not just following the rules for fair play mysteries but for Christmas specials.

The novella was fun and the mystery was quite clever. I'll continue to read anything in this series. Maybe the next one can be 'Everyone at this Wedding [insert something provocative here]!

As delightfully quirky as its predecessors! I actually want to buy a physical copy just to see how colorful it is in person because ADVENT CALENDAR guide to murder. Also, and how serendipitous, it comes out in October of this year so you have plenty of time to purchase several copies for, what I would hope is, a less murderous Secret Santa than the one Ernest Cunningham has to solve.

This was so fun and festive! I really enjoyed it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Who doesn't love a Christmas Special? This had all of the usual Ernest Cunningham personality with the holiday twist. I enjoyed the advent calendar set-up with 24 chapters/clues leading up to the big reveal. The Christmas Special rules were cute and I've always enjoyed how Ernest breaks the fourth wall with the reader. If you enjoyed the other "Everyone" books then you will for sure enjoy this one.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret.

I've enjoyed the first two books in the series by the author so I was pleased my request was approved.

In the grand old tradition of Christmas murder mysteries, Ernest Cunningham returns to solve a holiday crime, presenting the readers with all the clues, suspects and cliche stereotypes to be aware of that he promises he won't use.

The meta style of the Cunningham mysteries took some getting used to, as did Ernest himself, who I'm not a fan of.

I am, however, a fan of old school murder mysteries in which you meet all the suspects, see the clues and investigate alongside Ernest as he tries to figure out whodunit. There are no tricks or twists, no one is hiding anything that is suddenly revealed at the end to cause a shocking, ridiculous revelation. It's just the facts here, and I appreciate that.

This time, Ernest has been called to aid his ex-wife, who has been falsely accused of murdering her actor turned philanthropist boyfriend.

All is not what it seems when Ernest discovers all the suspects are clever and savvy, and each one of them is hiding something. But aren't they all?

I enjoyed the mystery and how it was done; the author lays out all the clues and shows us how Ernest figures it out.

Was it far fetched and hard to suspend disbelief for?

Sure, but for me the fun is in figuring out how Ernest figures it out. I figured out a few things but not all and enjoyed seeing how it was resolved.

Fun, christmas, murders, a bit of magic and just a good time. I really adore the way the Ernest Cunningham books are written. The style of narration is enjoyable and different than what I normal read.
Even though this is tagged as the Ernest Cunningham #3, this is more novella than full on book. It didnt feel as in depth as the other ones and the christmas feel just made it feel more like a novella.
So fun though and cant wait for the next one!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy!

Ern is back to solve a Christmas themed murder with his ex- wife as the prime suspect. An Advent Calendar of clues this clever mystery is just right for a quick holiday read!

I love Ernest Cunningham books and this one is just as great even though it’s shorter. This will be a great little holiday mystery novel!

I must say that Benjamin Stevenson knows how to plot a fair play mystery. I found this clever and humorous. I have enjoyed all the books in this series but I think this one is the best yet. I figured the who out but that was oddly the smallest of the revelations. They just kept coming. Stevenson has a way with bringing not only the conclusion to us but also all the side plots and clues, in a way that reveals things up until the final page. I hope that there are many more murders that Ernest Cunningham finds himself in the middle of, so we can continue to get these genius murder mysteries.

Thank you to the publisher for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Such a fun holiday romp. Stevenson once again gives you all,the clues and yet still manages to keep you guessing, love this unique twist on the cozy mystery.

It’s no mystery why I enjoyed this whodunit thriller so much. Clever, witty, suspenseful, and just plain fun, Everyone This Christmas: A Festive Mystery, is a Christmas addition to Benjamin Stevenso’n’s mysteries surrounding Ernest Cunningham, also known as the Slapdash Sleuth. Caught up in murder mysteries, Ernest is the protagonist and first person narrator of his murder solving exploits, breaking the third wall to allow the reader to solve the crime along with him. Each chapter provides a new clue resulting in 24 chapters and 24 clues, the 24th exposing the killer. The story takes place in Australia at Christmas time and the holiday setting includes Secret Santas, Christmas trees, gifts, and an Advent calendar. The murder has taken place before the beginning of the story and you are immediately introduced to Ernest’s ex-wife, suspected of having murdered her unmarried partner, the philanthropist of a foundation. The victims are also quickly introduced and are well fleshed out: a magician, a company executive, a hypnotist, a counselor, a tech expert, and a counselor. The story also includes a journalist who follows the amateur detective’s cases and is along to document the solving of this murder mystery.
Clues are gently dropped in to Ernest’s dialogues and there is a bit of foreshadowing as well . As a murder mystery aficionado, I found myself having a very good time with the cleverness of the presentation of this amusing crime fiction. It was fast moving and the setting was different and quite exciting at the end.. Ernest Cunningham’s 7 Commandments of Holiday Specials upholds his mystery “fair play” rules. The epilogue ties up loose ends and offers what I thought was a clever last line that left a smile on my face. The identity of the murderer came as a surprise as did all of the details that were exposed regarding the characters.
Whether it is Christmas or any other time of the year, you are sure to find this mystery engaging. I am eager to read Benjamin Stevenson’s other Ernest Cunningham books and I look forward to his next mystery solving adventure. My thanks to NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An advent calendar edition of my favorite mystery series? Yes please. This was so much fun, if murder can be fun. I love the relationship Ern has not only with his current love interest, but his past one. And how there is no jealousy or stereotypical women who hate each other because of a guy. This shorter book still had a surprising number of twists, and we still got to find the true meaning of Christmas—just like every good Christmas special should. I love the meta style of these books that always make me surprised and laugh.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy to form an opinion from.

This was a quick, fun read! Perfect for the holidays. This was the first I've read from Benjamin Stevenson so I will be reading his other titles such as "Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone" and "Everyone on this Train is a suspect". I'll probably give this one another read during Christmas time! I look forward to reading future publications from this author.

5 stars!

I read this book immediately after being approved for it because I love this series. I need Benjamin Stevenson to write like 100 of these because I fully believe these books were written with me in mind. It's incredible to me how Stevenson manages to make the story feel so unique each time but he did it again! The rules of the Christmas special made me laugh out loud and I basically read this in one sitting because I was eating it up. I don't usually connect with novellas, but this was great.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Stevenson brings another wacky mystery mixed with a bit of Christmas holiday fun. Honestly, not as good as the prior two books, but still a thoroughly enjoyable read. Ernie's tasked with trying to save his ex, Erin, from being arrested for murder. In true 'golden age' mystery fashion, it's not long before another murder lands right at his feet. The author has a good time (I hope!) crafting these stories - giving the reader all of the clues all the while following the same formulas that he's poking fun at.

"Everyone This Christmas..." references the prior books frequently and tries to keep the same vibe, but something keeps it from being as good as the others. Perhaps it's the short length (160 pages). Maybe the lack of interaction / connection Ernie has with the suspects. And the convoluted solution had me rolling my eyes at times. Despite my complaints, I need to say, the holiday mystery is still good - absolutely. But I loved the prior books so much that this suffers a bit in comparison.

However, the real Christmas present is that he promises a new book for Ernie (more murders!) soon. Yay!