I think this was a good book. It sort of dragged at certain parts and sometimes was a bit confusing and not in the it's a suspense good way. However I liked the concept and I think it was executed well. I like when there are christmas books that are not just cozy easy romances so I did enjoy that aspect.

A very clever book in the same style as his previous bestsellers. I loved the quirky characters and bringing the reader into solving the mystery themselves.

Once again, our non-detective, non-fiction author Ernest Cunningham has been asked to investigate a murder. The third in the Ernest Cunningham series is a Christmas novella! I mean who doesn’t love a good Christmas installment, especially when it’s a Christmas murder mystery.

I loved the first book in the series, I liked the second book in the series, but this novella just wasn’t great. Sure, it’s a novella, it’s short, it’s holiday themed, but something was missing throughout the story. There were entirely too many characters for such a short book, and while I do enjoy the puzzles Stevenson creates, I never fully bought into the story. I’m hoping the next installment is a bit more flushed out and we see some character growth, as I feel Ernest’s characters has become a bit stale.

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret is out now. Thank you to Mariner Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my review. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books.

After a high-profile man is murdered and the suspect has no memory of anything, Ernest makes his way to the theater, funded by a the man, for information. Finding himself backstage at the resident magician’s show, Ernest is introduced to the crew who helps make the show happen, who also become his unlikely suspects in their own ways.

Written as an advent calendar, information is revealed 1 chapter at a time, leading up to Christmas. Its a classic case of whodunit, but after writing 2 books, Ernest has more eyes on him than ever while trying to find the killer.

Benjamin Stevenson just has such a distinct voice that shines in this book - whether you love it or hate it. Our detective returns to try and solve the mystery of his ex-wife's new husband's murder. If you can stomach the voice (which I will admit at times grates on me - maybe this is an author to read by audiobook?), then this will be a fun cozy winter mystery, reminiscent of the Anthony Horowitz books but with much more irreverence.

This one was a fun Christmas read. I am a big fan of Benjamin Stevenson's work. This one is top of the list!

Everyone This Christmas Has A Secret
Book 3: Ernest Cunningham Series
By Benjamin Stevenson
4 ⭐️

I zipped through this fun murder mystery. Since this is a third in a series, it’s very fair to say if you liked books 1 & 2 you’ll like this one. I’ve read book 1 but not 2 (I meant to and just haven’t gotten to it yet). Other than maybe missing an Easter egg or two, I didn’t have any issues at all. I’d even argue you don’t need to have read any of the previous books to enjoy this. It’s written in the same style as the previous books.

Short n Sweet blurb: The star detective of the series agrees to investigate the murder of his ex-wife’s boyfriend for which she’s being accused of committing. The clues are laid out as an advent calendar - one door = one chapter. This book gives you magicians, more than one murder to solve, and secret Santa gifts under the tree.

Thank you to NetGalley, Benjamin Stevenson, and Mariner Books for this eARC.

Loved this - just like the other two! Thank you for the opportunity to read and share on Instagram! The books are so much fun - and this one didn't disappoint. Loved reading it during the Christmas season. Can't wait for the next book!

Great holiday read, stand alone to the wonderful what I like to call the “Everyone series”, really it’s the Ernest Cunningham series book 3. I’ve been recommending to everyone who needs a quick holiday mystery read at under 200 pages it flys. Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for this ARC in exchange for a fair (if delayed) review!

This was a fun holiday mystery and I enjoyed the advent calendar set up even though I didn't follow it. Not my favorite in the series, but enjoyable all the same!

Ernest Cunningham is back, and even though a Christmas special would indicate book "2.5," he's here to solve his third murder in the novella Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret. Having been called up by his ex-wife, now jailed and accused of the murder of her new partner, Ern is working diligently from the first chapter to clear his ex's name and uncover the true killer. That journey finds him in the wings of the backstage area for the world-famous magician Ryan Blaze. The details surrounding the murder make it seem like a pretty obvious case against his ex-wife, but as Ern continues to interview different members of the staff, secrets begin to spill out and more heads begin to roll (literally for some).

I have enjoyed Benjamin Stevenson's Ernest Cunningham series, and will continue to read it, but I am also continually a little torn in my opinions. First, I love the meta-style of writing. I love the breaking of the third wall and how Ernest continues to address the readers like we are standing right next to him and interpreting the same clues that he is. However, I am pretty annoyed (or at least giving an eyeroll) at the indication that we could take the same clues he has and figure out the mysteries. Perhaps I am incredibly daft, but the murders in Stevenson's series are sometimes so convoluted that it seems impossible anyone could figure them out. For me, this little Christmas novella actually fell into both categories. There was one element that I figured out right away based on one clue, but I never could have pieced together the rest to figure out why and how. So this installment of the series was a new and strange experience for me.

However, I love a Christmas murder mystery and love that the style of this book was an advent-calendar. I did not read it that way, but, had I done better planning with my reading, I might have.

Fun and festive! I will definitely pick up the other books in the series! Loved the advent calendar clues throughout the book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mariner Books, and the author for sharing this book with me in exchange for my honest feedback!

Benjamin Stevenson is back again with another Ernest Cunningham murder mystery novel with a fun holiday theme.

"My suspects are all professional tricksters: masters of the art of misdirection: the magician, the assistant, the executive, the hypnotist, the identical twin, the counselor, and the tech.

The murders this time around might be festive, but they are no less complex than usual: a murder committed without laying a hand; a victim decapitated by a piece of paper; and a suspect, covered in blood, with no memory of how it got on them.”

It's four days until Christmas and Ernest Cunningham just received a phone call from his ex. Long time no talk, oh and also, she's calling from jail because she's just been arrested for murdering her boyfriend. She pleads her innocence, but the evidence is quite damning. She woke up covered in his blood, with him dead on their kitchen floor, but she swore up and down it wasn't her.

It's hard to give a full synopsis without giving away several spoilers, but I loved the organization of this book, broken up into 25 chapters like a mini-novel advent calendar. It starts off with one murder, and then another falls right into his lap. Every person close to the victim has a serious motive for wanting him dead, and Ernest has to solve the case before Christmas and before anyone else gets killed!

3.5 stars ✨

I really enjoyed this Secret novella! This series is an acquired taste, for me. At first I didn't enjoy the way it was written but ol' Ernie has grown on me! So to have another caper added to the list was fun. Looking forward to the next full-length novel!

Everyone This Christmas Has A Secret is a part of a detective series, where Ernest, the detective is also the narrator of the book, which was a fun, new concept for me. I I really enjoyed the breaking of the fourth wall and the amount of sass and snark. It’s set up like an advent calendar which made me want to read it in the first place. So each day you get a new clue to help solve the murder mystery of Ernest’s ex-wife the main suspect in murdering her own boyfriend. It seems pretty cut and dry when she wakes up with his blood all over her hands and “sudden” amnesia.
This book, writing style, plot, and large cast of characters was definitely overwhelming for me, but only because it’s the first book I’ve read in the series and had no idea who these people were. Yes, I was a little lost and I don’t recommend reading this as a standalone or if you want a full on Christmas book. I still had a fun time reading it and want to read the other books in the series and solve more mysteries no matter how many times I am wrong! 3.5 stars based on my own experience of not having read the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my last holiday book of the season and while I wanted to love it, it was unfortunately only a so-so read for me.

To be clear, if you’re a massive fan of this series, you’ll likely enjoy getting to spend more time with these characters and the new mystery they’re working to solve. However, if you’re a more casual fan, this book may be a miss.

I could’ve just been burnt out on holiday titles, but I really struggled with this one. I found the mystery to be a bit convoluted in a way that didn’t pay off in the end. It felt a bit too ambitious for a novella, and might have been better suited for a full length format. I also struggled with the main purpose of the story. Usually these types of books help expand on a smaller moment or character within a series to build a bridge to the next installment, but this gave off the vibe of writing a Christmas story just to write a Christmas story.

In the end, even though this wasn’t my favorite, I’m not mad I read it and would definitely encourage fans of the series to check this one out. Thanks to Mariner and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This fun little novella starts off with a bang (literally) when Ernest’s ex-wife Erin is arrested for murdering her boyfriend. The problem is, Erin doesn’t remember anything after waking up covered in her boyfriend's blood, and she needs Ernest’s help to find out what really happened. I really enjoyed this one, as I have with the first two installments in the series! It’s written in the same style, where the protagonist is the “author” and speaks directly to his readers throughout the murder mystery. And of course, with it being a holiday novella, it’s treated as an advent calendar, with one clue being revealed each “day,” which was so fun! I also enjoyed the monologue reveal at the end, and I didn’t guess what actually happened (even though all the clues are there for readers to discover). I can’t wait for more in this series!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the opportunity to read this book! ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

More like the first book for me. What irked me was that Ernest didn't tell Juliette that he was going to help Erin- it's not like she would've objected. Either than that it was a typical Ernest Cunningham read.

Ernie Cunningham finds himself drawn into another murder investigation when his ex-wife Erin is arrested for the murder of her boyfriend in the days leading up to Christmas. A fun, clever, quick read - I enjoyed the first book, less so the second but this one has me back looking forward to the next.

This is a fun Christmas mystery set up a bit like an advent calendar so everything is wrapped up in time for Christmas morning (or if you a bit delayed by holiday happenings New Year's Day for sure). Ernest is once again caught up in murder when his ex asks for his help when she is the prime suspect when her present significant other ends up dead. While he just happens to be in the area to look at a magician as possible entertainment for his wedding reception coming up--don't ask, it could only happen to him--another death happens.

This has everything that you want in a Christmas mystery: There are holiday decorations, some dress up, lots of appearance of series favorites (even if only in cameos), fair play, and the detective finds the real meaning of the holiday spirit. What more could you ask for? It is clever and even on the shortish side so it won't take too long away from the frantic events of your own holidays.

Enjoy. I did.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.