LOVED. This was the slump-buster I *desperately* needed. I even thought I was soooo clever and had figured something out halfway through, but NOPE - he still had me! Love how smart, self-aware and clever these mysteries now and I’m a Benjamin Stevenson fan for life. My thanks to the publisher and netgalley for a chance to read an early copy!

I'm a big fan of Benjamin Stevenson's work but this one had me scratching my head a bit. I had to re-read a certain scene a few times to really get the gist of the action. I enjoyed the plot - 3.5 thumbs up!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.
4 Stars!
Clever story line, mixed with a quick-witted whodunnit, cozy mystery feel.and funny holiday story.

This was an action-packed, fun mystery. Classic (and yet somehow...new!?) take on a 'whodunnit'. Kept me guessing, and boy oh boy was it fast-paced! Ernest is quite the MC; Love his stories!!!

omg this series does it again. i just absolutely adore this world and the writing style used to explore it.

ernest is one of my favorite protagonists like ever. he’s just so authentic and funny and smart and he seems like a good friend and a good family member. (obviously or we wouldn’t be on book 3 of the series LOL!)

this story was very cute and cozy (well as cute and cozy as a murder mystery can get lol), while still holding that classic “everyone” series charm. i liked the christmas setting a lot. It was fun and it was a fun addition to the formatting of this book. the concept of this book being like an advent calendar added to the story in more than one way in my opinion.

overall i think this book was so fun and could realistically be read as a standalone (AKA you don’t HAVE to read the other books in this series to understand what’s happening). The author describes it best: being a christmas special this can have cameos and is cannon but nothing GROUND BREAKING or crazy for the overall series happens. so do with that information what you will lol.

anywho i would absolutely recommend this book and i am so happy i got the chance to read and review this book for netgalley and Mariner Books! thank you so much for the opportunity! will absolutely be buying a trophy for my shelf :)

A worthy addition to the series! I enjoyed the condensed length as it made the action more compact. Great ensemble cast and clever Ernest figuring things out.

This was my first Benjamin Stevenson mystery, and I enjoyed it! It was a well-done holiday mystery, with lots of winks and nods—and plenty of clues to readers who want to play along. Although technically a Christmas mystery, or “holiday special” as the author refers to it throughout, there certainly wasn’t much joy or merriment. Just well done clues and a satisfying conclusion, all done under a holiday theme.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have enjoyed Benjamin Stevenson's previous two books in this series and really like his unique voice. Ernest is an endearing character, so funny, and somehow always manages to handle these chaotic situations so well.

The holiday twist on this one was really fun, and a perfect novella to read at this time of year.

I do think reading the first two enhances this one, although there are no overt spoilers in this one for the first two. I think having an introduction and understanding of the characters makes this one easier to jump right in to.

I am excited to see what happens to Ernest next!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

I didn’t enjoy this story. The characters were unlikable and I found it confusing and difficult to understand.

First off I'd like to thank the publisher Mariner Books, the author and NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchanged for my unbiased review.

I LOVE Benjamin Stevenson's books. I feel like they are such a fun romp through classic "whodunnit" land and I love the style of his writing, where the third wall is broken.

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret is a fun holiday advent style book. You could start this book on Dec 1, read a chapter a day, and have the mystery solved on Christmas. How fun is that?! I knocked it out in two sittings though, because it was just a really compelling mystery. Not only are we solving one murder, but two!! All while keeping the holiday spirits alive!

Highly recommend if you're looking for a short holiday read, or enjoyed any of his other books!

Another great book from Benjamin Stevenson. I’ll admit that I enjoy these stories more on audio than physical or e-reading. Regardless, this book had all the ingredients for a cozy murder mystery book.

This Christmas is bringing an interesting twist, Ernest's ex-wife Juliette is in jail. She claims she woke up next to her murdered lover. The police say she murdered him. Now she's sitting in jail and Ernest has lied to his fiancé about why he's left town.
The dead man was a former Hollywood star who left it all to help drug addicted youth get clean. More than one character says that he saved their lives. And yet, the man is dead. But he's not the only one who is going to die in this novella. The reasons for each death are intertwined but hidden behind the doors of a an advent calendar.
This story was... okay. But it's not as tightly put together as either of the other stories in this series and the rules for a holiday story aren't put together as well. Worth reading if you are reading the whole series but I'm not sure it is good on its own.

Three stars
Ernest Cunningham #3
This book comes out October 22, 2024
Follows Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect

From the publisher:

Benjamin Stevenson returns with a Christmas addition to his bestselling, “deviously good fun” (Nita Prose), Ernest Cunningham mysteries. Unwrap all the Christmas staples: presents, family, an impossible murder or two, and a deadly advent calendar of clues. If Knives Out and The Thursday Murder Club kissed under the mistletoe.

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?
Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret was released October 22, 2024 from Mariner Books.

My thoughts: Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson is the third book in the Ernest Cunningham mysteries. Slightly shorter than the first two, it makes a wonderful addition to the series.

This time around it's Ernest's ex-wife calling from jail that sets everything in motion. At this point there has been one murder. Before the end of the book there will be two for the price of one.

Ern continues to divulge information in such a way that he maintains that the reader has all the information necessary to solve the crime. It's fun when he breaks the fourth wall to remind us of this and sometimes also of clues. I also liked how the author uses the Advent Calendar and Secret Santa motifs to further the plot.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. The mysteries are good and well-written. Using the Advent Calendar to organize the book is interesting and different. I agree with Ernest that this would make a good holiday read. If you've enjoyed the other books in the series, or just enjoy holiday themed mysteries, this could be a good book for you.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinion.

I don't normally read Christmas-themed books, but this is one I can get behind! Even as a novella this book packs in the mystery and the twists and turns as Ernest tries to help prove his ex-wife isn't a murderer.
As with the last two books, I love following Ernest as he tries to follow the rules of a Christmas novella and solve the murder. This book was so much fun from beginning to end, and I can't wait to see where this series is going to go next!

I love a Christmas themed book and was excited to read this one which is the latest in the Ernest Cunningham series.

I just finished the second in this series and was pleasantly surprised to enjoy this novella more! I have found the previous 2 books sometimes confusing with all the characters but found this one very easy to follow while still feeling original and clever.
I love the author’s writing style where the narrator speaks directly to the reader.

This was a super fun book and one you will enjoy if you liked the previous books.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

I love being back in the mind of Ernest Cunningham, especially at Christmas time. I thought this was such a fun little novella addition to the series. I enjoy the true mystery aspect of the books, and this one was no different. I found it to be maybe a bit more predictable, but I did enjoy the twists and the turns. I still felt the tension of trying to find out who the murderer was, and some of the explanations gave me a true "AHA" moment. It was incredibly entertaining and is a fun Christmas book that isn't all cheesy romance (even though I love those too). I cannot wait to read more books in this series in the future. Highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

With each book in this series, Stevenson settles further into his character, making Ernest ever more entertaining even if the mysteries and deaths around him continue to be a little convoluted and rambling (which is saying something in the abbreviated length of a novella). Normally, convolution and rambles in a mystery would be an issue. But here they really are not because I absolutely love Ernest and all of his rules! The rules as an underlying organizational concept allow the reader to feel slightly superior, right along with Ernest, even when bumbling through things - again, right along with Ernest. It makes for a very fun and very engaging reading experience.

Pair that with the way Ernest regularly talks to his readers, and you have an extremely entertaining setup. I love concept of breaking the fourth wall. It has the power to draw the reader in and offer a snarky and entertaining aspect in a way that more traditional at-a-distance narratives do not. When it's done badly it's a hot mess, but Stevenson does it quite well and his facility with the construct improves with each book.

The use of a magician and Stage Show as a setting was a marvelous one for this particular story, and I found the behind-the-scenes peek as interesting, if not at times more, then the actual explanation of the murders themselves. This was a great filler until the next full series book comes out, and given the character developments and improvements in plotting and pacing over the series of three books so far, I'm really looking forward to seeing what comes next!

Great book! It was an enjoyable follow up in the series and I love Benjamin Stevenson's style of writing. It is humorous and keeps things interesting and moving along.

This was an entertaining read. It was not as strong as the second one, in my opinion, but still enjoyable.

**3.5-stars rounded up**

🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret is the 3rd-installment to the delightfully-meta Ernest Cunningham Mysteries series. It's also the perfect novella to kick off your holiday spirit!!

I binged the first 2-books in this series recently and was really excited for this holiday-focused mystery story. I definitely feel like Stevenson nailed the holiday vibes and I really enjoyed my time with it. I rated it a little lower than the previous two stories merely because my enjoyment level wasn't quite as high with this one as those other novels. I think it's simply a case of there not being enough time to really feel fully immersed, or pulled, into this one.

It was still a fun mystery and I enjoyed the set-up involving Ernie's ex. I also found the inclusion of the magician, and everyone one involved in his show, exciting and different.

As always, I loved the little nods to classic mystery stories; particularly those of Agatha Christie. My favorite part of this though was Ernie's rules for Christmas Specials. That was so funny, and also, very true. It sounds like there is another full-length novel in the works right now and I can't wait for more information on it. No matter what it is about, I will be first in line.

I love this series so, so much, and definitely recommend the audiobooks for anyone looking to get into the series. The narration is perfect for this unique storytelling style.

Thank you to the publisher, Mariner Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Overall, this is a cute, fun, quick Christmas Special following Ernie Cunningham doing what he does best: solving murders!