4.25 stars - In this shorter holiday mystery, Ernest Cunningham, is investigating the death of a wealthy philanthropist. The prime suspect is Lyle's girlfriend, who happens to be Ernie's ex-wife. Using fair-play clues, Ernie relates the details of his investigation, speaking directly to the reader. There are twenty-four chapters and twenty-four clues that are given in the format of an advent calendar. Lyle was the benefactor of a popular magician, so he and other suspects who work on the magic show are professionals at fooling others. This makes it even more challenging for Ernie to prove his ex’s innocence and catch the real killer.

This is the second book I’ve read by this author, but it would work just as well if you’re new to the series. Most of the characters in this story are new and the author gives you what you need to know about the others. The magic show setting works well with the story and provides plenty of suspects and fun. As Ernie questions suspects and uncovers clues, I had my suspicions, but I was not able to successfully solve the crime. The book has one of the most unique ways for a detective to lay out his case and reveal the true killer that I've ever seen, and it was dramatic and exciting. This is a funny, fast-paced mystery, and I already can't wait for the next one in this clever series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the review copy of this ebook. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

3rd book in this series. Still like the 1st the best, but this had a holiday theme.

Story: 3 Characters: 3 Engagement level: 3
Recco: maybe

"This whole thing's best treated as an advent calendar. Twenty-four chapters hold twenty-four clues and various bits and bobs that help me with the case."

Highlights:
- Witty talks directly to the reader style of telling the story
- Some very funny observant lines
- Holiday theme with the advent calendar of 24 doors as chapters was clever
- Didn't expect the ending

Lowlights:
- Couldn't get invested in many of the characters
- Wanted more about the ex-wife and girlfriend

Notable quotes:
"Confessions are like morning gym sessions: you have a finite window to commit to one and it gets harder to summon the courage once you miss it."

"Six suspects. Seven gifts. Let's open them."

"You were close?" "Not at all. Which is probably why I liked her. People are generally less likeable the more you get to know them. I certainly am."

"It's like wrapping a Toblerone for Christmas. What's the point? How many other triangular-prism shaped objects am I likely to receive?"

3.5 stars. A fun addition to this wacky but enjoyable series.

Ernest Cunningham ends up backstage at the show of world-famous magician Rylan Blaze, whose benefactor has been murdered. Everyone has secrets and everyone could be the murderer. It's up to Ernest to figure it out.

First of all, this series is very fun. I enjoy the way the stories poke fun at the murder mystery genre a bit while also giving us a murder mystery. There are two layers of puzzle to figure out, since you know that some of the characters are probably lying (you're trying to figure out the mystery along with Ernest), but you also know that Ernest "wrote" the story in a way to be entertaining and keep you invested, so even though it's technically a fair play mystery, he does still sometimes misdirect the reader.

In terms of the things that I enjoyed less this time, I think the biggest one is that I felt like this mystery was just less interesting/more predictable than the others. Maybe I'm just learning the formula that Benjamin Stevenson likes to follow? I'm not really sure, but I was a hair less interested than in previous books.

Overall, I do recommend that you read this book if you've read the other ones in the series because it is a fun time and would be a great holiday read. If possible, I highly recommend the audiobook. I've done that with the other books in this series and they are very well done. I think my enjoyment might have been a bit higher if I'd had an audiobook for this story as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for providing an advanced copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

What a fun and great third book in the series. I always think i have it figured out but nope. He got me again. Great writing and plot.

Our favorite author/amateur sleuth Ernest Cunningham is back and better than ever with a new murder to solve this holiday season. Benjamin Stevenson delivers yet another fun and clever mystery. The Ernest Cunningham series is one of my all-time favorites, and Stevenson never ceases to amaze me with his brilliant plots, witty writing, and lovable characters. Each story in this series is somehow even more ingenious than the last. “Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret” is a true gift.

This was such an enjoyable and quick read. At just 192 pages, it was unputdownwble and bingeworthy. On the flip side of that, one of my favorite things about this book was that it was set up like an advent calendar. Chapters 1 through 24 had important clues behind each “door” until the big reveal in chapter 25, so you could read one chapter each day leading up to Christmas. I was loving the book too much, though, and ended up devouring the whole thing in one day. It is the perfect festive mystery to snuggle up with this Christmas, and I can’t recommend it enough! Fingers crossed for Ernest Cunningham #4🤞

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars. Everyone loves a Christmas special! This book (like the others in the series) is SO fun. Ernie's on top of his game here and loves a dramatic reveal. The book opens with Ernie on the way to see his ex-wife Erin, and that's all I'm going to say, except that it's set in the world of theater, hence the extra drama. Just read it!

"There are quite a few differences between an Australian Christmas and the stereotypical Northern Hemisphere fare.

For one, we don’t get snow. And, in my specific experience, there tend to be more murders.
Which brings us here.

After having solved two relatively high-profile murders, my third case begins when a body drops dead at my feet during a Christmas pageant.

I’m writing this all out on Christmas Eve, and honestly, this whole thing’s an advent calendar. 23 clues and a killer, because the best chocolate’s always behind door number 24.

But getting there won’t be easy. Because this Christmas, everyone has a motive. So it’s not a matter of who wanted the victim dead – but who got there first…"

Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

The third in the Ernest Cunningham series and my favorite so far!

This series is a fun, comical murder mystery series. Similar style to the Knives Out/Glass Onion movies. Some second person point of view addressing the reader to add to the comedic side of it.

It was short, fast-paced, engaging, and hilarious.

Thanks to NetGalley, Mariner Books, and Benjamin Stevenson for an ARC and the chance to give my honest feedback!

Everyone This Christmas has a Secret, by Benjamin Stevenson, is the latest whodunit in the series involving the misadventures of Ernest Cunningham. Ernie is an author and a self-described accidental crime solver because, he opines, murder follows him wherever he goes.
Since this short novel is the “Christmas Special,” it is written with a nod to advent calendars, with 24 chapters and 24 clues for Ernie and his readers to use to solve the crime and identify the murderer.
It is a real pleasure to welcome wry, witty, sardonic Ernie back in a new book. His sharp observations of the mundane, the local oddities, and predictably unpredictable situations are fresh and clever and fun to read! The author’s descriptive prose is excellent, especially as it describes Australian landmarks and quirky characters.
This is a light-hearted, highly entertaining murder mystery that is as warm as Christmas in Australia and fun for the reader to savor and solve!

Thank you to Mariner Books and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

4.5 Stars

Ernest Cunningham is back just in time for us readers to hang up our advent calendars. And with that spirit intended, Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret, is the holiday special by author Benjamin Stevenson.
Literally why I love this author and his books so much is the breaking of the fourth wall and the winking and nodding at the reader to come along for the ride. A real mystery to be had with beloved characters returning, but as always, lots of interactions with the reader to help point out possible tidbits of clues. Does that mean I guess the culprit? Absolutely not! Nonetheless, I always enjoy whatever dish Stevenson is serving.
In this outing, Ernest's ex-wife has been arrested for the murder of her fiance'. All clues point in her direction. It is Erns job to figure it all out and we know he will. In the meantime, settle in for some magic to go off script.


Thank you to Mariner Books and Netgalley for an early electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎶Guess who’s back. Back again. Ernest’s back… 🎶 for this Christmas special.

While the first book (Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone) is definitely my favorite, this was a fun read filled with a narrator who broke the 4th wall. You don’t need to have read any of the others to read this one although the other books are alluded to. While it didn’t scream Christmas to me, it did meet the requirements of a cozy mystery holiday special. I liked that the book had the framing of the holidays and then the play on words went from there.

Fans of the Ernest’s other books, clever holiday specials, and cozy mysteries will enjoy this one.

Thank you Mariner Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I really love Ernie's character - he's become a household favorite. I appreciate his witty personality and the engaging narrative style that makes you feel like you're having a conversation or that you are privy to secrets. As a full-grown adult who continues to get yearly Advent calendars, I loved the concept of each chapter being a day in the calendar leading to Christmas. One thing I enjoy most about Benjamin Stevenson's writing is that I feel like I should be able to solve the mystery. I know he will be fair, and that everything will click into place like a perfect puzzle, yet I have not figured one out yet! I thought I had discovered something in this one, but of course, he predicted that I would be on to him, and it turned out to be a red herring. I felt like this particular story had a few more plot holes than his previous work, but it could be attributed to me trying to make sense of the mystery more than anything else. It was interesting to read about Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere as well. I will continue to read Stevenson's books out of pure enjoyment of Ernie, and I will not be fully satiated until I solve one myself!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5)
I liked it quite a bit! It had some standout moments and merits a recommendation, though it’s not quite at the ‘must-read’ level. It is worth checking out, especially if the premise appeals to you

I have always enjoyed Ernest Cunningham and his rules for writing a mystery. This one is a fun little jaunt of a holiday special. Loved the characters. Loved the plot. I found it really interesting. A nice Christmas mystery.

Same ol' schtick, but dressed up quite sarcastically as a Christmas Special, including having to follow the rules of a special. It could have felt old if not for the addition of the the Christmas calendar countdown. 24 chapters, 24 clues, way more than 24 silly themed things happening, all combined with Ernest walking the reader through the story. I will admit to getting caught up in the holiday dressing to the point of not really following along with the murder, but with a book like this, that is fine! I read a pre-publication copy, but this would make a great personal December countdown, reading one chapter a night.

This is the third book in the series and like the first two it starts with a bang. Or rather a murder. It is shortly before Christmas and Ernest and Juliette are planning their wedding, but his ex-wife Erin has been arrested for the murder of her partner, and has asked him for help.

Ernest heads up to Blue Mountain presumably to see a magician’s performance, but in reality it is to meet with his ex and to solve her new partner’s murder. While there and investigating, he discovers secrets, lies, deceptions, conspiracies, and another murder. I can’t say more without giving away too much.

Everyone this Christmas has a Secret is a fast paced, gotcha from the first moment, murder mystery. Hard to put down; and following Ernest’s evolving rules of murder mysteries, and his new commandments for holiday specials.

As someone who has visited Australia and the Blue Mountain region, I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of the area and the way that Benjamin Stevenson used the natural environment to enhance his story.

I give this book 4 1/2 stars. And can’t wait for the next one in the series.

It's my own fault coming in mid series.

The mystery is sharp, but the lead feels more "breaking the fourth wall" than telling us their story. For me, it s=didn't work.

But, I can see why it does work for others.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

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?

This was another great book in the series! Can't wait to read more!

Another easily 5 star read from Benjamin Stevenson. I simply adore the Ernest Cunningham series!

This Christmas special is on the shorter side, so I finished it in one sitting, though that probably would’ve been the case even if it was longer. The Ernest Cunningham mysteries are so fun and incredibly easy to get sucked into. I binged both previous books, and Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret was no exception.

I love the narration of these books. It really sets them apart from other books in the genre. Ernest is cheeky, smart, and very likable, and I really enjoy the fourth wall breaking style of narration. I’m always able to solve the mysteries along with Ernest, as he follows the rules of the genre nearly to a T, which means he rarely hides any information from the reader. You have absolutely every clue you need to solve the mystery at least by the time he does, if not before.

While not overly holiday-esque, this book has all the right elements to create a perfect “holiday special,” as Ernest calls it. Essentially, it just FEELS like a holiday special. This will be an absolutely perfect and quick read for the holiday season, so I definitely recommend checking it out! I’d actually enthusiastically recommend the whole series, I cannot wait to read Ernest’s next adventure!

Thank you Mariner Books and NetGalley for the advance copy of Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret! All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Mariner Books for my advance electronic copy via NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

Ernest Cunningham doesn't seem to be able to escape murder, no matter where he goes. The good thing is, he seems to be very good at solving them. This time, it's almost Christmas and a famous actor-turned-philanthropist is found murdered in his home in the Blue Mountains and his girlfriend is covered in his blood. The clues lead Earnest backstage at the philanthropist's charity's Christmas special magic show where the clues lead him further into danger. Ernest shares with the reader all the clues (well, almost all) that he finds, Advent-Calendar style in 24 increments, inviting us along with him through this world of magic and murder, with the clock ticking down to a death-defying final act.

I love the idea of a shorter "Christmas Special" kind of mystery. The series is built around a "fair play," Golden-Age-of-Mystery structure, where the narrator keeps a door open in the fourth wall to invite the reader along with him on a journey with him. A journey in which he consistently makes bad choices (lying to his fiancée? Seriously? Does he never learn?) Somehow Stevenson sustains and heightens the suspense of the story, while making the reader still feel safe--quite a feat and one of the reasons why this series is an auto-read for me. He also uses a light voice to address heavy themes, making the subjects more approachable, though no less real (including the human, traumatic side of death and murder). Despite the "fair play," I didn't solve this one before he introduced the solution. Well, not all of it anyway...I was proud of myself that I got a few pieces right. This book can be read either as part of the series or as a standalone.

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson. I am a big fan of the first two books in the Ernest Cunningham series.
Ernest Cunningham is back again to solve a murder, a Christmas one this time. There are 24 chapters in the book, each with their own clue.
I really enjoyed the book and can't wait for the next book in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Stevenson returns with another clever book that manages to mix detective-fiction tropes with a new spin via the main character who writes about how to write mysteries. The supporting cast is described and shown with just enough detail without bogging down the narrative. I prefer his books in audio format because of the great narrator of his previous titles in the series, but this “book-book” has been a fun and quick read. As a longtime fan of many genres of mystery fiction, I recommend the latest installment in the series.