Book Review: Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson

 

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.