Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!!

I loved that this is an advent calendar Christmas mystery! What a great book! I loved it!

This was a fun Christmas special and I really liked the advent calendar format.

I feel like I should have more to say about the mystery itself but I am really just here for the writing and to follow the main character as he unravels the clues. I'm not the type of reader who tries to solve everything as I go.

This gave me everything I liked about the 2 full length novels but decorated for Christmas and in a smaller package.

Another perfectly plotted, witty, engaging mystery featuring down under sleuth Ernest. It is written as an advent calendar: read one chapter a day starting Dec 1st, and you'll solve the mystery along with Ernest on Christmas Day. Loved this as much as the others in this series.

I love Benjamin Stevenson's Ernest Cunningham mysteries and was so excited to see the "Christmas Special" version! This is more of a novella than a whole book so I read it in only one sitting. So much fun! As always Ernest keeps us laughing and guessing while giving us all the clues we need to solve the mystery. Loved it!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the early access to the e-book! I loved both of Stevenson’s first books and I knew I had to get my hands on this “Christmas Special!”

Ernest—our most reliable sleuthing narrator—is just the main voice and storyteller. Stevenson just has such a great way of writing Ernest’s voice and I love it. While this is a Christmas Special and not a full blown novel, it doesn’t feel any less than. It doesn’t feel rushed or sloppy. It keeps with the same style and voice as the previous books and I didn’t want it to end but still wrapped up in a great way! I definitely recommend this book and the first two and I hope there’s many more to come!

If murder mysteries have rules, so too do Christmas Specials, which the universe has kindly obliged here. You’ll find ahead Santa-fied clues aplenty, and don’t rule out characters having to dress up in silly costumes for some tangentially related plot reason, which I will satisfy in a minor turn as Rudolph. And of course, by the end of these things, the detective has to learn the true meaning of the word Christmas. So we’ll get there too.

A quick festive novella for Ernest Cunningham fans, Everone This Christmas Has a Secret manages to tangentially follow all the seasonal special rules in Stevenson's witty way, while still in keeping with the Golden Age mystery rules. Ernest is called to solve a seemingly impossible mystery just before Christmas and steps into a world of professional tricksters, each with their own secret.

The plot is captivating and true to the Ernest's word, the readers get enough clues along the way to try and piece the puzzle together. The story provides a pretty strong foundation on which to build everything else, though not all characters are sketched out solidly. I enjoyed Stevenson's witty writing and sense of humor in this one; the blatant references to Christmas have to be forgiven I suppose.

And for those wondering if any aspect of formatting plays a role here -
In keeping with an accidental theme— my first case involved a full stop, my second a comma—this may well be the first mystery ever solved by Comic Sans.

Thanks to NetGalley, Mariner publishing group and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

🌟🌟🌟🌟
[3/4 star for the premise and the whole book; One star for the story arc; Half a star for the characters; One star for the writing; Half a star for the world-building and description- 3 3/4 stars in total, rounded up to 4 stars.]

I read a lot of mysteries, and EVERYONE THIS CHRISTMAS HAS A SECRET is one of the best. Ernest Cunningham is the protagonist. Ernest lives in Australia and loves Golden Age mysteries. He goes to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, Australia, to check out a magic act planned as the wedding entertainment for his upcoming wedding. While there, he gets embroiled in solving the murder of his ex-wife’s philanthropist boyfriend, Lyle Pearse. Through the use of an Advent calendar, 23 clues are revealed (each clue corresponding to a day in Advent). The solution comes in Chapter 24 (Christmas Eve).

I like the way Ernest speaks directly to his audience (readers) and lays out the rules of the game to solve the mystery in the Prologue. The inclusion of gentle humor is appreciated, as well as the author’s comments from the writer’s point of view. I am invested in the characters and their contributions to the story. The structure of the plot is unique, with each numbered piece of the Advent calendar containing a clue. What fun! The way the book is set up, it might be good to read it following the days of the Advent calendar (reading one chapter each day of Advent). This is the first book in the Ernest Cunningham series I have read, and I intend to read others. Thank you, Mariner Books and NetGalley, for the chance to read and review an advance reader copy of EVERYONE THIS CHRISTMAS HAS A SECRET.

Ernest Cunningham is back in this new Christmas Novella presenting 24 advent calendar-like chapters, each with their own clue. Days before Christmas, Ernest gets a voicemail from his ex-wife. Erin has been arrested in the murder of her new boyfriend, the very wealthy philanthropist, Lyle Pearse. Erin has no idea how Lyle's blood has gotten on her and her alibi is sketchy at best. It will be up to Ernest to find out who the true killer is.

I loved the last two books of the Ernest Cunningham series and was excited to get approved for this novella. Ernest character continuously breaks the fourth wall and brings the reader into the investigation. Even with the clues given with each chapter, I was still pleasantly surprised by the ending. I am hoping that the Ernest Cunningham series continues as these books are always a treat to read.

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret comes out October 22nd.

Thank you NetGalley and Mariner Books for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This one is so fun! A classic Benjamin Stevenson fast-paced whodunit that gives you all the clues you need to piece together the puzzle, but shorter as a "Christmas Special." Loved his 7 rules for Christmas murder mysteries at the end. A must add for Christmas-themed book lovers and really for anyone who wants a fast, fun thriller.

This novella is a wonderful edition to the Ernest Cunningham series. As always, the book was very cleverly written. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the whole story.
Ernest is such a likeable character, and I love his humor. The storytelling is so unique. I love that each chapter is a clue towards solving the puzzle.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review, I can’t wait to recommend!

Who doesn't love a good Christmas mystery? Benjamin Stevenson brings his special brand of humor to all the mysteries in the Ernest series and this one is no different. I absolutely loved this book, just like all the previous books. My only complaint is it could be longer.

Ern takes his turn as a holiday sleuth in this loving send up of the Christmas special. It's boiling hot once again during an Australian yuletide, and Ern has been called upon by his ex wife to prove that she did not kill her philanthropist boyfriend, even though she woke up inexplicably covered in his blood. Santa hats, presents under the tree, and the true meaning of Christmas all make their scheduled appearances. I am excited to see which mystery setting is next for our hero.

This was a quick read that fits well into the “Everyone I Know…” series. I find myself getting a bit tired of the overly wink-wink nature of mysteries, which is why I think this one isn’t totally for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the actual murder mystery of this one, but the look behind the curtains nature of the narrative got semi-tiring by the end. This is a personal criticism and one that I think most people would consider a feature, not a bug. I do like our detective in this series, and it’s an extremely fast-paced, well-thought out mystery. Just a bit too aware for me.

Everyone This Christmas Has A Secret is the third in the Ernest Cunningham series. And as he admits, even the golden mysteries' favorite authors weren’t “immune to a little Yuletide cash grab”.
If you’ve read the prior two books in the series, you know that Ernest believes in fair play. He wants the reader to come to the “lightbulb moment” at the same time he does. The book is structured like an advent calendar with 24 chapters and a clue in each of the first 23.
It’s as entertaining as the two prior books and had me equally as baffled. I did not guess the who behind the whodunit although I did find a hole in the method. I got a big kick out of the rules for holiday specials.
This is perfect for fans of cozy mysteries that want a dose of humor. But I would not recommend starting with this one. Save this for after you’ve read the prior two.
My thanks to Netgalley and Mariner Books for an advance copy of this book.

Detective Ernest Cunningham has quickly become one of my favorite characters, so I couldn’t wait to read his Christmas special!

‘Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret’ is a holiday-inspired sequel to the books ‘Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone’ (which is currently being developed into a television series) and ‘Everyone on this Train is a Suspect.’ This novella follows Ernest solving another murder, setting out to prove his ex-wife’s innocence while wearing a Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer costume, of course.

This novella is for fans of classic mysteries with a twist. I’ve always loved a good mystery, and this book gets so many bonus points for making me laugh! Breaking the fourth wall and poking fun at some of the secrets behind a run-of-the-mill mystery made this such an enjoyable read.

It was also so much fun to have each chapter representing each day of an advent calendar to keep readers on top of all the clues, and even though it was all laid out for me, I still was surprised by who the killer was! Author Benjamin Stevenson has truly mastered writing a witty mystery — and this one is all about Christmas! How could it get any better?

Thank you so much to Mariner Books and NetGalley for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. As instructed, I will be posting my review via social media on the title's publication date (October 22).

I love this series. The author always surprises me with the ending. I will definitely be reading more from this author. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret is the 3rd book by Benjamin Stevenson following the "cases" of Ern Cunningham. Stevenson has a unique narration and writing style that lends itself perfectly to using a chocolate Advent calendar to structure the book's chapters and advance the plot. Once you start reading, this book is hard to put down as it opens with Ern's ex-wife waking up from sleep covered in blood and discovering her husband's dead body in a bloody pool of blood on the floor. Add in humor and a cast of quirky suspects, and you will be asking when is the next book coming out.

I was so excited to get this e-Galley! I actually ended up reading the book instead of working on a couple of projects with looming deadlines, which should tell you something about how much I like the Ernie Cunningham books. This book was slighter than the others as “Holiday Specials” tend to be, but just as fun and self-referential. This was the closest I’ve come to solving a Cunningham fair-play mystery before Ernie gathered all his suspects and started sharing his “deductions,” with the usual results of mayhem, confessions, and bodily harm to himself. I missed Ernie’s family and Juliette and can’t wait to have them feature in the next full-length book. 4/5 stars; would recommend as a fun, funny, and quick holiday read (for reference the first book in the series got a 4.5/5 stars and the second a 4/5 stars.)

Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for letting me read an eGalley of this book.

After Ernest's second outing as a detective in Everyone On This Train Is a Suspect, I have carved out a special place in my heart (and my bookshelf) for Benjamin Stevenson's Ernest Cunningham mysteries. And the latest of Ernest's adventures in sleuthing does not disappoint. Once again, Stevenson leans into "annotated" storytelling to tremendous effect. The Cunningham mysteries spool out almost like a radio play, where a good part of the fun is the conversation between the narrator and the listener (or in this case, the reader). Ernest proves himself, yet again, a chatty, humble, somewhat nerdy interlocutor, quick to point out and explain (sometimes in hilarious detail) critical plot points (often his own mistakes). The effect is a mix of adventurous romp and hilarious lecture on the finer aspects of the literary mystery genre. Sure, the gimmick of one chapter for each of the days of Christmas would usually feel like pandering. But Stevenson's meta approach to the whole endeavor turns the gimmick into a clever in-joke that only serves to add a layer to the enjoyment. Love, love, LOVE!

I received a free copy of, Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret, by Benjamin Stevenson, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Ernest Cunningham has a murder to solve, with a few clues, will he be able to solve the mystery by Christmas? This was a different kind of mystery then Im used to, but an enjoyable read.