I really enjoyed this story, even though I struggled to keep up with all the characters at times. The pacing and complexity made it a little challenging, but that didn’t take away from the overall experience. It was still engaging and kept me curious.

What I loved most were the clues and puzzles scattered throughout. They gave the story a sense of mystery and discovery, even if I didn’t always know what was going on. That sense of being drawn into the unknown made it fun and rewarding.

A mystery set during Christmas was the perfect choice. It had just the right atmosphere for the season, and it was a great mix of suspense and holiday charm. I’d recommend it for anyone looking for something intriguing and festive.

This was a quick, easy read. It was a novella, which I sometimes struggle with. I’m often left wanting more. This wasn’t bad, followed the same style as the author’s other two books, just in condensed form.

The Christmas tie? Other than being set a few days before Christmas and a small Secret Santa tie in, there wasn’t much Christmas.

This was ok. A quick mindless read. Definitely not a must read though.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

These books are fun. Anytime I get asked for a mystery recommend at work, EIMFHKS is my go to. Absolutely loved it. The sequels aren't as good as the first but that is to be expected. ETCHAS was a fun wamr holiday read, just as it was supposed to be. Did I guess who it was this time? Yes, which is why I took a star off.

This was such a good Christmas novella!
Stevenson has such a unique voice, and he does not disappoint with this short mystery.
If you enjoyed Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone and Everyone on This Train is a Suspect, you will love this festive holiday who-done-it.
Thank you netgalley for the ARC!

I was so excited to be back in Ernest Cunningham's world. These books always make me excited, as they have an intricate yet believable plot and a snarky protagonist (Ernest) who continually breaks the fourth wall to speak to the reader.

While this is the third book in the series, it can be read as a stand-alone. There are a few nods to past cases and relationships (e.g., Ernest's ex-wife), so you will not be confused if you decide to jump into this novella first.

The murders were very intriguing, the cast of characters interesting, and the cozy holiday setting intoxicating. I also loved the addition of the advent calendar theme, where clues were spaced out over time, and the reader was left trying to piece everything together alongside our armchair detective. This was much better than the second book, mainly because the pacing was very fast. I also thoroughly enjoyed the nods to classic Christmas detective novellas and the overall holiday vibes of this novella.

Finally, the mysteries behind the killings were very witty and well thought out. I didn't need to suspend disbelief for any of the plots, which is how I prefer my cozy mysteries.

There was very little that I liked about this book. It was really hard to read due to the whole commentary on how he would write this if it was one of his mystery novels. I figured out who the killer was and quit reading about three quarters of the way through. If you like awkwardly written mysteries set at Christmas time, you might like this.

An enticing murder to draw the reader right in to a Christmas book! Ernest Cunningham is back in his 3rd foray into detection. Armed with his rules for mysteries, this clever episode leaves him adding rules for holiday specials as well. Clever, complicated and witty.

Ernest Cunningham is back in a fun Christmas mystery. A murder of the benefactor of a world famous magician, a list of suspects who know how to trick you. Will Ernest see through the misdirection?

I really like this series and I hope there are more to come!

This book is shorter than the other two, but it doesn’t feel like a short story, which is nice since so many short stories feel like pertinent information is left out.

There are a few aspects that I really liked about this book: magician elements and the advent calendar pieces. They made the plot very interesting and different than any other book I have read. Also, the witty writing is always a plus.

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

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.