Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret: A Festive Mystery

by Benjamin Stevenson

Overview

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?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063412866
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	10/22/2024
Series:	The Ernest Cunningham Mysteries , #3
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Benjamin Stevenson is an award-winning stand-up comedian and USA Today bestselling author. He is the author of the globally popular Ernest Cunningham Mysteries, including Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, which is currently being adapted into a major HBO TV series, and Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect. His most recent mystery is Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret. His books have sold over 750,000 copies in twenty-nine territories and have been nominated for eight “Book of the Year” awards.

Editorial Reviews

★ 08/19/2024

Though slimmer than its predecessors, Stevenson’s third meta-whodunit featuring Australian golden age mystery expert Ernest Cunningham (after Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect) is every bit as ingenious. Shortly before Ernest’s upcoming wedding, his ex-wife, Erin, is locked up for the murder of her philanthropist partner, Lyle Pearse, after he’s found stabbed to death in their home in the Blue Mountains. Given Ernest’s previous successes solving the murder of a famous writer and the crimes of a serial killer, Erin calls and begs him to help clear her name. After speaking to Erin and poking around Lyle’s offices, Ernest identifies six main suspects, including magician Rylan Blaze; Lyle’s old assistant, Flick; and a pair of teenage twins who attended the rehab program he directed. The clues are doled out in the form of an Advent calendar, with one fair-play puzzle piece revealed at the end of each chapter. As usual, Stevenson hits the sweet spot between self-awareness and sincerity, never allowing the regular fourth-wall breaks to curdle into snark, and the resolution is hugely gratifying. Stevenson’s hot streak shows no signs of cooling. Agent: Pippa Masson, Curtis Brown U.K. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"Ingenious...As usual, Stevenson hits the sweet spot between self-awareness and sincerity, never allowing the regular fourth-wall breaks to curdle into snark, and the resolution is hugely gratifying. Stevenson’s hot streak shows no signs of cooling." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Clever Christmas fun...a perfect stocking stuffer." — Anniston Star

"The Cunningham meta-mysteries are absolutely delightful." — Booklist

“Sparkling with wit and witticisms about the world of writers and writing, Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect offers a tip of the hat to the great Agatha Christie novel while at the same time being a modern reinvention of it. Leave it to Stevenson to make high-jinx and murder deviously good fun.” — Nita Prose, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid and The Mystery Guest

“Fun and diverting, with a plethora of red herrings.” — New York Times Book Review on Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect 

“Another clever spoof of the mystery genre.” — Washington Post on Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect 

“Witty…Readers should find the ride on the Ghan well worth the price of the ticket.” — Wall Street Journal on Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect 

“An outstanding and exceptional mystery from start to finish . . . everything fans would hope for. It’s a spectacular sequel, every twist and turn as fun and fiendish as the first novel.”  — Jane Harper on Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect 

From the Publisher

Narrator Barton Welch returns with his perfect pacing and engaging Australian accent to deliver the third installment of the Ernest Cunningham mysteries. Fans will recognize the clever clue reveals, sarcastic humor, and moments when the narrator breaks the fourth wall to speak directly to the listener. Author Stevenson crafts a plot that nods to the Golden Age of mysteries while embracing the festive spirit. Chapters are organized into an Advent calendar format. Welch's quick tempo and skill in differentiating characters, male and female, will keep listeners hooked, eagerly following clues alongside Cunningham. In a style reminiscent of Agatha Christie, Cunningham invites everyone to gather for the big reveal--but Stevenson, with Welch's masterful performance, elevates the suspense to a whole new level. E.Q. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

NOVEMBER 2024 - AudioFile