Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret

A Festive Mystery

De: Benjamin Stevenson

Narrado por: Barton Welch

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?

©2024 Benjamin Stevenson (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers

enjoyable

person who read was easy to hear and understand. enjoyable story, good holiday book, liked it

Festive Fun!

I loved this little novella, while at the same time I wished it was a full length novel!

Still, I’ll take anything I can get in this excellent and unique series. Love the audiobook narrator as well!

Magic and murder are illusions.

I really enjoyed this short, holiday special in the Ernest Cunningham series. It's not so much a Christmas story as it is just taking place around Christmas, like Die Hard. It did have an Advent calendar of clues, which I did not figure out.

I also liked the mystery and how less involved it was than the previous two books.

So Fun!

Even after the novelty of Benjamin Stevenson's approach has worn off, these books are still fun. The themes are clever, the mystery is crazily complicated, the characters are engaging, and Barton Welch's performance is outstanding. I will gobble up every book Stevenson adds to this series.

Great seasonal novella

Even though it’s set in scorching Australia it still fits the festive mood with the novelty of advent calendars and the like. Quick, interesting storyline. Great for the season!

Great fun

Love this series and his other books, and I appreciate the adaptation of the text for the listener (vs. reader)!

Disappointed

Where do I start?
Too short.
Weak character development.
Not remotely funny.
Nor was there a believable explanation as to how Erin got blood all over her.

I can not believe I waited for this book for months, and woke up [with the excitement of a child on Christmas morning] on October 22nd. Feel cheated, let down, and robbed at the same. Not just because the two previous books were great but because all the literal bells and whitles on the audio book were simple time-fillers. Narrator still has two vocal ranges: constipated and unconvincing, which would have been okay if the book was anywhere near as funny as Everyone in my family has killed someone or clever as Everyone on this train is a suspect.

Hope the next one disappoints less. This was neither the money I spent on it, nor a great birthday present to myself.

Loved it!

It was a fun and easy listen. Loved the creativity with the Christmas theme. It made me think of an old fashioned radio production.

Shorter, but still fun!

Narrated did a very good job, distinguishing characters and telling the story. This is a shorter story than the other two books but it’s still a load of fun. Can’t wait for the next one ( praying there’s a next one)!

Worth the read if you like the series

While it wasn't as good as the other two books, it's a short little story that's a fun side story in the series. Emphasis on SIDE STORY! He explains the rules of a "Christmas Special" in the book and so if you apply that to this story, it helps you appreciate it for what it is. The explanation of how someone becomes covered in blood is very weak and it's the only explanation I really didn't LIKE. Overall, a fun read if you've enjoyed the other two books.