Everybody This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson

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That is the second e-book by Benjamin Stevenson that I’ve learn and loved this 12 months. Everybody This Christmas Has a Secret is clearly a seasonal launch, meant to seize these readers who love an excellent holiday-themed e-book, myself included. I’ve reviewed tales like this earlier than, and sometimes loved them. However I knew this e-book would delight whatever the Christmas tie-in, as a result of I liked Stevenson’s final e-book Everybody On This Practice is a Suspect too. All his novels are works of crime fiction, with a twist of humour. They positively aren’t cozies as a result of the victims are sometimes respectable individuals, and there’s often a couple of demise so there’s some suspense buit-in. Nonetheless, it appears like good-natured enjoyable, and this yuletide story is not any completely different.

Plot Abstract

The superior studying copy of this e-book clocks in at a mere 171 pages, so the variety of characters and backstory is pretty restricted. We meet our newbie detective (now a reasonably family title in Australia) Ernest Cunningham as he’s visiting his ex-wife in jail. She’s been thrown within the slammer on a suspected homicide cost for her boyfriend, a millionaire who was stabbed to demise the night time earlier than of their shared residence. She awoke with blood throughout her fingers, and known as Ernest for assist when she was taken into custody. Ernest has a status for fixing crimes, and comes to assist her only a few days earlier than Christmas. The deceased was the top of a charitable basis devoted to giving individuals a second likelihood at life after turning into sober, and there’s a big magic present deliberate that very same night meant to lift funds. The present should go on, however as Ernest attends to collect clues and be taught extra in regards to the sufferer (and clear his ex-wife’s title) he stumbles upon one other homicide in progress. It turns into clear that this thriller is far bigger than initially thought, so Ernest decides to stay round for just a few days and examine, all hopefully wrapping up earlier than December twenty fourth so he can return to his fiancée.

My Ideas

All the explanations I liked his final e-book apply to this newest launch as nicely. Ernest because the protagonist and narrator of the story is the perfect half about Stevenson’s writing – his voice is simply so distinctive and enjoyable. Just like the final e-book, Ernest is chatting with the readers from the long run as he recollects the story and writes it down, so we all know he emerges unscathed from this newest journey; though he does drop some critical bombshells, together with the truth that he’s shot within the chest sooner or later. He reminds us that this story is as soon as once more truthful play, so we will remedy the thriller ourselves if we wish to. To tie into the Christmas them, he highlights 24 clues that seem on the finish of every chapter, framing it as an introduction calendar. The tip of the e-book additionally features a enjoyable listing titled “Ernest Cunningham’s 7 Commandments of Vacation Specials” which the story adheres to.

Apart from the thriller taking place round Christmastime, there’s not a lot else that provides it a vacation vibe. And talking as a Canadian it doesn’t assist that it takes place in Australia, which is after all within the thick of their summer time warmth, so nothing felt significantly festive to me, however I actually didn’t care as a result of I loved the story and characters a lot. Ernest is particularly interesting as a result of he presents himself as a thriller fan before everything. It’s necessary to him that he follows sure guidelines when writing his mysteries, however he additionally reads mysteries extensively himself. I simply love how self-aware Ernest is as nicely, so each the reader, creator, and narrator are all in on the identical jokes:

“I’ll remind the cynics on the market that the favorites aren’t proof against a bit yuletide money seize. Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle each caved to the whims of the favored want for vacation murders, although Sherlock Holmes solely picks up his single festive case on December 27.”

-(p. x of Everybody This Christmas has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson, ARC version)

There’s plenty of one-liners all through the e-book to maintain you laughing. As for the crime; the plot itself continues to be easy sufficient to simply comply with, however difficult sufficient that I didn’t hassle making an attempt to unravel it myself, I used to be simply alongside for the journey. I truthfully can’t advocate this creator sufficient, to this point every little thing of his that I’ve learn in 2024 has been an absolute delight.

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