This review was originally posted on https://booksare42.com/
 

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret is the third book featuring Ernest Cunningham, but it can be read as a standalone. There are a few minor references to the other books, but nothing spoilery. I read Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret before I picked up Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone and nothing was spoiled for me.

This quick and festive murder mystery was clever and a lot of fun. One thing that stands out is that it has 24 chapters and the reader is given the option to treat the book like an advent calendar, reading one chapter a day until Christmas. I did not do this, but I thought the option was fun.

This was a mystery where all the suspects knew each other, which is something I love. I enjoyed learning about the dynamic between the characters and trying to figure out who was lying and why. I also liked that everyone worked together and piecing together company secrets.

I liked the main character in this book, I thought he was a good narrator and I loved the dramatic monologue at the end when he laid out all of the facts. I also appreciate that Ernest Cunningham loves and studies classic crime novels and appreciated the references to Christie and the format of these books. One thing to note though, this book does contain a major spoiler for Curtain by Agatha Christie.

I thought this book had a good balance of fun moments and tense moments, though I do wish it was a bit longer.