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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
WHAT KIND OF MORON decides to cage a murderer in a cable car over a huge gorge and ALSO brings along a gun & ammo??? UGH so dumb.
Also, this was the first book in this series where I was able to guess the murderer based on just one really-freaking-obvious clue. Oh, the victim wrote “Christmas”?Well obviously the character named Chris did it!! Although my leading theory was that Lyle wrote Chris, he saw it, and then added on the ending as a misdirect. I also knew that Comic Sans was used for dyslexia and thought that “revelation” was also super obvious. I just couldn’t figure out how it applied to the mystery! I am highly dubious that a dyslexic person would actually confuse “Sam” for “mas”, but I suppose some kind of allowances must be made because of the theme…?
While I did guess the killer, I couldn’t fully figure out the motive. That’s where this mystery didn’t do its best job in giving you enough clues. Ernest basically just guesses as to how a lot of things went down.
I still like Ern, Juliette, and Erin as characters, although the women don’t get much to do in this one. Our new cast of characters don’t get much time for development, either, so it was hard to find anyone likeable or trustworthy enough to then feel betrayed. Idk, it was overall fun and a more simplistic version of the first two. Not my favorite, though. Basically, I’m along only for the unique tone of the writing, and not necessarily for the mystery itself or the characters.
Also, this was the first book in this series where I was able to guess the murderer based on just one really-freaking-obvious clue. Oh, the victim wrote “Christmas”?
While I did guess the killer, I couldn’t fully figure out the motive. That’s where this mystery didn’t do its best job in giving you enough clues. Ernest basically just guesses as to how a lot of things went down.
I still like Ern, Juliette, and Erin as characters, although the women don’t get much to do in this one. Our new cast of characters don’t get much time for development, either, so it was hard to find anyone likeable or trustworthy enough to then feel betrayed. Idk, it was overall fun and a more simplistic version of the first two. Not my favorite, though. Basically, I’m along only for the unique tone of the writing, and not necessarily for the mystery itself or the characters.
fast-paced
I really enjoyed this Christmas special. Like the others in this series, I wasn’t able to figure out who did it. I’ll definitely be reading the next in the series that the author hinted at in the end.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Fun murder mystery.
adventurous
challenging
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thoughts:
This is a quick holiday mystery. It'd the third book in the series, however it can be read as a standalone (I haven’t read the first two books). It took a while for me to get through it just because I wasn't in much of a mystery mood but since I had started it, I'd wanted to finish it just for the sake of finishing it. The book is about Ern. a private investigator, trying to find out who killed his ex-wife's boyfriend. As the book progresses, there's another murder that happens and Ern tries to find who the murderers are, and whether the two murders are connected. It was a decent read, I think I'll eventually give his first two books a shot as well.
My rating: 3.5/5
This is a quick holiday mystery. It'd the third book in the series, however it can be read as a standalone (I haven’t read the first two books). It took a while for me to get through it just because I wasn't in much of a mystery mood but since I had started it, I'd wanted to finish it just for the sake of finishing it. The book is about Ern. a private investigator, trying to find out who killed his ex-wife's boyfriend. As the book progresses, there's another murder that happens and Ern tries to find who the murderers are, and whether the two murders are connected. It was a decent read, I think I'll eventually give his first two books a shot as well.
My rating: 3.5/5
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book continues Benjamin Stevenson’s signature meta-mystery style with witty narration and a playful approach to genre tropes. While I still appreciated the clever writing and unique format, I found this book less engaging than the first two. The murder mystery itself felt more confusing and lacked the clarity and charm that made the previous stories shine. I missed the presence of the more memorable, dynamic characters that usually drive the plot forward. Ernest's voice remains entertaining, and I still enjoyed how Stevenson twists traditional mystery conventions to fit the story, but the ending left me more confused than resolved—I actually had to flip back to figure out who the killer even was. Despite these issues, this book is still worth a read for fans of the series (just don’t expect the same tight, satisfying resolution).