Reviews - Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret

I wanted to love this so much (especially since I loved the other two books) but this one fell a bit flat.
I’m not sure if it’d because it’s crazy that this much misfortune and murder surrounds the main character or that I was Christmas themed.

priyakonanur's review against another edition

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dark 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? No

4.25

peteregelund's review

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fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

mtngirl4's review against another edition

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4.0

Fun as usual!

izzie_27's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

A solid Ernest Cunningham novel which I enjoyed in audiobook. Sadly I may have dozed off and missed parts of it as when the

killer was revealed I actually had no idea who it was

. But that's on me, not on Benjamin.

Narration: 4/5

kreeves01's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

llon1976's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

allyrosemary's review

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funny lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I've read Benjamin's other two books in this series, so it was only right that I finish it off with the third. I ended up reading this in one sitting (run a bath, pour a glass of wine and you've got yourself the perfect recipe to finish a book).

Okay look, I wanted to like this but alas, it was a bit dull for me. It's not a bad book, but it's not a good book either. The mystery itself is intricate, but not in a satisfying way. It felt like the author was more focused on crafting a puzzle that was technically solvable rather than one that was actually engaging to solve. It's like when you bite into a Christmas cookie expecting gingerbread, and it turns out to be some weird off-brand shortbread thats FINE but also vaguely disappointing.

The whole "holiday special" thing? A lie. This was not festive. There were a few Christmas clues thrown in like sprinkles on a sad cupcake.

Also there were A LOT of characters crammed into this tiny book. Don't get me wrong, I know my brain is a bit mush at the moment, but I kept forgetting who was who. I needed a diagram. Or flashcards. The pacing was weird, the ending was silly, and overall I just wanted more. More setup, more character moments, more holiday vibes - just more.

Overall, not a bad book, just underwhelming. Also don't read it for the Christmas aspect. As a die-hard Christmas lover, it did not jingle my bells at all.

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