Ernest Cunningham Mysteries #3

Christmas is certainly a great time for presents, especially books. Last Christmas was no exception. Amongst the presents I received were two books by Australian writer Benjamin Stevenson.

In hindsight, it probably would have been a better idea to read the first book in the Ernest Cunningham Mysteries series, Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone first, but I didn’t then realise that it was the first in a series of three, so far. Being in a festive mood, I immediately read this one, which, as it turns out, is the third in the series. However, apart from a few little references in this story to the previous books, my disordered reading didn’t seem to detract greatly from the experience.

Benjamin Stevenson is one half of the comedy act, The Stevenson Experience, with his twin brother, James, and lives in Sydney. I had initially thought that Benjamin Stevenson was an American writer, so I was surprised when I started reading and found that this story is set in the Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia, the part of the world in which we live. It’s always nice to have that familiarity with a location though it certainly isn’t necessary to enjoy for this novel. It does, however, reference so many parts of the mountains you may wish to look up, like the Three Sisters, which may inspire you to visit here should you live overseas. The book even starts with an Arthur Conan Doyle quote about the nearby suburb where I work part time, which I admit, is less encouraging:

‘It is a very real danger to the young or to those who have no sense of direction, for many who have wandered off and never come back alive’ Australia is for many overseas, known as a dangerous country, more for its animals that may want to kill you than for murders.’

Doyle visited Australia and stayed in the famous Hydro Majestic here in the Blue Mountains in 1921.

Ernest Cunningham, Stevenson’s investigative protagonist, while not a policeman or private investigator, has a knack of being stuck in the middle of murders, having already solved two in the previous books in this series, of course. This book weaves into its plot not only the magic of Christmas, but magic itself. When Ernest is contacted by his ex-wife, Erin, for help, having been arrested for murder, he of course responds. Erin has been caught, covered in blood, and accused of murdering her new partner, Lyle Pearce, head of the Pearce Foundation. However, she has no memory of what happened. Ernest, who was about to attend the magic performance of Rylan Blaze, his benefactor, realises there is a connection between the murder and the magic show. His former-wife’s needs and his plans intersect, and so provide the first development in his investigation to clear her name and catch a murderer.

Each chapter of the book plays out like a reveal from an advent calendar, each revealing more about the suspects. This trope is signalled in my edition by a page representing an advent calendar, which I have included in the sidebar. In addition to Erin, suspects include the magician, the magician’s assistant, the executive, the hypnotist, a twin, the counsellor and a stagehand, all with something to reveal as the narrative works its advent magic and approaches its solution.

It is up to Ernest to help clear Erin and determine the identity of the killer, and he does so in the most unusual ways and locations. If you have seen the movie, The Prestige you will know that the illusion of magic can be difficult to fathom, let alone a murder veiled by illusion. Everyone has a secret and each is a suspect, as the title of the novel promises, so Ernest has again got his work cut out to determine the identity of the killer, the motive and method. Given the festive theme of the book, you can be sure that Kris Kringle presents and Ernest’s ability to see through illusions will help solve the mystery.

This was an enjoyable book, with lots of clues to unwrap along the way. It was well written, suspenseful and had all the components of a good mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am now keen to read the other two books in the series. And if you enjoy this book, Stevenson also has another short series (The Jack Quick Series) and some standalone books available. Also, the first book in this series, Everyone in My family has Killed Someone is currently in development as a limited television series for HBO, but there is no release date as of the time of writing this review.