Every year, I tell myself that this is my last year with the Advent of Mystery. And every year, new Christmas mysteries pop up on my radar that I feel I have to read. And if I’m already reading them, why not share my thoughts with y’all?

Two years ago, we did Golden Age murder mysteries; last year, we moved to more modern ones. This year, we’re doing something slightly different: small bites and established series. There are a bunch of Christmas novellas that have popped up on my radar this year, mostly in cozy mystery series I already enjoy, as well as a few short story collections. I’ve also included a couple of novels, for those who are looking for something a bit longer to read. As usual, I’ll be ranking these reads based on both the quality of the mystery and the holiday vibes. And we’ll have a ranking at the end – so don’t read too much into the order that I’m posting these!

We’ll start with a novella in one of my favorite modern mystery series, Everyone this Christmas Has a Secret. Ernest Cunningham is back on the case, and as usual it’s a fully fair play mystery. Ernie’s in the midst of planning his wedding when he gets a call from his ex, who’s been jailed for the murder of her fiancé. It’s up to him – with a few cameos from the characters we know and love – to save Christmas.

Another fair-play mystery…

One of the best features of the Ernest Cunningham series is Benjamin Stevenson’s dedication to the fair play mystery. Both of the full-length novels go to painstaking lengths to reveal all the clues to the reader, and even call out when you have enough information for a solve. This Christmas novella does the same thing, with an additional twist: each chapter calls out a specific clue for the reader to consider.

The result is a dense and engaging fair-play mystery that feels legitimately solvable. However, packing all that mystery into such a small package means we lose some of the humor that makes the full-length novels sing. Ernest here is a little more assured, even world-weary. And while he’s maintained his snark, he gets to deploy it a little less as he bounces between characters, picking up clues. A perfectly good mystery, but without some of the touches that made the prior novels so special.

…with a nod to the Christmas spirit

Perhaps the most Christmassy part of Everyone this Christmas Has a Secret is the structure. Benjamin Stevenson has written the novel in 26 chapters, which means you can treat it like an advent calendar. (One chapter for each of the days of December, with two plus an epilogue for Christmas.) Each of those chapters reveals a clue, which you can mull on over the holiday season as you get closer to the solve. I love this idea and wish I had been able to try it out (This series somewhat forces binge-reading).

The novel itself uses Christmas mostly as a setting, not a theme. There are Christmas-related activities – a special show, a Secret Santa – but none of the characters seem to care much about the season. The story focuses more on themes of obligation and found family than anything particularly holiday-y. This is a novella to pick up if you’re looking for something fun and puzzly to read around the holidays, but perhaps not to feel the true Christmas spirit.

For the love of Ernest

If you, like me, love Ernest Cunningham and the series, you will enjoy Everyone this Christmas Has a Secret. It keeps the fair-play mystery premise and expands Ernest’s world. And it’s fun to dip back into the world of characters I’ve come to love. But if you’re looking for something with strong holiday vibes, this might not be the right mystery for you… (Fear not, there are plenty more to come!)

Next up is a full-length mystery / adventure with an epistolary twist. Until tomorrow – stay cozy, and stay curious!