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Ernest Cunningham #4
Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief
Nothing is quite what it seems in this spin on the classic bank heist, with more suspects, more puzzles, and more danger than Ernest's ever faced before.
I’ve spent the last few years solving murders. But a bank heist is a new one, even for me. I’ve never been a hostage before.
The doors are chained shut. No one in or out. Which means that when someone in the bank is murdered, everyone is a suspect.
The Bank Robber
The Manager
The Security Guard
The Kid
The Film Producer
The Priest
The Receptionist
The Patient
The Caregiver
Me
Turns out, more than one person planned to rob the bank today. You can steal more from a bank than just money.
Who is stealing what? Are they willing to kill for it? And can I solve the crime before the police kick down the door and rescue us?
I’ve spent the last few years solving murders. But a bank heist is a new one, even for me. I’ve never been a hostage before.
The doors are chained shut. No one in or out. Which means that when someone in the bank is murdered, everyone is a suspect.
The Bank Robber
The Manager
The Security Guard
The Kid
The Film Producer
The Priest
The Receptionist
The Patient
The Caregiver
Me
Turns out, more than one person planned to rob the bank today. You can steal more from a bank than just money.
Who is stealing what? Are they willing to kill for it? And can I solve the crime before the police kick down the door and rescue us?
361 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 17, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,292 reviews
November 2, 2025
If you haven't read any of the Ernest Cunningham series, you're missing out—missing the best chance to get lost in a brilliant, smart, entertaining mystery that will blow your mind and guarantee heartfelt laughs after every devilishly sarcastic line! I keep reading this series, and each time I want to bow down to Benjamin Stevenson's creative, intelligent mind. He always rocks my world with his perfect twists and parlor scenes filled with jaw-dropping revelations. He's given us Ernest Cunningham, an engagingly peculiar armchair detective—son of a con artist with a brilliant mind and an obsession with piecing together mysteries. I loved this character, and we need more books about him! Interestingly, with each installment, Stevenson outdoes himself, bringing increasingly complex, smart, and highly shocking mysteries!
This time we have not a locked room but a locked bank mystery, with the entertaining tone of Backman's Anxious People, vibes from Money Heist's Berlin arc and A Study in Scarlet, plus classic Agatha Christie (10 people in a bank, all stealing something, while a murderer lurks around).
The plot is irresistible: Imagine Ernest trying to find funding to open his own private detective agency, planning a probably-costs-an-arm-and-a-leg wedding with Juliette, only to find himself and his fiancée in the middle of the strangest heist. The robber lets his hostages walk around freely inside the bank, demanding only one dollar from a vault that cannot be opened because bank manager Winston's brother Edward changed the codes and mysteriously disappeared.
Among the hostages: a mysterious and seemingly incapable bank robber who might be hiding a secret agenda; Winston, a manager keeping secrets of his own; Felix, a security guard who carry a gun way too much heavy for him and was just recently hired; Eric, a 15-year-old kid who might be a secret online gaming champion; Remy, a notorious film producer who will go to great lengths to fund his movie investments; Gabriel, a priest sworn to silence; Michelle, a receptionist who seems clueless about her job; and Laverne, a caregiver, along with her elderly charge and the woman's teenage granddaughter Cordelia. Interestingly, they've all come to steal something—from a golden pen to a huge amount of money, even a heart. You see, you can steal more from a bank than just money, but you cannot murder anyone and get away when you're stuck in a place with a brilliant detective who will do anything to solve a crime—even when he's fighting for his life under the worst conditions.
Overall: I had so much fun. My grey cells hurt like hell. I built some theories, and a few pieces fit the puzzle, but Stevenson beat me with his ultra-intelligent grey cells, throwing amazing twists my way and always staying miles ahead so I couldn't catch up. I cannot recommend this book enough—it deserves another shouting-from-the-rooftops recommendation! I cannot wait for book five. I'm addicted, and I'm proud to declare it!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for providing me with this wonderful mystery's digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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This time we have not a locked room but a locked bank mystery, with the entertaining tone of Backman's Anxious People, vibes from Money Heist's Berlin arc and A Study in Scarlet, plus classic Agatha Christie (10 people in a bank, all stealing something, while a murderer lurks around).
The plot is irresistible: Imagine Ernest trying to find funding to open his own private detective agency, planning a probably-costs-an-arm-and-a-leg wedding with Juliette, only to find himself and his fiancée in the middle of the strangest heist. The robber lets his hostages walk around freely inside the bank, demanding only one dollar from a vault that cannot be opened because bank manager Winston's brother Edward changed the codes and mysteriously disappeared.
Among the hostages: a mysterious and seemingly incapable bank robber who might be hiding a secret agenda; Winston, a manager keeping secrets of his own; Felix, a security guard who carry a gun way too much heavy for him and was just recently hired; Eric, a 15-year-old kid who might be a secret online gaming champion; Remy, a notorious film producer who will go to great lengths to fund his movie investments; Gabriel, a priest sworn to silence; Michelle, a receptionist who seems clueless about her job; and Laverne, a caregiver, along with her elderly charge and the woman's teenage granddaughter Cordelia. Interestingly, they've all come to steal something—from a golden pen to a huge amount of money, even a heart. You see, you can steal more from a bank than just money, but you cannot murder anyone and get away when you're stuck in a place with a brilliant detective who will do anything to solve a crime—even when he's fighting for his life under the worst conditions.
Overall: I had so much fun. My grey cells hurt like hell. I built some theories, and a few pieces fit the puzzle, but Stevenson beat me with his ultra-intelligent grey cells, throwing amazing twists my way and always staying miles ahead so I couldn't catch up. I cannot recommend this book enough—it deserves another shouting-from-the-rooftops recommendation! I cannot wait for book five. I'm addicted, and I'm proud to declare it!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for providing me with this wonderful mystery's digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
medium blog
January 22, 2026
aw man i did not enjoy my time reading this
₊˚⊹♡ reading log
♡01/02 1:37pm
i'm going to try and finish this today, but i think the genre isn't hitting right for me. it's supposed to seem a little ridiculous and adaptive of the 'golden age of murder mysteries' but his own narration is starting to annoy me and only be confusing, especially when he harps on about how he's stripping everything back for the reader specifically to put all the details and clues in their view. i can't tell if i'm just stupid and my brain has been rotted by short form content, or i've missed the point of the genre. the actual plot is super interesting, but i'm not a fan of his "witty" and "clever" narration
♡26/01 10:00am
i love how australian this is
─── ୨୧ ✦ pre-read ✦ ୨୧ ───
┆ ⤿ 📖 ₊˚ title: everyone in this bank is a thief
┆ ⤿ ✍🏼 ₊˚ author: benjamin stevenson
┆ ⤿ 🌊 ₊˚ started: 23/01/2026
┆ ⤿ 🫧 ₊˚ anticipated finish: 25/01/2026
✧･ﾟ: ･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ･ﾟ: ✧
♡ why i picked this up: after reading shadow and bone everything on my list was fantasy related and I just didn't want to relearn a whole fantasy world again, i want something that grips me from the start like a locked-room thriller<3
♡ expectations: very high, everyone raves about this series, it's always on the bestsellers shelf in the bookstore, very mainstream - out of the 'book' community (my mum knows about this author)
♡ current mood going in: optimistic, excited, the blurb with all the characters feels very Cluedo with Australian humour
♡ vibes: sherlock, whodunnit glass onion/knives out, 'lighthearted' (for a thriller)
─── ୨୧ ✦ beginning ✦ ୨୧ ───
₊˚⊹♡ reading log
♡01/02 1:37pm
i'm going to try and finish this today, but i think the genre isn't hitting right for me. it's supposed to seem a little ridiculous and adaptive of the 'golden age of murder mysteries' but his own narration is starting to annoy me and only be confusing, especially when he harps on about how he's stripping everything back for the reader specifically to put all the details and clues in their view. i can't tell if i'm just stupid and my brain has been rotted by short form content, or i've missed the point of the genre. the actual plot is super interesting, but i'm not a fan of his "witty" and "clever" narration
♡26/01 10:00am
i love how australian this is
─── ୨୧ ✦ pre-read ✦ ୨୧ ───
┆ ⤿ 📖 ₊˚ title: everyone in this bank is a thief
┆ ⤿ ✍🏼 ₊˚ author: benjamin stevenson
┆ ⤿ 🌊 ₊˚ started: 23/01/2026
┆ ⤿ 🫧 ₊˚ anticipated finish: 25/01/2026
✧･ﾟ: ･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ･ﾟ: ✧
♡ why i picked this up: after reading shadow and bone everything on my list was fantasy related and I just didn't want to relearn a whole fantasy world again, i want something that grips me from the start like a locked-room thriller<3
♡ expectations: very high, everyone raves about this series, it's always on the bestsellers shelf in the bookstore, very mainstream - out of the 'book' community (my mum knows about this author)
♡ current mood going in: optimistic, excited, the blurb with all the characters feels very Cluedo with Australian humour
♡ vibes: sherlock, whodunnit glass onion/knives out, 'lighthearted' (for a thriller)
─── ୨୧ ✦ beginning ✦ ୨୧ ───
April 18, 2026
I have tried; oh, how I have tried. Me, eyeballing NetGalley books and recalling my lasting fondness for Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, and my lighter affection for Everyone On This Train Has… done something or another. But Everyone In This Bank Is a Thief just didn’t offer me the clever plotting or the humor of the first.
I read a few chapters, got distracted, and set it down. The only pull I felt to pick it up again was the obligation of the review—and my obviously controlled need to know Ernest's fate. So I’d return to it, only to find myself lost again in a dizzying chain of events and suppositions.
I think the problem is actually baked into the premise. Stevenson explains it himself:
"Every writer has the 'too hard' drawer in their desk (or their heart)... For an Ernest book, I take that 'too hard' drawer, tip it out, and say yes to everything. Not all of it works (that's what editing is for), but I never finish a book regretting what it might have been if I'd been a little less afraid... So what have I said yes to for this fourth mystery: Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief? A bank heist? Yes. What about two heists? Yes. Screw it: What about ten heists? Yes. An impossible murder? Yes. During the robbery? Yes. What about spontaneous combustion? Yes. Ernest in peril? Yes."
And that’s exactly how the book reads—like everything has been tipped out onto the table at once. I admire the impulse and the desire to overcome fear. But at a certain point, “yes” needs structure and weight, otherwise it tips from inventive into chaotic—less clever puzzle, more absurd 80s movie (you know the one).
The first time through, I read for plot and found myself turned in circles. The second time, I tried approaching it as a problem-solving exercise, hoping the mechanics would clarify the experience. They didn’t. I was just as lost, only now more aware of how elaborate the sleight of hand was.
In the end, there was nowhere for me to stand with this one. The complexity didn’t deepen the mystery—it dissolved it. I think next time I need to scratch the meta itch, I'll return to his murderous family, where Ernest does his best work.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the advance review copy. All opinions are clearly my own.
I read a few chapters, got distracted, and set it down. The only pull I felt to pick it up again was the obligation of the review—and my obviously controlled need to know Ernest's fate. So I’d return to it, only to find myself lost again in a dizzying chain of events and suppositions.
I think the problem is actually baked into the premise. Stevenson explains it himself:
"Every writer has the 'too hard' drawer in their desk (or their heart)... For an Ernest book, I take that 'too hard' drawer, tip it out, and say yes to everything. Not all of it works (that's what editing is for), but I never finish a book regretting what it might have been if I'd been a little less afraid... So what have I said yes to for this fourth mystery: Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief? A bank heist? Yes. What about two heists? Yes. Screw it: What about ten heists? Yes. An impossible murder? Yes. During the robbery? Yes. What about spontaneous combustion? Yes. Ernest in peril? Yes."
And that’s exactly how the book reads—like everything has been tipped out onto the table at once. I admire the impulse and the desire to overcome fear. But at a certain point, “yes” needs structure and weight, otherwise it tips from inventive into chaotic—less clever puzzle, more absurd 80s movie (you know the one).
The first time through, I read for plot and found myself turned in circles. The second time, I tried approaching it as a problem-solving exercise, hoping the mechanics would clarify the experience. They didn’t. I was just as lost, only now more aware of how elaborate the sleight of hand was.
In the end, there was nowhere for me to stand with this one. The complexity didn’t deepen the mystery—it dissolved it. I think next time I need to scratch the meta itch, I'll return to his murderous family, where Ernest does his best work.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the advance review copy. All opinions are clearly my own.
April 6, 2026
A man and his fiancee walk into a bank …
Is this the start to a corny joke? No. This is Ernest Cunningham finding himself smack in the middle of his biggest, most complicated mystery yet, which is saying something if you’ve followed the series!
Skip this plot summary if you don’t want spoilers:
Ernest and Juliette are at Huxley Bank to try to secure a loan to start a private detective business. While there, they - and eight others present in the bank - the owner, security guard, receptionist, a sick teen girl and her grandmother, a well-known teen gamer, a film producer, and a priest who’s taken a vow of silence are taken hostage by a fully masked and camouflaged thief who doesn’t seem very well-versed in robbery.
What begins with just ONE very unusual demand becomes a story of TEN heists and TEN suspects! Channeling his best Hercule Poirot, only with his own brand of blunt Aussie humor, Ernest goes to some extreme (and illegal, but who am I to judge?) efforts to narrow down the suspect pool.
The catch? You’ll have to read to find out where Ernest is when he finally puts the puzzle pieces of this case together, but let’s just say that he’ll certainly breathe easier when it’s solved!
My thoughts:
This was an immersion read following on my Kindle while listening to the amazing Barton Welch, who always shines as our intrepid sleuth, and I thought the mystery was so clever, even if very convoluted! There are a lot of characters and motives and a LOT of different crimes going on, so good luck armchair detecting this thing! I had one guess that was partially correct, but I wasn’t even close on the ultimate reveal.
I’m not sure how Stevenson keeps all those moving parts straight, but he does a phenomenal job staying true to the Golden Age of Detectives rules of fair play, which Ernest reminds the reader of throughout by breaking the fourth wall. I love that! One of my favorite things about these books, though, are the scientific or historical explanations of story elements that I might not have known otherwise. I actually learned some really interesting things, which I won’t name due to spoilers, but trust me … they’re cool!
Though I’ve rated all the books in the series 4 stars either rounding up or down, I liked this one better than the last two. I’m not a huge locked mystery fan, but Ernest is the reason I keep coming back to this series. I can’t wait to see what he’s up to next!
★★★★
Thanks to Mariner Books, NetGalley and author Benjamin Stevenson for this digital ARC and to Harper Audio for the ALC to honestly review. This is out now.
Is this the start to a corny joke? No. This is Ernest Cunningham finding himself smack in the middle of his biggest, most complicated mystery yet, which is saying something if you’ve followed the series!
Skip this plot summary if you don’t want spoilers:
Ernest and Juliette are at Huxley Bank to try to secure a loan to start a private detective business. While there, they - and eight others present in the bank - the owner, security guard, receptionist, a sick teen girl and her grandmother, a well-known teen gamer, a film producer, and a priest who’s taken a vow of silence are taken hostage by a fully masked and camouflaged thief who doesn’t seem very well-versed in robbery.
What begins with just ONE very unusual demand becomes a story of TEN heists and TEN suspects! Channeling his best Hercule Poirot, only with his own brand of blunt Aussie humor, Ernest goes to some extreme (and illegal, but who am I to judge?) efforts to narrow down the suspect pool.
The catch? You’ll have to read to find out where Ernest is when he finally puts the puzzle pieces of this case together, but let’s just say that he’ll certainly breathe easier when it’s solved!
My thoughts:
This was an immersion read following on my Kindle while listening to the amazing Barton Welch, who always shines as our intrepid sleuth, and I thought the mystery was so clever, even if very convoluted! There are a lot of characters and motives and a LOT of different crimes going on, so good luck armchair detecting this thing! I had one guess that was partially correct, but I wasn’t even close on the ultimate reveal.
I’m not sure how Stevenson keeps all those moving parts straight, but he does a phenomenal job staying true to the Golden Age of Detectives rules of fair play, which Ernest reminds the reader of throughout by breaking the fourth wall. I love that! One of my favorite things about these books, though, are the scientific or historical explanations of story elements that I might not have known otherwise. I actually learned some really interesting things, which I won’t name due to spoilers, but trust me … they’re cool!
Though I’ve rated all the books in the series 4 stars either rounding up or down, I liked this one better than the last two. I’m not a huge locked mystery fan, but Ernest is the reason I keep coming back to this series. I can’t wait to see what he’s up to next!
★★★★
Thanks to Mariner Books, NetGalley and author Benjamin Stevenson for this digital ARC and to Harper Audio for the ALC to honestly review. This is out now.
November 22, 2025
This is book 4 in the Ernest Cunningham series and I enjoyed it!
The thing about this series (for me) is I try not to spend too much energy "trying to armchair solve", because the author throws so many wrenches in the mix! And this time we have a locked room (bank) and 10 heists with 10 suspects! My brain cells can really get exhausted 😲, so I just tag along for the ride and enjoy the unraveling of the clever and witty ways the author reveals things.
There are hostages in this one and more than dollars being stolen, a large cast of feisty characters, plenty of red herrings and quite a twist. 💥 I did have a couple of theories, but they didn't pan out!
Recommend if you are an Ernest fan, like mysteries with a lot of puzzle pieces and a few outrageous happenings (these were FUN)!
Thanks to NG for the ARC! This one comes out March 17, 2026
The thing about this series (for me) is I try not to spend too much energy "trying to armchair solve", because the author throws so many wrenches in the mix! And this time we have a locked room (bank) and 10 heists with 10 suspects! My brain cells can really get exhausted 😲, so I just tag along for the ride and enjoy the unraveling of the clever and witty ways the author reveals things.
There are hostages in this one and more than dollars being stolen, a large cast of feisty characters, plenty of red herrings and quite a twist. 💥 I did have a couple of theories, but they didn't pan out!
Recommend if you are an Ernest fan, like mysteries with a lot of puzzle pieces and a few outrageous happenings (these were FUN)!
Thanks to NG for the ARC! This one comes out March 17, 2026
July 19, 2026
You know this ridiculously unrealistic bank heist/murder mystery is actually firmly grounded in dark reality when a hostage is terrified of losing her Duolingo streak if the heist takes too long.
Indeed, that snarky green Duolingo owl may be way more terrifying than this bank robber. And that’s the moment I knew that no matter how much this book jumps the shark, I will still get a kick out of it.
Well, you say “bueno” (amateur, 480 day streak, pfffffffft) and I raise you my about 1600-day Duolingo streak that I would certainly not not dare lose no matter what bank heist is happening. You call the cops, I’ll sneak in a 5-minute lesson.
I somehow skipped the 3rd book in this series, but it doesn’t matter, the formula holds well to enjoy this one regardless. What you need to know is that Ernest Cunningham got Z-list famous by managing to be right of the middle of locked-room murder mysteries and surviving to tell the tale. Murders follow him wherever he goes, and the bank in the middle of a heist is the ultimate locked room. And we get the package deal with snarky breaking the fourth wall and insistence of not hiding any clues in order to avoid the unreliable narrator trap, snarkily and full of dad jokes humor.
Also, there’s a spontaneous human combustion here, with the reason so ordinarily and terrifyingly dark that I’m terrified to fact check it. But I may alter my snacking habits just in case even if it is complete bull diarrhea.
If you don’t mind the plot that is ridiculously bonkers, and like the painfully self-aware often awkward snark like I do, this will be just right.
3.5 stars.
“She held it up in a lose grip, the way you’d surrender a gun, and said, “If this is going to take all day, I haven’t done my Duolingo.”
Indeed, that snarky green Duolingo owl may be way more terrifying than this bank robber. And that’s the moment I knew that no matter how much this book jumps the shark, I will still get a kick out of it.
“If you’re keeping track: I glimpsed that Cordelia completed Day 480 of her Spanish lessons (bueno).
Well, you say “bueno” (amateur, 480 day streak, pfffffffft) and I raise you my about 1600-day Duolingo streak that I would certainly not not dare lose no matter what bank heist is happening. You call the cops, I’ll sneak in a 5-minute lesson.
I somehow skipped the 3rd book in this series, but it doesn’t matter, the formula holds well to enjoy this one regardless. What you need to know is that Ernest Cunningham got Z-list famous by managing to be right of the middle of locked-room murder mysteries and surviving to tell the tale. Murders follow him wherever he goes, and the bank in the middle of a heist is the ultimate locked room. And we get the package deal with snarky breaking the fourth wall and insistence of not hiding any clues in order to avoid the unreliable narrator trap, snarkily and full of dad jokes humor.
“We’ve got a dead body in Byron, two hours’ drive from here, a police raid a year ago that resulted in another dead body, a missing banker, a vault that can’t be opened, a bank robber who doesn’t seem to care about money, and a guard who doesn’t care about protecting it, plus a priest who can’t talk and a bird that won’t shut up.”
Also, there’s a spontaneous human combustion here, with the reason so ordinarily and terrifyingly dark that I’m terrified to fact check it. But I may alter my snacking habits just in case even if it is complete bull diarrhea.
If you don’t mind the plot that is ridiculously bonkers, and like the painfully self-aware often awkward snark like I do, this will be just right.
3.5 stars.
June 11, 2026
I think Australian writers and I just go so well together 😂
I couldn’t agree more with a book title. And this was before reading the book.
Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief is a locked room mystery. Very Poirot-esque. Lots of clues and suspects, a clever detective and a classic whodunit feel. It’s ridiculous and far-fetched because it’s intentionally written that way. Oh but what fun it was! The author’s notes on how the science in this book is theoretically possible had me guffawing. I had to go look up all the science stuff myself and he didn’t lie. Given the right or wrong circumstances, it’s all plausible 😂 I love snackable mystery thrillers that are also clever. I heard that the books can be read as standalones, and that information wasn’t wrong as this is the first in the series that I've read.
”I robbed a bank. I should’ve led with that.
I’m not the only one. Everyone in this bank is a thief.
Ten suspects. Ten heists.”
Earnest is a conundrum. He is both intelligent and dumb, and also just a little mad? What is it about quirky characters who have no regard for their own safety whatsoever? Somehow they always make the best fictional detectives 😂 "How far would you go to solve a mystery?" is not a question that Earnest can answer because apparently, there are no limits.
“Of course, whether you’re joining me for my fourth case or my first, you have probably come to expect that out of hand is kind of my specialty.”
That quote tells you everything you need to know about him.
Another thing worth noting is that absolutely nobody in this book is qualified for what they're doing. Not the robber. Not the investigator. Not the hostage negotiator. Honestly, not even the witnesses 😭
And yet, somehow, things keep moving forward 🤣 Ernest is both phony and completely legitimate. He shamelessly borrows every trope, trick, and convention from classic detective fiction and somehow makes it work.
“There’s another contender for a rule,’ I decided. How many heist films have you seen where the bags of cash are opened at the end and are filled with paper, while a flashback reveals a diamond being palmed off midway through the heist? Or the cops pulling the mask off the finally captured thief to find they are one of the hostages with duct tape over their mouth? ‘There’s always a switch.”
Half the time he would say something with such confidence that I’d find myself nodding along like he just dropped a nugget of wisdom, when in reality it's just B.S.
I enjoyed every bit of this. It's clever, unserious and hilarious. However, that's not all it is. Not only are the connections between the characters brilliant, but the story also captures the folly of being human. The misunderstandings, the poor decisions, the mistakes made for the silliest of reasons. In the end, it's not such a farfetched idea. Sometimes a selfish action that seems isolated in the moment can end up ruining someone else’s life.
P.S I used to trust pistachios, not anymore.
I couldn’t agree more with a book title. And this was before reading the book.
Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief is a locked room mystery. Very Poirot-esque. Lots of clues and suspects, a clever detective and a classic whodunit feel. It’s ridiculous and far-fetched because it’s intentionally written that way. Oh but what fun it was! The author’s notes on how the science in this book is theoretically possible had me guffawing. I had to go look up all the science stuff myself and he didn’t lie. Given the right or wrong circumstances, it’s all plausible 😂 I love snackable mystery thrillers that are also clever. I heard that the books can be read as standalones, and that information wasn’t wrong as this is the first in the series that I've read.
”I robbed a bank. I should’ve led with that.
I’m not the only one. Everyone in this bank is a thief.
Ten suspects. Ten heists.”
Earnest is a conundrum. He is both intelligent and dumb, and also just a little mad? What is it about quirky characters who have no regard for their own safety whatsoever? Somehow they always make the best fictional detectives 😂 "How far would you go to solve a mystery?" is not a question that Earnest can answer because apparently, there are no limits.
“Of course, whether you’re joining me for my fourth case or my first, you have probably come to expect that out of hand is kind of my specialty.”
That quote tells you everything you need to know about him.
Another thing worth noting is that absolutely nobody in this book is qualified for what they're doing. Not the robber. Not the investigator. Not the hostage negotiator. Honestly, not even the witnesses 😭
And yet, somehow, things keep moving forward 🤣 Ernest is both phony and completely legitimate. He shamelessly borrows every trope, trick, and convention from classic detective fiction and somehow makes it work.
“There’s another contender for a rule,’ I decided. How many heist films have you seen where the bags of cash are opened at the end and are filled with paper, while a flashback reveals a diamond being palmed off midway through the heist? Or the cops pulling the mask off the finally captured thief to find they are one of the hostages with duct tape over their mouth? ‘There’s always a switch.”
Half the time he would say something with such confidence that I’d find myself nodding along like he just dropped a nugget of wisdom, when in reality it's just B.S.
I enjoyed every bit of this. It's clever, unserious and hilarious. However, that's not all it is. Not only are the connections between the characters brilliant, but the story also captures the folly of being human. The misunderstandings, the poor decisions, the mistakes made for the silliest of reasons. In the end, it's not such a farfetched idea. Sometimes a selfish action that seems isolated in the moment can end up ruining someone else’s life.
P.S I used to trust pistachios, not anymore.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I've heard about this series but I've yet to actually read a book from it, until now. From my understanding, each book can be read as a standalone. I love a good murder mystery, so I decided to pick up Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief. It was definitely enjoyable. Definitely for fans of Detective Benoit Blanc in movies, Knives out and Glass Onion.
We're introduced to our mmc, Detective Ernest, and his now fiancée, Juliette, both of whom decide to visit a bank to secure a loan to start a detective agency, because Ernest is just that good. This book is set up in a locked room situation, as the couple are held hostage along with our many other colorful and suspicious characters. I love how this book is written, with Ernest talking directly to the reader, like yes include me in the mystery, I want to solve it too!!
The story is an easy read, it's quirky, filled with dry humor, and twists. Benjamin Stevenson does a great job creating puzzles and a suspenseful and entertaining atmosphere. All the characters have motives and secrets and I could not figure out whodunit. I do have to admit that at some point, I felt like the story kinda dragged and I just really wanted to flip to the last page to finally see the reveal. Parts of the story were just so over-the-top that it was a bit exhausting trying to keep track of.
Regardless, I think I'll be picking up another book from the series, as I see that the general consensus is that the previous books were delivered a bit better.
We're introduced to our mmc, Detective Ernest, and his now fiancée, Juliette, both of whom decide to visit a bank to secure a loan to start a detective agency, because Ernest is just that good. This book is set up in a locked room situation, as the couple are held hostage along with our many other colorful and suspicious characters. I love how this book is written, with Ernest talking directly to the reader, like yes include me in the mystery, I want to solve it too!!
The story is an easy read, it's quirky, filled with dry humor, and twists. Benjamin Stevenson does a great job creating puzzles and a suspenseful and entertaining atmosphere. All the characters have motives and secrets and I could not figure out whodunit. I do have to admit that at some point, I felt like the story kinda dragged and I just really wanted to flip to the last page to finally see the reveal. Parts of the story were just so over-the-top that it was a bit exhausting trying to keep track of.
Regardless, I think I'll be picking up another book from the series, as I see that the general consensus is that the previous books were delivered a bit better.
June 8, 2026
4.5 stars.
June 16, 2026
Ernest Cunningham should really start to reconsider his life choices the way he always ends up in the most unlucky and weirdly dangerous situations. This time it's even acknowledged that he can't solve a case without almost dying and well, let's just say that we start the book with him locked in a safe, slowly running out of air. Happens to the best of us. Ernest usually stumbles into murder cases, gets hurt and writes a memoir about it, but lately he thinks himself a real detective, ready to start his own agency. Ok, he might also be quite capable of finding clues and connecting the dots, I give him that. Together with his fiancée Juliette he has an appointment at a bank to ask for a loan, but he gets wrapped up in yet another mystery instead. At first he is tasked with finding a missing person and opening a locked vault, but later the situation escalates to a full-blown heist with Ernest and nine other people taken as hostages. As the title suggests, everyone in this bank is a thief, so this time we're exploring different thefts – from accidentally taking a pen to robbing a bank to stealing a life. Like every prior book in this series the setup is fun and gimmicky and thus very enjoyable to read. These books are quite known for directly spelling out hints and including the reader in the mystery solving process, but I still never try to find out who did it. That's because there are always plenty of characters with very different lives and so many different things going on. The author Benjamin Stevenson even writes that he likes to put all of his weirdest ideas into one Ernest Cunningham book all at once, and you definitely notice that while reading. The plot elements are all over the place. This time we're ranging from old feuds, grand schemes and pointless heists over e-sports and a tv show production to a talking parrot and spontaneous combustions. I sure can't be bothered with trying to find clues in this mess, but that's what Ernest is for. He does some very stupid, lowkey criminal stuff in this book, but that doesn't stop him from finding the truth. At the end we get a grand parlour scene where everything is revealed and some connections are so outlandish that Ernest must really have the deduction abilities of Sherlock Holmes himself. I would have preferred if none of the plotlines were actually connected to him, though. His first memoir getting adapted into a tv show was really kind of unnecessary in my opinion and I definitely wouldn't have missed this plotline if it would have been cut out. You could say that about plenty of other plot elements too, though. I guess it's also part of the appeal of an Ernest Cunningham novel. These are definitely not the most serious books of all time, but to me they are always entertaining and never fail to hold my attention. So I will keep picking them up. The next book simply must be wedding themed, right?
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
💙💛💙💛💙💛💙💛💙💛💙
Everyone in This Bank is a Thief is a fabulously-fun installment to the Ernest Cunningham series. It successfully channels all the quirky meta-vibes that Readers, including myself, have been enjoying in the previous books.
This is the 3rd-novel in the series, and there's also a fun novella set around the Christmas holiday. At this point, our protagonist, Ernest, is a successful crime writer who's honed his craft frequently via hands-on experience.
The mystery in this story takes Ernest in a new direction though, when the bank he's at for a loan meeting, gets held-up and the people inside suddenly find themselves taken hostage, including Ernest and Juliette.
As the event starts to unfold, Ernest begins to notice unusual things about the robber and the situation in general. It seems there's more than money at stake. What is he really after, and what is the actual aim of this heist?
As Ernest gets to know everyone in the bank, and as he starts to put the various puzzle pieces together, even the hostages become his suspects.
I've enjoyed following Ernest's character arc over the course of these novels. He's very much evolved and I feel like this story was a perfect glimpse into the life he's living now. It's such a change from when we met him in the 1st-book.
I liked that Stevenson went in a different direction with the plot of this story as well. It's not just another murder mystery. The bank setting and the cast of unknown characters added a fun new direction for the series.
I listened to the audiobooks for all of the novels and the narration by Barton Welch is absolutely fantastic. He is Ernest Cunningham to me. I cannot recommend the audio versions enough, if you have them available to you.
I read this in a day. It was so quick and easy to get through. There were a ton of twists and unexpected turns, I had no clue where this was really going. It was such a fun ride.
I'd love to get a physical copy of this one for my collection, as this is the rare mystery I would love to read again and annotate. There were so many interesting clues along the way that I'd love to analyze more closely.
At this point, it's fair to say Benjamin Stevenson has found a fan in me for life. I'm not sure what the long-term plans are for this series, but I'm certainly hoping for more installments. There's so much more fun to be had!
Thank you to the publisher, Mariner Books and Harper Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. This series brings me such joy and I can't recommend it enough!
Everyone in This Bank is a Thief is a fabulously-fun installment to the Ernest Cunningham series. It successfully channels all the quirky meta-vibes that Readers, including myself, have been enjoying in the previous books.
This is the 3rd-novel in the series, and there's also a fun novella set around the Christmas holiday. At this point, our protagonist, Ernest, is a successful crime writer who's honed his craft frequently via hands-on experience.
The mystery in this story takes Ernest in a new direction though, when the bank he's at for a loan meeting, gets held-up and the people inside suddenly find themselves taken hostage, including Ernest and Juliette.
As the event starts to unfold, Ernest begins to notice unusual things about the robber and the situation in general. It seems there's more than money at stake. What is he really after, and what is the actual aim of this heist?
As Ernest gets to know everyone in the bank, and as he starts to put the various puzzle pieces together, even the hostages become his suspects.
I've enjoyed following Ernest's character arc over the course of these novels. He's very much evolved and I feel like this story was a perfect glimpse into the life he's living now. It's such a change from when we met him in the 1st-book.
I liked that Stevenson went in a different direction with the plot of this story as well. It's not just another murder mystery. The bank setting and the cast of unknown characters added a fun new direction for the series.
I listened to the audiobooks for all of the novels and the narration by Barton Welch is absolutely fantastic. He is Ernest Cunningham to me. I cannot recommend the audio versions enough, if you have them available to you.
I read this in a day. It was so quick and easy to get through. There were a ton of twists and unexpected turns, I had no clue where this was really going. It was such a fun ride.
I'd love to get a physical copy of this one for my collection, as this is the rare mystery I would love to read again and annotate. There were so many interesting clues along the way that I'd love to analyze more closely.
At this point, it's fair to say Benjamin Stevenson has found a fan in me for life. I'm not sure what the long-term plans are for this series, but I'm certainly hoping for more installments. There's so much more fun to be had!
Thank you to the publisher, Mariner Books and Harper Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. This series brings me such joy and I can't recommend it enough!
May 7, 2026
In this fourth book in the series the author uses a Bank to create the locked room effect for his latest mystery. Ernest and Juliette have an appointment with the manager to try and organise a loan for Ernest to establish a detective agency. The appearance of a bank robber sets a chain of events in place which cause our two main characters to become hostages along with nine other people.
This is no ordinary bank robbery and Ernest has plenty of mysteries to solve. As usual he finds he cannot stop until he understands it all and he gets himself into some serious predicaments. It is a fun story, loaded with clues for the reader to follow and try to guess. If I had to describe the book in a few words I would say light, nonsensical, but very entertaining.
This is no ordinary bank robbery and Ernest has plenty of mysteries to solve. As usual he finds he cannot stop until he understands it all and he gets himself into some serious predicaments. It is a fun story, loaded with clues for the reader to follow and try to guess. If I had to describe the book in a few words I would say light, nonsensical, but very entertaining.
September 26, 2025
Wherever Ernest Cunningham goes trouble is not far behind him. I absolutely love this series, it is witty, clever, pretty dark and so much fun to read. With this unlikely but reliable narrator all the clues are there for the reader put the pieces of the puzzle together. That’s not saying that it easy to solve, because believe me, it isn’t.
This is the 4th book where Ernest finds himself trying to find a killer. Along with his fiancee Juliette, this time they are in a small country town in the hopes of securing a business loan. They end up being held hostage in a bank heist, where there is more than money being stolen. A large cast of characters l all of whom are hiding something and have a reason to be in the bank that morning. Using the rules of Detective fiction, Ernest tries to rule each of the hostages out, and gets so much more than he bargains for.
I love that this is a story that is being told to us, through the eyes of the detective. We follow his thought process, red herrings and all. A very clever conclusion l I thought I had figured some of it out using the clues that were given thought out the story, and yet I still failed to guess the ending. There are lots of surprising twists, this is the ultimate locked room mystery.
I always look forward to a new book from Benjamin Stevenson, a big thank you to Penguin Books Australia for allowing me to read them early. I throughly enjoyed being a hostage in a bank while trying to solve the mystery.
Out in Australia September 30th, get ready for a wild adventure with Ernest.
This is the 4th book where Ernest finds himself trying to find a killer. Along with his fiancee Juliette, this time they are in a small country town in the hopes of securing a business loan. They end up being held hostage in a bank heist, where there is more than money being stolen. A large cast of characters l all of whom are hiding something and have a reason to be in the bank that morning. Using the rules of Detective fiction, Ernest tries to rule each of the hostages out, and gets so much more than he bargains for.
I love that this is a story that is being told to us, through the eyes of the detective. We follow his thought process, red herrings and all. A very clever conclusion l I thought I had figured some of it out using the clues that were given thought out the story, and yet I still failed to guess the ending. There are lots of surprising twists, this is the ultimate locked room mystery.
I always look forward to a new book from Benjamin Stevenson, a big thank you to Penguin Books Australia for allowing me to read them early. I throughly enjoyed being a hostage in a bank while trying to solve the mystery.
Out in Australia September 30th, get ready for a wild adventure with Ernest.
February 8, 2026
Such a great writing style and approach to solving crimes. Loved the narration once again, as it draws you in, both with the clues and the red herrings, as well as the almost to-on-the-nose explanation of what's happening in a scene. Great characters. Easily fall deep into the mystery but at the same time enjoy relaxing as it unfolds in unexpected directions. Not ideal for a traditional mystery reader but perfect for someone who likes a little something unique to their storytelling path.
March 20, 2026
3.5 stars - kinda took a while to get into & just not as good on the mystery plot points as the earlier books. Ern is still Ern though & that's why I read these. Still, hope the next is either a much better mystery or the end of the series.
May 21, 2026
I will never tire of these books
September 1, 2026
__________________________
Everyone Who Reads This Book Needs to Have Their Heads Examined
I need your help. There are men in white jackets chasing me with butterfly nets. Why? Because the bats in my belfry have been driven bananas by this book, that’s why.
It was Ernest Cunningham, the main character, what drove me mad. Ernest is a lunatic himself, you know. A cuckoo bird! He’s more crackers than you’d find in a box of Saltines.
As the book begins, he wakes up locked in an air-tight bank vault. He remembers some unknown person strangling him from behind as he was looking in the vault, but he doesn't know who it was. He has, by his own calculations, about 10 hours of air left before he croaks, and no one knows he is there beside his murderer. So, what does he decide to do? WHAT does he DO? Answer me, dammit. I can’t remember everything you know. Pay attention.
Oh, yeah. I recall now. He decides to write a gawd-darned book. A book! Not a confession. Not a short statement informing the cops what happened to him. Not his last will and testament. Not a note to the milkman or a last goodbye to his fiancé. He writes an entire fricken book during his last hours. An actual book. A book 280 pages long. In less than 10 hours. The man is delusional. You try writing a 280 page book in a half day in a notebook the size of a Pop-Tart®. That is not as easy as you think. Maybe he just sprinkled around some punctuation and figured the readers could insert some words when they had more time.
That’s not the only lunacy in the book, the plot itself is all bed-buggy. It has more coincidences than my first apartment had cockroaches.
For instance, Ernest and his fiancé have driven all night to reach a tiny bank in a small Australian town they have never been to before to secure a loan that no other bank would give them. Then who do they see standing in line at the teller window—Ernest’s producer from America who was supposedly in Los Angeles developing a TV series based on Ernest’s previous books.
In another scene, Ernest tries to MacGyver his way out of his dying of asphyxiation. He figures he can extend his oxygen by using electrolysis to turn water into its component parts. 2H2O→2H2+O2. But there are some issues.
⚠️He doesn’t have any water.
🍀 Oh, wait, the priest he met in the bank said he had put a jar of Pope-blessed Holy Water in the safe for safe keeping. So that is taken care of.
⚠️Ernst doesn’t remember exactly how to electrolyze the water.
🍀Fortunately, he had—as we all do—a chemistry textbook with him.
⚠️He needs some insulated wire
🍀Oh, look! there’s some over here in the corner.
⚠️And he needs some electricity
🍀Which he can get from his cell phone if he stops playing games on it for a while.
Now, I actually enjoy an occasional real-life coincidence in my personal life. For instance, as I have mentioned on GR before, I once discovered that a young woman who was 15 years younger than I was and whom I was working with in downtown Chicago was raised 200 miles away in the same tiny town I grew up in and that she knew my mother. The odds of us meeting like that was millions to one. Now, that is a true story that I have successfully dined out on for years, but if I had I read that tale in a novel, I would have pelted the author with rotten tomatoes for insulting his readers with such an unbelievable crock of non-compos mentis.
🍅🍅🍅🍅½ Rotten Tomatoes
⭐⭐½ Stars
The author is stuck on his own schtick with this book—his schtick being that in all of his books Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect, and Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret, Everyone is the prime suspect, and Ernest has to show that Everyone, including himself and his fiancé, is a killer, a thief, or unethically reticent. Geez, Ernest. Who cares that you walked out of the president of the bank’s office with his pen? Kind of obsessive compulsive aren’t we.
I haven’t even mentioned the spontaneous human combustion. There are characters in the novel who go around just bursting into flames for no good reason at all. I don’t blame them. About halfway through the book, I was considering it myself.
Yes, I confess. I stole Cummingham’s plot. I’m a thief. I am probably Robin Hood. I might be John Dortmunder. I know I am somebody. And I need my meds.
Everyone Who Reads This Book Needs to Have Their Heads Examined
I need your help. There are men in white jackets chasing me with butterfly nets. Why? Because the bats in my belfry have been driven bananas by this book, that’s why.
It was Ernest Cunningham, the main character, what drove me mad. Ernest is a lunatic himself, you know. A cuckoo bird! He’s more crackers than you’d find in a box of Saltines.
As the book begins, he wakes up locked in an air-tight bank vault. He remembers some unknown person strangling him from behind as he was looking in the vault, but he doesn't know who it was. He has, by his own calculations, about 10 hours of air left before he croaks, and no one knows he is there beside his murderer. So, what does he decide to do? WHAT does he DO? Answer me, dammit. I can’t remember everything you know. Pay attention.
Oh, yeah. I recall now. He decides to write a gawd-darned book. A book! Not a confession. Not a short statement informing the cops what happened to him. Not his last will and testament. Not a note to the milkman or a last goodbye to his fiancé. He writes an entire fricken book during his last hours. An actual book. A book 280 pages long. In less than 10 hours. The man is delusional. You try writing a 280 page book in a half day in a notebook the size of a Pop-Tart®. That is not as easy as you think. Maybe he just sprinkled around some punctuation and figured the readers could insert some words when they had more time.
That’s not the only lunacy in the book, the plot itself is all bed-buggy. It has more coincidences than my first apartment had cockroaches.
For instance, Ernest and his fiancé have driven all night to reach a tiny bank in a small Australian town they have never been to before to secure a loan that no other bank would give them. Then who do they see standing in line at the teller window—Ernest’s producer from America who was supposedly in Los Angeles developing a TV series based on Ernest’s previous books.
In another scene, Ernest tries to MacGyver his way out of his dying of asphyxiation. He figures he can extend his oxygen by using electrolysis to turn water into its component parts. 2H2O→2H2+O2. But there are some issues.
⚠️He doesn’t have any water.
🍀 Oh, wait, the priest he met in the bank said he had put a jar of Pope-blessed Holy Water in the safe for safe keeping. So that is taken care of.
⚠️Ernst doesn’t remember exactly how to electrolyze the water.
🍀Fortunately, he had—as we all do—a chemistry textbook with him.
⚠️He needs some insulated wire
🍀Oh, look! there’s some over here in the corner.
⚠️And he needs some electricity
🍀Which he can get from his cell phone if he stops playing games on it for a while.
Now, I actually enjoy an occasional real-life coincidence in my personal life. For instance, as I have mentioned on GR before, I once discovered that a young woman who was 15 years younger than I was and whom I was working with in downtown Chicago was raised 200 miles away in the same tiny town I grew up in and that she knew my mother. The odds of us meeting like that was millions to one. Now, that is a true story that I have successfully dined out on for years, but if I had I read that tale in a novel, I would have pelted the author with rotten tomatoes for insulting his readers with such an unbelievable crock of non-compos mentis.
🍅🍅🍅🍅½ Rotten Tomatoes
⭐⭐½ Stars
The author is stuck on his own schtick with this book—his schtick being that in all of his books Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect, and Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret, Everyone is the prime suspect, and Ernest has to show that Everyone, including himself and his fiancé, is a killer, a thief, or unethically reticent. Geez, Ernest. Who cares that you walked out of the president of the bank’s office with his pen? Kind of obsessive compulsive aren’t we.
I haven’t even mentioned the spontaneous human combustion. There are characters in the novel who go around just bursting into flames for no good reason at all. I don’t blame them. About halfway through the book, I was considering it myself.
Yes, I confess. I stole Cummingham’s plot. I’m a thief. I am probably Robin Hood. I might be John Dortmunder. I know I am somebody. And I need my meds.
November 18, 2025
Sadly this one didn't work for me. I have grown tired of Ernest's narration that breaks the fourth wall time and again. What I assume is supposed to come off as quirky is more cringy to me. Additionally, I have never believed the romance between Ernest and his fiancé, Julliette. Their relationship seems forced and lacks any warmth or genuine affection. The endings of the books in this series tend to dissolve into ridiculousness and this one is no exception. The lone exception was the previous book which is a novella and is by far my favorite of the series because it is so short that it stuck closely to the murder mystery and didn't drift off into Ernest's head too much.
In this newest book, Ernest and Juliette go to a bank trying to get a loan for a new detective agency but the bank manager hires him to find his brother instead. If Ernest is successful, then he will get his loan. And the timing is of the utmost importance because the missing brother is the only one who knows the code to the vault. But before Ernest can investigate the missing person case the bank is held up by a robber and we are introduced to a cast of hostages who have all stolen something. The basic premise of this book is a clever idea, that everyone in the bank is a thief of some kind, some steal the obvious, like money, while others steal the more metaphorical, like hearts. But it just takes too long to get there. And please don't get me started on the ending. Craziness upon craziness, and not in a good way. Sadly I'd recommend skipping this one unless you are a series completist. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
In this newest book, Ernest and Juliette go to a bank trying to get a loan for a new detective agency but the bank manager hires him to find his brother instead. If Ernest is successful, then he will get his loan. And the timing is of the utmost importance because the missing brother is the only one who knows the code to the vault. But before Ernest can investigate the missing person case the bank is held up by a robber and we are introduced to a cast of hostages who have all stolen something. The basic premise of this book is a clever idea, that everyone in the bank is a thief of some kind, some steal the obvious, like money, while others steal the more metaphorical, like hearts. But it just takes too long to get there. And please don't get me started on the ending. Craziness upon craziness, and not in a good way. Sadly I'd recommend skipping this one unless you are a series completist. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Ernest Cunningham #4
Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson
Narrated by Barton Welch
The audiobook narration by Barton Welch is one of my favorite things about this series. He IS Ernest Cunningham to me, in all Ernest's dumb as a box of rocks, at times, glory. Ernest may be smart and clever and earnest (pun!) but he also can make the stupidest decisions, know he's making the stupidest decisions, and then push even harder on the stupid direction he is going.
Even Ernest's fiancé, Juliette, knows how dumb he can be but she loves him while making it clear when she knows he's going off the stupidly dumb decision ledge. Of course, that is why Ernest knows not to let Juliette in on most of the dumb things he's doing even though doing so would be the smartest thing he could do. This time Ernest has himself in the midst of a bank heist/kidnapping and has dragged Juliette into this latest fiasco.
The story has so many characters and is so complicated that I turned off the thinking part of my brain and just went with the chaos. Everyone is a thief but not everyone is a murderer. When Ernest gets on the trail of a mystery and a killer, he can't be distracted by common sense, thoughts of safety and staying alive, or anything else and in this story it seems Ernest is going to go to the greatest lengths to end up dead, one way or another. Despite how complicated things are and the fact that I would never, ever be able to figure out what is going on throughout the story, the book is full of laughs. I laughed AT you Ernest! When are you going to bring your brain along for the ride throughout your danger filled life?
Pub March 17, 2026
Thanks to HarperAudio Adult | Mariner Books and NetGalley for this ARC
Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson
Narrated by Barton Welch
The audiobook narration by Barton Welch is one of my favorite things about this series. He IS Ernest Cunningham to me, in all Ernest's dumb as a box of rocks, at times, glory. Ernest may be smart and clever and earnest (pun!) but he also can make the stupidest decisions, know he's making the stupidest decisions, and then push even harder on the stupid direction he is going.
Even Ernest's fiancé, Juliette, knows how dumb he can be but she loves him while making it clear when she knows he's going off the stupidly dumb decision ledge. Of course, that is why Ernest knows not to let Juliette in on most of the dumb things he's doing even though doing so would be the smartest thing he could do. This time Ernest has himself in the midst of a bank heist/kidnapping and has dragged Juliette into this latest fiasco.
The story has so many characters and is so complicated that I turned off the thinking part of my brain and just went with the chaos. Everyone is a thief but not everyone is a murderer. When Ernest gets on the trail of a mystery and a killer, he can't be distracted by common sense, thoughts of safety and staying alive, or anything else and in this story it seems Ernest is going to go to the greatest lengths to end up dead, one way or another. Despite how complicated things are and the fact that I would never, ever be able to figure out what is going on throughout the story, the book is full of laughs. I laughed AT you Ernest! When are you going to bring your brain along for the ride throughout your danger filled life?
Pub March 17, 2026
Thanks to HarperAudio Adult | Mariner Books and NetGalley for this ARC
February 16, 2026
I listened to the audiobook for this one and I liked the narrator a lot. The book overall wasn’t as good as the first one but it was a decent mystery. I like the style of writing and the style of mystery. This time our sleuth is in a bank when it gets robbed and he is determined to untangle the various mysteries he stumbles across while he is there. There were some choices that made me blink a lot during this one, and I thought it pushed past what was fully believable, but it was overall a very fun story. This series in general is a lot of fun and definitely one I would recommend. I gave this one 3.5 stars which I rounded up because the narration was great and the series is quite entertaining.
March 29, 2026
Entertaining as usual, but overly long and a few shades too convoluted.
May 24, 2026
The ultimate locked-bank mystery.
If Agatha Christie and Money Heist had a baby, it would probably look a lot like Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson.
This latest (fourth, if you count the Christmas novella) installment in the Ernest Cunningham series trades the country house setup of the classic locked-room mystery for a locked bank - or rather, a bank robbery gone very, very wrong.
Ernest and his fiancée Juliette are at Huxley Bank trying to secure a loan for his fledgling detective agency when a masked robber takes everyone inside hostage. Simple enough - except it quickly becomes clear that more than one person there is trying to steal something, and not all of them are after money. Then, naturally, someone ends up dead.
What follows is a wildly entertaining locked-room mystery with ten suspects, shifting motives, multiple schemes unfolding at once, and enough misdirection to make your head spin. The cast is gloriously eclectic: a priest who has taken a vow of silence, a teen gamer, a film producer, a sick girl and her grandmother, a suspiciously incompetent bank robber... and Ernest himself, who remains one of the most delightfully unreliable narrators around.
As always with this series, trying to solve the mystery feels almost impossible in the best possible way. Stevenson plays fair while simultaneously making you question absolutely everything. The fourth-wall-breaking narration is back in full force, with Ernest directly addressing the reader throughout, and it remains one of the series' greatest strengths - witty, self-aware, and genuinely clever without becoming gimmicky.
I will admit that Ernest's somewhat bizarre approach to uncovering the culprit by impersonating someone else occasionally tested my patience a little, but the book is having so much fun that it becomes hard not to go along with it. The whole thing reads like a puzzle box someone gleefully shook before handing it to you.
Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief is witty, twisty, clever, and ridiculously entertaining - another inventive entry in a series that continues to find fresh ways to reinvent the classic mystery formula. This year's ultimate locked-room mystery.
Many thanks to Mariner Books for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
"Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief" was published on May 17, 2026, and is available now.
If Agatha Christie and Money Heist had a baby, it would probably look a lot like Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson.
This latest (fourth, if you count the Christmas novella) installment in the Ernest Cunningham series trades the country house setup of the classic locked-room mystery for a locked bank - or rather, a bank robbery gone very, very wrong.
Ernest and his fiancée Juliette are at Huxley Bank trying to secure a loan for his fledgling detective agency when a masked robber takes everyone inside hostage. Simple enough - except it quickly becomes clear that more than one person there is trying to steal something, and not all of them are after money. Then, naturally, someone ends up dead.
What follows is a wildly entertaining locked-room mystery with ten suspects, shifting motives, multiple schemes unfolding at once, and enough misdirection to make your head spin. The cast is gloriously eclectic: a priest who has taken a vow of silence, a teen gamer, a film producer, a sick girl and her grandmother, a suspiciously incompetent bank robber... and Ernest himself, who remains one of the most delightfully unreliable narrators around.
As always with this series, trying to solve the mystery feels almost impossible in the best possible way. Stevenson plays fair while simultaneously making you question absolutely everything. The fourth-wall-breaking narration is back in full force, with Ernest directly addressing the reader throughout, and it remains one of the series' greatest strengths - witty, self-aware, and genuinely clever without becoming gimmicky.
I will admit that Ernest's somewhat bizarre approach to uncovering the culprit by impersonating someone else occasionally tested my patience a little, but the book is having so much fun that it becomes hard not to go along with it. The whole thing reads like a puzzle box someone gleefully shook before handing it to you.
Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief is witty, twisty, clever, and ridiculously entertaining - another inventive entry in a series that continues to find fresh ways to reinvent the classic mystery formula. This year's ultimate locked-room mystery.
Many thanks to Mariner Books for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
"Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief" was published on May 17, 2026, and is available now.
November 19, 2025
Starting by admitting I haven't read any of the others Ernest Cunningham’s adventures, I’ll also say someone here has seen one too many Poirot movies.
I get it, I love him too. And Miss Marple, Sherlock Holmes and whatnot.
But they all had something he doesn't have: charm.
A detective in the Golden Age could be a narcissistic prick till he got the case solved and made the readers go “Wow, what a mind”.
Instead, I spent several days reading about a man so sure about his abilities and so magnanimous with his readers to drag the story and the focus on one person only: himself.
To sum up my discomfort: not everything is a clue, and not every weird way of dying is interesting.
↠ 2.5 stars
Thanks to Mariner Books and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
I get it, I love him too. And Miss Marple, Sherlock Holmes and whatnot.
But they all had something he doesn't have: charm.
A detective in the Golden Age could be a narcissistic prick till he got the case solved and made the readers go “Wow, what a mind”.
Instead, I spent several days reading about a man so sure about his abilities and so magnanimous with his readers to drag the story and the focus on one person only: himself.
To sum up my discomfort: not everything is a clue, and not every weird way of dying is interesting.
↠ 2.5 stars
Thanks to Mariner Books and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
January 28, 2026
Ernest Cunningham, your ever intrusive narrator, once again finds himself in a serious predicament. Determined to marry his fiancé Juliette for under $35,0000 (as anything over this cost for a wedding would inevitably lead to divorce), the two travel to the bank to ask for a loan and find themselves hostages in a heist.
All ten hostages are suspects, including Ernest and Juliette. Can Ernest solve the mystery before the police come to their rescue?
I am a huge fan of the Ernest Cunningham series and couldn’t wait to read the latest installment. I am always impressed with the intricately clever plots and Ernest’s intrusively fun way of inserting his opinions into every situation. Unfortunately, this plot felt a bit contrived and not as clever as the previous book in the series. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy it, but it just didn’t leave the same impression on me. I was even able to predict several of the twists, which I had never been able to do before. Some elements were also a bit too over the top and not believable.
I am still a fan of this series and will gladly continue to read the next chapter in Ernest’s life.
I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by Barton Welch. I really enjoyed this format and highly recommend it.
3.5/5 stars rounded up
Expected publication date: 3/17/26
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for the ARC of Everyone in This Bank is a Thief in exchange for an honest review.
All ten hostages are suspects, including Ernest and Juliette. Can Ernest solve the mystery before the police come to their rescue?
I am a huge fan of the Ernest Cunningham series and couldn’t wait to read the latest installment. I am always impressed with the intricately clever plots and Ernest’s intrusively fun way of inserting his opinions into every situation. Unfortunately, this plot felt a bit contrived and not as clever as the previous book in the series. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy it, but it just didn’t leave the same impression on me. I was even able to predict several of the twists, which I had never been able to do before. Some elements were also a bit too over the top and not believable.
I am still a fan of this series and will gladly continue to read the next chapter in Ernest’s life.
I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by Barton Welch. I really enjoyed this format and highly recommend it.
3.5/5 stars rounded up
Expected publication date: 3/17/26
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for the ARC of Everyone in This Bank is a Thief in exchange for an honest review.
January 23, 2026
Man- not as fun as I was hoping. Too many twists and turns that felt reaching. I feel like maybe we need to end this series.
November 14, 2025
1⭐️
ARC Review
Publication Date: 03/17/26
Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone still remains the best book in this series!!!
Everyone in This Bank is a Thief was my fifth most anticipated book of the year. I even waited for my library to get the audiobook because I knew (just like the previous books) that Barton Welch’s narration would make this story fun, interesting, and hilarious. I also found myself becoming overly excited to reconnect with Ernest Cunningham.
So, imagine my surprise when I had to restart the audiobook seven times just to try to connect with the story.
Yes!!! Seven. Times.
The epigraphs felt endless, the prologue didn’t click, and by Chapter 3, I could already feel the disappointment settling in. And unfortunately…that feeling never went away. The more I read, the more bored I became. I started reading this book around 2 pm, and by 4:30 pm, I was spacing out and nearly falling asleep. I had to quickly pause the audiobook so that I could move around in order to stay awake. Eventually, I decided to read this book at 3.00x speed.
Did it fix my boredom? Nope!!!
Did I miss important clues? Absolutely!!!
Do I care? Honestly… Not Really!!!
Out of all four books in this series, Everyone in This Bank is a Thief will be the one that I’ll completely forget about. Aside from Ernest and Juliette, I can’t even remember the other main characters’ names. And speaking of Juliette, WHY DOES SHE STILL EXIST? This chick is the MOST annoying thing about this series. The way she talks down to Ernest. Her belief that her opinions are the only ones that matter. How it always has to be her way or the highway. I mean, there is a whole chapter of Juliette negatively talking about Ernest in front of a bunch of strangers and the whole time I kept thinking “ IF YOU FEEL THIS WAY THEN WHY DO YOU WANT TO MARRY HIM?” At this point in the series, I am genuinely over the presence of Juliette. I don’t even care if Ernest and Juliette’s wedding happens. *Insert Eye Roll here.*
Oooh and the “twists” weren’t even shocking.
The more I think about my experience, the more I find myself comparing this book to a really boring school textbook. Seriously, certain chapters contained large amounts of info. dumping and it was so hard to understand. Add in the fact that said information was mixed in with Ernest’s theories and thoughts or random dialogue. It was just too difficult to keep up with. I wanted to DNF this by Chapter 7.
Everyone in This Bank is Thief will probably go down as one of the worst books that I have read this year. But, please don’t let my experience dissuade you from picking up this book if you desire to do so. Honestly, the first two books of this entire series are the only ones worth reading, especially via audiobook. Let Barton Welch become one of your favorite audiobook narrators. You won’t be disappointed!!!
Thank you NetGalley and Mariner Books for granting my request of Advance Reader’s Copy in exchange for my honest and personal opinion!!!
ARC Review
Publication Date: 03/17/26
Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone still remains the best book in this series!!!
Everyone in This Bank is a Thief was my fifth most anticipated book of the year. I even waited for my library to get the audiobook because I knew (just like the previous books) that Barton Welch’s narration would make this story fun, interesting, and hilarious. I also found myself becoming overly excited to reconnect with Ernest Cunningham.
So, imagine my surprise when I had to restart the audiobook seven times just to try to connect with the story.
Yes!!! Seven. Times.
The epigraphs felt endless, the prologue didn’t click, and by Chapter 3, I could already feel the disappointment settling in. And unfortunately…that feeling never went away. The more I read, the more bored I became. I started reading this book around 2 pm, and by 4:30 pm, I was spacing out and nearly falling asleep. I had to quickly pause the audiobook so that I could move around in order to stay awake. Eventually, I decided to read this book at 3.00x speed.
Did it fix my boredom? Nope!!!
Did I miss important clues? Absolutely!!!
Do I care? Honestly… Not Really!!!
Out of all four books in this series, Everyone in This Bank is a Thief will be the one that I’ll completely forget about. Aside from Ernest and Juliette, I can’t even remember the other main characters’ names. And speaking of Juliette, WHY DOES SHE STILL EXIST? This chick is the MOST annoying thing about this series. The way she talks down to Ernest. Her belief that her opinions are the only ones that matter. How it always has to be her way or the highway. I mean, there is a whole chapter of Juliette negatively talking about Ernest in front of a bunch of strangers and the whole time I kept thinking “ IF YOU FEEL THIS WAY THEN WHY DO YOU WANT TO MARRY HIM?” At this point in the series, I am genuinely over the presence of Juliette. I don’t even care if Ernest and Juliette’s wedding happens. *Insert Eye Roll here.*
Oooh and the “twists” weren’t even shocking.
The more I think about my experience, the more I find myself comparing this book to a really boring school textbook. Seriously, certain chapters contained large amounts of info. dumping and it was so hard to understand. Add in the fact that said information was mixed in with Ernest’s theories and thoughts or random dialogue. It was just too difficult to keep up with. I wanted to DNF this by Chapter 7.
Everyone in This Bank is Thief will probably go down as one of the worst books that I have read this year. But, please don’t let my experience dissuade you from picking up this book if you desire to do so. Honestly, the first two books of this entire series are the only ones worth reading, especially via audiobook. Let Barton Welch become one of your favorite audiobook narrators. You won’t be disappointed!!!
Thank you NetGalley and Mariner Books for granting my request of Advance Reader’s Copy in exchange for my honest and personal opinion!!!
October 29, 2025
The Ernest Cunningham series of books is my favourite Australian mystery series and Ern is back for the fourth time in Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson. This time, Ern and Juliette are in a bank when it's held up by a gun wielding robber and they become hostages in a situation where there are ten suspects and ten heists.
Yep, you read that right! The suspects are listed in the blurb so it's not a spoiler to disclose them here as Ern considers the motives of: the bank robber, the manager, the security guard, the kid, the film producer, the priest, the receptionist, the patient, the carer and Ern himself. Each person is guilty of stealing something (including Ern and Juliette!) and Stevenson cleverly discloses the stolen items on page 4 immediately building atmosphere and suspense.
How's this for an opening line:
"Given I'm dying, and have just the one pen, let's motor through the pleasantries." Page 1
Ern is a reliable narrator and the reader knows up front his survival isn't guaranteed but he's determined to get to the truth no matter what. Ern is an amateur detective inspired by the Golden Age of detective novels and fair play mysteries where the clues are front and centre for the reader. He solves impossible crimes and was in the bank to apply for a business loan to start a detective agency.
"Solving murders is just a series of people lying to you in succession: the detective part is figuring out which lies are worth killing for. It's an endless pinball of deceit." Page 193
The thefts were creative and despite being the fourth installation in the series, the mystery felt far from formulaic. Stevenson's signature humour bursts from the page and the dialogue crackles along as Ern asks questions to identify the motives for each of the ten suspects while making questionable decisions himself along the way.
"Everyone steals, whether it's product or effort, money or time. There's more you can steal from a man than just his wallet. Air, for example." Page 310
The author is a comedian and earlier this year I attended the Melbourne Comedy Festival to see The Stevenson Experience, a comedy act he performs with his twin brother James. The show includes a little audience participation and during the performance James asked if anyone knew his brother was a published author. I clapped and cheered a little too enthusiastically and the brothers asked me a few questions. I answered that my name was Tracey and mentioned that I've reviewed Ben's books on my blog, to which Ben said: "You're not Carpe Librum are you?"
It was such a mind-blowing moment that the author knew who I was but he was quick to clarify that he doesn't read reviews of his own books but has read my reviews of other books by Australian authors. This was such a memorable experience and it's a shame he'll never see my glowing reviews for this bestselling and beloved series but I admire the self discipline required. Perhaps that's how he's able to keep producing such excellent work; he's never bogged down by negative reviews and his ego is kept in check by not reading the positive reviews either.
Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson is a terrific bank heist mystery and you don't even need to make a deposit to read a FREE extract. Each of the Ernest Cunningham books have been published a year apart and I can't wait to see where the author takes the series next; hopefully we'll find out in October 2026!
* Copy courtesy of Penguin Random House *
Yep, you read that right! The suspects are listed in the blurb so it's not a spoiler to disclose them here as Ern considers the motives of: the bank robber, the manager, the security guard, the kid, the film producer, the priest, the receptionist, the patient, the carer and Ern himself. Each person is guilty of stealing something (including Ern and Juliette!) and Stevenson cleverly discloses the stolen items on page 4 immediately building atmosphere and suspense.
How's this for an opening line:
"Given I'm dying, and have just the one pen, let's motor through the pleasantries." Page 1
Ern is a reliable narrator and the reader knows up front his survival isn't guaranteed but he's determined to get to the truth no matter what. Ern is an amateur detective inspired by the Golden Age of detective novels and fair play mysteries where the clues are front and centre for the reader. He solves impossible crimes and was in the bank to apply for a business loan to start a detective agency.
"Solving murders is just a series of people lying to you in succession: the detective part is figuring out which lies are worth killing for. It's an endless pinball of deceit." Page 193
The thefts were creative and despite being the fourth installation in the series, the mystery felt far from formulaic. Stevenson's signature humour bursts from the page and the dialogue crackles along as Ern asks questions to identify the motives for each of the ten suspects while making questionable decisions himself along the way.
"Everyone steals, whether it's product or effort, money or time. There's more you can steal from a man than just his wallet. Air, for example." Page 310
The author is a comedian and earlier this year I attended the Melbourne Comedy Festival to see The Stevenson Experience, a comedy act he performs with his twin brother James. The show includes a little audience participation and during the performance James asked if anyone knew his brother was a published author. I clapped and cheered a little too enthusiastically and the brothers asked me a few questions. I answered that my name was Tracey and mentioned that I've reviewed Ben's books on my blog, to which Ben said: "You're not Carpe Librum are you?"
It was such a mind-blowing moment that the author knew who I was but he was quick to clarify that he doesn't read reviews of his own books but has read my reviews of other books by Australian authors. This was such a memorable experience and it's a shame he'll never see my glowing reviews for this bestselling and beloved series but I admire the self discipline required. Perhaps that's how he's able to keep producing such excellent work; he's never bogged down by negative reviews and his ego is kept in check by not reading the positive reviews either.
Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson is a terrific bank heist mystery and you don't even need to make a deposit to read a FREE extract. Each of the Ernest Cunningham books have been published a year apart and I can't wait to see where the author takes the series next; hopefully we'll find out in October 2026!
* Copy courtesy of Penguin Random House *
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4 Pistachio Stars
Narrated by Barton Welch
This is book four, featuring Ernest Cunningham, a unique main character. He’s a self-described amateur detective, but he’s at the bank today because they offered to loan him money to open his detective agency. Now he’s a hostage during a bank heist.
His fiancée, Juliette, is with him, and a hodgepodge of other characters comprises the hostage pool. There’s the reluctant bank robber; he doesn’t seem to know what he’s doing. There’s a young woman with a weak heart and her caretaker. For staff, we have the receptionist, the security guard, and the bank manager. There’s a teenager with his piggy bank, a film producer who knows Ernest because he’s working on a movie about Ernest. Finally, we have a priest who isn’t speaking, writing things down for communication.
Of course, most of these people had intriguing connections to the bank heist. And the bank is locked tight. Even the vault can’t be opened right now because the other bank manager is missing and changed the code. Oh, and I almost forgot about Ditto, the talking bird. He’s a fun addition to the story!
If you’ve read (or listened) to an Ernest Cunningham book before, you know that there are a lot of clues. I personally find the mysteries impossible to solve, and I love the explanation at the end. It turns out there are a lot of things you can steal from a bank.
This was my first time listening to one of Ernest’s stories, and I loved Barton Welch’s embodiment of Ernest. His masterful narration really brought the story to life.
This was a fun buddy listen with Marilyn. Be sure to see if she figured out the clues.
My thanks to HarperAudio Adult for the opportunity to listen to this one and honestly review it. Scheduled to release on 3.17.2026.
Narrated by Barton Welch
This is book four, featuring Ernest Cunningham, a unique main character. He’s a self-described amateur detective, but he’s at the bank today because they offered to loan him money to open his detective agency. Now he’s a hostage during a bank heist.
His fiancée, Juliette, is with him, and a hodgepodge of other characters comprises the hostage pool. There’s the reluctant bank robber; he doesn’t seem to know what he’s doing. There’s a young woman with a weak heart and her caretaker. For staff, we have the receptionist, the security guard, and the bank manager. There’s a teenager with his piggy bank, a film producer who knows Ernest because he’s working on a movie about Ernest. Finally, we have a priest who isn’t speaking, writing things down for communication.
Of course, most of these people had intriguing connections to the bank heist. And the bank is locked tight. Even the vault can’t be opened right now because the other bank manager is missing and changed the code. Oh, and I almost forgot about Ditto, the talking bird. He’s a fun addition to the story!
If you’ve read (or listened) to an Ernest Cunningham book before, you know that there are a lot of clues. I personally find the mysteries impossible to solve, and I love the explanation at the end. It turns out there are a lot of things you can steal from a bank.
This was my first time listening to one of Ernest’s stories, and I loved Barton Welch’s embodiment of Ernest. His masterful narration really brought the story to life.
This was a fun buddy listen with Marilyn. Be sure to see if she figured out the clues.
My thanks to HarperAudio Adult for the opportunity to listen to this one and honestly review it. Scheduled to release on 3.17.2026.
October 10, 2026
“The main heist is not the main heist,” I said aloud. “That’s a rule for a heist narrative. Whatever you think the heist is, the real heist is going on underneath it.”
Ernest Cunningham—solver of three seemingly impossible mysteries—wants to start his own detective agency. But he needs a loan, so he and Juliet travel to a bank in the small town of Huxley. And that’s how Ern finds himself in the middle of not one, not two, but ten different heists. And did I mention that, as the book opens, he’s locked inside the vault and will be dead from a lack of oxygen in about 15 hours?
Like the earlier books in this series, Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief is a clever, “fair play” mystery. Ern tells you all the rules he’s going to follow, points out so many clues, red herrings, and misdirections. Then he dares you to put all the pieces together before he reveals the elegant solution in a classic parlor scene reveal.
The series continues to be a smart update of Agatha Christie-style mysteries in the same way that the 90s Scream movies were a smart update of 70s and 80s horror movies. Your enjoyment of Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief likely depends on how you feel about Ern, the chatty hyper-reliable narrator. I continue to really like him. He’s conversational, often funny, and full of clever asides to the reader. Another entertaining and satisfying mystery with a Knives Out feel. Recommended.
July 10, 2026
This one was rather harder to follow than the others.
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