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Ernest Cunningham #4
Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief
Not yet published
Expected 17 Mar 26Win a free print copy of this book!
25 days and 21:59:26
50 copies available
U.S. only
Ten suspects. Ten heists. A mystery only Ernest Cunningham can solve.
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, hostages become suspects.
THE BANK ROBBER
THE MANAGER
THE SECURITY GUARD
THE KID
THE FILM PRODUCER
THE PRIEST
THE RECEPTIONIST
THE PATIENT
THE CARER
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, hostages become suspects.
THE BANK ROBBER
THE MANAGER
THE SECURITY GUARD
THE KID
THE FILM PRODUCER
THE PRIEST
THE RECEPTIONIST
THE PATIENT
THE CARER
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?
368 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication March 17, 2026
31340 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 696 reviews
February 1, 2026
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
February 2, 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 ───
November 23, 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
September 27, 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.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is a fabulously-fun installment to the Ernest Cunningham series. It successfully channels all the quirky meta vibes that Readers seem to be loving.
My rating could increase. I need to go back and see how I rated the earlier books. I really, really enjoyed this. It was a fun mystery to try to solve.
💙💛💙💛💙💛💙💛💙💛💙
Full review to come...stay tuned!!!
Original:
ARC received. I love you, Mariner Books. I'm excited for this one and love that there's a birdie on the cover!!
My rating could increase. I need to go back and see how I rated the earlier books. I really, really enjoyed this. It was a fun mystery to try to solve.
💙💛💙💛💙💛💙💛💙💛💙
Full review to come...stay tuned!!!
Original:
ARC received. I love you, Mariner Books. I'm excited for this one and love that there's a birdie on the cover!!
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 *
December 2, 2025
I received a free copy of, Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief, by, Benjamin Stevenson, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. What did I just read? This was a weird read about a murder and a bank heist.
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 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.
Want to read
October 26, 2025I just saw this one was coming out March 2026. Cannot wait! This series is so fun and engaging!
January 22, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for providing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.
First, let me say that this was my favorite book in the Ernest Cunningham series. I always enjoy Stevenson’s sense of humor, his references to classic Golden Age mysteries, and his conversational approach to storytelling. What has always bugged me about this series, though, is the sheer size of the cast (because I always forget who’s who), along with how crazy and outlandish the motivations and clues leading Ernest to his deductions can get. I mean… I guess if you’re inspired by the world’s best fictional sleuths, that does make sense. Maybe it’s me? Maybe I just prefer something a bit more grounded in the realm of possibility? Stay with me, though. I swear this is a positive review.
What sets this book apart for me is that I really felt like I knew our newest band of suspects. Maybe they were better fleshed out this time. Maybe they were more likable (although some were absolutely not). I’m not sure, but this one just felt different. Ernest also feels more three-dimensional here. He’s not just an armchair detective who keeps selling books while narrowly avoiding death. He recognizes that he has a problem, putting his life and relationships in constant danger for the sake of solving a crime, simply because he’s come too far to let things go. Ernest felt human. And while this book follows the series recipe in most ways, that character growth was what tipped the scale.
First, let me say that this was my favorite book in the Ernest Cunningham series. I always enjoy Stevenson’s sense of humor, his references to classic Golden Age mysteries, and his conversational approach to storytelling. What has always bugged me about this series, though, is the sheer size of the cast (because I always forget who’s who), along with how crazy and outlandish the motivations and clues leading Ernest to his deductions can get. I mean… I guess if you’re inspired by the world’s best fictional sleuths, that does make sense. Maybe it’s me? Maybe I just prefer something a bit more grounded in the realm of possibility? Stay with me, though. I swear this is a positive review.
What sets this book apart for me is that I really felt like I knew our newest band of suspects. Maybe they were better fleshed out this time. Maybe they were more likable (although some were absolutely not). I’m not sure, but this one just felt different. Ernest also feels more three-dimensional here. He’s not just an armchair detective who keeps selling books while narrowly avoiding death. He recognizes that he has a problem, putting his life and relationships in constant danger for the sake of solving a crime, simply because he’s come too far to let things go. Ernest felt human. And while this book follows the series recipe in most ways, that character growth was what tipped the scale.
Want to read
November 14, 2025YES!!! I AM SCREAMING MY HEART OUT OVER RECEIVING THIS ARC AN HOUR AGO!!! 😱😱😱!!!
~~~~~~~
Thank you NetGalley and Mariner Books for granting my request of Advance Reader’s Copy in exchange for my honest and personal opinion!!!
~~~~~~~
Thank you NetGalley and Mariner Books for granting my request of Advance Reader’s Copy in exchange for my honest and personal opinion!!!
November 12, 2025
This time Ern is in a bank with Juliette his fiancée and a bunch of hostages. There are several heists and thefts and then the murders begin. Everyone has a secret and Ernest is naturally smarter than everyone else involved.
I liked this one. I didn’t like it as much as the previous Ernest Cunningham books as I missed the “breaking the fourth wall” and more commentary from Ern when he is addressing the reader directly. In an attempt to make the story bigger and brighter there were more characters and a whole lot going on, which was harder to follow. Still, I got the unique flavor that is
Specific to this series.
The author references how golden age detective stories came at a time when the world really wanted to see justice being done and the bad guy being caught and thrown away the key. Interesting to learn how our story preferences go along with current events and culture.
Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the ARC. Ook to be published March 16, 2026
I liked this one. I didn’t like it as much as the previous Ernest Cunningham books as I missed the “breaking the fourth wall” and more commentary from Ern when he is addressing the reader directly. In an attempt to make the story bigger and brighter there were more characters and a whole lot going on, which was harder to follow. Still, I got the unique flavor that is
Specific to this series.
The author references how golden age detective stories came at a time when the world really wanted to see justice being done and the bad guy being caught and thrown away the key. Interesting to learn how our story preferences go along with current events and culture.
Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the ARC. Ook to be published March 16, 2026
January 20, 2026
Not as good as the other in the series, it’s 3 stars, but probably just barely.
Let’s start with the good: I really enjoy the style of the series, and this one is no exception, also the mysteries are engaging, with a cast of characters that all have secrets it was interesting to make sense of.
The first problem came with some really stupid actions on the mc part; there was a semblance of a reason for them, so it’s not damning, but it was annoying. The second problem was with the big answers; the smaller mysteries explanations are fine, as for the big ones, the who and why work, but the how… Farfetched explanations and so many incredible coincidences that all just happened to occur together ( I suspend my disbelief but come on…).
Let’s start with the good: I really enjoy the style of the series, and this one is no exception, also the mysteries are engaging, with a cast of characters that all have secrets it was interesting to make sense of.
The first problem came with some really stupid actions on the mc part; there was a semblance of a reason for them, so it’s not damning, but it was annoying. The second problem was with the big answers; the smaller mysteries explanations are fine, as for the big ones, the who and why work, but the how… Farfetched explanations and so many incredible coincidences that all just happened to occur together ( I suspend my disbelief but come on…).
December 26, 2025
review to come 🕵️♂️ merry christmas !!
January 28, 2026
Good, but not my favorite of the series. Review up soon!
3.5/5 stars rounded up
3.5/5 stars rounded up
January 20, 2026
Everyone in This Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson
Everyone in This Bank is a Thief is a clever locked‑room mystery and the fourth installment in the Ernest Cunningham series, where amateur sleuth Ernest “Ernie” Cunningham and his fiancée Juliette head to a small town bank in Sydney, Australia to seek a loan for Ernie’s budding detective agency but instead are plunged into a baffling crisis: all the doors are chained shut, no one can leave, and everyone inside the bank is a suspect after a masked robber takes the ten hostages and one of them is murdered. Every person present, from the film producer to the teenage gamer, the priest to the security guard has, in their own way, stolen something, making motives tangled and intriguing as Ernie must untangle ten “heists” (literal and metaphorical) and a killer before time runs out. Stevenson’s plot is hearty with twists, humour, and a delightful homage to classic whodunits with a modern spin.
I felt both delighted and dizzy from the ingenuity of the puzzle: Stevenson’s writing made me laugh and think in equal measure, and I genuinely cared as Ernie parsed motives and oddball clues amid a motley group of characters whose secrets kept shifting. The confined setting gave each revelation real weight, and the way every character’s stolen item tied into theme and motive felt playful and satisfying even when the complexity demanded close attention. Everyone in This Bank is a Thief is a witty, cerebral mystery that leaned into classic detective fun while keeping me guessing.
Rating: 4 out of 5, for its brilliant twists and engaging ensemble mystery.
Everyone in This Bank is a Thief is a clever locked‑room mystery and the fourth installment in the Ernest Cunningham series, where amateur sleuth Ernest “Ernie” Cunningham and his fiancée Juliette head to a small town bank in Sydney, Australia to seek a loan for Ernie’s budding detective agency but instead are plunged into a baffling crisis: all the doors are chained shut, no one can leave, and everyone inside the bank is a suspect after a masked robber takes the ten hostages and one of them is murdered. Every person present, from the film producer to the teenage gamer, the priest to the security guard has, in their own way, stolen something, making motives tangled and intriguing as Ernie must untangle ten “heists” (literal and metaphorical) and a killer before time runs out. Stevenson’s plot is hearty with twists, humour, and a delightful homage to classic whodunits with a modern spin.
I felt both delighted and dizzy from the ingenuity of the puzzle: Stevenson’s writing made me laugh and think in equal measure, and I genuinely cared as Ernie parsed motives and oddball clues amid a motley group of characters whose secrets kept shifting. The confined setting gave each revelation real weight, and the way every character’s stolen item tied into theme and motive felt playful and satisfying even when the complexity demanded close attention. Everyone in This Bank is a Thief is a witty, cerebral mystery that leaned into classic detective fun while keeping me guessing.
Rating: 4 out of 5, for its brilliant twists and engaging ensemble mystery.
June 21, 2025
GOD THANK YOU IVE BEEN SO TIRED OF WAITING MY DAY IS MADE
November 6, 2025
Such a fun time!
Review of advance copy
Fun and witty mystery!!! Every Ernest Cunningham novel is twisty, funny and clever in a way that is self-aware of the murder mystery/crime tropes without being pretentious.
October 1, 2025
A good addition to the Ernest Cunningham series. I liked the bank heist element, added a layer of complexity. Had to take a star off because I did get very confused for a part and felt that it lost the plot.
Parlour scene was short and snappy like the end of a down hill race.
Parlour scene was short and snappy like the end of a down hill race.
November 9, 2025
4.5 stars for this instalment.
Ernest is back and in a small town bank this time.
The author sticks to his tried and tested Agatha Christie-esque formula and it works. There are ten people in the bank and each has their story. As in the other books, there are a lot of characters and there’s a lot going on. However, the reasons for the crimes/murders are more realistic and intriguing.
Still a little convoluted and I still struggle with the first-person narrative but overall a great read.
Ernest is back and in a small town bank this time.
The author sticks to his tried and tested Agatha Christie-esque formula and it works. There are ten people in the bank and each has their story. As in the other books, there are a lot of characters and there’s a lot going on. However, the reasons for the crimes/murders are more realistic and intriguing.
Still a little convoluted and I still struggle with the first-person narrative but overall a great read.
November 21, 2025
My Selling Pitch:
Ernie’s back for his take on Anxious People’s terrible bank robber. These books are hard drugs for puzzle addicts.
Pre-reading:
Foaming at the mouth, gnawing at the bars of my enclosure for another Ernie fix. These books make me go feral.
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Bird listens in on a confessional? (Kinda!)
I'm totally texting this man.
Omg and a behind the scenes video? Spoil me more!
If they kill Ernie-
Stairs up? On all of them? (Kinda lame we don't get a roof picture.)
Ernie’s trapped in the vault? (He's not.)
A marker for fake money? (Negative.)
Ernie is the thief who doesn't care about money? (Nope.)
Near an airport and four hours ahead of Australia-what country is that lol? I don't know time zones.
Organ donor? And they literally stole his heart? (Ding ding ding.)
Butterflies block the van from seeing him? (Nope.)
Instead of four hours behind…There’s no a.m. or p.m. How far away is Vegas? Maybe they know each other and she's an inside man.
A replica of the gold nugget because now it’s magnetic and gold isn’t supposed to be magnetic? That's robbing a bank by adding an item. (Too obvious.)
Ernie stole the gold pen?
Maybe the pen’s not gold? Is the nugget already switched? (Nope.)
Edward’s in the vault, and he was murdered in there, but no one could’ve gotten in, and that’s the impossible murder? (Yup!)
Remy the rat.
I’m so curious why he’s describing everyone’s outfits because he hasn’t done this before. He hasn’t described Jul‘s outfit, so like why are we getting Remy and Milton specifically? And he points out that Juliet cut her hair? For why? (For set dressing)
Michelle knows the fencer and they met in Vegas? Because he’s nasal and coffee shop? (Nope.)
I love Laverna.
The granddaughter needs the heart.
It's reminding me of Anxious People.
Felix polishes the nugget? For why? (I knew it was a thing but I had zero hope of figuring that out.)
I hope they let us solve the Wordle. (Criminal that they don’t.)
An umbrella because it was raining?
Invoice is 700easy (Too easy, baby. Saw that instantly.)
Maybe his son dies in a boating accident and the gold bar replaced what was in the box? (Couldn’t have been more wrong.)
Tunneling to the church? (Nah.)
Nugget is the switch and Michelle is the inside man? (Nope.)
Maybe the dialogue is broken up?
I am not - one person
A clue- second person (Nope.)
He hired the truck driver lady by buying that eBay listing? (Not it.)
What a good twist!
Remy’s seatbelt is opposite since the US and Australia drive on different sides? So they'd spot him in a traffic ticket. (This is never used, and it ticks me off.)
The Hess truck’s back, and it’s better than ever🎶
Can you buy a full truck off eBay? I think he bought the truck off Laverna to tunnel from the church into the vault and the mess is them cleaning the dirt? (Not at all.)
There’s so many balls in the air. I’m obsessed.
I’m assuming the she who dies if she leaves the bank is Michelle? Are they fixing another video game match?
29 39 34 measurements like in Sherlock? But those would be really awkward measurements. Whose waist is bigger than their shoulders? (LMAO I only know girl measurements sorryyyy.)
Can you do something with the batteries and the magnet, and gold shouldn’t be reactive, but it’s not gold so it’s going to react?
Can he use urine for more water? (Yup.)
Oh, use the magnet to spell help. (Yup.)
Fathers’ day like the priest? (I never assume people can't use basic grammar lmao.)
This book is so funny. I love these so much.
The robber has to keep someone else in the bank because his kid will die-the crying one in the coffee shop. It’s two different ambiguous pronouns. (Yes, Pookie! Keep cooking.)
Remy paid Bryce for why?
Why is Felix good at chemistry?
They keep reminding you about the Australian date order, so maybe the 10 11 is November 10th? Also, I totally thought Ben died in February because I am American, but he died in September. (Wrong again, but I was literally never going to get this.)
Is Cordelia’s dress from Remy‘s clothing brand? (Kinda!)
Is there an accelerant in the sports drink because he wouldn’t let her drink it?
Swapped the safes? But how and for why?
What word ends in ern? Pattern? Like a sewing pattern?
A locker combination? To get the killing uniform out of?
So I’m assuming Bryce and his wife Queenie were contracted to do costuming for the fake show and that’s what the kill fee was but they also costumed Cordelia. (Yup.)
So the nugget is gold-coated iron-oop. I love that the book is like you’re reasonable to think this but no. So the bar from the competition then? (Also no.)
He’s 15 and she’s 20. That’s not appropriate.
The mask irritated his face so maybe his skin was having an allergic reaction to something, but that still doesn't explain sunscreen and lighting on fire. God, I can't wait to find out! (You were so close, but this book requires too much outside knowledge to be truly fair play.)
Are they robbing the urns of all the minority workers? Like taking their fillings and shit? And there’s one in his safe. (Nope.)
Yes, I was wondering what he was supposed to write.
You know, I was so proud of myself for spotting too easy on the invoice instantly but now they keep bringing it up, and I no longer feel smart.
Why would there be powdered salt on the floor? From the spilled iv? Like saline? But for why?
Oh see, when the book makes the same leap as I do, I’m like oh fuck, I must be wrong.
If they’re not into the vault from the tunnel, maybe they’re into the hospital? Why would we need the old workers’ urns? Oh and then he's not saying Ern. He's saying urn!
They’re bringing up the umbrella again and I’m still on the he knew the sprinklers were gonna go off and didn’t wanna get wet. (Nope.)
Okay, Edward also combusted??? How is that happening? I'm so intrigued!!! (SIGH.)
The shoes on Bryce were also fine. Is it a rubber and electricity thing? (Nope.)
There’s gotta be something more with Milton like we’re supposed to write him off because he’s not in the bank but like…(Nope.)
Oh god, here we go with the timeline again. He left at 7. What time was he seen by Winston and how far away was Byron Bay?
Their worth their salt? Like there’s salt again. Electrolytes are salts. Where are we going with this?
And there's the can't see because of butterflies/did Laverne crash the car because of the butterflies? And then they traveled over the mountains to here? Like she's a trucker. She shouldn't just crash.
How did Michelle get injured? A car accident? But it happened before she was in Vegas because she was in a cast then.
He keeps trying to point out all the clues and I’m like I know, I have them. I saw them the first time, but I don’t know how they connect yet!
Tobias isn’t panicked that his son is inside because he knows it’s not a real robbery? (No, he's just a shitbag.)
My jaw also dropped.
So they’re betting on the boys. Maybe that’s how Edward lost 2 million betting on his son or betting against his son? Could Eric‘s dad have been called in to talk Edward out of being suicidal after his son was killed? (Nope.)
Why is Ernie continuously counting wrong? (FML.)
The priest has so much money because he’s getting gold from the ashes because they didn’t have magnets back then to take the fillings out? (Nope.)
OK, so they just proved the nugget really is made of gold and the pen. But not the bar? Did he sponsor the tournament and his son had to win so he could get the fake bar? But why?
I think the safes are what switched. (Finally.)
Gotta lose money to make money.
220,000, which is the bet money, is the eBay receipt for the toy truck. (Nailed it.)
Red dust on the bar like from the teapot like from the mine? (Nope.)
Keep an eye out for small lies. Still trying to figure out the thief wanting sunscreen. (Poor Samantha.)
They keep emphasizing that the gun is heavy. It only had one bullet. But there’s a second gun and that’s Felix‘s.
Yeah, I figured out the dress but.
If he’s allergic to sunlight that umbrella wasn’t for rain, it was for sun?
They keep reminding us that the sports drink hasn’t been used yet, so it's not the accelerant, but it's not potable, so what is it, god?
This is nuts lmao.
The pot is Ben’s ashes so he can’t come back from the dead? and it rules out Winston because Winston figured out it was his brother’s safe in there and knew Edward's son‘s ashes were inside? Bc he said don't mess with the urn basically? (Nope.)
What did he shoot? The only thing I can think of is if he was trying to shoot the bird. (You’re early, babe.)
What’s the coin significance? Eric has 2 silver coins and that leads to Ernie miscounting because-I don’t know currency like this. I’m American lmao. (The way I thought they were talking about dollar bills all book only to learn that Australians have one dollar coins and only coins.)
OK, so the timeline is what’s gonna clinch it? I hate math.
He said and a button. Could the button be a coin? (Nope.)
So on Thursday, Remy was with the actor right before the accident.
Eight months ago, Felix tested something that was mostly iron (so sometime in March) Was it when they won the gold bar in the tournament?
Do they keep emphasizing that gold and the gun are heavy because it’s a golden gun that melted once it was fired? (Lmao, Samantha, please.)
The rusty teapot saved Harold from dysentery? And Winston’s gut is a mess.
And the priest’s jar of water…I don’t know how they all connect. (They don’t, but you were onto something with the teapot.)
Could Felix be testing the bell in the church? That's the only other cast iron I can think of, but why?
Alright. Finished 40 and paused. This one is good. I don’t know whodunnit. Lemme have a little brain dump and see what I can figure out. (8 sheets of scrap paper later)
Let's figure out the timeline.
Ernie gets to the bank at 10am.
Actor’s life support switched off at 9am in Byron which is 2 hours away.
Hearts expire in 6 hours.
So the earliest they can be at the hospital is 11:30 and they have to get the heart by 3pm-and it's a timer. It's not slow. It's how long he has to get his coffee shop daughter a heart. It's two ambiguous shes. If Cor leaves the bank, Emma dies. (Nancy fuckin’ Drew over here.)
Bryce was going to hit the actor because he had Ernie’s cup to save the film’s money so they wouldn't be fired, but chickened out? And then the butterflies prevented him from seeing and it became an actual accident to take advantage of? But how would he not be in jail for manslaughter? And how does he know to rob the bank to stall them? How does he even know they'll be there-because he donated to complete their campaign. How does he get past reception? Maybe the combo in his pocket was Felix’s locker where he left a fencing costume for him? But that's why he flips when Cor and Lav aren't in the initial group of hostages and why he loses it when Ernie asks if he's heartless. But somebody had to tell him the vault was locked so he knew asking for a dollar would be a proper stall. So who’s helping him rob the place?
The coins-Eric contributes two silver coins that total 70cents. Ernie miscounts it as 4.80 but Juliette has it right at 4.40. Googling Australian currency-the only combo to be 70cents is a 50 and a 20, so the other coin to be 80 must be a 10 and that stays the same when Juliette counts, so the 50 must switch to a 10? Is it like a bad forgery? You rob a bank backwards by adding something of less value, so he's adding fake coins? But he's just a kid and he doesn't need money if he's a streamer.
Ed was worried about security a week before this happened. he made Felix get a new gun. He hired Michelle from a different phone. His security box is open. What did he take out of the security box? He sat under the air conditioning vents, and Bryce died next to the air conditioning vents on the roof. Is there something with a flammable gas? Is it a neon sports drink? Never mind, neon isn’t inflammable. He can’t die by nut though. That’s so stupid. Whatever the plastic was in Bryce‘s pocket, could that be an ignition source?
Why isn't Tobias worried about his son? Like he has to be involved somehow.
What does Winston’s safe prove? The pot if it’s Ben’s ashes proves it's not him from beyond the grave.
Can you rob a bank by putting a magnet in the vault? Disrupting a secret aimbot in Eric’s deposit box?
Dysentery killed Felix’s ancestor, but ancestor Huxley was safe because he drank from the teapot because?
10 thefts. Ernie pen, Juls 5k, Bryce literally a heart, Michelle 10k, Laverna 150k, Cordelia 150k and a heart? Can they reuse an item? That's lame if so. Remy 25 mill, priest coffee cup. Felix is a revenge theft. Winston took “everything” and what the actual fuck did Eric steal? I can't think of it.
3 heists. 1 already happened-Michelle’s 10k. 2 is in-progress which is? And 3 is about to kick off-Bryce’s heart theft. But isn't that already in progress since he donated that morning? So if that's actually the in-progress one… A third heist needs to start during the robbery out of opportunity? Putting the magnet in to disrupt the dye pack frequency so they can steal the money? But how would they know to bring a magnet?
I gave up. It stumped me. (I think I figured out everything I could’ve. Except for Ditto. That was fair, and I missed it.)
Ernie being an Aries makes a lot of sense lol.
Closed casket because he’s not dead because I refuse!
Yeah, I got all the Bryce shit. We done been knew. Saying he came in without a goal to the robbery and was just gonna stall for time and just happened to think of a dollar from the vault that they can’t get into is really weak. Also, it falls apart if they could get into the vault. And he has no reason to suspect they can’t get into the vault.
I did guess that the pocket code was measurements initially, but then wrote it off because whose waist is bigger than their shoulders!
OK, that’s not totally fair play because I have literally never heard of Royal Water and the book never introduces it as even a possibility.
OK, I got the urn. I just didn’t get who was in the urn.
I didn’t know gold was poisonous. Fancy restaurants eat gold leaf all the time. How are we not dying? I like how I picked up on all the clues and I knew who they went to, but I couldn’t solve it because I don’t know this outside information.
But how did Winston learn that his relative killed somebody?
Mr. Stevenson I love you, but this dialogue “I am not a clue” is stupid. No one talks like that.
15-year-olds know over under. That’s a very well-known phrase.
The pistachio thing is not real. Are you shitting me?
That’s a lot that has to go right for it to work. Also, the magnet is weak enough to only pick up two coins from a whole pile soundlessly no less, but strong enough to wipe a tape a whole deposit box away? How do they know that box is empty? Their plan falls apart if it’s taken. Also, if it’s streamed with a death, that shit’s been clipped by a hundred different users already.
When do we get told that the crypt glows in the dark? I missed that.
These solutions require you to know a lot about chemicals and how they’re poisonous and I just don’t know that. That’s not super fair.
Did not have Eric pegged as the murderer at all.
I knew somebody was gonna shoot at the bird!
You know, the rest of this book, easily 5 stars. The parlor scene, not my fave. Death by pistachio is really fucking stupid.
Post-reading:
This series is so much fun. This one is incredibly fast-paced. I think it’s actually impossible to get bored reading it. Frustrated is a whole other matter.
This book lobs a lot of balls into the air. It’s a giant cast with a lot of moving parts. It’s overwhelming, but that’s part of the appeal. For a series that prides itself on being fair play, I think this one is really walking the line. It requires you to have a fair bit of outside knowledge of chemicals. I think tossing in a couple more “totally innocuous and not at all relevant fun fact asides” or a few more passages from the chemistry textbook would’ve made this a bit more fair. The Sherlock know-how WAS fair in my opinion because the book tells you the relevant parts of the cases before you need to use them.
Two of the solutions are a bit unbelievable even for a campy mystery purposely trying to be twisty. Death by spontaneous nut combustion, is outrageous, that’s what she said jokes aside. Similarly, the magnet’s properties play a little too fast and loose with plot convenience. I’ll buy that Bryce went into the robbery without a goal other than to stall for time, but his demands should’ve switched up. It’s just a little too convenient that his first ask was perfectly impossible.
I think there’s a couple clues left hanging in a series that’s usually tighter. I was amazed that Remy’s faux seatbelt shirt never became relevant and that we never harkened back to the parking meters at the beginning of the book. I was waiting for the joke that only an idiot could rack up a fine worth more than pocket change, but they’ve been parked for days now and Juliette’s got a grand in her pocket. It’s nothing book ruining. I’m just nitpicking because this series is one of my absolute favorites.
Until the slightly disappointing ending, I thought this was going to be my new favorite in the series. The second on the train is still my favorite though. I’ll be waiting very impatiently for the next installment.
Who should read this:
Clue and logic puzzle fans
Taylor Adams fans
Holly Jackson fans
Ideal reading time:
August
Do I want to reread this:
It’s hard to reread mysteries when you know the answer, but I will continue to shove this series at everyone I know.
Would I buy this:
Duh!
Similar books:
* Anxious People by Fredrik Backman-campy, contemporary, cozy thriller, ensemble cast
* Thin Air by Kellie M. Parker-YA locked room mystery, thriller
* No Exit by Taylor Adams-locked room mystery, thriller
* The Last Word by Taylor Adams-campy thriller
* Kill Joy by Holly Jackson-YA murder mystery party game
* Five Survive by Holly Jackson-YA mystery, thriller
* The Reappearance of Rachel Price-YA mystery, family drama, revenge thriller
* With a Vengeance by Riley Sager-historical, locked room mystery, revenge thriller
* Strange Houses by Jim Rion-mided media, family drama, thriller, mystery
* The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter-cozy, locked room mystery, holiday romance
* She Lies in Wait by Gytha Lodge-crime, procedural, mystery, revenge thriller, ensemble cast
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Ernie’s back for his take on Anxious People’s terrible bank robber. These books are hard drugs for puzzle addicts.
Pre-reading:
Foaming at the mouth, gnawing at the bars of my enclosure for another Ernie fix. These books make me go feral.
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Bird listens in on a confessional? (Kinda!)
I'm totally texting this man.
Omg and a behind the scenes video? Spoil me more!
If they kill Ernie-
Stairs up? On all of them? (Kinda lame we don't get a roof picture.)
Ernie’s trapped in the vault? (He's not.)
A marker for fake money? (Negative.)
Ernie is the thief who doesn't care about money? (Nope.)
Near an airport and four hours ahead of Australia-what country is that lol? I don't know time zones.
Organ donor? And they literally stole his heart? (Ding ding ding.)
Butterflies block the van from seeing him? (Nope.)
Instead of four hours behind…There’s no a.m. or p.m. How far away is Vegas? Maybe they know each other and she's an inside man.
A replica of the gold nugget because now it’s magnetic and gold isn’t supposed to be magnetic? That's robbing a bank by adding an item. (Too obvious.)
Ernie stole the gold pen?
Maybe the pen’s not gold? Is the nugget already switched? (Nope.)
Edward’s in the vault, and he was murdered in there, but no one could’ve gotten in, and that’s the impossible murder? (Yup!)
Remy the rat.
I’m so curious why he’s describing everyone’s outfits because he hasn’t done this before. He hasn’t described Jul‘s outfit, so like why are we getting Remy and Milton specifically? And he points out that Juliet cut her hair? For why? (For set dressing)
Michelle knows the fencer and they met in Vegas? Because he’s nasal and coffee shop? (Nope.)
I love Laverna.
The granddaughter needs the heart.
It's reminding me of Anxious People.
Felix polishes the nugget? For why? (I knew it was a thing but I had zero hope of figuring that out.)
I hope they let us solve the Wordle. (Criminal that they don’t.)
An umbrella because it was raining?
Invoice is 700easy (Too easy, baby. Saw that instantly.)
Maybe his son dies in a boating accident and the gold bar replaced what was in the box? (Couldn’t have been more wrong.)
Tunneling to the church? (Nah.)
Nugget is the switch and Michelle is the inside man? (Nope.)
Maybe the dialogue is broken up?
I am not - one person
A clue- second person (Nope.)
He hired the truck driver lady by buying that eBay listing? (Not it.)
What a good twist!
Remy’s seatbelt is opposite since the US and Australia drive on different sides? So they'd spot him in a traffic ticket. (This is never used, and it ticks me off.)
The Hess truck’s back, and it’s better than ever🎶
Can you buy a full truck off eBay? I think he bought the truck off Laverna to tunnel from the church into the vault and the mess is them cleaning the dirt? (Not at all.)
There’s so many balls in the air. I’m obsessed.
I’m assuming the she who dies if she leaves the bank is Michelle? Are they fixing another video game match?
29 39 34 measurements like in Sherlock? But those would be really awkward measurements. Whose waist is bigger than their shoulders? (LMAO I only know girl measurements sorryyyy.)
Can you do something with the batteries and the magnet, and gold shouldn’t be reactive, but it’s not gold so it’s going to react?
Can he use urine for more water? (Yup.)
Oh, use the magnet to spell help. (Yup.)
Fathers’ day like the priest? (I never assume people can't use basic grammar lmao.)
This book is so funny. I love these so much.
The robber has to keep someone else in the bank because his kid will die-the crying one in the coffee shop. It’s two different ambiguous pronouns. (Yes, Pookie! Keep cooking.)
Remy paid Bryce for why?
Why is Felix good at chemistry?
They keep reminding you about the Australian date order, so maybe the 10 11 is November 10th? Also, I totally thought Ben died in February because I am American, but he died in September. (Wrong again, but I was literally never going to get this.)
Is Cordelia’s dress from Remy‘s clothing brand? (Kinda!)
Is there an accelerant in the sports drink because he wouldn’t let her drink it?
Swapped the safes? But how and for why?
What word ends in ern? Pattern? Like a sewing pattern?
A locker combination? To get the killing uniform out of?
So I’m assuming Bryce and his wife Queenie were contracted to do costuming for the fake show and that’s what the kill fee was but they also costumed Cordelia. (Yup.)
So the nugget is gold-coated iron-oop. I love that the book is like you’re reasonable to think this but no. So the bar from the competition then? (Also no.)
He’s 15 and she’s 20. That’s not appropriate.
The mask irritated his face so maybe his skin was having an allergic reaction to something, but that still doesn't explain sunscreen and lighting on fire. God, I can't wait to find out! (You were so close, but this book requires too much outside knowledge to be truly fair play.)
Are they robbing the urns of all the minority workers? Like taking their fillings and shit? And there’s one in his safe. (Nope.)
Yes, I was wondering what he was supposed to write.
You know, I was so proud of myself for spotting too easy on the invoice instantly but now they keep bringing it up, and I no longer feel smart.
Why would there be powdered salt on the floor? From the spilled iv? Like saline? But for why?
Oh see, when the book makes the same leap as I do, I’m like oh fuck, I must be wrong.
If they’re not into the vault from the tunnel, maybe they’re into the hospital? Why would we need the old workers’ urns? Oh and then he's not saying Ern. He's saying urn!
They’re bringing up the umbrella again and I’m still on the he knew the sprinklers were gonna go off and didn’t wanna get wet. (Nope.)
Okay, Edward also combusted??? How is that happening? I'm so intrigued!!! (SIGH.)
The shoes on Bryce were also fine. Is it a rubber and electricity thing? (Nope.)
There’s gotta be something more with Milton like we’re supposed to write him off because he’s not in the bank but like…(Nope.)
Oh god, here we go with the timeline again. He left at 7. What time was he seen by Winston and how far away was Byron Bay?
Their worth their salt? Like there’s salt again. Electrolytes are salts. Where are we going with this?
And there's the can't see because of butterflies/did Laverne crash the car because of the butterflies? And then they traveled over the mountains to here? Like she's a trucker. She shouldn't just crash.
How did Michelle get injured? A car accident? But it happened before she was in Vegas because she was in a cast then.
He keeps trying to point out all the clues and I’m like I know, I have them. I saw them the first time, but I don’t know how they connect yet!
Tobias isn’t panicked that his son is inside because he knows it’s not a real robbery? (No, he's just a shitbag.)
My jaw also dropped.
So they’re betting on the boys. Maybe that’s how Edward lost 2 million betting on his son or betting against his son? Could Eric‘s dad have been called in to talk Edward out of being suicidal after his son was killed? (Nope.)
Why is Ernie continuously counting wrong? (FML.)
The priest has so much money because he’s getting gold from the ashes because they didn’t have magnets back then to take the fillings out? (Nope.)
OK, so they just proved the nugget really is made of gold and the pen. But not the bar? Did he sponsor the tournament and his son had to win so he could get the fake bar? But why?
I think the safes are what switched. (Finally.)
Gotta lose money to make money.
220,000, which is the bet money, is the eBay receipt for the toy truck. (Nailed it.)
Red dust on the bar like from the teapot like from the mine? (Nope.)
Keep an eye out for small lies. Still trying to figure out the thief wanting sunscreen. (Poor Samantha.)
They keep emphasizing that the gun is heavy. It only had one bullet. But there’s a second gun and that’s Felix‘s.
Yeah, I figured out the dress but.
If he’s allergic to sunlight that umbrella wasn’t for rain, it was for sun?
They keep reminding us that the sports drink hasn’t been used yet, so it's not the accelerant, but it's not potable, so what is it, god?
This is nuts lmao.
The pot is Ben’s ashes so he can’t come back from the dead? and it rules out Winston because Winston figured out it was his brother’s safe in there and knew Edward's son‘s ashes were inside? Bc he said don't mess with the urn basically? (Nope.)
What did he shoot? The only thing I can think of is if he was trying to shoot the bird. (You’re early, babe.)
What’s the coin significance? Eric has 2 silver coins and that leads to Ernie miscounting because-I don’t know currency like this. I’m American lmao. (The way I thought they were talking about dollar bills all book only to learn that Australians have one dollar coins and only coins.)
OK, so the timeline is what’s gonna clinch it? I hate math.
He said and a button. Could the button be a coin? (Nope.)
So on Thursday, Remy was with the actor right before the accident.
Eight months ago, Felix tested something that was mostly iron (so sometime in March) Was it when they won the gold bar in the tournament?
Do they keep emphasizing that gold and the gun are heavy because it’s a golden gun that melted once it was fired? (Lmao, Samantha, please.)
The rusty teapot saved Harold from dysentery? And Winston’s gut is a mess.
And the priest’s jar of water…I don’t know how they all connect. (They don’t, but you were onto something with the teapot.)
Could Felix be testing the bell in the church? That's the only other cast iron I can think of, but why?
Alright. Finished 40 and paused. This one is good. I don’t know whodunnit. Lemme have a little brain dump and see what I can figure out. (8 sheets of scrap paper later)
Let's figure out the timeline.
Ernie gets to the bank at 10am.
Actor’s life support switched off at 9am in Byron which is 2 hours away.
Hearts expire in 6 hours.
So the earliest they can be at the hospital is 11:30 and they have to get the heart by 3pm-and it's a timer. It's not slow. It's how long he has to get his coffee shop daughter a heart. It's two ambiguous shes. If Cor leaves the bank, Emma dies. (Nancy fuckin’ Drew over here.)
Bryce was going to hit the actor because he had Ernie’s cup to save the film’s money so they wouldn't be fired, but chickened out? And then the butterflies prevented him from seeing and it became an actual accident to take advantage of? But how would he not be in jail for manslaughter? And how does he know to rob the bank to stall them? How does he even know they'll be there-because he donated to complete their campaign. How does he get past reception? Maybe the combo in his pocket was Felix’s locker where he left a fencing costume for him? But that's why he flips when Cor and Lav aren't in the initial group of hostages and why he loses it when Ernie asks if he's heartless. But somebody had to tell him the vault was locked so he knew asking for a dollar would be a proper stall. So who’s helping him rob the place?
The coins-Eric contributes two silver coins that total 70cents. Ernie miscounts it as 4.80 but Juliette has it right at 4.40. Googling Australian currency-the only combo to be 70cents is a 50 and a 20, so the other coin to be 80 must be a 10 and that stays the same when Juliette counts, so the 50 must switch to a 10? Is it like a bad forgery? You rob a bank backwards by adding something of less value, so he's adding fake coins? But he's just a kid and he doesn't need money if he's a streamer.
Ed was worried about security a week before this happened. he made Felix get a new gun. He hired Michelle from a different phone. His security box is open. What did he take out of the security box? He sat under the air conditioning vents, and Bryce died next to the air conditioning vents on the roof. Is there something with a flammable gas? Is it a neon sports drink? Never mind, neon isn’t inflammable. He can’t die by nut though. That’s so stupid. Whatever the plastic was in Bryce‘s pocket, could that be an ignition source?
Why isn't Tobias worried about his son? Like he has to be involved somehow.
What does Winston’s safe prove? The pot if it’s Ben’s ashes proves it's not him from beyond the grave.
Can you rob a bank by putting a magnet in the vault? Disrupting a secret aimbot in Eric’s deposit box?
Dysentery killed Felix’s ancestor, but ancestor Huxley was safe because he drank from the teapot because?
10 thefts. Ernie pen, Juls 5k, Bryce literally a heart, Michelle 10k, Laverna 150k, Cordelia 150k and a heart? Can they reuse an item? That's lame if so. Remy 25 mill, priest coffee cup. Felix is a revenge theft. Winston took “everything” and what the actual fuck did Eric steal? I can't think of it.
3 heists. 1 already happened-Michelle’s 10k. 2 is in-progress which is? And 3 is about to kick off-Bryce’s heart theft. But isn't that already in progress since he donated that morning? So if that's actually the in-progress one… A third heist needs to start during the robbery out of opportunity? Putting the magnet in to disrupt the dye pack frequency so they can steal the money? But how would they know to bring a magnet?
I gave up. It stumped me. (I think I figured out everything I could’ve. Except for Ditto. That was fair, and I missed it.)
Ernie being an Aries makes a lot of sense lol.
Closed casket because he’s not dead because I refuse!
Yeah, I got all the Bryce shit. We done been knew. Saying he came in without a goal to the robbery and was just gonna stall for time and just happened to think of a dollar from the vault that they can’t get into is really weak. Also, it falls apart if they could get into the vault. And he has no reason to suspect they can’t get into the vault.
I did guess that the pocket code was measurements initially, but then wrote it off because whose waist is bigger than their shoulders!
OK, that’s not totally fair play because I have literally never heard of Royal Water and the book never introduces it as even a possibility.
OK, I got the urn. I just didn’t get who was in the urn.
I didn’t know gold was poisonous. Fancy restaurants eat gold leaf all the time. How are we not dying? I like how I picked up on all the clues and I knew who they went to, but I couldn’t solve it because I don’t know this outside information.
But how did Winston learn that his relative killed somebody?
Mr. Stevenson I love you, but this dialogue “I am not a clue” is stupid. No one talks like that.
15-year-olds know over under. That’s a very well-known phrase.
The pistachio thing is not real. Are you shitting me?
That’s a lot that has to go right for it to work. Also, the magnet is weak enough to only pick up two coins from a whole pile soundlessly no less, but strong enough to wipe a tape a whole deposit box away? How do they know that box is empty? Their plan falls apart if it’s taken. Also, if it’s streamed with a death, that shit’s been clipped by a hundred different users already.
When do we get told that the crypt glows in the dark? I missed that.
These solutions require you to know a lot about chemicals and how they’re poisonous and I just don’t know that. That’s not super fair.
Did not have Eric pegged as the murderer at all.
I knew somebody was gonna shoot at the bird!
You know, the rest of this book, easily 5 stars. The parlor scene, not my fave. Death by pistachio is really fucking stupid.
Post-reading:
This series is so much fun. This one is incredibly fast-paced. I think it’s actually impossible to get bored reading it. Frustrated is a whole other matter.
This book lobs a lot of balls into the air. It’s a giant cast with a lot of moving parts. It’s overwhelming, but that’s part of the appeal. For a series that prides itself on being fair play, I think this one is really walking the line. It requires you to have a fair bit of outside knowledge of chemicals. I think tossing in a couple more “totally innocuous and not at all relevant fun fact asides” or a few more passages from the chemistry textbook would’ve made this a bit more fair. The Sherlock know-how WAS fair in my opinion because the book tells you the relevant parts of the cases before you need to use them.
Two of the solutions are a bit unbelievable even for a campy mystery purposely trying to be twisty. Death by spontaneous nut combustion, is outrageous, that’s what she said jokes aside. Similarly, the magnet’s properties play a little too fast and loose with plot convenience. I’ll buy that Bryce went into the robbery without a goal other than to stall for time, but his demands should’ve switched up. It’s just a little too convenient that his first ask was perfectly impossible.
I think there’s a couple clues left hanging in a series that’s usually tighter. I was amazed that Remy’s faux seatbelt shirt never became relevant and that we never harkened back to the parking meters at the beginning of the book. I was waiting for the joke that only an idiot could rack up a fine worth more than pocket change, but they’ve been parked for days now and Juliette’s got a grand in her pocket. It’s nothing book ruining. I’m just nitpicking because this series is one of my absolute favorites.
Until the slightly disappointing ending, I thought this was going to be my new favorite in the series. The second on the train is still my favorite though. I’ll be waiting very impatiently for the next installment.
Who should read this:
Clue and logic puzzle fans
Taylor Adams fans
Holly Jackson fans
Ideal reading time:
August
Do I want to reread this:
It’s hard to reread mysteries when you know the answer, but I will continue to shove this series at everyone I know.
Would I buy this:
Duh!
Similar books:
* Anxious People by Fredrik Backman-campy, contemporary, cozy thriller, ensemble cast
* Thin Air by Kellie M. Parker-YA locked room mystery, thriller
* No Exit by Taylor Adams-locked room mystery, thriller
* The Last Word by Taylor Adams-campy thriller
* Kill Joy by Holly Jackson-YA murder mystery party game
* Five Survive by Holly Jackson-YA mystery, thriller
* The Reappearance of Rachel Price-YA mystery, family drama, revenge thriller
* With a Vengeance by Riley Sager-historical, locked room mystery, revenge thriller
* Strange Houses by Jim Rion-mided media, family drama, thriller, mystery
* The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter-cozy, locked room mystery, holiday romance
* She Lies in Wait by Gytha Lodge-crime, procedural, mystery, revenge thriller, ensemble cast
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 5, 2025
A different read for me but enjoyable nonetheless. Stevenson is a wonderfully witty author and one I’ll be on the lookout for in the future.
This reminded me of the old Pink Panther movies mixed with a little bit of Knives Out. Quirky detective with a touch of sarcasm and humor to wrap it all up. The case, the chase, the reveal- I enjoyed it all. If you enjoy easy to digest mysteries , I would absolutely give this a go
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to read an advanced digital copy.
This reminded me of the old Pink Panther movies mixed with a little bit of Knives Out. Quirky detective with a touch of sarcasm and humor to wrap it all up. The case, the chase, the reveal- I enjoyed it all. If you enjoy easy to digest mysteries , I would absolutely give this a go
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to read an advanced digital copy.
November 30, 2025
4.25/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Another cracking ‘whodunnit’ this time with a bank heist twist. This definitely revitalised the series and really hooked me from start to finish. The thief plot point really forwarded the action and made you want to keep reading to find out what each of them stole in both literal and metaphorical ways. Ernest is always doing the most ridiculous things to solve his cases and this was certainly his most ludicrous or at least illegal and stretched incredulity at the end but the extravagant reveal was worth it, really “rung the bell” if you pardon the pun. This was just another great addition to a fun cosy humorous mystery series with the bumbling Aussie crime writer who needs to take better care of himself (seriously, I don’t know how many more bones he can break, skin that can be de-gloved, or bullet holes that can be poked). I also had the honour of meeting the author and getting him to sign my books, looking forward to Earnest’s next adventure.
Another cracking ‘whodunnit’ this time with a bank heist twist. This definitely revitalised the series and really hooked me from start to finish. The thief plot point really forwarded the action and made you want to keep reading to find out what each of them stole in both literal and metaphorical ways. Ernest is always doing the most ridiculous things to solve his cases and this was certainly his most ludicrous or at least illegal and stretched incredulity at the end but the extravagant reveal was worth it, really “rung the bell” if you pardon the pun. This was just another great addition to a fun cosy humorous mystery series with the bumbling Aussie crime writer who needs to take better care of himself (seriously, I don’t know how many more bones he can break, skin that can be de-gloved, or bullet holes that can be poked). I also had the honour of meeting the author and getting him to sign my books, looking forward to Earnest’s next adventure.
Want to read
October 20, 2025Is it Christmas? It must be if I’m just finding out my favourite book series is getting another instalment!! Can’t wait!
February 1, 2026
I love this series featuring Ernest Cunningham. This one is another clever, humorous, and highly entertaining mystery.
December 29, 2025
Ernest Cunningham #4 is a delightful addition to the series. This book takes the tropes of the first 3 and really cranks up the stakes for Ernest and us, the readers. The mystery is next-level as far as all the twists and turns. The stakes for Ernest feel really high this time and I really did not know what was going to happen, which is great for me in terms of a mystery novel. I am not the kind of person that really tries to figure out the mystery, but these books are super fun to read if you guess or not.
I love that Juliette has a bigger part in this one. The rest of the new characters were all well thought out and brought a lot to the story. Ernest himself is at a new level of mystery solving and clue finding. The characters and narration are always my favorite parts of these books. I hope we get so many more of these books.
The other aspect of these books I love are the references to classic mysteries like Sherlock Holmes. The author does a great job of laying out all the clues while also creating an interesting and exciting story.
4 stars for me, started out a little slow after the first two chapters and did take me a bit to get back into it. I am excited to listen to this one on audio with my husband when it is published next year. The audio is always excellent, so I am looking forward to that.
Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my thoughts!
I love that Juliette has a bigger part in this one. The rest of the new characters were all well thought out and brought a lot to the story. Ernest himself is at a new level of mystery solving and clue finding. The characters and narration are always my favorite parts of these books. I hope we get so many more of these books.
The other aspect of these books I love are the references to classic mysteries like Sherlock Holmes. The author does a great job of laying out all the clues while also creating an interesting and exciting story.
4 stars for me, started out a little slow after the first two chapters and did take me a bit to get back into it. I am excited to listen to this one on audio with my husband when it is published next year. The audio is always excellent, so I am looking forward to that.
Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my thoughts!
January 11, 2026
This is the fourth book in the Ernest Cunningham series. This book does come out in March but when I got the ARC from Mariner books I was just so excited to be able to read this one!
I have loved the rest of the books of this series and I have to say this one is my favorite one so far! It was a good mystery to try to solve, there is a bank robbery and a murder with a whole lot of twists and turns as the case comes together. It is told in a retrospective talking directly to the reader as each detail unfolds. I loved the character development and all the details coming together at the end that you miss along the way. I had guessed on some things like you do with any good mystery book and I was way off!
It is a fun read and I highly recommend you add this to your March book buying list! It is a very fun mystery novel with some humor and snark much like the rest of the series.
I have loved the rest of the books of this series and I have to say this one is my favorite one so far! It was a good mystery to try to solve, there is a bank robbery and a murder with a whole lot of twists and turns as the case comes together. It is told in a retrospective talking directly to the reader as each detail unfolds. I loved the character development and all the details coming together at the end that you miss along the way. I had guessed on some things like you do with any good mystery book and I was way off!
It is a fun read and I highly recommend you add this to your March book buying list! It is a very fun mystery novel with some humor and snark much like the rest of the series.
December 8, 2025
I love the first book in this series and keep hoping there will be another book that's just as amazing. But this is not that book. This is where the wheels come off, bounce down a hill, and land in another suburb.
I didn't so much mind the idea there are multiple "thefts" to solve. Some more physical and some metaphorical. That was a clever take on crime. It's the actual journey of the main crimes that irks me. Because there are setups and plot choices in this book that border on ludicrous. It almost reads like a plot a teenager might come up with, with lack of real consequences, realism, and grounded storytelling. That might work for some readers, but it felt shallow and exhausting.
While there are some standout characters (Felix, Eric, and Winston were genuinely fun, and even the parrot had its moments), the overall reading experience felt weak for a humorous mystery. There’s too much emphasis on constant jokes and constant winking at the reader. Nothing feels like it lands naturally. The humour is forced and often undermines the story when is should support it.
Fiction can be wacky, of course and I enjoy absurdity when it’s done well but this world operates with no rules, not even basic human behaviour. Characters react to situations in ways that feel completely detached from reality, making it hard to take anything seriously or feel invested in the stakes.
Despite thinking this may be the book to rival book one, I pushed through under for completion, but I think this book lacks the charm and wit of the first book. It tries far too hard and ends up feeling like a parody of its own series.
I didn't so much mind the idea there are multiple "thefts" to solve. Some more physical and some metaphorical. That was a clever take on crime. It's the actual journey of the main crimes that irks me. Because there are setups and plot choices in this book that border on ludicrous. It almost reads like a plot a teenager might come up with, with lack of real consequences, realism, and grounded storytelling. That might work for some readers, but it felt shallow and exhausting.
While there are some standout characters (Felix, Eric, and Winston were genuinely fun, and even the parrot had its moments), the overall reading experience felt weak for a humorous mystery. There’s too much emphasis on constant jokes and constant winking at the reader. Nothing feels like it lands naturally. The humour is forced and often undermines the story when is should support it.
Fiction can be wacky, of course and I enjoy absurdity when it’s done well but this world operates with no rules, not even basic human behaviour. Characters react to situations in ways that feel completely detached from reality, making it hard to take anything seriously or feel invested in the stakes.
Despite thinking this may be the book to rival book one, I pushed through under for completion, but I think this book lacks the charm and wit of the first book. It tries far too hard and ends up feeling like a parody of its own series.
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