24 advent calendar doors. 23 clues. And 1 killer to catch before Christmas . . . a deviously clever, classic murder mystery for the festive season

For fans of Janie Hallett and Peter Swanson's The Christmas Guest

'Fun and diverting, with a plethora of red herrings' New York Times

----

My name is Ernest Cunningham.

I'm not a detective. I just happen to have a knack for what makes mysteries - and murderers - tick. I'd hoped, this Christmas, that any killers out there might be willing to take a break for the holidays.

I was wrong.

So here I am, backstage at the Christmas show of world-famous magician Rylan Blaze, whose benefactor has just been murdered. From the magician's assistant to the hypnotist, my suspects are all professional tricksters. Masters in the art of misdirection.

My clues are even more of a mystery:

A suspect covered in blood, with no memory of how it got there.

A murder committed without setting foot inside the room where it happens.

And an advent calendar. Because, you know. It's Christmas.

Solving the murder is the only gift I want this year.

But can I catch a killer, and make it home for Christmas alive?

----

Praise for Benjamin Stevenson

'Leave it to Stevenson to make high-jinx and murder deviously good fun' Nita Prose

'This crackles on the page. Such an original voice' Jane Fallon

'It's Knives Out meets Richard Osman' A.J. Finn

'Deliciously dark, funny and intriguing' Alex Pavesi

About the Author

Benjamin Stevenson is an award-winning stand-up comedian and bestselling author. He has sold out shows from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival all the way to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

He is the author of several books, including the international bestsellers Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone and Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect. His books have been sold in twenty-nine territories around the world. Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone will soon be adapted into a major HBO TV series.

Reviews
Praise for Benjamin Stevenson -- :
An ingenious and hilarious meta-murder mystery * Sunday Times *
An outstanding and exceptional mystery from start to finish -- Jane Harper
As fresh and zingy as a salted lime. It's Knives Out meets Richard Osman. Or Dexter by way of Agatha Christie. Or Schitt's Creek with a body count. It's also the most luxuriantly enjoyable novel I've read in years -- A.J. Finn
Clever, satisfying, impossible to put down and gloriously inventive. It's fantastic -- Stuart Turton
This crackles on the page. Such an original voice -- Jane Fallon
This book had me hooked from the first chapter. Deliciously funny, dark and intriguing -- Alex Pavesi
This was such a clever, compelling read. It's a must for anyone who loves the rules of crime fiction, but it still packs plenty of twists. It had me laughing and turning the pages in equal measure. Bravo Mr Stevenson! -- S.J. Bennett
The best thing I've read in ages. I absolutely loved it. Whip-smart, twisted, funny, and constructed with the pinpoint precision of a bloodthirsty watchmaker -- Stuart MacBride
Fun and diverting, with a plethora of red herrings * New York Times *
Sparkling with wit and witticisms...Leave it to Stevenson to make high-jinx and murder deviously good fun -- Nita Prose



Book Information
ISBN 9780241716090
Author Benjamin Stevenson
Format Hardback
Page Count 240
Imprint Michael Joseph Ltd
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 349g
Dimensions(mm) 220mm * 145mm * 25mm