ARC Review: Ernest Cunningham #4

Everyone in This Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson

Publication Date: March 17, 2026 (US)

Summary from NetGalley:

Ten heists. Ten suspects. A murder 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, 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?

ARC provided by Mariner Books via Netgalley for an honest review.

Confession:

This is the fourth book in this series, and I think it was maybe my favorite after the first one. There is a lot of suspension of disbelief for this one though, as some of the shenanigans were a bit too much, but it was still a lot of fun and I loved all of the quirky characters. It is a fast paced and clever story, full of chaos with almost everything being a clue and at times a red herring as well. I had lots of fun reading this one.

Ernest is really out of his depth with this one and he does make some questionable decisions throughout the story, but I could see why he chose to make them. I love how he sticks to the ‘rules of mysteries‘ and talks to the audience. If you have been reading the series you will definitely see some growth in Ernest in this one. He is very clever and has a keen eye for detail, but he also has a propensity for getting himself into to tight spots. He is also very funny and is committed to the idea of fair play even when no one else in the story is.

As with the previous books, there are a lot of fun and quirky characters along for the ride. I enjoyed meeting all of them but of course knew that none of them were what they seemed. I had a fun time trying to figure out what each of them had done and who was the ultimate ‘thief’ in the story. The things that were stolen, were not always money which made the story even more complex. I also really enjoyed the role that the talking parrot played in the story.

This story was just as tightly plotted as the previous ones, but was perhaps a little bit less believable. There were some plot points that really made me question if they were not only possible, but probable. But if you are willing to just go along for the ride, then you will have a great time. The final reveal was a little on the surprising side, but I did have most of the answers before then. I still really enjoyed it though.

Another very clever and entertaining read that if you are a fan of the series, you will probably enjoy. If you haven’t read the series, you can certainly read this one and enjoy it just as much, but you really should start at the beginning. All of the books in this series are highly entertaining and have amazingly well crafted mysteries.