As it has been for years, I am a completionist. If I start a series, likely I am going to finish it. Even though the Ernest Cunningham series has been hit or miss for me, I had to jump into Everyone in this Bank is a Thief to see if it was a hit. I feel Benjamin Stevenson has redeemed himself and while not nearly as good as the first book, this book is a nice bookend.
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. 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?
While not all of these Ernest Cunningham books have been my favorite, they are all witty, clever, and uniquely written. This goes for Everyone in this Bank is a Thief as well. Stevenson has a splendid way of writing and crafting these tales to give off vibes that I haven’t seen in any other novels. Each of his books in this series has a similar feel, but with a unique story to go along with it. In this novel, Ernest is trying to solve a murder while caught in a bank heist, not something I expected to see Cunningham do when reading the other books.
Stevenson does a stellar job letting us think one way, only to toss us for a loop. I had a hard time figuring out the mystery up until the reveal. The conclusion was clever, as always, and the journey to get there was filled with twists, turns and more in what is not just a locked room mystery, but a locked bank mystery.
As I have said before, and will say again. I am glad not all books are written this way, but I am glad these books are. It’s fun to read something that is as honest and unique as the Ernest Cunningham stories, but could not read them everyday. Everyone in this Bank is a Thief was a great addition to the series, just ready for break, as lovingly as I can say that.
Everyone in this Bank is a Thief is a witty, clever, and unique locked bank mystery that has you guessing from start to finish. This, the fourth book in the series, was one of the better entries and glad I dove in.
Everyone in this Bank is a Thief hits bookstores everywhere on March 17, 2026 from Mariner Books. The audiobook, narrated by Barton Welch, is available via Libro.fm!
