Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief is the fourth book in the Ernest Cunningham series by Benjamin Stevenson. Released March 17, 2026, it takes readers back into the world of Ernest Cunningham. This time, he’s found himself in a bank applying for a business loan when a bank robber takes everyone hostage.
Synopsis from Goodreads
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?
Positives
- Under 400 pages
- Narrator breaks the 4th wall
- Fun read
Negatives
- A few things felt unbelievable, which runs counter to Cunningham’s storytelling standards.
My Opinions
I started reading the Ernest Cunningham books because of the titles. The first book, Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, was a fantastic start to the series. Throughout the entire series, the titles have been attention-grabbing. Even better, the stories and the storytelling are also attention-grabbing.
In this book, Ernest finds himself in an unprecedented situation, trying to solve multiple mysteries, from theft to murder. Some of these happen in the book, but a few do happen before the book begins. Cunningham is a writer by trade and, as such, insists on telling the story in the style of Golden Age mysteries, where all the clues are on the page for readers to process at the same time as the detective.
Obviously, I’m not going to spoil anything that happens in the book. But I do have to say that my biggest issue is that a couple of events in the book run counter to Cunningham’s way of telling the story. A few things revealed as the story progresses that don’t feel like they were referenced earlier in the book.
One of my favorite aspects of this book, and the series as a whole, is the fact that Ernest Cunningham tends to break the fourth wall. I don’t believe I have ever read another series, or even a book, that has a main character do that.
Overall, I believe anyone who enjoys reading mysteries will enjoy the Ernest Cunningham series.
Are you looking for some more books to read? Check out my bookish lists, book reviews, and monthly reading wrap-ups.
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