CW: blackmail, implied/referenced spice, alcohol, death, some others

Read via NetGalley. “Every Time…” is available now!

You’re going to love it or you’re going to hate it; I don’t think there’s a lot of in-between with this one.

Ten years ago, Eleanor Dash wrote a book. She’s spent the last 10 years being blackmailed by her ex (who happens to appear in the book). But El’s had enough, and she’s planning to kill him off. In the book, of course. All she has is one last book tour and then she can start over. But strange things start happening on the tour, and El finds herself in the middle of a real life mystery.

First things first— the characters in this book? All terrible people. Absolutely all of them (with possibly one exception). They’re just not really likeable, and that includes our narrator/MC Eleanor. Despite this, or maybe because of it, I couldn’t stop reading. It made for a pretty decent suspect list because all of them are so utterly undesirable that you’d really be ok with any of them being responsible. I would like to note, though, that one of the characters is a TIkTok author/influencer and bless her she really comes out looking pretty damn bad. I don’t know if it was just for the story, or if the real author has some beef with the TikTok authors, or if there’s one real human the character was based on, but it was unflattering to say the least. But, again, pretty much all of them are awful, so maybe she just got the shortest end of a short stick.

The book’s narration style is a large part of why readers are probably going to have strong feelings about the book. It’s told in first person present (using El as our narrator), but then there’s the footnotes. So many footnotes. These are also first person present, but still as El since she’s (presumably) writing this book in the aftermath. I actually really enjoyed these little asides, and I felt like they added some extra humor and almost ‘stream of consciousness’ feel to the narration. I could see where they could get really distracting for some readers, though, and I don’t know how well they format on an ereader (I read digitally, but it was a galley copy that hadn’t had all the bells and whistles put in yet, so I don’t have any real reference point here).

I don’t usually try to puzzle out the answers to my mysteries as I’m reading; I much prefer to be completely surprised at the end. If you’re one of those readers who likes to play along, though, I feel safe in saying you probably won’t guess the answer. Or at least, not all of the answer. The author (the real one) did well with making sure there’s an abundance of information, to the point that it becomes overwhelming and there’s too many possibilities. It’s intentional, and El’s footnotes even point it out. The whole thing gives a very tongue in cheek feel to the typical mystery, and it made the story that much better.

The whole book is fun. It’s snarky, it’s a little unhinged (I’m telling you, those footnotes are ridiculous), and it’s an easy read. I stayed up way too late to finish the book because I was having a really good time reading about really obnoxious people. Outside of the unique writing style, the only thing I noticed was that the charicatures of different people could be a little…touchy. I mentioned the TikTok lady, but there’s also the stalker super fan (fair), the ‘weird’ social media fans (felt a little unflattering), and a whole lot of commentary on reviews and reviewing sites (probably also fair, but I’m obviously on the other end of that dynamic). I couldn’t tell if these were meant to be snide or if it’s just how it came across to me personally, so you’ll have to read and make your own judgement about it all. Either way, the book was still a good read. I’d say it falls somewhere between ‘fluffy beach read’ and ‘hardcore intense mystery’ (closer to the beach read vibe). Bonus points for all the pasta footnotes.

This book was pretty fun. It's one of those books where you're just trying to chill, but stuff keeps getting weird? This is that.

I enjoyed the main character and her antics, along with all the side characters we got to meet and the places they are traveling to. Some of them are definitely bucket list places for me!

Yeah, it's a bit over the top at times. But the jokes are good, and it's a solid, easy read. Four stars, because it kept me hooked, even if I rolled my eyes a few times. Good for a lazy afternoon, or, you know, a vacation where hopefully no one dies.

I recently had the pleasure of reading this, and I have to say, it exceeded my expectations in so many ways. From the very first page, I was hooked by the engaging style and the intriguing characters. The author does an excellent job of building a world that feels both immersive and believable, making it easy to get lost in the story. The plot was full of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. Just when I thought I had it figured out, the story would surprise me with something unexpected. I highly recommend this and all their work.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an advanced e-copy of Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack.

Eleanor Dash is a best-selling murder mystery author with a big problem - she wants to kill-off her main character in her next and final installment of the Vacation Mystery series. Connor Smith is the all-too-real protagonist who Eleanor has been tied to for the past ten years, and she is counting down the days to be done with him and her book tour in Italy. However, when an actual murder attempt is made on real Connor’s life, Eleanor finds herself in the middle of a real-life mystery where everybody is a suspect - including her!

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is a hilarious debut from Catherine Mack, and the first installment of her new murder mystery series. This witty whodunnit will keep you guessing as you try to solve the crime alongside Eleanor and an eclectic cast of suspects. Looking forward to the next book!

I didn’t love this one unfortunately. The main male character was extremely unlikable and didn’t get better and I didn’t enjoy the narrator

I really enjoyed the first half of this laugh out loud comedy about an exhausted author who’s ready to cut ties with one of her main characters who’s been a burden to her both in real life and in her book series.

I decided to listen to the audiobook while following along, but I found out quickly that there’s footnotes wedged in where the main character of the book, Eleanor, thinks out loud. It’s like she’s inside the readers mind with the audiobook, and then in the Kindle version there’s little links that we have to press to read her comments. I just found it unnecessary and a little odd, it took too much time to go back and forth between the book and the links.

While I liked the premise of the first half, I felt like the second half was repetitive and the events and characters sloped into a chaotic mess. I just realized there’s a second book in the series and if it’s anything like this weird book, I might pass.

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is an interesting mystery about a mystery author who is in Italy on tour promoting her newest best-seller with the same title. Loosely based on her own life and experiences, she fears the backlash that killing off the main character of her mystery series will create, especially when the con man who inspired her main character appears on tour, and his life is threatened. It creates a comedy of errors that leads to the hunt for who is trying to kill her con man and what this means for her. Hilariously witty, this is a memorable mystery you won't want to put down.

A nice read and I enjoyed the humor as well as the quirks presented in this book. I feel like if you like books like FInlay donovan series then this is right up your alley!

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies brings together a witty, engaging narrative with a charming setting (Italy, of course) and a quirky, relatable protagonist. Eleanor Dash, a bestselling author caught in a real-life mystery while on her book tour, is likable and full of sass. The blend of literary drama, rivalries, and murder makes for a delightful, light-hearted read.

The plot has plenty of twists, though it doesn’t always stray too far from familiar tropes, and the pacing is perfect for a quick escape. Eleanor's interactions with a colorful cast of characters, from her ex to literary rivals, add humor and intrigue, but at times, the mystery feels secondary to the ensemble drama. Still, the book delivers what it promises—a fun romp through Italy with a dash of murder mystery. Perfect for fans of Knives Out and cozy mysteries with a touch of romance.

I wanted to like this book more than I did.
I enjoyed the humor, especially Eleanor and her snark. I also enjoyed getting to know the other characters and their quirks.
There were a few plot points that didn't seem fleshed out enough
I was able to figure out the ending before I got there.

This was beyond addicting and I finished this nearly in one sitting. Mack's writing style is addicting in the perfect cozy mystery way. The best way for me to fall in love with a mystery lately is to involve an author, librarian or bookstore owner - really the best way for me to fall in love with any book! The ex was infuriating and had me wishing for his death many times! But Eleanor was a great character to follow! I can't wait to read the next in this series!

Thank you @macmillan.audio, @minotaur_books and @catherinemack for my ALC. The second book in the series comes out in May 2025!

This book was the bright spot I needed during the cold winter months! A fun novel about a mystery writer named Eleanor, who is being blackmailed by a former lover who thinks he’s being targeted - and it’s because he is! Connor has gotten mixed up in some shady business and now people are after him. He’s desperate to use Eleanor for help, but she’s right in the middle of a book tour in Italy for her 10th novel. She with a group of writer friends and also “bookface ladies” a group of fans who won a contest.

The book is over the top in the best ways. They need to surviving shoot outs, poisonings, and being pushed off cliffs. I loved that the cast of characters remains the same and that humor was woven throughout the book.

If you like the Finlay Donovan series, or just funny stories about getting into shenanigans, this series is for you! It would make a great beach read. 🏖️ I did listen to the book so I didn’t notice the footnotes much. I did love the narrator, Elizabeth Evans. She did a great job.

I don’t know what I expected from this book based solely on the title but it was purely amazing. This book had me on a rollercoaster and I loved every second of it! 10/10 recommend. And the cliffhanger at the end…so good!

Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies by Cathrine Mack
Ten days, eight suspects, six cities, five authors, three bodies . . . one wild trip. Eleanor Dash, a bestselling author, is on a book tour in Italy when someone tries to bump off Connor Smith, a shady character from her past. With literary rivals, crazy fans, a stalker, and her ex Oliver in the mix, she's got to crack the case. Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is Catherine Mack's debut, where Eleanor Dash's book tour turns into a real-life murder mystery.

This is a cute cozy mystery! The FMC, Eleanor, speaks directly to the reader, which took me a minute to get used to! Eleanor's an author that goes on a book tour, and winds up in the middle of a mystery herself that she needs to solve before too many people get killed. Between drama with her sister, her ex, the inspiration for the main character of her books, and the other authors, Eleanor has her hands full! This book kept me intrigued and I enjoyed the laughs along with the twists. Thank you NetGalley andbthe publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I loved how the main character spoke directly to the readers, what a fresh and fun take on a cozy mystery! Not a super hard/in depth mystery but was cute.

A nice rom com palette cleanser this novel was for me. The footnotes were a different touch that I hadn't ever seen done before in a book. At first I found it a bit odd and thought something was wrong with my copy but realized quickly it was part of the story. I did enjoy the two main characters bantering and kept picturing Chris Hemsworth as Connor.

This was so bad. The MC was so incredibly annoying and while I'm sure the book was supposed to be funny, it wasn't. It was cringe. I won't be reading anymore of this series or this author. It's just not for me. I read this in April 2024 while boycotting SMP.

This story was perfect. I truly enjoyed this debut story of an author on a book tour who just wants to get through it, but why would there not be drama? This story was one that I kept wanting to read because of how well written it was, the characters in it, and honestly the people of Eleanor past that show up are all interesting and you kept thinking who is causing chaos on the booktour?

I wanted to love this book so much but I just couldn’t get into it. I tried to start over a few times and it just fell flat.