I absolutely loved spending time in Italy just by opening this book! Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies transported me straight to the Amalfi Coast, and pairing the audiobook with my ebook made the experience even better. The music elements in the audiobook added such a fun, immersive touch, and the narrator did an amazing job bringing the characters to life.

The book itself was a unique departure from a lot of thrillers and cozy mysteries I’ve read. The breaking of the fourth wall was a fun twist at times, but at other moments, it felt out of place and a little jarring. It made the book feel somewhat disjointed—like it wasn’t sure whether it wanted to fully lean into that meta style or just stick with the main storyline.

One of my biggest struggles was keeping track of all the characters. There were so many, and without enough development to make them distinct, I kept confusing them. That made the mystery a little less engaging for me because I wasn’t as invested in who was who. On top of that, I suspected the twist pretty early on, so when the reveal finally happened, it didn’t feel like a big shock. The way the fourth wall was used in the ending also felt like a bit of a cop-out.

That said, it was still an entertaining read! It had that Knives Out cozy mystery vibe, and I had fun with the setting, humor, and overall concept. While this one didn’t fully hit for me, I’ll definitely be continuing with the series—I’m curious to see where it goes next!

I enjoyed Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack. it was a cozy page-turner! Eleanor Dash, a bestselling author, heads to Italy for a book tour, only to find herself in the middle of a real-life murder mystery. Mack’s witty writing and engaging plot had me hooked from start to finish. I especially loved the clever footnotes and how the MC breaks the fourth wall talking straight to the reader. I loved the nods to classic cozy mystery tropes. If you’re into lighthearted mysteries with a travel twist, this one’s a must-read!

What a fun read! Eleanor Dash is an author on a book tour with several other people--many of whom have valid reasons to want each other dead. When people actually start turning up dead, the remaining people try to figure out who the murderer is. Eleanor narrates the story as the action unfolds, and she adds hilarious footnotes to each chapter. I laughed aloud many times. I loved this book and am excited about reading future additions to the series! Thank you, NetGalley and Miinotaur Books, for the digital copy of this book.

This was such a fun, humorous murder mystery. I loved Eleanors character. I loved her relationships with the supporting characters as well. I absolutely adored this book. I need more books like this. Im adding this author to my radar because i loved the way she wrote this. so grateful for this arc!!

Catherine Mack's debut novel, Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies, is a witty and engaging cozy mystery that will keep you hooked from start to finish. The story follows Eleanor Dash, a bestselling author on a book tour in Italy to celebrate the tenth anniversary of her novel When in Rome. However, things take a thrilling turn when the real-life Connor Smith, the character she plans to kill off in her final book, shows up and claims someone is after him.

With a perfect blend of humor, suspense, and self-awareness, Mack crafts a story that explores the intersections of fiction and reality. Eleanor's witty footnotes and candid reflections add an extra layer of charm to the novel, making it an enjoyable read for mystery lovers and aspiring writers alike.

Critics have praised the book for its atmospheric setting and fun, engaging narrative. It’s a fresh take on the cozy mystery genre, offering a unique and entertaining journey that will leave you eagerly turning the pages.

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a good laugh and a thrilling mystery. Perfect for fans of light-hearted suspense and anyone who’s ever imagined what it would be like if the characters in our stories came to life.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!
This book was so much fun! Loved the tone, loved the footnotes, loved the fantastic cast of characters! Can’t wait to read the next entry in the series!

*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an E-Arc in exchange for an honest review!*

This book was so different and fun and exciting and never boring! It kept me guessing every time a new plot or character was introduced and looooved the element of incorporating a murder book series into the story!

*Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies* by Catherine Mack is an intriguing and darkly humorous mystery that blends suspense with the quirks of travel and the complexities of human nature. The concept of a vacationer being involved in a string of deaths is an interesting one, and Mack’s writing keeps the reader engaged with its wit and sharp observations.

However, while the premise is unique, the story sometimes falters in its pacing, with certain sections dragging on longer than necessary. The character development also felt a bit thin, which made it hard to fully invest in the protagonist’s journey. Though the plot twists were interesting, they didn’t always have the emotional weight needed to make them impactful.

Overall, *Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies* is a fun and intriguing read, but it doesn’t quite reach its full potential. It’s perfect for fans of light mysteries with a touch of humor but may not fully satisfy those looking for more depth or complexity.

This was such a fun, adventurous and laugh out loud locked door mystery. It was so much fun while also moving the story forward in such a unique way in a break the fourth way kind of way that doesn’t lead the reader to the answer, but is just wondering 🤔 how why we’re here, b/c it’s a reason for it. I’m looking to the second book.

This was interesting, but I felt lost at times. I didn't fully connect with the characters, so I wasn't truly invested in the story.

I didnt get a chance to read and review this book before it’s publish date. However now that I have a read it I gave it 3.5 stars.

This book pulled me in pretty quickly and kept me guessing. I didn't see the end coming at all. By the end, the cat and mouse of you know what's happening right?!, was getting a little annoying, but all in all I enjoyed it.

I have been reading some fantastic, but dark, thrillers lately so I think that I’m ready for something a little lighter. This fun mystery from fellow Canadian, Catherine McKenzie, looks absolutely fabulous. Described as “quick, captivating, and oh-so-much-fun“, Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies will be perfect weekend reading!

Welcome to a book vacation hosted by some of the top mystery writers....but you get more than you expect when the vacation turns into a real life plot of murder.

This book follows an author who has made a name for herself writing detective mysteries for the past decade. Detective Connor is also a real life person who has blackmailed the author into royalties and more and as the author is contemplating how to kill off the detective in her books...someone is after Connor in real life.

I enjoyed this book and it was a light mystery to read. I would definitely recommend reading it on vacation or by the poolside.

I really enjoyed this one! I love a mystery, but sometimes need a break from super dark ones. This was just the trick. It was a murder mystery, but still managed to be pretty lighthearted and funny.

I loved the way the author chose to write it, with the main character being an author and adding in all the footnotes. I changed my mind about what the twist was going to be several times, and still ended up being wrong. My favorites are always the ones I don’t see coming. Retrospectively, she gave clues but nothing obvious (for me at least).

Solid 4 stars from me. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read it early. I’ll definitely be recommending this one!

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

A trip to Italy for best selling author, Eleanor Dash, is not going as planned. She is on a book tour with a group of lucky fans and several key players in her life. She wants to wrap up the series she is currently doing by killing off one of her main characters; however, the person that inspired that character feels like someone it out to kill him, literally.

The back and the forth between the author and the reader was a bit odd, I also felt it was a bit drawn out. Also, the footnotes. Wow.

This was such a cozy, mystery! I loved the mix of b humor with suspense.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved this book. It was cute, it was funny, and it had murder. Quite the combination, am I right? And this book is FULL of footnotes. Not really in the traditional footnote format, more of a sporadic train of thought by the author. It’s hilarious and made a fantastic contribution to the story and writing style. I’ve never seen this done in this way, but I look forward to reading the next book in this series (in May) with this fun little quirk!!

I grabbed a copy of this one after seeing it all over from friends! I loved the eclectic cast of characters and the wonderful setting. It made me want to travel!! Thanks so much for the gifted copy of this one in exchange for my honest thoughts!

This wasnt exactly amazing, but it got me curious enough to want to read the next one. It was ups and downs, and strange appearances.. the characters were hard to care for