I enjoyed this book and the setting, There were a lot of characters to keep track of but I really loved how the author broke the 3rd wall and spoke right to us readers.

I found myself in the minority with this book, as it didn't quite resonate with me despite my usual enjoyment of cozy mysteries. I struggled to connect with the main character, and none of the other characters grabbed my attention either. The excessive use of footnotes felt distracting and overdone, and the author's attempts at humor fell flat for me. The story felt like a slow slog, taking far too long to get to anything interesting. Despite my anticipation, this book just didn't work for me. However, it's worth noting that others have enjoyed it, so my opinion is just one perspective among many.

Eleanor Dash, a bestselling author is sent on a book tour to Italy, with a handful of other authors, her main character, her sister, and her book club which includes her stalker. What could possibly go wrong? Oh, someone dies!



Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is a fast paced and hilarious cozy mystery that gives all the summer feels. The premise was entertaining, and I enjoyed how the story unfolded. The author breaking the fourth wall, however, didn’t work for me with this book. I found Eleanor’s character beyond annoying, so it just added to my overall irritation.



Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for a review.

I had high hopes for this book. I was looking forward to a lighthearted, cozy mystery in beautiful Italy. Famous author Eleanor is on a 10th-anniversary book trip with fellow authors and fans, celebrating her first book’s tenth anniversary. Throughout the journey, there is an attempted murder and an actual murder of the travelers. Why was I disappointed? Nothing happens until more than halfway through the book, but we get many of Eleanor’s inner musings about her fellow authors and fans. Plus, there are a lot of footnotes in this story where the author makes pithy observations. These observations are just dull and annoying. I will say that I didn’t figure out the mystery until the end, so that’s a positive and why I kept turning the pages. This book is best for people who don’t mind a slow-moving plot but want to feel like they are in Italy. Oh, this book is also for you if you like footnotes.

5% The format of the eBook is really hard to read. Some words are mixed up and out of place, but humorous so far. This is also a very dialogue heavy book. Also a warning, there are footnotes, for people who do not like them.
12% I didn't realize because of the ebook that this book actually has some mixed media in it, So that's fun.
17% honestly the protagonists (Eleanor) voice is pretty funny in the footnotes. I wasn't sure I would like them, but they are truly growing on me. I have giggled a few times.
26% this book is making me so hungry with all the Italian pasta descriptions. I'm gonna die lol
30% Wow. I actually did not at all expect that in any way... Nevermind. I hate this guy.
31% I will admit there are a lot of pop culture references in here that I just don't get, because I am not a huge reality TV girlie.
35% The way the eBook is from netgalley, the footnotes seem to kind of mesh with the regular paragraph so I have had kind of a hard time distinguishing where they are so that is slightly irritating, and that is obviously none of the author or the book's fault, it's just the way the e book was published for the arc. Still thoroughly enjoying this book!
38% wtf.....
63% I feel like this poor girl is being ragged on so hard. Which leads me to root for her innocence lol also DAMN the sass is real.
67% holy... I don't even know what is or how things are happening right now lol this is getting TWISTY.
69% god.... I could kill Connor myself. What a prick. Also, just like real life, the place are SO corrupt.
Lol "has anyone researched alcohol as an interrogation method"..... Listen, I bear it all when I drink so they must have 😅
72% I'm honestly loving the quick recap at this point like we are going into a new season of a show.
78% I feel like I am going to be disappointed in more than one way.
82% these footnotes are killing me lol I need to know!
84% I still have no idea who the bad guy is. I normally manage to guess at this point!
85% coke zero over diet coke any, and all day!
91% in the last 10% this book has me googling and doing research to get some tea 🤣
93% all the pop culture refrences have me rolling sometimes.

THAT ENDING, THO.

Final thoughts: I had the BEST time with this book. I absolutely will be picking up the next volume. The narrator has me in a chokehold. They had me giggling with some of these footnotes. I will most definitely be purchasing this for my physical library.

As much as I wanted to read this book, I cannot. Due to the format with the footnotes is hard to follow.

DNF’d at 30%

How do I put this, the book is fun, punchy, and interesting. I should be giving it all the stars but the way it's written makes me want to unalive myself not read about Conner and his need to be unalived. I love a good footnote but the amount of them and the context for them takes me put of the story repeatedly and I can't begin to imagine how it works with the audio. The story is so fast paced and fun, and is really good if you ignore the footnotes every couple of pages. I feel like it was meant to read kinda like a diary where you want to add context but it just didn't land that way for me. I also should note I couldn't read this on my kindle because of this reason and had to read it in the Netgalley app which is fine but the formatting in the Kindle edition I got was horrendous.

This novel is described as a cozy mystery. This author writes about an author being an author. The protagonist is author Eleanor Dash, a writer of mystery vacation books. This is the first in her series, although in Eleanor Dash’s writing journey, it is hopefully her last. There is a large cast of characters, which the author describes fully and you feel like you really understand their personalities. There will be characters you will like, and others that you won’t. What they all have in common is that they are traveling together on a book tour with Eleanor and they are all considered to be suspects of a possible murder.
Eleanor believes that she is being targeted and someone may be trying to kill her. Connor, her ex also believes that he is being targeted and someone may be trying to kill him. So, who is targeting who and will someone die??
The author explains the writing process to you, the reader. You are let into her private thoughts along the way, often with the use of footnotes. While you could easily skip reading the footnotes, why would you? They provide a great deal of inside information and foreshadowing.
The book reads quickly, with a great deal of dialogue. The visits to monuments and historical places in Italy make you feel like you are actually there. This novel contains a great deal of humor, and is both entertaining and full of twists and turns.
If you are looking for a lighthearted read, this may be the book for you!
Many thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Published on April 30, 2024.

Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies is the debut cozy mystery by Catherine Mack full of humour and interesting characters. Set in Italy, a group of mystery fans are on a tour with their favourite mystery writer, Eleanor Dash and her ex-lover, Connor Smith, who is the real-life model for a beloved (by fans, not so much Eleanor anymore) character in her books who she really wants to kill off in her books against her publishers’ advice. Only now, it seems, or at least Connor insists, someone is trying to kill him in real life and he wants her help. Eleanor has her doubts about it until she finds herself the target of a determined killer and now she has no choice but to investigate even if it means also helping Connor.

This is a fast, fun, and funny cozy mystery with plenty of twists and turns, interesting characters, and multiple suspects to keep the reader engaged. The story is told in the first person by Eleanor and, in her telling, she adds footnotes. I had both the ebook and audiobook and sort of split my time between the two. With the ebook, this added to the humour. However, I found it tended to break the flow of the audiobook. Still, overall, I quite enjoyed this book in both formats. The audiobook is narrated by Elizabeth Evans who does a great job.

Thanks to Netgalley, St Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read/listen to this book in exchange for an honest review

Every Time i Go on Vacation, Someone Dies was a funny mystery, despite the body count! I suppose it would be classified as a cozy, since it lacked the grit and gravity of a traditional mystery. To me, though, this felt like an old fashioned caper, with it's richly described Italian setting and a group of characters worthy of traveling on Agatha Christie's Orient Express

Eleanor Dash became a bestselling mystery writer by chance, and now she is on book ten of her popular vacation mystery series. She made the mistake of modeling her detective on her boyfriend at the time, Connor. She and Connor's relationship has long been history, and Eleanor would like to write Connor out of her books, in other words, kill off her popular detective. Connor has a big fan base, so easier said than done.

And now Eleanor is on an author tour with some of her fellow mystery writers. This group unfortunately includes both Connor, and Eleanor's last boyfriend, Oliver, who left her when he found out Eleanor cheated on him with Connor. Connor is convinced someone is trying to murder him, and although Eleanor is at first skeptical, but begins to believe him. And then she begins to think someone is also trying to kill her.

This was a fun read, well actually I listened to the audio, which was well done. The characters are well developed and the story had a couple of interesting twists. I got the idea this might be a series and if so, I would definitely read the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Catherine Mack, and St Martin's Press for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In Eleanor Dash's first book, art imitated life. Now on tour in Italy, life is imitating art. Eleanor wants to write Connor Smith out of the book series he appears in. She's plotting the demise of his character. Now it seems as though someone has it out for Connor in real life. But who? And will they stop there? Join Eleanor, Connor, a handful of other authors, and a bus load of fans to find out.
I really liked Eleanor and her sister Harper. They have a good relationship. Eleanor narrates the book and is something of an unreliable narrator. She has a lot of good snark. Being a mystery writer, she is quick to see who might have a motive for what all is going on. It's like whoever organized the tour did so to maximize conflict.

The book moves along at a good pace with murder and attempted murder. The only thing that slows it down a little is the use of footnotes. Some of them are funny or informative. I found myself just skimming them after the first few chapters. I don't think I missed much. Another plot device used was the main character breaking the fourth wall and talking directly to the reader. Generally this works well, although it did slow momentum in a few places.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. It's well written and interesting. I partially figured out what was going, but not all of it. I liked the main character breaking the fourth wall, but wasn't keen on the footnotes. I liked enough of the characters to want to know what happened to them. If you like cozies with an author for the main character and some humor, this might be a good book for you.

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack was published April 30, 2024 by Minotaur Books. This is the first book in The Vacation Mysteries series. I'm looking forward to the next book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my review.

More like 3.5

The premise was excellent, and I loved the sense of humor that moved things along. The characters were amusing, and I liked at least one (Oliver) very much. I suspended disbelief over certain aspects of the story because it's meant to be a lighthearted, fun mystery story, not a "based on a true story" crime novel. The book is entertaining but too long for me. I lost interest at one point and skimmed through the chapters because I was bored. However, I still recommend it, as it would be the ideal beach read for many.

Note: I enjoyed the many footnotes included in it, but the ARC document I received made it challenging to connect with them directly with my Kindle, and it wasn't easy to keep up with them timely. This problem was irritating. This problem only exists in the ARC version of the book. That's why I'm adding the extra 0.5 stars.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own and I've shared them with the intention of providing a fair assessment for potential readers.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was such a fun and fresh way of experiencing a cozy mystery!

The mystery is interactive with the reader as the unreliable narrator is constantly breaking the fourth wall. I've never read anything like this, and I will absolutely pick up the second book. I had a love/hate with the footnotes on audio + kindle at first. Once you get used to the footnotes & how the story is told, it is a much more enjoyable experience. I really liked the final 50% and glad I stuck around. I imagine it's much better & easier to follow from the beginning with the physical copy.

I do think the book has some slight pacing issues, but for a change of pace & something different, I think it's worth picking up.

Stunning cover, stunning setting (beautiful Italy!)

This book was so fun to read! It’s perfect for summer beach reading. Set in Italy, a group of authors are on a book tour with some unusual circumstances in the mix.

Author Eleanor Dash is the main tour attraction. She’s been writing for several years and her 10th book in the series is coming up. Evelyn has used the same main character, Connor, who is her former lover that she somehow got stuck with all these years. Evelyn wants to kill him off in the series. She also wants him out of her life.

Each author has a backstory and they all believe someone may be trying to kill Connor and Eleanor, but who? This story is like a game of clue on the Italian coast. I enjoyed trying to figure out who was guilty. There are deaths in the story, but don’t be worried—this is a cozy mystery after all.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to recommend this book and give my honest review.

A successful author goes on a trip with other authors. One of them might be a killer. There are sufficient plot twists to make it interesting. But, the excessive footnotes interrupted the flow of the story and quickly became annoying. I received a complimentary copy of this book and chose to write a voluntary, unbiased review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book is for readers who like:
- fourth wall-breaking narration (mostly in the form of footnotes)
- to vacation vicariously
- a will-they, won't-they relationship

A fun romp in the tradition of Finlay Donovan, ETIGOVSD brings readers through the gorgeous scenery of Italy with a murderer on the loose. It's very meta with its acknowledgment of the conventions and forebears (aka Agatha Christie) of the genre.


The biggest drawback for me was the main character herself. It felt like she was supposed to be messy Milennial, which can be very relatable, but the persona could also be grating at times. She came across as self-deprecating without achieving self-awareness, pointing out her flaws without taking steps to fix them. And some of her narration about writing and publishing came across as a tad condescending.

Still, despite these hiccups, the book was highly readable and entertaining with its cast of charming yet suspicious characters. It's really a great choice for a beach/vacation read, and I loved the backdrop of Italy. I'd be interested in continuing in the series to see how the main character (hopefully) evolves in the course of the series and to see where we end up next!

This is a sad one for me to have to write -- i had to DNF this. I love to vacation and I love a good thriller/mystery. This though.... completely missed the mark.

I dont know why there were 10 footnotes per chapter but they were awful reading on an e-reader. Maybe it would be better as the physical book but this was not at all enjoyable to sift through on the kindle.

The characters werent that enjoyable. I felt like it jumped around a bit.

Wasn't for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The premise of this book sounded interesting, but sadly the actual book didn't work out for me. For me the plot didn't seem to go anywhere, even by the end, which is extremely sad. I also got tired of the narrator constantly breaking the fourth wall with her footnotes, which there could have been less of. I know this book will find it's audience. I don't see myself reading anymore in the presumed series it'll become.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for review consideration.

Rating: 2.5

This was a funny, quick thriller that was compared to Knives Out and delivered! Catherine Mack's punchy prose, mysterious, secretive characters, and twists and turns were addictive. I really enjoyed the pacing and the ways that I was constantly proved wrong by the things I thought were going on. I am really enjoying the trend of funny thrillers set on vacation and this was an awesome addition to that subgenre!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for providing an ARC!

This is a new to me author and a new series. Lots of fun, murder & mystery. On my favorite thing…vacation! It’s twisty and fun, lots of banter and an amazing atmosphere. I very much enjoyed this & look forward to more!