This was a very cute, very breezy, easy summer read. I flew through it in two sittings. Other reviewers have said that the footnotes were annoying, but I actually found them easy to read on my Kindle (you just click on them) and funny. I thought they added a lot to the story. I could see this being a perfect book to pick up for a plane ride or a beach day, and would recommend it as such. Nothing ground-breaking here, but it was fun.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the ARC!

I really liked the format of this one! A writer writing about being a writer and the footnotes were a great addition. This book was funny with a murder mystery built in. The main character Elanor is a famous writer who is on tour in Italy; I loved her character! She is stuck with Connor because he is the main character in her novels but she cannot stand him and wants her series to end but killing his character off. But Connor comes to her while they are in Italy and says someone on the tour is trying to murder him. Will Elanor be able to finally be rid of Connor both fictionally and real life?

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for my ARC!

I had so much fun reading this book! The storytelling was cleverly executed - a mystery within a mystery and a deeper look into the narrators inner monologue through the use of footnotes. This was a truly unique reading experience. I enjoyed every minute of it. Information was given to the reader through the text and the footnotes - it was like being included in the story (I felt like I was accompanying the narrator on her journey). I had an inkling of who the murder/attempted murder was, but not the whole story and nor did I suspect is was as complex as it turned out to be - the simplest answer was not the solution.
In short, I would absolutely read the next book the author puts out, especially since it does (spoiler) end on a cliffhanger. There is so much more story to tell.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for a digital review copy of the book. The opinions expressed are honest and my own.

Thank you Netgalley, Catherine Mack, and St. Martin's Press for this fun and quirky ebook! The writing style was so unique and although we were figuring out who was a murder wanna be and why it was also funny and interactive!

“if everyone didn’t make a bunch of stupid decisions this book would be over by now”. That’s the freaking truth. This wanted to be. Gilmore Girls episode mixed with Clue and it ended up just being a mess.

This book just annoyed me and really wasn't enjoyable at all.

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack is the first book in the new cozy The Vacation Mysteries series.

Eleanor Dash, a best selling author, wants to end the book series that made her famous to get ride of the male main character, Connor Smith she unfortunately modeled after a real person who has been making Eleanor miserable. As she contemplates killing him off in the book, someone is exactly trying to kill him in real life, maybe.

With plenty of twists and turns and quirky characters this was a fun cozy mystery.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies
This is not my usual review style, but my experience with this book was highly unusual. If you want to know what the book is about, please read one of the many reviews that summarize the plot. Despite the snarky comment about Goodreads, I read the ARC and my opinions are not fabrications.
I rated this book 2 stars because by the time I had suffered through reading the first nine chapters I was more than ready to DNF. Yet there were things I liked about the plot, so I continued. Going from the pits up to 2 stars says something far more positive than the number implies.
Things that were positive:
⁃ a very catchy and intriguing title
⁃ an engaging motivation behind the plot - I was totally on board with the fictional author’s plan to kill off her ex in her next book. He was a blackmailing scumbag of many year’s duration. I would have been equally happy if she had not only killed him on the page, but also in the flesh.
⁃ the setting in Italy - It’s hard to ignore the positive contribution a gorgeous and historic setting makes.
⁃ an original story idea, although the writing told it in a very scattered disjointed way
⁃ things came together to a fairly satisfying conclusion, although a bit contrived.
Unfortunately there were many negatives starting with the premise of a multi author/reader fan book tour which was completely unrealistic.
I was 25% of the way through before becoming anything other than annoyed with the characters, with the disjointed writing style which was all over the place and with the strong sense that the rest of the book would be going nowhere also. Way too long to leave a reader in limbo. Fortunately the plot did move foreword but the writing remained messy throughout.
Finally, I can’t not comment on the ‘footnotes’. Apparently this was Ms. Mack’s cutesy wsy of communicating to the reader. Some had value, most were just annoying, dumb and pointless attempts at being amusing. Not a good way to treat readers. Their formatting was a total bomb in the digital version. They were not visable in immediate relation to the text they referenced and they consistently popped up later right in the middle of a sentence in subsequent text. Was anyone at the publisher paying attention to how this would fly in the real world????
I asked myself whether I would read anything else written by Catherine Mack/Catherine McKenzie. When the answer wasn’t an immediate ‘yes’, it’s a bad sign. But I’m curious about her books before she decided, according to her Acknowledgements, that her writing life needed a change. I’m not rushing to read her backlist, but have requested a prior title from the library.
I think Every Time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies will make a better limited tv series than a book. I expect in that environment the characterizations will be clearer, the humor that was a flop in the book may also either come across better or be left out entirely, and the author’s inability to focus will not be an issue.
Thank you to the author, the publisher St. Martin’s Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC.

This cover is amazing, the title is intriguing, and I love books set in Italy. I had really high hopes for this book after seeing it compared to the Finlay Donovan series. Unfortunately I struggled a bit with this book. There were quite a few characters on the book tour and at times I had trouble keeping up with who was who. The constant interjecting by the narrator was too much for me. It reminded me of The Fury in that she's kind of taunting the reader for not figuring out the murderer yet. I don't mind footnotes, it was just too many. I also think I just didn't jive with the narrator's style. I feel like she used too much slang trying to make herself sound young/cool. Of course I didn't write down an example so now I can't think of one. I also really didn't like how she treated her sister as an employee. Maybe they can have a better relationship in future books.
There were a couple things I liked about the book. The biggest being that I didn't guess who was trying to kill Connor and Eleanor! I also liked Eleanor's dilemma with trying to kill off Connor in her books. That was like a fun little side story within the main story. I did like the ending and that it ended on a cliffhanger. I would give the second book a try!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a review!

I loved everything about this book. The mystery was mystifying but there is comedy and tears too. I just thoroughly enjoyed the story and the twists and turns that we go on was just a joy. I can’t wait to read more of this universe and from this author.

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is Catherine Mack’s latest comedic mystery. It is a riveting story narrated by mystery author Eleanor Dash while she is on a research trip to Italy. It’s written in first person point of view and contains footnotes at the end of each chapter.

35-year-old bestselling author Eleanor Dash is on a combination book tour and research trip in Italy with her younger sister and personal assistant, Harper. Ten years earlier Eleanor met a con man in Rome who she became romantically involved with. When she returned home, she wrote a book about their adventures, When in Rome, and became an overnight success. Readers loved the mysterious private investigator, Connor Smith, so Eleanor wrote the Vacation Mystery series featuring him. Unfortunately, the real Connor Smith demanded 10% of the book proceeds, which he then increased to 20% over time. So now Eleanor is trying to figure out how to kill off the beloved character in her tenth book so she can get the real Connor Smith out of her life for good.

Then Connor shows up in Rome and confronts Eleanor, begging her to help him figure out who is trying to kill him in real life. Connor admits that someone is blackmailing him because he involved this person in a shady financial scheme, but he refuses to tell Eleanor who his blackmailer is. Eleanor doesn’t care about Connor’s problems, but then Harper’s purse is stolen by a brazen thief and Eleanor is afraid it’s related to Connor’s situation. Eleanor is unhappy to learn that her publisher had a contest and awarded 20 superfans, the BookFace Ladies, a free trip to Rome to accompany Eleanor on her research trip. One of the winners is Crazy Cathy, a stalker who Eleanor got a restraining order against. Unfortunately, the restraining order isn’t enforceable in Italy. There’s a terrible tour guide, Sylvie, who is spouting incorrect information, which drives Eleanor crazy.

Then Eleanor learns that her publisher is hosting a whole entourage of authors on the book tour who all have a beef with Connor Smith. Allison Rogers Smith is Connor’s ex-wife who doesn’t blame Eleanor for his illicit affair with her during their marriage. Then there’s Guy Charles, Connor’s former business partner. Connor’s notoriety caused their PI firm to go out of business. Oliver Forrest writes literary mysteries and helped Eleanor get over her heartbreak from Connor. However he ended the relationship with Eleanor three years ago, although she still loves him. Abishek “Shek” Botha is an aging mystery author whose last two books tanked. Emily Ma is a writer who has stolen Eleanor’s plots but is successful with younger readers because she promotes her books on TikTok. Isabella Joseph is a 25-year-old beautiful redheaded Canadian who struck up a conversation with Connor on the airplane; now they are lovers.

Eleanor’s sister, Harper, is trying unsuccessfully to resign as Eleanor’s assistant so she can pursue her own writing career. However Eleanor cannot manager her own affairs because her head is in the clouds, and she relies on Harper to manage her day-to-day life. Harper is keeping secrets from Eleanor. She knows that Harper hates Connor but doesn’t have details.

When all of the writers, Connor, Harper, and Isabella are at the dinner table, Connor announces that he has slept with all of the ladies present. There’s no mention of when Harper and Connor were intimate. It’s also suspicious that Connor insists upon inviting Isabella along when they just met. Crazy Cathy approaches their table and demands to be seated, but Eleanor gets her seated elsewhere and then tries to figure out why her publisher would have allowed her on the trip. Then Eleanor chokes on a bone in her fish filet and Oliver saves her. It looks like this event may rekindle their romance.

There are multiple attempts on the real Connor’s life while Eleanor ponders the ending of her book series and travels all over Italy. She tries to resurrect her romance with Oliver while simultaneously disentangling herself from Connor. Meanwhile she’s trying to figure out who’s trying to kill Connor and what’s going on with her sister. At the end of the story, everything is explained and tied up neatly in a bow.

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is a funny mystery with some romance. Eleanor’s character reveals the realities of being a successful writer with a lot of humor. The plot was interesting and moved at a good pace, but I had trouble keeping all of the characters straight. The footnotes at the end of each chapter added to the humor and made me feel more engaged with Eleanor, but they were hard to relate to on my Kindle. Additionally the story contained many typographical errors that should have been corrected earlier. Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies would make an excellent movie that appeals to a wide audience; I believe seeing the characters would make it easier to keep them straight.

I received an advance review copy (ARC) from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Eleanor Dash has written an extremely successful murder mystery series. The only caveat is she based the main character on her ex-boyfriend and he now gets a part of her earnings, so Eleanor would like him to just go away once and for all. On her book tour in Italy Connor tells her he thinks someone is trying to kill him. Eleanor thinks Connor’s accusations are ridiculous and gets sidetracked by her other ex Oliver showing up. When a near death experience happens to Eleanor and others on the tour she decides Connor might be right and starts looking into possible suspects on the book tour. Will Eleanor find the culprit before any other mysterious instances happen on this eventful book tour?

With the beautiful backdrop of Italy that you can easily picture as it is so richly described and the lure of a who-done-it this book has everything you could want: location, murder mystery and romance all wrapped up into one spectacular story.

EVERY TIME I GO ON VACATION SOMEONE DIES is about an author writing about being an author. Eleanor Dash is considering what’s next in her Vacation Mysteries series and she just really wants to get through this book tour and then kill off the (annoying) main character, Connor Smith, in the next book. The trouble is, Connor is also a real person, a gigantic pain, and on the book tour. When an actual murder attempt is made on Connor’s life, Eleanor’s fictional plans become blurred with the real mystery, and everyone’s a suspect.

This book is a ton of fun! It has a hilarious, snarky main character and a bunch of suspicious side characters that make solving the murder mystery entertaining. The fourth wall is broken wide open and there are tons of funny footnotes (which you can skip if they’re not your jam) that engage you as a reader and really bring you along for the ride.

I am so excited for the next in this series!

Thank you Catherine Mack and Minotaur Books for the advance copy! All thoughts are my own.

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is book one in The Vacation Mysteries series by Catherine Mack.
This brand new series debut is so funny and engaging!
I had the absolute best time reading it.
I do believe that this is my most favorite murder mystery story ever!

Thank You NetGalley and Minotaur Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is the first book in The Vacation Mysteries by Catherine Mack.

Eleanor Dash became a famous author after a whirlwind month trip to Italy and upon returning just had to write down everything that happened during her vacation .. meeting Connor Smith, their involvement in a series of robberies, murder and falling in love. When in Rome was that story and Eleanor even remembered to change all the names except Connor. Now nine books later Eleanor is still stuck with Connor, in book ten she is ready to kill Connor. .

Eleanor is on a ten day author tour in six Italian cities with five other mystery authors along with twenty fans and planning her tenth book in which she ready to kill Connor off, the only problem Connor believes someone is trying to murder him.

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies was an easy read and at times an amusing, simple whodunnit mystery. I felt it was rather clever of Catherine Mack to use Eleanor’s voice to talk to the reader. However, I did find that story did not hold my interest for long periods of time, I am going to blame that on the footnotes .. crafty writing style but as a someone reading on my kindle, I found it cumbersome to go back and forth to the end of the chapter – thus the 3 star rating. I am sure reading the physical book will make that a tad easier.

Thank you, Catherine Mack and Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel is due to be released on April 30, 2024.

A best selling author, 2 exes, an unhappy sister/assistant, a crazy fan, blackmail and murder go on vacation to beautiful Italy.

This had a great location, Italy was the perfect backdrop for this clever mystery filled with humor and great characters. Even breaking the fourth wall and talking directly to the reader!! Lots of fun twists kept me guessing until the end.

4 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

(3.5 / 5 stars)

This is a fun, light mystery that you can easily pick up and put down - so great for a vacation! I do not consider myself an amateur detective or investigator by any means. When I'm reading a mystery, I am more interested in the characters and overall readability of the book, rather than attempting to keep track of all of the suspects, motives, means, and details needed to "solve the crime."

Every Time I Go on Vacation has a fun setting of a book tour in Italy. There are some family complications between the main character, Eleanor Dash, and her sister / personal assistant Harper. Eleanor is also dealing with two ex-boyfriends on the tour, and several other interrelated side characters.

Other observations:

- the book is self referential, which was occasionally confusing as I wasn't sure if there was actually an earlier book I should have read first
- there's lots of shout outs to other famous mystery writers and books (Agatha Christie in particular, which you don't need to have a background in to enjoy the book, but you'd certainly get more out of it if you did)
- Eleanor breaks the 4th wall several times to talk directly to the reader, which also adds to the casual feel
- all kinds of footnotes to add funny asides
- the writing is clever and fast paced, but fairly surface level

- unrelated to the content of the book, I would note that the formatting of this ARC made reading difficult. The footnotes did not translate well to a digital copy (you had to swipe forward or backward lots to find the actual footnote), and tons of random words were italicized. I tried not to let it affect my enjoyment of the book overall, but it was challenging.

This audiobook was delightful! I know it may not work for everyone but I love when an author or actor break the fourth wall and this happens often in this one. I found it super entertaining.
.
The tagline for this is perfect for a vacation mystery. “Ten days, eight suspects, six cities, five authors, three bodies ….one trip to die for.” This sums it perfectly!
.
Eleanor is the best selling author of the vacation mystery series but she’s looking to kill her main character, who happens to be based on her ex-boyfriend in real life. What if someone is trying to kill them in real life and the even bigger question is why? I would love to see this one as a summer tv series!

.
Huge thank you to #MacAudio2024 #minotaur and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
.

Such a fun cozy mystery! This had many laugh out loud moments and would make the perfect beach read book.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Scoville Spice Scale 🌶

Every time I Go On Vacation by Catherine Mack is a crazy, raucous tour of Italy that turns into a murder mystery. It's a funny book, cleverly written, breaking the fourth wall, and the Female Main Character even calls out the author!

"I shiver "Goodreads."
Emily takes a large gulp of her drink. "Goodreads is the worst." We start to laugh again."

Not only is this book a fun, suspenseful murder mystery, it also reads like a travel guide to Italy. From the Coliseum to Pompeii to a wine tasting at a little place called Wine and Drugs, the book immerses you in in Italy. You'll be craving an Aerpol Spritz by the end.

The cast of characters! We meet famous murder mystery author, Eleanor Dash and her sister, Harper, in Rome on a very hot day. This tour celebrates the 10th Anniversary of her first book When In Rome. On the tour are her BookFace FanClub Ladies who won their way into the tour and wear coordinating shirts with Eleanor's book covers on them each day. Somehow Cathy, her stalker, is amongst them. Also on the tour is Connor (aka SHUT UP, CONNOR), Allison (Connor's ex wife), Emily - an on the rise mystery writer, Shek - a seasoned mystery writer, Guy - a muscle fall guy of sorts who used to be in league with Connor, and Oliver - an author and Eleanor's Ex who she is still in love with.

As this book goes on there is a mystery unfolding within the group. Is someone trying to kill Connor? Is someone trying to kill Eleanor? This mystery takes us through Italy from Rome to the Med to Sorrento (big cliff!), Capri, the Amalfi Coast and more. With this backdrop, the mystery unfolds with suspense filled moments, pizza, and murder.

Eleanor is a delightful Female Main Character and the cast of characters around her play their parts wonderfully! I honestly suspected quite a few characters at one point or another. The twist did get me though. And it was good. So was the romance.

Read this book if you like:

🍷 Second Chance Romance
🔍Murder Mystery With Cosy Vibes
🍷MMC who is a touch her & die
🔍 Revenge
🍷Amazing descriptions of Italy

Thank you to @NetGalley and @stmartinspress for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

First, I’d just like to say, PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS DIGITALLY. I did and I fully believe it ruined my experience. This book has footnotes which were impossible to follow digitally. I believe it does say the footnotes are optional but I feel like I didn’t get the full experience.

Second, this book is VERY meta. Extremely self aware, fourth wall breaking at times. It makes for an interesting narration style, one I’m not sure how to feel about.

Third, this book completely spoiled and ruined the two unread Agatha Christie books I have. So if you plan to read Murder on the Orient Express and the Murder or Roger Ackyard, read those first before reading this.

Overall, all of the above had me leaning towards just thinking this was OK but the ending saved it for me. I will be picking up book two whenever that comes out.