Thank you to St. Martins Press for my complimentary eARC and to Macmillan Audio for my complimentary audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies is a new cozy mystery series. It is full of all the sights and sounds of a perfect Italian vacation. That is until someone decides to commit murder.

This is a different type of cozy, it is mashup of Clue and Knives Out. All of the suspects and motives are doled out over the course of the book by Eleanor (the narrator). The fourth wall is knocked down a few times, which provides a fresh and entertaining look into the process of solving this one.

I liked this one but was anxious for the actual murder to happen. This is the first cozy mystery I have read where the victim does not even show up until well past the 50% mark. And do not get me started on all the footnotes. They did lend an air of humor to the story but my eARC was wonky and the actual footnotes were a few pages away from where they were noted. This lead to a lot of back and forth on my part. I eventually gave up.

I paired the audio with the eARC. Elizabeth Evans is a phenomenal narrator. You will recognize her many voices if you have read TOG.

"Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies" by Catherine Mack is a fun and witty mystery set during a book tour in Italy. Following bestselling author Eleanor Dash and her literary rivals, the story is filled with unexpected twists and humor. Despite guessing the murderer early on, the fast-paced plot and clever storytelling keep readers engaged until the end. The unique format, including footnotes, adds to the enjoyment of the novel. Overall, it's an entertaining read that combines suspense and humor effectively.

This was probably about a 2½ star read for me. There were a lot of footnotes which didn't work well in the ebook. It was a hassle to flip back and forth. In the audio, the footnotes sounded more like asides from the narrator which helped, but they were too repetitive which made them annoying enough at times to elicit eye rolling.

Keep in mind that every time the narrator adds a footnote, which is multiple times in each chapter, it is directed at the reader as if she is talking to you and telling you a story. She does refer to the footnotes and her editor, so you are made aware of the fact that you are reading her story written to you.

I will say that I flopped back and forth a bit as to who the 'bad guy' was. I was not fooled by the author's attempts to lead the reader astray though and had a decent idea of who it was and wasn't a little over halfway through. I can't say what was right or wrong because I don't want to give anything away for future readers.

I think the book needed a more likable main character to really give you someone to root for. This is one of those books where there are no great characters. So, if you need to love your characters give it a pass.

The audio version was narrated by Elizabeth Evans and I think that is partly why I'm rounding this one up. She did a really good job.

My other reason for rounding up is that I think if you skip the footnotes, which the author suggests you can do at one point, the story may read better. I would recommend reading without the footnotes if you give this one a try. They aren't necessary to the story and actually take away from it.

Thank you Minotaur Books for my #gifted copy of Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies!

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐈 𝐆𝐨 𝐎𝐧 𝐕𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐞𝐬
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐤
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟑𝟎, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

𝟰★

As soon as I saw Elle Cosimano blurb this book, I knew I had to get my hands on it! Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies is the first book in the Vacation Mysteries Series and I loved it! It was such a fun cozy mystery, and was laugh out loud funny! I cannot wait to read the next book in this series!

I found Eleanor Dash to be such a fun main character. The banter is amazing and I just loved the writing style. I was laughing so much during this one and it reminded me so much of the Finlay Donovan series. I honestly think this series will be a huge hit with anyone who enjoys that series.

There were so many fun and interesting characters and so many fun twists and turns. I was guessing the entire time. I really felt like the footnotes throughout the book were useful and entertaining and a nice touch!

Posted on Goodreads on April 18, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around April 30, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on April 30, 2024
**-will post on designated date

A sweet, creamy gelato of a mystery. I enjoyed the breezy tone, cultural references, and snarky footnotes as bestselling author Eleanor Dash tries to identify a killer on her Italian book tour. I'll be looking forward to the next Vacation Mystery!

I love a good murder mystery and this book was great! El is a writer who goes on a book tour in Italy, alkk on my side her sister and the man she broke her heart and she out in a book. From there, the mystery takes off and it’s a fun ride! The only note I make is I did not like the footnotes. I skipped them as they were more distracting from the story than adding to it. But that did not stop me from really enjoying this book!

The perfect book to take on vacation and get lost for a day. I love books where Authors break the fourth wall. This book does that perfectly.

This is a book written by an Author, writing about an author, who is writing this book.
It does feel very Meta at times, which just adds to the feel. Mack does a great job of never letting it get too heavy. I enjoyed the development of all the characters. There's quite a cast of Characters.

Eleanor Dash is the Author telling us this story. She is working on her tenth book and what she hopes will be the last in her series. Where she hopes to kill off the MMC. Finally, getting Connor out of her life. She Hopes...Now she is being sent on a ten-day promotional tour of Italy. Along with her on this Tour is...

Hannah - Her Assistant/Sister is there to make sure Eleanor shows up for everything. As well as keeping everyone on schedule. She pretty much does everything for Eleanor. Even after Eleanor stole her dream. Now what's going on with her and Connor?

Connor - The Inspiration for her MMC. He and Eleanor once had a serious relationship. until she found out it was all a lie. Now he's a thorn in her side that won't go away. How will he feel when he finds out Eleanor plans to kill his Character off?

Oliver - Another ex of Eleanor. Also writes Mysteries. Sent by the Publisher and maybe to see Eleanor again. Hates Connor.

Allison - Connor's Ex-wife. She also writes a book involving her relationship with Connor. Also, Hates Connor.

Guy - Connor's old partner. He also wrote a book. Now he's on this tour

Throw in a few more Authors, 20 or so BookFace Fans who won a contest to be there, a tour guide who reads Google, and a few attempts on people's lives. You have a crazy mystery that will leave you guessing till the end,

Don't forget to read the Footnotes.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher on NetGalley. Thank you.

This book was a masterful combination of mystery and humor! The narrator, an author of a best-selling mystery series, is over dealing with her ex-boyfriend, so she decides to kill him off, in her book of course. But now he thinks someone is trying to kill him, and everyone has a motive. It was such a unique writing style and I loved the mystery plotline! The characters were wonderful and the vacation setting was perfect! I also really loved the footnotes! They were a surprising feature throughout the story that added a lot of depth and humor. It also allowed for some quick info dumping without interrupting the flow of the plot. I also loved how the book told a vibrant and descriptive story while breaking the fourth wall the entire time. The narrator is writing the story of what happened, and telling it directly to us as readers. In some chapters this direct-to-reader commentary is only through the footnotes or a line here and there, pointing out foreshadowing, promising you that she will reveal the information eventually, or warning you that she never did find out why a character decided to make that decision. But other times a few pages will be entirely dedicated to talking directly to us as readers, explaining tropes in mysteries, or even setting up the next few chapters in a way that was so engaging that I didn't mind at all. It is such a unique way to tell the story and I loved it! I'm so glad the story continues in book two (first mentioned in a footnote, of course, and then fully set up in the last chapter). I can't wait to read more of this type of story!

Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

3.5⭐️ such a fun read!

it was a little slow at the beginning, but the last half was so good it made me forget all about it. very much looking forward to the sequels for this series!

(despite the slow start, I would’ve given it four stars but knocked it down bc there were just a few too many social media/TikTok/Goodreads jabs that irritated me and took me out of the story)

Short synopsis: Eleanor Dash is an author going on book tour in Italy, and hoping to kill off her main character in her series. But when Connor (the man who inspired her character) barely escapes murder himself, Eleanor is determined to find out who is trying to get away with murder.

My thoughts: Take me to the Amalfi Coast! The setting was pure bliss. A yacht with a warm breeze and a cold drink, throw in some pasta and color me happy.

I thought the premise and formatting of the book was so fun! It’s like a book inside a book, where the narrator/author gives the reader very blatant details throughout to help solve the mystery.

Okay, I knew going in to this one it would funny and more of a cozy mystery. I personally hoped for a bit more humor, and mystery. I think cozy’s are just not for me? It was perfectly fine, and enjoyable.

Read if you love:
- Italian settings
- Whodunit
- Books about books

Read this in ONE DAY. I had a blast with Eleanor Dash. I loved the sort of meta format. Really original and fun. LOVED the footnotes and the "author's" voice. Can totally see how it's not for everyone, but it was for me!

I am already a huge fan of cozy mysteries and this was a fantastic addition to that genre with the added bonus of being a really bubbly, funny vacation romp that is just begging to be read poolside.

4 stars! Will definitely continue with this series.

Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The writing refreshingly original. This was a clever take on thriller meets romance novel. The authors humor and delightful writing captivates you from beginning to end.

It might just be me with the ARC format but I found it very choppy and not easy to follow. I love this authors other works under a different name. I will try reading a finished copy now that’s it’s being published.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC. Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies was the MOST fun book I've read so far in 2024. From the very first page I was drawn in. I absolutely love Eleanor's wit and banter with all of the other characters. I also appreciated all of the Taylor Swift references! Eleanor is as famous writer pushed into doing an Italian getaway with other authors and super fans. It appears that someone in the group is trying to kill Connor Smith her male main character in books and real life ex! As the book moves on it also appears someone is trying to kill her too. Everyone is suspect and there are tons of twists and turns. This was truly such a pleasure to read and I am already excited for the next book in the series!

I really liked the tone of the narrator and the writer's fun style. The setting was fantastic and the details made me wish to be on vacation sipping spritzers and eating pasta. However, the footnote nature of the book as a digital copy made it difficult to follow because the "footnote" would be on a following page and there was a lot of switching between pages which wasn't fun.

I think I may have to give this one another go in print when it comes out!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely loved this novel! Funny, lighthearted murder mystery full of twists, surprises and secrets. Didn’t see the ending coming. Hard to put down. This is the perfect summer/vacation read and am already looking forward to the next in the series!

Go on a holiday without leaving your sofa with this cozy mystery! Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies is an inside look into the mind of a writer with lots of little footnote jokes makes this one cute but honestly a little confusing to read. The amount of footnotes had me either stopping too much or just skipping over them. Could be this one is better in print than kindle!

That being said if you love a cozy mystery with a quirky, disorganized main character you'll enjoy this little romp.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 ⭐️ (rounded up to 5)

Really enjoyed this book! The MC’s voice is witty, and she’s flawed but still likable and relatable. The authors footnotes are hilarious, and were often my favorite parts of reading the book. She foreshadows further books, and I’m excited to read those as well!


Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book. This review reflects my honest thoughts on this book.

This book was a thrilling ride! Despite being a murder mystery, it was highly entertaining.

The story is told from the perspective of Eleanor, an author on a book tour in Italy with an intriguing cast of characters. Their interactions were engaging, particularly the witty banter between Eleanor and the others. Eleanor speaks directly to the reader, making it feel like you're part of the investigation to uncover the murderer. The footnotes were a nice touch, providing entertaining additional thoughts from Eleanor. And the ending delivers an unexpected twist that will leave you in awe.

If you're a fan of mystery, romance, and comedy, I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to the NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author for the gifted e-book.

Thank you net valley for this arc!

This cozy was fun! I like how the author breaks the fourth wall so to speak. The story moved around a nice pace, and the setting was great. I listened to this on audiobook and the reader did an excellent job!