Title: Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack
Publication Date- 04/30/24
Publisher- Macmillan
Overall Rating- 4.5 out of 5 stars

Review: Review copy given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: What an exciting start to a new mystery series. I LOVED this book. We follow a group of individuals who are on a writer tour/ vacation in Rome. One of my favorite elements of the book was being in Rome and actually feeling like I was on vacation. I loved fictionally exploring a real vacation spot, it really made the book even more entertaining. We meet an interesting cast of characters that are fully flushed out and well developed. They all have intricate relationships with each other meanwhile trying to “solve,” a “potential,” murder. It’s set up in a way where you are trying to discover who is trying to kill one of the main characters and in a way that’s like a “whodunit.” You are aware that it is likely someone in the core group you are following which leads to increased suspension and tension.

The only reason this is a 4.5 and not a 5 is that I didn’t love the plot device that was used to explain the mystery. It’s really a personal preference but also felt a little too convenient. Other than that I have no complaints. The MC is quirky and funny. I felt pretty stressed the week I read this and it was able to get me out of that headspace and enjoy my time which can be hard to do.

I really enjoyed the writing. One thing I will note is that it is very “meta,” and some people may not like that. There is a lot of discussion and references to pop culture, authorship, publishing, books, being a reader and more. I ate that up.

I can’t wait for the next installment in the series, I am likely to read this book again just because it is so fun. I very much recommend.

🍋 Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies - Catherine Mack

4.5 ⭐️ - Hilarious footnotes. Beautiful Italian setting. Mystery. Romance. Need I say more? This book (series!) has it all and I literally cannot wait to read what’s coming next. I was lucky enough to be a Bookface Lady on tour for this one and I have thoroughly enjoyed myself!

The way this book is written will have you captured from the very first chapter! I loved all the characters (there’s a lot!) and each of their unique personality and quirks. The footnotes of this story add so much to the depth of the characters and our interactions with them. The chapters dedicated to helping the reader solve the mystery are the perfect “recap” you’re always looking for in a murder novel. I loved this book. I am NOT a series girl but I cannot wait for this to continue. What a fun, summery, funny way to solve a true whodunit murder mystery. Here’s to book 2. I obviously recommend this - physical or audio!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.


Review to come shortly.

Synopsis: Eleanor Dash became a best selling mystery author after writing a fictionalized version of her own adventure with then boyfriend, Connor. Now, ten years and several books later, she just wants to be done with the series. What better way to do that than to kill off Connor (in the book only of course). But in the middle of a book tour in Italy, it seems that someone may be trying to beat her too it, only this threat to Connor’s life is very real.

Thoughts: This was such a fresh, modern take on a cozy mystery! It was a light, fun, laugh out loud adventure with a very serious mystery plot built in. The pacing was great, and I was honestly shocked by the twists. The narrator did a lot of fourth wall breaking, which really worked for me in this one. I definitely recommend and will be awaiting the next book in the series! A note on the audio: I did love the audio narrator, but I ended up also checking out the ebook copy because there are footnotes featured that work better in print in my opinion. That being said, the audio is still very entertaining and a valid way to read this one!

Read this if you like:
🍝 Italy
🍝 cozy mysteries
🍝 fourth wall breaking
🍝 light romance
🍝 humor

I loved this. Where do I even begin? The footnotes, it has to be the footnotes. I may be of an outside opinion, but they added so much to Eleanor's character, provided some insight and tons of humor, and quite possibly might be one of my favorite things about this book. Ok, maybe that's speaking a bit rashly, because over all, I adored this book.

In the line with comedic mysteries, this one has heart and a sarcastic lead woman who just wants to kill off her ex-boyfriend - fictionally, of course. Why would she want to kill the real Connor? The ex who lied to her, continuously blackmails her, and has been a general thorn in her side since their relationship ended. Though it turns out someone might really be trying to kill him - and her - and she might be the only one who has a chance to stop the killer before they wind up with more dead bodies. Because people on this book tour are dropping suddenly.

I laughed until I cried, sent quotes to friends, and generally gushed over this book. I am so ready for there to be another one!!

Special thanks to St. Martens Press, NetGalley and Catherine Mack for advanced access to Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies.

This was such a fun and unique murder mystery, that had a little bit of romance thrown in there,
Eleanor Dash is a best selling author who writes murder mysteries. Her ex, Connor, blackmails her into giving him 20% of the profits for years. She has a plan to kill him off....in her latest mystery. There is a lot going on in this book, and I loved it all!

Publication date is April 30, 2024! I highly recommend this book, especially the audio version! :)

2.5 stars. I really wanted to like this, a humorous mystery about an author getting caught up in a murder mystery that resembles her books on a European book tour. It sounded super fun, and the title's great. It wasn't terrible, but unfortunately, I didn't particularly like any of the characters and the plot never grabbed me. I also didn't find it funny, and the number of footnotes was excessive and distracting. A miss for me, but hopefully it'll work for others.

This was a very fun and funny cozy mystery. It definitely made me chuckle several times. The footnotes were a clever addition.

The mystery itself kept me guessing. I only had it partially figured out by the end. I really liked all the characters. The romance was fine, if a bit unnecessary. It didn't take away from the story, but it didn't really add anything either.

I see that this is the first in a series, which makes sense given the ending. I'm definitely interested in reading the next one.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

What a fun little read about an author named Eleanor Dash who goes on tour in Italy and while there wants to figure out how to kill off one of the characters in her book, Connor Smith. Funny & ironic thing is, she has an man who she became involved with in real life by the same name many years previously and she wants to get rid of him, too but just can't seem to do it. Then she learns that someone is trying to kill him, so she wants to figure out who. Hilariously as her trip goes, she ends up with her ex, Oliver and a host of fans. Things get more and more complicated as bodies begin to show up.

I just happen to be on vacation in Florida at Miramar Beach, and even though the weather her was bad yesterday with an alarm on our phones to take cover in a basement as we were under a severe tornado warning, I still loved reading this one today from my balcony because it was nice and sunny but still very windy and 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

I had both the narrated audiobook and the ebook (unfinished copy), and I thought the narrator, Elizabeth Evans (no relation to me!) was excellent and definitely helped keep my interest in the plot. I am not sure I would've given the book 4 stars without listening to the narrator.

I’ve come to realize there’s nothing I love more than a good cozy mystery- this one included. Eleanor is an amazing FMC. I would not have traded her dry humor and unreliability for anything. In a unique chapter set up, Eleanor takes us through her book tour in Italy, where a series of murders are committed. Not only is she trying to write her finale novel to a best selling series, she’s also trying to figure out who’s committing these murders before it’s too late.

Received this one from Minotaur Books-so happy I did! If you liked the Finlay Donovan series this one is definitely for you. Releases 4/30

Thank you to Catherine Mack, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love a good mystery and this one delivered. It was funny. I liked the characters. The cover is adorable.

The footnotes aspect was really unique and different. One of my favorite parts.

Thank you Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for my ARC + ALC of Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies in exchange for my honest review.

Ten days, eight suspects, six cities, five authors, three bodies…
Eleanor Dash is the bestselling author of a ten-year-running vacation mystery series, but she has plans to kill off her main character to end the series for good. That character is based on none other than her ex, Connor Smith, who has been blackmailing her. When Connor comes to her and insists that someone is trying to kill him in real life, Eleanor works through her theories with her audience as she attempts to outline her next book.

ETIGOVSD is a light and cozy mystery, with a bit of romance, that serves up underhanded jabs at the genre, while breaking the fourth wall. With several suspects at your disposable, coupled with the breathtaking scenery of Italy, this makes for the perfect summer listen/read. I feel like the authors in the book were very comparable to those in real life; cue the not-so-talented-influencer-author stealing ideas and passing them off as her own, and the nose-up-turned vibes of more seasoned authors, believing that there is no more room for new talent.

Eleanor is an unreliable, but quirky and loveable narrator; she shares her feelings and anecdotes with readers via footnotes (which I loved). She is hilarious and had me laughing out loud along with her. Her thoughts and opinions about the “Book Face Ladies” and other social media sensations were spot on!

This book was made to be an audiobook; Elizabeth Evans perfectly captures Eleanor’s tone, making this a fun and fast listen. Having the ARC to reference along with the ALC helped me with sorting the characters, but on the flipside the audio was more engaging. I could feel myself emersed in the picturesque setting and loved the additions of Italy-specifics, like no Diet Coke LOL.

Overall, I would prefer the audiobook to the print, but having both together made a perfect pairing. There were some fun elements in the print version (suspect table, outline of new book, etc.), but did not add or take away from the book overall.

I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in this series and could totally see this transformed into an HBO mini-series!

Rounding up a smidge from 3.75.

The footnotes are probably one of the most polarizing aspects of this book. They didn't generally bother me, though I did think they were a bit overdone; in my opinion, at least 20% of them could be cut.

Otherwise, I very much enjoyed this book and all of it's fourth-wall-breaking snark and sass. It frequently felt like I was reading a mystery written by Jen Lancaster. I'll absolutely read the next book in the series as soon as I can!

While I hate to leave a negative review for something that NetGalley has generously allowed me to read, this one was very difficult for me to get through. The format started out clever and unique, and I was quickly drawn in. However, it soon became very confusing and monotonous to me, and I had to force myself to keep reading. The footnotes were overdone, and many places that were meant to be humorous just weren't.

Have shared on GoodReads but may not anywhere else, since a negative review won't help the author.

ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥: 𝐸-𝐵𝑜𝑜𝓀 & 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨: 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧: 𝐈 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠! 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐈 𝐆𝐨 𝐨𝐧 𝐕𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐞𝐬. 𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐞-𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲. 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐤’𝐬 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤. 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝–𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝟐!

ℙ𝕦𝕓𝕝𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝔻𝕒𝕥𝕖: 𝔸𝕡𝕣𝕚𝕝 𝟛𝟘, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟜

𝐻𝓊𝑔𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝒞𝒶𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝒾𝓃𝑒 𝑀𝒶𝒸𝓀, 𝑀𝒶𝒸𝓂𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒶𝓃 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜. 𝒮𝓉. 𝑀𝒶𝓇𝓉𝒾𝓃’𝓈 𝒫𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓈–𝑀𝒾𝓃𝑜𝓉𝒶𝓊𝓇, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.

This book made me laugh out loud, literally. Thriller author Catherine McKenzie has turned her pen to humorous cozy mysteries, and the results are delightful. The fast paced, speak-directly-to-the-reader narrative style is hilarious and the snarky footnotes greatly added to my enjoyment.

There's a cast of suspicious characters, all with means, motive, and opportunity, and a series of murder attempts. Or are they just imagining things? All in the setting of gorgeous Italian architecture, countryside, and landmarks. The plot kept me guessing, and the interaction between the characters kept me engaged. But the narrator's style was the star of the show. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next in the series. Thank you to Netgalley, St Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for this review copy.

Eleanor has authored a bestselling mystery series for ten years. But she wants to kill off her book's main character and end the series. That character is based on her conman ex, who has been blackmailing her. When it looks like he might be killed in real life, Eleanor finds herself caught in an actual investigation. I laughed and sleuthed along with her as she embarked on a book tour in Italy with quite the (potentially murderous) entourage.

In her unique narrative style, Eleanor breaks the fourth wall, points out important events, and shares insights. Her commentary is often humorous and invites the reader to be part of the fun and solve the case. As this book starts a series, and most of the characters have shared history before we meet them, there is a fair amount of world-building and background, often presented as amusing footnotes. Hang in there initially because the relationships and past become clearer as the book progresses, and then the pacing really picks up. I did predict the culprit, but I still really enjoyed this as I was in it as much for the entertainment value as the whodunnit. The writing style is engaging, mixing comedic mystery with just a touch of popcorn thriller. The characters are colorful, and their secrets and resentments create plenty of motives and surprises. It's a perfect beach or vacation read. And the ending has me anticipating the next book in the series.

I paired the ebook with the audiobook. Narrator Elizabeth Evans was perfect for this! She nailed Eleanor's personality and humor and handled the footnotes so they came across as conversational. Evans also did a great job with the other characters and their inflections, quirks, and different accents, sometimes managing multiple accents in a scene. Excellent narration!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the free ebook and audiobook!

2.5⭐️

Eleanor Dash's first book mirrored the real life situation she had found herself in after a whirlwind romance in Italy lead to solving a crime together. She changed just enough for the book to fictional but kept one thing true: Connor Smith was the main character. Unfortunately, Connor was a con man and almost ten books and a lot of blackmail later, El still can't get rid of him. But as her contract comes to an end, she finally plans to kill him off.

Her publisher sends El on a tour of Italy for the anniversary of the book series, along with her sister who is her PA, Connor, Connor's ex-wife, El's ex-boyfriend, and several others represented by the same publishing company. When several attempts are made on Connor's life, it becomes clear that everyone in attendance has motive and El realizes they have to solve the mystery before Connor is killed.

I wanted to like this so much. I'm here for a cozy mystery with comedic relief throughout, but this book felt like it was trying too hard to be funny. El is an absolute disaster; she's absolutely helpless and self-centered. I get being disorganized (hi, I have ADHD, too) but if it wasn't for her sister, Harper, handling almost every aspect of her life, El would get absolutely nothing done. She blames her imposter syndrome on a lot of her selfish actions but after awhile I think you have to admit that you're the problem.

I usually like Fourth Wall Breaks in books ( I absolutely love the Ernest Cunningham series for that), but it felt like the author was trying too hard to make the FMC seem quirkier and smarter than she actually was. The fourth wall break was also executed weirdly; we got footnotes throughout which were so over the top in their attempt to be funny that they were more annoying than anything. Then at the beginning of the Third Act, we got a breakdown of all the characters and what to look for similar to the Ernest Cunningham series, but by that point it felt disjointed to the rest of the story.

My other issue with the footnotes was an ARC formatting issue; I received an eARC from Netgalley and while reading it on Kindle, the footnotes would just appear in the middle of the page or the middle of paragraphs it and was hard to tell what was actually supposed to be a footnote. I'm assuming once the pages are formatted correctly the footnotes may have been more amusing but by the halfway point of the book I was so done with them.

Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur Books for providing this ARC to me!

Quick thoughts: unique and witty writing, loved the narration, disliked almost all characters but I think that was intentional, cozy mystery.

The fictional author and book within a book was so well done. I loved the character’s sense of humor and inner dialogue.

I did like the footnotes, and found them very witty. However, it was difficult to read them on an e-reader. If I had the physical book I likely would have flipped back and forth to read each footnote when cited, but that is not as easily done on a Kindle. Therefore, there was no way to read the footnotes in real time with their reference, so the intention was lost.

This book was just fine. I liked it but didn’t love it. It’s your average cozy mystery, set in Italy, a murder mystery with a funny narrator.

Pub Date: 4/30/24

The author alludes to this being a series, so if you end up loving this book, you have more to look forward to.

[While this is a “debut book” for Catherine Mack, that name is an alias for seasoned author Catherine McKenzie; check out her other books under her full name! She created her alias for the genre change.]

Thank you Minotaur and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I like that the author was writing about an author being an author. This story had me laughing costantly. It was a nice light read so it was easy to fly through.