Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack
5 stars

Thank you Netgalley and St Martin's Press Minotaur Books for a copy of this ARC!

Eleanor Dash, author of the Vacation Mystery series, is planning on ending the series by killing off the main character, Connor, after her last book tour in Italy. The problem is, Connor is based off of real-life Connor Smith, the man Eleanor can't seem to get out of her life. When an attempt is made on Connor's life on the book tour, Eleanor is determined to help solve the case. Who has motive to get rid of Connor, other than herself?

My thoughts:
I REALLY enjoyed this comedic murder mystery. Absolutely perfect for fans of the Finlay Donovan series, and the Dial A for Aunties series. Eleanor's ongoing commentary in the footnotes added an extra layer of humor that I really enjoyed. I really liked the different dynamics of this group of characters.

I highly recommend picking this one up when it releases on April 30th.

I've always been a big Catherine McKenzie fan, so I knew I'd love a new series by Catherine Mack -- but this was So. Much. Fun! Fresh and inventive, entertaining and suspenseful, a romp of a mystery with a lot of direct winks at the reader. Dare I say perfect reading for vacation.

I really, really, really wanted to like this book but between the formatting, footnotes and unlikable characters I just couldn't get into it.

I started reading this without knowing anything about it, and the delightful surprises kept on coming! I love books that break the fourth wall and have funny asides in footnotes. Because of those things, I think it will be compared to Everyone in my Family Has Killed Someone, but it felt more like a Finlay Donovan book. The main character, Eleanor, was less amateur detective, more accidentally-successful author who writes what she knows because madcap stuff happens to her.

The main issue I had with the book is one it's aware of: too many suspects. Too many characters. I could remember Eleanor, her sister Harper, and her ex-boyfriend Connor, but for everyone else I made liberal use of the 'search in this book' function on my kindle. (If you've never used that, it's excellent for reminding yourself when a character entered the novel, how they were introduced, and what they've done since.)

I thought the ending wrapped everything up nicely and was happy to learn the book is getting sequels *and* a TV adaptation. It read almost like a pilot already - visually beautiful, a little dizzying in it's presentation of characters, and the sense that this was just an introduction and everything will kick into a higher gear in future installments.

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack is one of the most original cozy mysteries that I've read in a long time! I absolutely loved everything about this fun to read book!
Mack's usage of footnotes for the main character, author Eleanor Dash to add in sometimes irreverent and often informative asides as the story progresses is a stroke of genius, and the footnotes enhance to book with humour and sarcasm in equal measure.
The cast of characters who run the gamut of the literary world, from not one but a few best selling writers, to the often put-upon support staff, to the irritating ladies man on whom a character is based, to the fans - some overenthusiastic to a frightening degree, and to the equally unenthused police officer; all make for an intriguing mystery, and a fun read. The book is well-written, informative, and full of humour. The cover is adorable and hits the perfect tone for what is in between the covers.
I feel so lucky to have received an ARC of #EveryTimeIGoOnVacationSomeoneDies from #NetGalley and highly recommend this book.

A modern cozy cutie mystery! I loved this book! It’s a murder mystery, a whodunnit, a “too many suspects” type of story.

It breaks through the fourth wall which is super fun. It feels very fresh and new and just definitely worth to read to me!

There are a lot of footnotes 😂 some are hilarious and some are not super necessary but it made the story that much more fun and interesting.

For fans of Murder on the Orient Express or Knives Out!

I’m so glad I requested this one on NetGalley! I will absolutely be reading more of this authors work! Thank you @NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press!

This was everything I wanted it to be & more... 10 days in Italy on a book tour for the ages, with 5 authors and 3 bodies.... everyone is a suspect, but who has the motive AND the opportunity??? This is the perfect love child of "The White Lotus" and "Murder on the Orient Express". Our main character is seeming Jennifer Coolidge with an aperol spritz on a yacht & the one with the brain power to solve (or write) the best ending.

At the end of the very first chapter, we are introduced to the possibility that someone is attempting to murder one of the main characters, so to say I was hooked instantly would be an understatement. The author breaks the fourth wall throughout the book in a way that really makes the reader feel like they are solving the mystery alongside the narrator, who is ELIZABETH EVANS if you listen to the audiobook in tandem with the book like me(hello SJM universe narrator). There are so many clues dropped throughout the book to lead the listener to the final conclusion of the book, but even so, I didn't see what ultimately happened coming. Talk about a jaw dropping finale that was twisty and totally satisfying.

"It's me, hi. I'm the plotter, it's me"
I love a good Taylor Swift reference

Synopsis (from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.)
****************************************
Ten days, eight suspects, six cities, five authors, three bodies . . . one trip to die for.

All that bestselling author Eleanor Dash wants is to get through her book tour in Italy and kill off her main character, Connor Smith, in the next in her Vacation Mysteries series—is that too much to ask?

Clearly, because when an attempt is made on the real Connor’s life—the handsome but infuriating con man she got mixed up with ten years ago and now can't get out of her life—Eleanor’s enlisted to help solve the case.

Contending with literary competitors, rabid fans, a stalker—and even her ex, Oliver, who turns up unexpectedly—theories are bandied about, and rivalries, rifts, and broken hearts are revealed. But who’s really trying to get away with murder?

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is the irresistible and hilarious series debut from Catherine Mack, introducing bestselling fictional author Eleanor Dash on her Italian book tour that turns into a real-life murder mystery, as her life starts to imitate the world in her books.

Catherine Mackenzie, you are a genius to write this series under a semi-pseudonym….and guess how I spent my long weekend Saturday? Reading this book. Which I had actually already pre-ordered on Kindle and a hard copy for my mom…henceforth the swag from the author and the very quick review on Netgalley as I had borrowed a co-worker’s galley copy. (actually more like harassed until she gave it up for the weekend as she is a lot slower reader than I am!)

The characters are fun to spend time with and the story was compelling – and now we are having pasta for dinner as I am craving it and a trip to Italy. (I am going to make Limoncello Bucatini as I also want a nice Italian quaff in there that isn’t Aperol-based). This is fresh, funny, breezy and everything that you want in an escapist novel. I look forward to all the books in the series as I know it is the first and I know there is a *****screenplay***** involved with this book.

Great job – highly recommended to readers of all genres of books. 5🍝/5🍝

this book had me laughing out loud. I felt like I was a part of the story. It was an easy read. Mystery, drama, romance, murder- how could you go wrong with this one?

Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I hate the main character voice. Couldn’t get further than the first few pages. I hate that cutesy goofy young woman vibe.

This book is hilarious! While on an unwanted special book tour in Italy Eleanor is fending off attempts on her life. And making notes to see if anything would work for book 10 that she's stuck on. And footnoting her notes. At one point she addresses us, her readers, to solve the mystery. This is a fun story with murder, romance, humor, rivals, exes, you name it!

A mystery centered around a blockbuster author on tour in Italy with two of her exes, her sister, an ex’es ex-wife, a group of super fans and lots of attempted murder! The voice of the narrator (the blockbuster author ) is so enjoyable. There are lots of footnotes which made me laugh out loud and several moments when the author speaks directly to the reader; it’s so engaging. There are plenty of twists, red herrings, and curveballs. I absolutely loved the way the author pointed these out, though, and never apologized. There are also excellent clues dropped about the next books coming. I will be looking for them! These are fun characters with good back stories. I’m in!

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this E-arc for my honest review.
A laugh out loud mystery book that was a riot to read!!
Would definitely recommend.

Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies is a pithy rom-com disguised as a murder mystery. I appreciate Catherine Mack’s approach, but had trouble connecting to Eleanor, whom I found a bit whiny, or her supporting cast of flighty characters. I feel a little more development of the characters could have drawn me in. I enjoyed the use of the footnotes for asides, but they did not work well in the electronic formatting. I hope they are more accessible in print as I appreciate the creative approach. Overall, this may still be the book for you if you need that quick beach read that moves along and is not too deep. Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC, all opinions are my own.

This book wasn't for me, but it might be for you. Right from the start, I didn't like the characters, the writing style, or the story. I especially didn't like the footnotes and the fourth wall. They took me out of the story. The story did contain humor, but not the kind that I like. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntarily given review.

Literary Cozy-ish Mystery in which a bestselling author, her sister, the con-man who inspired her MC, her ex and four other authors and a pack of fans are on an Italian book tour that turns into a real-life murder mystery.

1/5 stars: This is the first entry in Mack's The Vacation Mysteries series, which is a Literary Cozy-ish Mystery that takes place is Italy and features a bestselling author who dying to kill off her MC who she based off of her one-time fling a charming con-man winds up turning sleuth when his life's threatened while their on an Italian book tour with her sister, her ex and four other authors and a pack of fans. This book contains multi-media elements, such as book excerpts, itineraries and notes and also includes footnotes. Mack's writing and character work are nicely done. Unfortunately, this just wasn't a book for me; leading me to DNF it at 29%.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

This was suchhhh a fun book to read! And I now have a favorite trope of all time- 4th wall breaking. The audience/reader is part of this story which is so fun and made the book extra enjoyable. With chapters dedicated to the reader, hilarious footnotes, and other little snippets into the writing/publishing world, this book snatched me right up and I couldn’t stop! While it was light hearted and easy to read, it did also have some murder/attempted murder, mystery, family drama, romance, and of course the most fabulous setting- Italy!

Quick synopsis: Eleanor is a famous writer and is on an Italian book tour with some other authors and some fans. She is also starting to write her 10th book of the series, where she hopes to kill off her main character so the series can come to an end. However, her main character is based on someone she knows well and who is also on this book tour with her… and the Italian trip they are on starts to mirror the plot of her next book. Now she’s stuck in a murder mystery and doesn’t know what to do.

Thank you SO much to Minotaur Books, Netgalley, and Catherine Mack for letting me come along on this adventure! This book hits the shelves on April 30th and you’re gonna want to pick it up! I already cannot wait for the next book (yes- it’s going to be a series!!)

add to your TBR if you like:
- books about books/authors
- cozy mysteries and thrillers
- breaking the fourth wall
- funny and sarcastic main characters
- Taylor Swift references (I counted 5)

5 stars from me!

A fantastic read, mystery thriller with a dash romance and lots of humor. I was immersed into the story from the beginning, all the characters were well developed, the plot twists were comical.

I wasn't sure what to expect going onto this book as it was my first by this author, but I am glad I requested this one. I really enjoyed the way the characters interacted. The banter was funny and the reader got an inside peek into the mind of the narrator., which made it even more fun.. The humor blended well with the mystery to make a very enjoyable read. I will definitely be recommending this book to friends and family.

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies.
This novel introduces Eleanor Dash, a bestselling fictional author, during her Italian book tour. Initially conceived as a promotional trip for her latest work, the journey takes an unexpected turn into a real-life murder mystery. The book weaves together charm, intrigue, and humor, resulting in an engaging read.

The narrative delves into themes of self-reflection, literary ambition, and the blurred boundaries between fiction and reality. Eleanor's life intriguingly mirrors the plots of her own novels, providing a captivating backdrop for the unfolding mystery.

*Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies* falls into the category of a semi-lighthearted mystery, sprinkled with romance. If you appreciate self-reflexive storytelling and cozy mysteries set against the picturesque Italian landscape, this book is worth adding to your reading list.

I recommend it especially to fans of cozy mysteries who enjoy metafictional elements. While it may not revolutionize the genre, it promises an enjoyable escape for readers seeking light-hearted intrigue.