This was an interesting read. Some of it worked for me while other things didn’t. I did like the writing style. Breaking the fourth wall, talking about the book that’s being written while reading this book, and referencing future books as a sequel in this book, was all very meta and fun.

What didn’t work for me was the footnotes.
Possibly reading this on my kindle, and it not being the version of kindle where the footnotes actually pop up at the bottom of the screen hindered my experience. But I think the footnotes in general just didn’t work. They took me out of the story too much. I don’t read a lot of books with footnotes, but over 200 seemed excessive.

Overall, I found this to be a very fun read. The location setting was great, especially since I went to Italy last year and did quite a few of the tours referenced in the book. The murder mystery was set up well and kept me guessing. And as I mentioned, this book, and well as the book within a book, is set up perfectly for a sequel.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Book 1 of the Vacation Mystery Series, Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies, by Catherine Mack, begins with bestselling author, Eleanor Dash, goes on a book tour in Italy with her sister, Harper, who handles all of her affairs, and the main character in her book series, Connor Smith, who is very good looking, but very manipulative and evil – because she used his real name in her books and he blackmailed her into giving him a percentage of her sales, as well as her ex-boyfriend, Oliver. Eleanor is saddled with the task of finding out who is trying to murder Connor.

Cozies are supposed to be fun, fast, light reads for readers of all ages because they don’t contain graphic violence, sex, or foul language. However, apparently Mack didn’t get the memo. The characters are obviously low classed people because they use profanity like a sailor. The profanity isn’t there to develop a character and show that that character is unsavory, rather all of the characters, including the protagonist, show that they are skuzzy as people. Usually the protagonist in a cozy is a delightful person that everyone loves. And while Eleanor is, for the most part, delightful and funny, she still swears constantly, and it doesn’t add anything to the novel; actually it makes it unreadable. While I understand that many young people talk like that, it doesn’t make it right. There is also a fair amount of sexual innuendo.

If that doesn’t bother readers, then maybe they can get through this novel and enjoy it. Apparently the author thinks that if she doesn’t have a big enough vocabulary, she can inject swear words to fill the pages instead of writing a quality book.

I wouldn’t recommend this cozy series to anyone. There are plenty of good cozies out there that follow the protocol.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

4.5 stars!

This. Was. So. Much. Fun. I love a good cozy murder mystery but this book took it to a different level. First, can I be friends with Catherine? Her writing style is so personable and you truly feel like she’s talking to you with her words. The banter. The sarcasm. The dry humor. The quick wit. Shall I go on? This book was beyond entertaining and I’m so happy that I was lucky enough to read this ARC. I truly ate it up. My only issue would be the footnotes in the story. Although I liked the idea, I think because of how my pages were formatted via e-book, I missed the essence it was suppose to provide. I found myself having to swipe through pages to find the footnote reference and it kind of threw off my pace of the book. BUT that was my only gripe. I loved this book immensely and felt like it was very well done!

"Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack is a humorous and suspenseful novel that follows Eleanor, a witty and relatable narrator. Eleanor's unique use of footnotes adds an entertaining and original twist to the story, breaking the fourth wall in a clever and engaging manner. I was hooked from the beginning, laughing out loud at times, and sitting on the edge of my seat.

The author’s voice hooked me on the dedication page with a remark about footnotes and her wonderfully humorous tone continues throughout the story. This book reminds me of both Lisa Lutz and Agatha Christie. The main character, author Eleanor Dash, speaks directly to the reader through footnotes, and once in a chapter. I enjoyed trying to guess not only who is the murderer but which of the tour group is the intended victim. I’m happy to discover - in a footnote - there are more adventures to come. Clever and intriguing, this romp through Italy while plotting murder is highly recommended.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

4.5 stars! I found myself laughing way too much for a murder mystery! I loved how the the narrator breaks the 4th wall often to give us little snippets of her opinion or how things are going to turn out. It did take awhile to get to the murder but I actually enjoyed that in this book! Overall a great fun murder mystery!!

I did not finish this book. It was just not for me. It was too chaotic, had too many footnotes, and kept referring to the characters’ pasts without providing enough context.

Every Time I go on Vacation, Someone Dies is a fun, quick, unusual mystery. It’s interesting how the author talks with the audience throughout the book. Eleanor Dash, a mystery author, finds herself wrapped up in a real life murder case, while on her current book tour. This book kept me up late each night wanting to see what happens next. This was my first read of Catherine Mack’s but it won’t be my last.
Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

I really liked the premise of this story and it sounded so fun. Unfortunately, I found it hard to follow due to the digital formatting. The footnotes were a constant interruption since they were placed in the middle of the text. This took away from the momentum of the story and made it seem choppy and disconnected.

Eleanor Dash is the bestselling author of the blockbuster Vacation Mysteries series. The first book was loosely based on real events, with names changed to protect the innocent (and the guilty!). The only character whose name and likeness she didn’t change was her ex-boyfriend Connor Smith. Connor has been blackmailing Eleanor for a cut of her royalties for the last ten books, but she’s about to kill him off – figuratively of course! Unfortunately, while they’re on a book tour in Italy, someone seems to want Connor dead in real life!

This book is such a fun take on a cozy mystery, although snarkier and sweary-er than a typical cozy (which only made me love it more!). The cast of characters is such a hoot, from the sexy but smarmy con man Connor to competitive fellow authors, a gaggle of book clubbers, an ex that Eleanor never got over, and of course Eleanor herself. Eleanor is sarcastic and engaging, and I love it when she breaks the fourth wall to urge the reader to solve the mystery. The footnotes are a fun element where Eleanor shares gossipy little asides. The writing style is top notch (which is par for the course for this author, who you may also know as the talented Catherine Mackenzie), and aside from the witty banter, this is also a well crafted mystery with plenty of suspects and red herrings that kept me guessing!

This book is perfect for fans of Finlay Donovan, especially because it sounds like there will be at least two more books Eleanor’s series, and I already can’t wait to see what else she gets herself into!

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for providing me an advance copy of this book.

This was a fun take on a cozy mystery! A large cast of characters is on a trip to Europe for Eleanor's book tour. Along with Eleanor's sister, some former author lovers, and a troupe of Eleanor's fans - these unique characters and circumstances lends itself to some wild scenarios. Soon upon arrival, accidents begin to happen, people begin to get taken out one by one. Can Eleanor solve the mystery of whodunit before she is next?!

This book was fun and full of lots of red herrings and puzzles, making it a fun read. There was an added element of footnotes, which, while the notes themselves were funny, witty and cute, I did not enjoy flipping back and forth on my kindle to read these. So I ended up reading them all and once in the end and they weren't as effective. I think that for e-readers, going back and forth is a bit of a pain and an alternative way of doing the footnotes may want to be considered. Even as a physical book, I am not sure I would want to flip back and forth to read them.

Special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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.