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.

I liked this one. The characters were interesting and I liked how all of the authors were connected through Eleanor's book. I did not see the ending coming and thought the "author's" insistence that the reader solve the mystery before the end of the book took a little away from the actual story. The footnotes do not work well on a Kindle; hopefully they will be a better placement for the print copy.

Sometimes you just want to read a murder mystery packed full of humor and this title gave me everything I wanted! The book beginning to explain how the book I was reading was actually the book written by the main character was something I didn't expect but found to be a fun twist on this kind of book. It also allowed for something that I hadn't experienced for quite a while: a fiction book with footnotes that help tell the story. As a teen, I read a book called Bad Kitty by Michele Jaffee with the same kind of footnotes and I wish more books would use this as a more unique way of learning about the main character through how they think or feel about situations without necessarily stopping the story. I can't wait to read what adventures Eleanor goes on in future books as this one very much alluded to more books!

Sadly not for me! The writing style just didn't work for me. I found it a little too chaotic and difficult to keep track of all of the characters, and honestly be the time the reveal happened, I was mostly checked out and wasn't paying attention. In addition to the writing style, I just think the footnotes weren't for me, and the book was objectively funny but it wasn't my sense of humor.

With a title, cover and premise like this, there is so much potential but no execution.

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.

This one started off really fast paced with a whole bunch of humour but then just teetered off. I absolutely loved Eleanor’s character who gave me major Finlay Donovan vibes and the break down of the fourth wall is always a fun addition. However I was so incredibly bored. I was waiiiiitttting for someone to die or a true mystery to occur but it was all just silly shenanigans. Best part was the setting of Rome and I really felt like I was right alongside the characters.

This one reminded me of Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone and even more so its sequel Everyone on this Train is a Suspect which are two books I loved wholeheartedly and I think that may attribute to my dislike for this one. I think I may have enjoyed it more if I hadn’t read those first. Overall, I think this is going to be a fun and well loved palate cleanser for many, however it just didn’t work for me.

Eleanor is a mystery writer who is sent on tour in Italy with her sister/manager, two ex-boyfriends (one she hates, one she still loves), and a handful of other authors that are connected to her. Joining them are some fan contest winners. Eleanor is supposed to be researching her tenth book in the series, but she also wants to make it her final book where she kills off her detective, who is modeled after her ex-boyfriend who has been blackmailing her. She just wants him out of her life. When the book tour starts going sideways, Eleanor is not sure who she can trust.

I liked this book, but it is very Everyone on This Train is a Suspect. Is this tongue in cheek, talking to the audience, pop mystery the new trend? I feel that Agatha Christie would be rolling over in her grave to read this funny-but-trying-hard-to-be-funny book where the mystery takes a backseat to the banter. I like it, but it kind of gets old that the whole book is spent with characters blanketly defending themselves and there is no real mystery solving. Entertaining and light, not very memorable.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

In “Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies,” a cozy-mystery author gets caught up in solving a murder mystery for herself while on a book tour in Italy. This book is filled with humor and a quirky juxtaposition of characters. I was invested in the plot and the writing style was just fun! I also loved the funny footnotes contained in each chapter and the dreamy Italian setting. This one is definitely a tribute to cozy-mystery lovers.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Quirky and cute, which is what I expected, but also has an air of mystery and suspense too! I tend to lean towards more serious thrillers, so the opportunity to read this book was very welcomed, and I truly enjoyed every minute of the story. It took me a few chapters to really get into it, as the writing is more light-hearted, but once you got to know the characters, it really sucked you in. Truly enjoyed!!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, all opinions are my own

Eleanor Dash may be my new favorite book character. She is a bestselling author who writes fiction mystery about a real man, Connor. Connor is taking a percentage of her profits from the books. Eleanor has decided she has had enough of dealing with him and decides to kill him off in her book series. They are on a publishing experience in Italy and it seems like someone is out to kill both her and Connor, in real life.

Hilarious and witty murder mystery that I couldn’t put down! Set in the present day during a book tour where our characters travel around Italy, there’s many twists and red herrings with a big cast of characters and competing motives, means and opportunities. The title grabbed me and the writing style immediately drew me in - I loved all the footnotes with the narrator’s various asides (as a lawyer I may be pre-dispositioned to be partial to footnotes; I think a reader could skip them easily but would miss out on some of the humor and fun). I hope this author follows up on the teaser in the epilogue for another book, as I’d love to read another from her. Highly recommend this one!

*Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!