I really enjoyed Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies. It was a very quick read that was very engaging.

The one thing that I wish was that I read the book as a hard copy because the e book had some weird formatting and the footnotes were hard to follow.

I would recommend reading this when it comes out on April 30th, 2024.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies is an excellent paradoxical murder mystery written by an author who writes about a murder mystery author being exactly that.

This book was so excellent. It was brilliantly clever. I actually had no idea who the killer was until it was revealed (despite the well placed clues). I really liked the uniqueness of the writing style, it was like a fresh breath of air. Eleanor led us into the world of writers & publishing, and it was such a fun journey. Also, I enjoyed every single footnote (and there were like 200). They were very funny, and the overall writing made it feel like I was best friends with Eleanor. I really liked how the 4th wall was broken throughout the book, but especially the chapters asking us if we had figured it out already were so fun. I really enjoyed the messy & chaotic friend-adjacent group. Also, Oliver is literally perfect. Eleanor was also a very chaotic character on her own but one that you can’t help loving. She was extremely fun to read, and I can’t wait to read the next 2 books in the series. I loved Eleanor’s narration so much, and the reveal for the next books were literally perfect. Cannot wait for the rest of the series as it had such a strong start.

It's cute modern and cozy! Such a fun read!

I was immediately drawn to the title and had to find out more.
This is not your average page-turner—it's a blend of suspense, humor, and romance that will keep you hooked from start to finish. As Eleanor embarks on a book tour in Italy, you'll find yourself immersed in a plot filled with blackmail, international crime, and the kind of misadventures that only a bestselling author can stumble upon.

I loved this author's writing style and I'm looking forward to reading more from her!

I love how this book starts out with a quote from Agatha Christie. I'm a huge Agatha fan.

"Bless me father for I have sinned". Who starts a book like that, wow?! Intrigued!

Elenor and Connor had a fling in Rome and lived a true crime moment together. Elanor wrote a best selling book called When In Rome and Connor came back threatening her if she didn't give 20% of the proceeds to him. She changed her character name but kept Connors in the book, so he feels entitled to thr proceeds.Then her publisher wanted her to write more books and the audience wanted more of Connor. She did a confessional asking for forgiveness for a crime she had not yet committed.

Whoa! What a whirlwind of a 1st chapter. I love this so much, already. I'm hooked from the 1st sentence. I love the footnotes in the book to further explain things Elanor states. I also love the snippets from When In Rome. I can't stop reading this. It's beutifully organized also. Puck up this book, you won't be sorry especially if you love true crime.

I was really intrigued by the premise of this book, but the execution (no pun intended) didn’t work all that well for me personally.

The mystery element of the plot was interesting and it did keep me guessing. There were multiple people involved and everyone was a viable suspect at one point or another. I did not have it figured out by the end, partly because it was a genuine surprise and partly because the writing was chaotic to me and had me bouncing all over the place. I will say that the plot stripped down to its basics was really well done. The setting was great and the various relationships between the players kept things interesting. There were a lot of layers to all that was going on, both past and present circumstances, and it provided a lot of different avenues to explore while trying to work everything out.

What I struggled with was all the ‘quirks’ of the way the story was actually written. I think the idea of the footnotes was meant to be a fun, unique structure, but for me they were just distracting. They say they are ‘optional’ and eventually I took that to heart and started ignoring them as best as I could. There was also a lot of meta-commentary on the publishing industry and its challenges. Sometimes it works and others it doesn’t

There were things I enjoyed about this book and things that I didn’t. I’m not sure if this is a series I will continue if/when another book comes out. Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review..

This was a fun and cozy mystery filled with humor. I really enjoyed it. Pack this one along for your beach vacay!

This was such a fun and unique ride!

This is my first cozy mystery and it will definitely not be my last. I loved the voice of the main character and how she was fresh and real. The entire story was a murder mystery but with humor and charm infused throughout which made it a super enjoyable beach- type read.

My only gripe was that the footnotes had gotten a little out of hand. But other than that I will definitely be recommending this read and be on the lookout for the second in the series!

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 rivals, 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?

I have very mixed feelings about this book,. There were times when this was a fun, breezy read. Summer vacation in Italy, all the sights of Rome. And the concept appealed to me, which is why I asked to read it, but there was just a few things that didn't sit well. For one, too many footnotes. There is an art to footnotes and over 200 of them is just ridiculous in a work of fiction. They were distracting. It also got harder to read as I started to dislike the characters. Eleanor takes unreliable narrator to the next level, spoils the ending of another book (admittedly, an old one, but still), and just makes it hard to believe that Oliver might still love her.
Recommended to those looking for a light mystery, but with reservations.

This was a rough one for me. I don’t know if it was the ereader format or the writing. It has potential so maybe after another round of editing? I hope to try again when the audio is out.

Every time I go on vacation, someone dies.
Catherine Mack
TBR April 30, 2024
2024-27❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️5.0
📚📚📚Best selling mystery author Eleanor Dash has a secret—she’s decided to kill the main character of her internationally acclaimed series, Connor Smith. The problem however is that he exists in her real life too, and has been blackmailing her for years. Also he’s her ex. So when her publisher sends her on a book tour to Italy with Connor, and a crew of novelists and others who have been linked to her and Connor AND someone decides to try to kill Connor for real, there is no shortage of suspects. There’s his ex-wife. Several others he has slept with. Ex business partners. Men whose girlfriends he has slept with. And, of course, Eleanor herself. Suddenly this book tour is becoming a death trap. Can Eleanor figure out the killer before she’s dead or in an Italian jail?

I love a cozy mystery. Eleanor is telling us, the reader, this story, breaking the 4th wall with a sledge hammer. Complete with over 300 footnotes. I struggled with the format at the very start—the book just jumps into the book tour and through the footnotes you come to understand the ten years of relationships that have occurred before the start of the book. I even stopped and googled to make sure I wasn’t missing a book. But once I was in—man, I was in. Modern cozy so no spice, no language, comfortable despite murder. Eleanor is funny! The footnotes actually became my favorite part of the book, even stopping and googling some the pop culture she was talking about. (Wait? Fred Savage was cancelled? How did I miss this??) (And I ordered the Princess Bride since I hadn’t read the book.) As an admitted Swiftie, I loved her Taylor Swift references. I feel like Eleanor and I would be besties (hey, Aperol spritz is my fave too!) if you don’t like a book that breaks the fourth wall, you won’t like this one but you should give it a chance. Reminds me of “everyone in my family has killed someone,” but this one made me laugh even harder. I am absolutely in for this series and can’t wait for her next one.
❤️❤️❤️JJ’s last words. Modern day Agatha Christie cozy—kind of Murder on the Nile-ish. If Agatha loved Tay-Tay. (She totally would right? I see Agatha as a Midnights girl, definitely Bejeweled in a Lavender Haze.) #EveryTimeIGoOnVacationSomeoneDies!
Disclaimer: Mcmillin and Minotaur Books gave me access to this advanced readers copy on NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you #netgalley for this ARC. This was my first Catherine Mack mystery, and though I liked the premise and the story line was witty, the poor Kindle formatting made the book very hard to follow. The character were, unfortunately, unlikable for the most part. The story moved along quickly and I enjoyed the descriptions of the Italian coast. 3/5 stars.

This is the first book by Catherine Mack that I have read. I found it funny, well written and entertaining. The format was unconventional but flowed well. I skipped the indemnification clauses as they only interrupted the flow.

I knew early who the killer was but there are plenty of twists and turns. The final reveal is a surprise. I won’t say more as I do not want to spoil the story.

I read this for the enjoyment of the book and not so much for the whodunit.

I was given an advanced readers copy by Netgalley. These are my own opinions.

The writing style really threw me off. I never knew who the dialogue was being spoken from. The plot was meh. Just not the book for me.

I enjoyed the mystery and the voice and would probably read the sequel. However, I will also be praying with my whole heart that the sequel does not have footnotes because they made for a frustrating read that was almost more trouble than it was worth.

In the age of ebooks, please. Please. Please. Let go of the idea of footnotes. They don’t work anymore (and I wasn’t a huge fan to begin with.)

Though it’s made very clear upfront that the footnotes are optional, they aren’t. They appear alongside the text and you spend all the time trying to figure out what you’ve been given permission to skip and what you haven’t and, again, they weren’t that clever. They were just in the way.

This was a fun take on a modern cozy mystery plus it was funny....like, really funny. Funny because it's not your life and you are thankful you aren't that big of a mess! Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is written by an "accidental" best-selling author about being an author. All the facets of publishing come into play and you get to see the backside of what many authors face in the publishing world. The chapters are hilariously (and appropriately titled) and you the reader are taken along the adventure trying to solve the murder with the author as she drops clues. I did not solve the mystery but I did enjoy the book. There are footnotes (LOTS of footnotes) at the end of each chapter, these were often funny, often clues, and occasionally annoying but overall this was an enjoyable read. It was only after I finished the book did I realize this was a new series and I'm here for it! I'm ready to get to know some of the characters a bit more and see what other "situations" they find themselves in.

"Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies" is by Catherine Mack and is the first book in her Vacation Mystery series. The expected publication date is April 30, 2024 and you should definitely pick it up for your next vacation. Minotaur Books and NetGalley were kind enough to send me an advanced electronic copy to read and I'm happy to provide my honest review voluntarily.

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies hits the ground running from the start. If you love meta books, or breaking the 4th wall, this one is for you. Yes, it's an author writing about an author whose character is an author plotting her next book in her series along with killing off a fan fav. If that isn't enough to catch your attention, the book is filled with footnotes that read like asides to the reader. Wink, Wink. It was all very fun. Oh, and a bit off the cozy mark, is our MC lets loose with an occasional swear word. GASP!
Travel along with Eleanor Dash and a group of her fans better known as the BookFaces that have won a trip with Eleanor et al to Italy. Literally anyone following thrillers and suspense books on social media will recognize the trend of holding up a book showing half a person's face. Author Mack (the real, real author) is beyond on point with her witty observations of trends hitting authors, publishers, and readers alike on social media. It is hilarious.
I encourage everyone to pick up the first in what I imagine will be a fun-filled series.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for an early e-copy via Netgalley. Opinions are my own.

A fast and fun, perfect for the beach read! Myster writer Eleanor Dash finds herself in the middle of a real life thriller when someone in her group is murdered during a book tour in Italy.

This book is a lot of fun--it's full of snarky humor, a la Knives Out or Clue, with a nod to Agatha Christie. The humor and characters are the main focus and strength of the novel. The suspense and thrills are minimal, but the dark humor and satirical treatment (those footnotes!) make it worth the read. It seems to be the first in a series, and I will definitely look for the succeeding novels as they appear. I loved Eleanor, Connor, Harper, Oliver, and the Clouseau-like Inspector Tucci (a relative of Stanley), to name a few. Crazy Cathy the stalker and rival authors Shek and Emily also add to the fun in a light, entertaining pastiche of a mystery that is tremendously appealing. Rome, Amalfi, and Capri, amongst other spots on the book tour, make an effective backdrop for the action as Eleanor and Connor try to stay alive until they can discover who wants them out of the way. Recommended for readers looking for an entertaining read rather than a dark, tense mystery.

This delightful novel follows fiction-writer Eleanor on an Italian book tour, accompanied by her sister and two ex-boyfriends, Connor and Oliver. The journey is filled with mishaps and amusing scenarios, reminiscent of a comedy of errors, sprinkled with witty exchanges. While the footnotes were a bit cumbersome to navigate on a Kindle, they might be more accessible in a physical book. Despite this minor hiccup, and the inclusion of a murder, the story maintains its warmth. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to diving into more of Mack's work.

First and foremost, LOVED the footnotes! Every book should have them!! This was witty and funny and just an all around good time. Enjoyed every minute!