This felt like a "real life" version of the board game Clue! (I put real in quotations because, welp, its still a fiction book). But, I LOVED THIS BOOK. Seriously!!! It had me giggling, intrigued, struggling to figure out who the heck was the killer, I loved the usage of footnotes. It felt like such an original format on your typical "whodunnit murder". I was so immersed in this book and I seriously loved it so much. I loved the scenery, the food, the drinks, all of the characters! Also, there are references to Taylor Swift, Agatha Christie and some other things that I loved as well.

Speaking of footnotes, I read this on a kindle and I thought that worked seamlessly as you can click on the Footnote and it pops up on the screen. I am not sure how this would work via a physical book so I am only speaking about my experience via ebook. :)

This book does not release until April 30, 2024 and I feel like that is the perfect time. It is going to be a perfect addition for spring / summer reads.

Quick synopsis:

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?
Thank you Netgalley for an ARC for my honest review!

Quirky, fun read. I did not anticipate the twists and turns in the plot . Will be looking for future books by this author.

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is a debut mystery that turns out to be as interesting as its title. This well-constructed tale delivers on its clever premise while introducing a female protagonist with a wry, self-deprecating voice that is fresh and funny.

Eleanor Dash is a successful mystery writer who is in Italy for a book tour promoting her latest book. It is the 10th in a series set in different countries featuring the adventures of Cecelia Crain and Connor Smith. Her first book, When in Rome, is based on an experience that Eleanor had with the actual Connor Smith, an investigative consultant, who Eleanor met in Italy, fell in love with (not knowing he was married) and partnered with to solve a series of high profile robberies.

Eleanor and the real Connor broke up years ago but the fictional Connor was a hit with readers and continues to play a major role in her Vacation Mystery series. For some very good reasons, Eleanor has had it with Connor, though, and is ready to kill off his fictional character. However, when Connor joins her on her book tour, he tells her that someone is trying to kill him in real life and asks for her help in figuring out who it is.

Also on the book tour in Italy are Eleanor’s sister and personal assistant, Harper; her ex, Oliver, another mystery writer; Allison, Connor’s ex-wife; Isabella, Connor’s latest girlfriend; and three other authors, Emily, Guy and Shek. Everyone is hiding something—including Eleanor—so when attempts also start to be made on Eleanor’s life, suspects abound.

The story has an easy-to-read conversational tone, with Eleanor as the narrator throughout. The reader is given amusing insight into Eleanor’s thoughts and personality through the skillful use of some very funny footnotes, which often speak directly to the reader).

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is very readable, highly entertaining debut by Catherine Mack. It will be interesting to see what happens next in the promised sequel!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the ARC.

A delightful series debut, Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is a fast-paced mystery that has a unique blend of mystery, humor, and intrigue. Bestselling author Eleanor Dash just wants a smooth book tour in Italy and the chance to bid farewell to her fictional creation, Connor Smith who as it turns out is based on the handsome but infuriating con man she got mixed up with ten years ago and now cannot get out of her life. When an attempt is made on the real Connor’s life, Eleanor is enlisted to help solve the case.

Navigating through the challenges of literary adversaries, zealous fans, a persistent stalker, and the unforeseen arrival of her ex, Eleanor finds herself in a web of theories, exposing rivalries and strained relationships. The pressing question remains: who is the true culprit attempting to escape the clutches of murder?
The title grabs your attention while the plot will have you flipping the pages of this entertaining and cleverly crafted mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and author Catherine Mack for the advance read copy of this book.

What do you get when you mix a little Dame Agatha Christie sleuthing with the "edge of your seat" who dunnit vibe of "Knives Out," and just for good measure add a healthy dash of *unreliable narrator* smashing down the fourth wall between artist and audience as in hysterical TV show "The Office?"

"EVERY TIME I GO ON VACATION, SOMEONE DIES," of course!!

This was an enjoyable hoot of a murder mystery wrapped up in an Italian island vacation pretending to be a book tour! Plenty of red herrings! Plenty of suspects! Lots of fine dining and excellent wine! And there you have it. Enjoyable, escapist, and exciting! As much fun as a rousingly good game of CLUE!

Many thanks to author, publisher, and NetGalley for offering me a advanced *READ NOW* galley copy and the opportunity to meet a new author in what I hope will be the first book in their new series! Well played!

#everytimeigoonvacationsomeonedies
#catherinemack
#netgalley
#homagetodameagatha
#homagetoknivesout
#Italianvacationswithasideofmurder

Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies is a fully original new cozy murder by Catherine Mack. I was pleased to receive an ARC of the book, which is scheduled to come out in April of 2024.
The best part of the book is that it takes place in Italy and there are wonderful descriptions of everything, including the food, which made me want to go back immediately. The story is a cozy mystery that is one of my favorite formats – a group of people are traveling together when they start being targeted for murder one at a time. The main character, Eleanor Dash, has written a series of cozy mysteries centered around vacations in Italy, and in this story they are celebrating the series by taking a group of fans and other writers to different Italian locations where her books took place.
There are many suspects, clues, and motives but the best part of the story is that the author is speaking directly to you and it is genuinely funny. I was in it for the scenery and the food, and the actual mystery was more of a side quest. If you’re looking for a light, funny mystery, put this one on your list. This would be a great vacation read.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.

The premise of the book sounds intriguing - the classic “whodunit” mystery. The first half of the book starts off very slow, but it does pick up in the later half. While the mystery is interesting, the execution falls a bit flat. I didn’t really connect with any of the characters in a way that made me feel like I had to keep reading without putting the book down.

This book was written in such a unique and fun format! Very different from anything I have read before! This is the first book in the series and I can't wait for the next one!! This book had Eleanor and Harper- sisters with different but intertwining lives, Connor- the Ex, Oliver- the other Ex and a many others along the way. Clearly drama would be inevitable!

This book made me feel like I was there in the moment as everything happened. I loved the inner monologue and commentary throughout. I really liked the footnote aspect which injected some additional humor and explanations along the way. The downside was that I found it hard to keep track of what the footnotes were referring too since they were defined at the end of each chapter. I wanted to scroll back and search for each one- and I did at first- but that became tedious. It might have been better to have the footnotes at the bottom of each page when referenced.

As I mentioned, this book really made me feel like I was experiencing the events with the rest of the group and that came with a lot of dialogue. There were times that I couldn’t tell who was talking, especially when the group is all together and they are trying to figure things out. This didn't necessarily ruin the experience for me but I definitely felt confused as I tried to keep track of everything going on.

This book was so fun and different!! Grab a Spritz and enjoy the ride!

"Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies" by Catherine Mack is a mystery and thriller novel that follows bestselling author Eleanor Dash. All Eleanor wants is to get through her book tour in Italy and kill off her main character, Connor Smith, in the next installment of her Vacation Mysteries series.

However, things take an unexpected turn when an attempt is made on the real Connor's life. Connor is the handsome but infuriating con man with whom Eleanor got mixed up ten years ago, and now he's back in her life. Eleanor is enlisted to help solve the case, and amidst literary rivals, rabid fans, a stalker, and even her ex, Oliver, who shows up unexpectedly, Eleanor finds herself entangled in a real-life murder mystery.

The novel promises an irresistible and hilarious series debut, as Eleanor Dash's Italian book tour transforms into a gripping murder mystery, with the lines between fiction and reality blurring. The story unfolds with theories, rivalries, and unexpected revelations, keeping readers engaged in the intriguing plot.

With a title like that it’s sure to peak the reader’s imagination. A publisher takes several of their famous authors on a promotional book tour throughout Italy. Protagonist Eleanor wants to kill Connor who is her former lover and the real life main character in her best selling series of mystery novels. Connor has been blackmailing Eleanor for years and she wants him out of her life or more accurately out of her literary life. By killing him off in her next book she believes she will finally be free of him and his demands. While Eleanor’s wish to kill off Connor is only in the context of her book series, it seems that there is someone else that wants him dead in real life. This is a quirky murder mystery loaded with clues and plenty of hints provided through footnotes where everyone has a motive and everyone is a suspect. This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I found this a delightful, fast paced read with mostly likeable characters (other than the one we're supposed to hate) and an intriguing mystery. I also love that it took place in Italy, where I've never been, so I got to visit it through the characters' eyes, which was a nice side benefit. Maybe more eagle-eyed readers would have seen it coming, but I was surprised by the twists. I knew early on that *name redacted* had to have something to do with it, but for the complete wrong reasons.

"Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies" is a mystery novel by Catherine Mack. The book is entertaining and flows with great ease, with several plot twists that move the story forward. Unfortunately, there are quite a few pauses along the way, unnecessary ruminations on the writing process or explanations on how the book came to be. These interruptions feel a bit self-indulgent and, ultimately, slow the momentum of the book. Nonetheless, her great sense of humor compensates amply for the delays.

The book is part of a planned Vacation Mysteries series, I look forward to reading more books in this series, especially if they focus more on the stories and less on gratuitous reflections.

Eleanor has been extremely lucky. The first book she wrote was a success, something that irks some of her fellow authors. Her publisher has arranged a book tour in Italy for her, several other authors, and some lucky book lovers, who won a spot on this tour.
But Eleanor is tired of her most loved character, Connor. She foolishly used her boyfriend’s real name in the book. Since we all know that love is blind, he’s been blackmailing her for years and she has had enough. She decides to kill him off in her next book. Easy, right? Well, not exactly. It seems someone wants him dead in real life, and oh Eleanor too.
Can she figure out what is going on and survive this trip? Or will Connor remain a thorn in her side until she dies?
This was a fun cozy mystery. Plenty of suspects, and the author for the most part (except when she’s dodging a killer) is hilarious. She adds footnotes at the end of each chapter that provide some additional information. The only thing is that I think they will be much more enjoyable in a physical copy then they were on my Kindle.
Overall, it was a really fun read, and if this is going to become a series, I’ll look forward to another adventure.

The premise for this one started out good. A famous author wants to kill off the main character of her series, Connor. But the real life Connor thinks someone is REALLY out to kill him. I thought it would give Finley Donovan vibes, but unfortunately did not. I had a hard time connecting with the storyline and characters, and ultimately, this fell flat for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Enjoyed the book and story. The only issue I had was with the footnotes of the story. In the e version, the footnotes are at the end of the chapter and by that time you have to go back and read that part of the story again each time. It was a little frustrating and took me out of the story.

Holy heck, this was fabulously fun! From the very start I was invested in the characters and I enjoyed every minute of it. Buy.this.book! I’m hoping there will be others in the future as hinted at the end of this one. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This story was too slow for my liking. I also had a hard time connecting with the characters and their relationships. This was a did not finish for me.

"Too many suspects. Too many motives. Just don't judge, okay? Maybe this many people want to kill you, too." Is everyone on Eleanor's Italian Book Tour out to kill her? It certainly seems that way. This book was a fun read and Eleanor is an excellent choice of character to narrate the twists and turns.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this E-arc for my honest review.
A laugh out loud mystery book that feels like you’re reading while playing the game Clue. The footnotes and whiteboard were difficult to follow in an ebook which is unfortunate since the footnotes were humorous and put a different spin on the book.
Would definitely recommend but only in paper format.

I was drawn to this title initially, and the storyline is quirky and entertaining. I liked the plot line of Eleanor wanting to kill off her character, Connor, while the real Connor claims someone is trying to kill him. In general, the plot seemed to drag a bit, though, and I couldn't really get into the story as much as I wanted. I think if you enjoy Finlay Donovan-style mysteries, you'd like this one!