This was a very fun, unique read -- I'm a sucker for a provocative title. It's very meta and tongue in cheek complete with footnotes. It reminded me a lot of Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone -- a high compliment. It's also chock full of pop culture references which I appreciated and inside baseball commentary about publishing and the book world which I got a kick out of.

This is the first in a series and and sets up the next book at the end which I'll definitely be reading too.

I almost never give a book five stars, but this one deserves it. It was fresh, cute, original and just lot of fun to read . I was engaged from the start and throughout the whole book. The way the author talks to you through the book and tells you how she feels about her main character is very interesting. I also enjoyed the footnotes...with one exception. I was reading this on my Kindle and found that I had to increase the font size to be able to read them, and then adjust again to go back to the story. That was distracting. Maybe make them bigger next time? The book was great, and I am certainly looking forward to reading any sequels to it. Thanks, Netgalley and Minotaur for the chance to read it.

This book was SO MUCH FUN. The use of footnotes was really unique - I'm not sure how it would have played out in print but on Kindle, was very easy to follow. I loved the cast of characters and trying to solve the case alongside El. I really didn't guess the ending, which made it all that more fun. I can't wait for other people to get joy from this book.

Smart, well plotted, and laugh out loud funny, this gave me inspired-by Romancing the Stone, the Knives Out films, and a little bit of Ferris Bueller (solely due to the broken fourth wall moments) vibes, plus an original style, and this mystery was a really fun read.

The footnotes made this even better. Speaking of the footnotes, I read this on kindle and enjoyed the ease and convenience that provided instead of having to read them the original way..

I enjoyed reading this one quite a bit, and will definitely read more of this series.



Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the DRC

Obviously, this title is going to draw me in. Death on vacation? Sounds exciting! The first chapter drops readers into the Italian tour for author Elinor and her entourage which includes ex-boyfriend/hero of her book series, sister/assistant, ex-boyfriend/the one she shouldn't have let go, and a few other characters to round off the suspect list in this mystery.

Told in first person, the author herself narrates the story and I was confused when there were footnote numbers at the end of certain sentences. Clicking those (on ebook) took me to another page with a note from the author to me about a fact, or backstory, or a quippy little insider tease. I'm still not sure how I feel about this because the tapping back and forth pulled me out of the story (especially when I couldn't hit the number just right so it kept changing pages on me without taking me back to the place I left off in the story. This might be genius or it might be aggravating. For me, it was more the latter. I DID appreciate the footnotes but the back and forth wasn't my favorite way to read those little narrator insights.

The plot was good, little twists and turns that the narrator/protagonist keeps the reader involved in with the footnotes and to a chapter or two written directly to the reader about solving the mystery. The author does a great job building up the suspect list and giving ample reason why they might have motive, means, and opportunity. However, for me, the characters felt rather 2 dimensional in their personalities making them kind of blend in with each other and left me not really invested in any of their success or demise.

Overall, this book was a quick read with a good mystery and plenty of suspects that will probably delight most mystery readers but it wasn't my favorite.

Thanks to Netgalley for letting me read an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

I wanted to like this book but it was too confusing for me. I felt there was something missing with the story and i couldnt get into the book.

This book twists and turns. It leaves you guessing up to the end. So many suspects. Characters are eclectic but mesh well together. Humorous take on a murder mystery. Lots of footnotes that need to be read to pick up on the humor. Good quick read. I was given an advanced reader copy by NetGalley and I am freely sharing my review.

I was confused at first because I'd never read any of her other books. I decided to stay confused and enjoy the ride. I loved the footnotes. They are sorta like an actor on stage - giving an "aside" to the audience. I can imagine Mack writing this and chuckling as the characters came to life with their silly comments.

To laugh during a murder mystery book is a gift in itself. Loved her previous work and this was no different! thanks netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a good mystery/thriller. I was a little confused, the FMC is an author who writes her own mystery series. She kept talking to the reader about past adventures and I had to stop and see if I picked up a book mid series. It is in fact the first in series. She is only referring to the book series in the novel. The FMC brings a lot of comedy to the book. I love that she has the side conversation to let the reader in on some of the secrets.

It's been ten years since her well-loved, mystery book series began and author Eleanor Dash has returned to the place where it all started. Eleanor and her friends, fellow authors, and biggest fans are making their way through Italy, but their celebration tour has been overshadowed by real-life danger. Connor, the man Eleanor got tangled up with ten years ago who she mistakenly made a character in her book series, claims that someone is trying to kill him. Unsure who to trust or believe, Eleanor is forced to take a close look at her friends and colleagues before tragedy strikes.

For me, Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies was the perfect escape read. I recommend it to any readers looking for a light, quirky mystery, especially if they enjoy a sarcastic and feisty narrator. Throughout the book, footnotes are used to add in extra jokes or cheeky comments from the narrator, Eleanor, and to give further insight into the characters that surround her. I thought there were just the right amount of twists to make it an enjoyable, but not overly complicated, reading experience. I think this would be a great book to bring on vacation or to read by the pool.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

I loved how the author got the reader involved in solving this mystery throughout the book. I found this writing style to be so unique and unlike anything else I have ever read. I didn't get too invested in any of the characters or their stories. It was a fun read and I liked the narrators quick humor throughout. I kept getting thrown off by the numbers and little blurbs at the end of each chapter. I couldn't remember what they were referencing. Also, the abundance of Taylor Swift references threw me off a bit.

This quirky cozy-feeling mystery on an Italian vacation has some things going right for it. The first-person perspective, playing on tropes and with the narrator even questioning herself as reliable or not, along with frequent references to Bouchercon and other mystery/thriller groups and inside jokes, made the story entertaining. For the first several chapters, I actually thought this was a sequel to a previous book about Eleanor and Connor! It takes a bit to actually get into the real mystery, but once there it's a decent hook. Even with several red herrings and misdirections, however, the answer as to who is behind everything is easily guessed early on. The footnotes are fun at first, but after a while I ended up skipping them as it was too disruptive to keep going back and forth within the chapter to see what they referenced, and they're not actually necessary to follow the story.

I know this is an unedited galley, but soooooo many typos and errors made it tough to keep going at times. I'm trusting they'll be addressed in some aggressive copy editing. But there also some stylistic things that were disruptive as well, like every other line of Eleanor's dialogue starting with "I--". Okay, she's not confident and stammers. So much of the dialogue would be improved, though, by cutting out those bits. Also, while the backstory is intended to give this a feel of a story in progress, too much of it is repeated and pulls the reader out of the story. For this reason, I have to give it 4 instead of 5 stars, though it is certainly an entertaining read.

Catherine Mack's debut novel Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is a delightfully fun and fast-paced mystery that will keep readers guessing until the very end. The story follows bestselling author Eleanor Dash as she embarks on a book tour in Italy, only to have her fictional world collide with reality when there is an attempt made on the life of Connor Smith, a real-life con man who Dash had written about in her mystery series.

What ensues is a clever whodunit filled with plenty of twists, turns, and a cast of colorful suspects. Mack excels at creating an intricate plot while infusing it with laugh-out-loud humor and witty banter between the characters. Eleanor is an appealing protagonist - smart, stubborn, and just vulnerable enough to be relatable. Her dynamics with both her ex-boyfriend Oliver and irritating muse Connor crackle with chemistry and tension.

The setting of Italy, from the crowded streets of Rome to the canals of Venice, is vividly brought to life. Mack seamlessly incorporates details about Italian culture, art, and food into the story in a way that makes you feel transported. The pacing is perfect – not a single dull moment despite the story unraveling over the course of ten days.

By the end, all the various plot threads are neatly and plausibly resolved. Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is a thoroughly satisfying read that deftly balances mystery, humor, and heart. With a compelling heroine and a strong supporting cast, this is undoubtedly the start to an excellent new cozy mystery series. Catherine Mack is clearly a talented storyteller to watch.

I'm forever looking for books that make me feel how I feel when I read the Janet Evanovich books or the Finlay Donovan series. This one is right up there! The way the narration of the book plays out is written at a level where it's easy to read and enjoyable to almost feel like you are part of the story.

I thought I was hopping into the middle of a series, but this is the first one. The author does a good job of sprinkling in the past to bring us up to speed, sometimes humorously.

The foot notes were a little challenging to follow on the kindle since you had to jump to the end of the chapter to read them - you could go without reading them, but they did at a lot of fun. I liked the premise of them, it was just a little challenging to jump back and forth (especially since I'm lazy, and usually rather comfy, and just have my thumb on the page turner part of the kindle so having to click the footnote link was extra work).

This book captures the charm of Rome with the intrigue of a whodunit - every member of the tour group harbors their own secrets and reason to want Connor (and Eleanor for that matter) dead. A fun, semi-lighthearted mystery with a sprinkle of romance and unique plot/format - highly recommend!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

I devoured this book like a delectable dessert. It had all the tropes: forced proximity, a book within a book, lovers to enemies, exotic locales, a mystery to solve, and sordid secrets. I enjoyed the read but could have done without the two chapters where the narrator addressed the reader. That took me out of the story and was too clever and cute for my liking. I would not call this a thriller but a mystery and cozy mystery because there was a lot of internal dialogue and the pacing lagged at times in the last half of the book. But it was a fun, light read!

I enjoyed Every Time I go on Vacation, Someone Dies.
An authors tour of Italy becomes the site of accidents and murder. The tone of the book is cozy and the characters were fun to get to know.
I didn't like the footnotes however, I didn't remember what they were addressing and I couldn't read the small print on my Kindle. I also didn't love the author breaking the fourth wall, it didn't add anything to the story and seemed tacked on. Those issues aside, it was a fun read and I look forward to the sequel.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this digital ARC.

Tried to like this but must admit it wasn’t my general type of book. The footnotes were hard to read on my kindle, and have no interest in Taylor Swift references. I would probably like this more if I was 30 years younger.

O-M-G! Such a fun read!

I was immediately drawn to the title and had to find out more.

The narration and structure of this story is so much fun to read, despite the premise being about murder. There are a few things very obvious from the start.
1. Eleanor is a mess
2. Connor is a cad
3. The book tour is an accident waiting to happen

There are some Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot moments that send the read down several paths. I’d never seen a story with so many footnotes (note: the font was a little too small). That along with other approaches to bringing the reader into the story and coaxing them to solve along with the characters, kept me on my toes.

While I didn’t figure out whodunit, I had began to wonder why certain characters were there.

There are a couple of typos near the end:
“Was waws going to be your motive” which I took to mean “What was going to be your motive”
“When spend the morning bandying” which I took to mean “We spent the morning bandying”

I am looking forward to reading the next adventure for the Dash sisters.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to do an early read and share my thoughts on the story.
Happy Reading!

Love love loved it!!!!
This mystery is mixed with a bit if romance and some laugh out loud moments. The group of characters in this book all come from different parts of the world to escape their past for a new beginning in a beautiful Thai resort. This book is so well written I felt like I was sitting in a lounge chair watching the drama unfold in real life!
When a few guest turn up dead, the writer sends you on a journey to find the truth. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, BAM, another curveball! I want to thank Netgalley for an ARC copy of this amazing book in exchange for an honest review. I can’t wait to see what Catherine Mack writes next!!!