*3.5 stars*
This book is written in the format of Eleanor's personal account of the events that happened. Honestly, I never completely felt a connection to her character, she just felt a bit scattered and unreliable. Part of her "style" was the use of numerous footnotes (over 200 over the course of the book). While they provided insight and some of the "real dirt" in the story, I found them a bit distracting and kept losing my spot. Things felt a bit slow in the beginning, and I think I ended up missing some of the clues to what was really going on along the way. There's several "suspect" characters, so it could get hard to keep track of everyone's details, and most of the characters weren't particularly likeable. The actual solution to the mystery was something I had considered multiple aspects of along the way, but the story was twisty enough that I was never quite sure which of my theories was right until it was finally revealed. I enjoyed the various settings around Italy, so it had the feel of a vacation mystery.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the review copy of Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies. All opinions in my review are completely my own.

Bestselling author Eleanor Dash wants to get through her book tour in Italy and kill off her main character, Connor Smith, in the next in her Vacation Mysteries series. Suddenly there is an actual attempt 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 decides it's time to enlist help to solve the case. That's just the beginning of it, while touring Italy, an attempt is made on Eleanor 's life! It seems that someone on the tour has it out for either Eleanor or Connor, or both? Even Eleanor's Sister may be a suspect! This was a twisty & fun whodunnit. I really enjoyed it. Can't wait for the next installment! Thank You Netgalley & Catherine Mack for the complimentary egalley in exchange for my honest review.

If you’re looking for the perfect summer read then you need to pick up EVERY TIME I GO ON VACATION SOMEONE DIES by CATHERINE MACK. But be warned — reading this book will make you want to book a one-way ticket to Italy!

Centered around the book tour for bestselling author Eleanor Dash, she finds herself stuck inside a real life murder mystery.

Ten days, eight suspects, six cities, five authors, three bodies . . . one trip to die for.

Eleanor’s real-life ex, Connor Smith was the inspiration for her first novel, but one bad break-up + many years (and books) later, she’s ready to kill off the fictional Connor from her book series, which will effectively get real-life Connor out of her life for good.

But when an attempt is made on Connor’s life it becomes a strange case of life imitating art. And it becomes clear that Connor’s life isn’t the only one in danger. Add in a group of fellow writers, fan club members, a possible stalker and her delicious ex Oliver and things get very interesting….and deadly.

The best way to describe this book is pure joy. A smart mystery with fantastic humor and a smart + snarky protagonist who indulged in some 4th wall breaking, while also peppering in a ton of book references and some well-timed Taylor Swift lyrics. I’ve never been to Italy but felt transported through this story. Beautiful descriptions from the scenery to the food and all the cultural touches in between.

We get past and present mysterious, a very fun cast of characters and an incredibly satisfying mystery. The first in a planned series, I’m looking forward to what comes next. This book is perfect for fans of the Finlay Donovan and Expectant Detective series.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted copy.
This is a perfect summer vacation read. Cozy mystery set in Italy with a sarcastic commentary and a fun twist at the end, whats not to love?
Chapters are very short but have a fun ending that just makes you turn pages. Characters are fun and slightly annoying, but that seems to be part of the deal and a point.
I guessed some things, but this book is more about the ride and the setting specifically which I appreciated a lot.

EVERY TIME I GO ON VACATION, SOMEONE DIES by Catherine Mack is exactly what the cover implies – a great beach read, full of fluff and not much substance. In fact, annoying footnotes are sprinkled throughout which really spoil the flow of the story. The main character is author Eleanor Dash whose success is due in large part to the therapeutic tale she wrote about a fling with Connor Smith. He's still in the picture, seeking attention, and claiming threats on his life. I was stuck waiting for her to complete her Italian book tour, kill him off – in fiction, at least, and move on. Other readers may feel more positively inclined; EVERY TIME I GO ON VACATION, SOMEONE DIES received a starred review from Library Journal.

This book was the most PERFECT summer vacation cozy mystery! I loved how we got a tour of Italy along with the characters and it made my wanderlust die down a bit. There was so much humor in this one that just made me devour the story. I also really enjoyed the literary aspect to it. I've always loved the idea of being an author, so that was fun to live the life of a popular one for the span of the book.

I didn't realize this was the start of a series, but I'm already ready for the next one. She wrote the ending perfectly to wrap up the first novel and to also set up the second without creating a cliffhanger. I'm really excited to get more stories with these characters, hopefully in more amazing locations!

I give this one 5/5 stars!

This is honestly so hard to follow; I find the format really jarring and the voice of the main character flip flops between laissez-faire and too intense. I'm not sure if I just need to give it more time, but I consistently can't make it past the 30% mark of this story, unfortunately. 3 stars for fairness since I didn't finish it.

*Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies* is a delightful mix of humor, mystery, and mayhem. Eleanor Dash is a wonderfully snarky protagonist, whose struggles to navigate the chaos of a murder plot on her Italian book tour made for an engaging read. The real charm lies in how Mack balances the absurdity of Eleanor’s situation with genuine suspense, making the book both laugh-out-loud funny and thrilling. The eclectic mix of suspects, from rival authors to obsessive fans, adds layers to the mystery, keeping you guessing until the end.

What I loved most was how Eleanor’s fictional world and real life start to blur in increasingly entertaining ways. The way Mack draws parallels between the events in Eleanor’s books and the real-life murder case adds depth to the story, making it more than just a quirky mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and St. Martin's Publishing Group for the advanced read of Catherine Mack's Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies.

This is the first in a new mystery series, perfect for anyone looking for a twisty, book about books. Bestselling fictional author Eleanor Dash is on her Italian book tour that turns into a real-life murder mystery, as her life starts to imitate the world in her books. It is a great mix of drama, mystery, romance, and humor.

I found this book very entertaining! It was an engaging read with just enough twists to keep you questioning how it would end. It definitely had a few plot points that were implausible, and characters I didn't connect with. But for a humorous, cozy mystery, I could look past those things.

Our main character, Eleanor Dash, speaks directly to the reader, and the book contains footnotes that require you to bounce around a bit to keep track of. I read parts of this book and listened to parts through the audiobook. I appreciated the audiobook, as it seamlessly included the footnotes right within the text.

I rated this fun and entertaining read 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

This is honestly so hard to follow; I find the format really jarring and the voice of the main character flip flops between laissez-faire and too intense. I'm not sure if I just need to give it more time, but I consistently can't make it past the 30% mark of this story, unfortunately. 3 stars for fairness since I didn't finish it.

(Actual: 3.5⭐) This was a cute, cozy mystery. I went into blind and I'm glad I did, even if I felt some parts were lacking and/or could have been fleshed out more to make a larger impact. I did find the story/writing style to be quite funny though, and I especially liked how the MC (Eleanor) would break the fourth wall and "speak" directly to us as readers— I thought that was very unique, as it isn't something I see very often in books, especially mysteries. All in all, a solid read!

Catherine Mack
Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies: A Novel (The Vacation Mysteries, 1)
Funny!
This wad the funniest book! I enjoyed it, and I think you will too!

I received a free copy of this book (NG) and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I have to preface this saying that I first started reading the written copy of this book and struggled to follow along. The footnotes were a bit distracting. I decided to give the audiobook a try and it was a much better experience. I highly recommend that you go the audio route if you read this book.

As for the actual content of the book, it was a cozy/summery mystery set in Italy. It was witty and twisty at times and I enjoyed the perspective of the narrator. Things started off strong but lost me along the way. It was fun and easy to read and I think a lot of people would find it enjoyable.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

What a great read - I devoured the book in one day and then listened to the audio the next. I can’t wait to read more.

This was the funniest book i have ever read! I read it in one sitting. I would definitely recommend this book.

Interesting and absorbing, the Italian scenes are solid and true, I have visited many of the places and find that they are accurate.

A super fun and funny book!
I read this while on vacation and it was the perfect companion.
I enjoyed when the author broke the fourth wall and talked to us, the reader, in the middle of the book.
I cannot wait for the next installment in this series.

The book was amazing. It was clever and funny. What made it that was the foot notes. However in the digital version of the book (both the one from NetGalley and purchased from Indigo in Canada) the footnotes didn’t align with the text. This made the book very much incomplete. I hope this is better executed in the future or in the print editions.

Are you looking for the PERFECT summery cozy read .. look no further my friends! This is such a fun, good time! It’s atmospheric. I felt like I was in Italy among friends and colleagues.

This cozy mystery wins for the best humor! I did guess the whodunnit but it didn’t take away from this enjoyable storyline.

Thank you to the publisher for granting me access to an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review! All opinions are my own. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series and anything Catherine Mack puts out next! This was my first Catherine Mack book and it won’t be the last!

This book was clearly written for fans of Knives Out, Only Murders in the Building, and other ensemble, comedic murder mysteries. However, I don’t think this tongue-in-cheek, self-aware, break-the-fourth-wall style translated well to the page. I found the frequent breaks to address the reader and the abundance of footnotes annoying rather than engaging. The story itself was fine, but the writing style and underdeveloped characters put me off.