This is an enjoyable cozy about writing mysteries. The protagonist is a mystery writer on a book tour where someone is being targeted. What elevates the story about your average cozy is the wry meta-commentary from the protagonist about the craft of writing mysteries, the construction of this mystery in particular, and snide comments about the other characters. The narration for the audiobook is also very good.

Every time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack

Thank you Minotaur Books for the gifted ARC and NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the free audiobook.

Blurb:
Every time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is the irresistible and hilarious series debut? Introducing best selling fictional author Eleanor Dash on her Italian book tour that turns into a real life murder mystery, as her life starts to imitate the world in her books.

✨My thoughts:
This one was another fast and fun read that had me laughing! This is a book I started physically reading and when I couldn’t read, I listened to it and both versions were great versions! Both the book and the audiobook held my attention and I already can’t wait for the second installment in The Vacation Mysteries series. I love a good cozy, and this one is a good one! You won’t want to miss this entertaining cozy… it’s out 4/30/24!

Happy reading 📖

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack first drew me in with the hilarious title. I like how Eleanor breaks the fourth wall and speaks to us directly via footnotes. I found this to be a new and personable way to make the book memorable. I did, however, find myself disengaging once Catherine used Eleanor to insult Goodreads and its' reviewers throughout (which is really ironic given that it's on NetGalley, which encourages us to review books and post it to many sites, including Goodreads). I noticed I didn't take any additional notes after these insults. I also never laughed as expected.

I rate the book 4 stars for its ingenuity, how logical the mystery is, and how it plays out. However, I will not be returning to the series or author as Eleanor isn't a protagonist I necessarily like and Catherine left a bad taste in my mouth.

Elizabeth Evans is amazing and really helps bring the novel to life.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ALC.

When I received an email offering me the opportunity to read an ARC that was compared to the Finlay Donovan series, there was no way I could resist it. That series is one of my favorites, and I’ve been searching for a series that combines the cozy mystery aspect with the laugh-out humor that runs through each book. The Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich also fall into this category. And the fact that I was offered the audiobook version made this an even sweeter deal.

Right from the start, I could tell I was going to like the book. The narrator, Elizabeth Evans, brought a dynamic energy to her reading. She voiced quite a few different characters, both male and female, with various accents and tones of voice, and did them all really convincingly.

We’re introduced to the main character, Eleanor, who is also the sole perspective that we get throughout the story. Luckily, Eleanor is freaking HILARIOUS, and isn’t just a character, but also kind of functions a little like a narrator? She provides these funny little asides, referred to as “footnotes” which I couldn’t verify since I read the audio version, directly to the reader, like when a play’s narrator speaks right to the audience. Eleanor, as a mystery writer, offers some insight into the structure of a mystery novel, and checks in with the reader to help them along and see how the reader is coming with solving the mystery.

Eleanor has a snarky sense of humor, and I really enjoyed seeing the world through her eyes. Even with all the humor, she manages to have some serious moments of personal growth throughout the book, but we get to meet the people closest to her—two exes, one of whom may be not so much of an ex, and her sister, who also manages her life, basically. I really enjoyed getting to know all of the characters, although some were more likable than others, but all had depth and complexity to their personalities.

The mystery centers around a murder attempt on her ex, Connor, who is on Eleanor’s tenth year anniversary book tour in Rome. They’ve got quite the crew with them, and it turns out that every single person in the group has a reason to want to kill Connor, Eleanor included. She’s actually been talking about killing him off in her next book, so that she can finally cut ties with him. So when another murder attempt occurs, suspicion centers on Eleanor, and she’s forced to try and clear her name—because the inept policeman assigned to the case has a grudge against Connor and Eleanor.

I kept trying to figure out who the killer was, and I flipped back and forth between different characters a few times, but even so I didn’t guess right. It’s tightly plotted and written in such a fun way, complete with danger, murder, travel to gorgeous locations, and even some romance. Reading a mystery where I’m surprised is always fun, and the humor and fast-paced action kept the read intriguing to the point where I struggled to put it down. Comparisons aren’t usually accurate, but it was dead on point in this case—this book has Finlay Donovan vibes, and I can’t wait to see more of this series!

Snarky and witty, with a twist! Every Time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies by Catherine Mack is engaging and entertaining as author Mack weaves a fantastic story about best selling mystery author Eleanor Dash attempting to figure out who is trying to kill her!. In addition to all the shenanigans going on in the story, protagonist Eleanor is also the narrator who regularly breaks the fourth wall to speak directly to the reader. These vignettes are entertaining and, often, informative. This is the first in an upcoming series for Mack and I can’t wait for the next one!

The perfect early summer poolside read.

Every Time I Go on Vacation… is the best type of rollercoaster. The scene is set with little nuggets of context and clues, pulling us to the top of the mountain and then plunging us into a deeply fun and charismatic read. I am so excited to read the next book in the series after that DELICIOUS ending!!

Thank you so much to the publisher and author for access to this title in exchange for my honest review!

If you enjoy thrillers or mystery books where the narrator breaks the 4th wall, you will adore this new release!

This debut exudes irresistible charm, as narrator, Eleanor Dash, is on a book tour across Italy to celebrate the 10th anniversary of her smash his series when bodies start dropping and her real-life begins to imitate the world of her books. With a hilarious cast of characters, including other rival mystery writers, rabid fans, her sister, and two of her ex-lovers, this trip is an absolute romp. It seemed like every one took their turn as a suspect as Eleanor attempts to solve the mystery and save her own life. The Italian scenery! The snarky narrator (with her hilarious footnotes)! And the reveal made this book a perfect summer read. I am so excited that it seems to be the start of a new series as well.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and Macmillan audio for my complimentary copies. Narrator Elizabeth Evan’s did a fantastic job capturing the humor of Eleanor. As she broke the 4th wall, I felt as if she was just a dead friend telling me a story. Fantastic narration!

Want to travel to Italy from the comfort of your own home?

Look no further than Catherine’s Mack's fun new cozy mystery, "Everytime I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies."

Thank you, Minotaur Books and MacMillan Audio, for the #gifted early copies of this book.

I loved the audiobook experience! The music at the beginning really set the vacation in Italy vibes & I am HERE for it. Elizabeth Evans really did an amazing job with her performance. I mistakenly wrote down that this is a full cast of people... that's how great she does! I am obsessed with how Evans portrayed our main character, Eleanor. She's so sassy, sarcastic, and hilarious. I could not get enough of her footnote side thoughts. Listening to this story was AWESOME, but I could see it not being as great without having a copy of the book with you.

- Italy
- Cozy Mystery
- A Lil Bit of Romance
- Fun Look Into the Publishing World
- Vacation Vibes
- Taylor Swift References
- Knives Out
- Unreliable Narrator
- Finlay Donovan Lovers Need to Read
- The narrator breaks the Fourth Wall

If you're a fan of the Finlay Donovan series, I think you will probably enjoy this. It's funny and puts a unique spin on the mystery genre. I always think it's fun when the MC engages with the reader. I think there will be a lot of cozy mystery readers who will like this series.

With that said, I personally didn't enjoy this very much. The tone and humor just wasn't for me, and the mystery just felt way too obvious from the beginning.

***Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing me with the Audiobook for free via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

If you are a fan of Finlay Donnovan series or The Fury I would strongly recommend this one as it has a mix of both of these!

The book has the funny narrative and inner monologue like in the Finlay series, but also has the breaking of the 4th wall with the narrator talking to the reader as we move through the mystery.

Additionally if you are a fan of cozy mysteries I definitely think this is one to add to your tbr!

I really loved the narration as it really brought the characters to life and feel like the way it was narrated truly made the book so much more enjoyable!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for my ALC in exchange for my honest review!

This is a book about written by an author about an author who wrote a book and is on a book tour.

Eleanor a popular published author finds herself on a book tour of Italy, which sounds enviable at first glance.

However, her trip takes a dark turn due to her contract it is tying her to her manipulative ex-boyfriend and blackmailer, Connor. To complicate matters further, she's also dealing with a persistent stalker, a rival author stealing her ideas, and lingering feelings for another ex-partner.

AND SOMEONE IS TRYING TO KILL HER and her ex, though Eleanor finds herself oddly unconcerned about Connor's safety. With danger lurking around every corner, Eleanor must unravel the mystery of who wants her dead.

Was a fun listen and breaks the fourth wall of book writing.

This book was THE most fun. First of all, check out this amazing cover. I'd totally be recreating it if I still lived in Vegas and had access to poolside lounge chairs. Or if I were on vacation, if only!

If you liked Finlay Donovan or Blonde Identity, RUN to pick up EVERY TIME I GO ON VACATION, SOMEONE DIES. I love these lighthearted cozy mysteries with an unwitting amateur detective. It's the perfect fun summer read, and I can't hype it up enough. I've read many of Catherine McKenzie's thrillers as well and can confidently say that she nails the genre switch.

Elizabeth Evans absolutely nails the delivery. I obviously couldn't see the footnotes when listening to the audiobook, but I loved that it felt like El was talking right to me. The narrator's tone was the perfect match for El's sarcasm.

I'm so excited that this is already a series, and that it has already been sold for a TV show, I think it's going to be an absolute blast to watch. I can't wait for the next book!

A fun whodunnit for fans of Knives Out, which it reminded me of.
Told from the perspective of Eleanor, an author on an Italian book tour, someone is out to kill Connor, the man who inspired the main character in her novels, just as she’s trying to figure out how to kill off his character in her next book. Connor’s beliefs that someone is out to get him are not so far-fetched though when it’s clear someone is also out for Eleanor. With too many close calls, anyone can be a suspect. But when someone does die & Eleanor is named a suspect, the mystery is just beginning.
This was a fun novel full of comedy and suspense, & has more twists & turns than I was expecting. The narrator, Elizabeth Evans, did a great job with all of the accents and providing dimension to each character.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Eleanor Dash is the main character of this book and she spends lots of time talking directly to us - the reader- making for a funny and engaging book. Her footnotes and side comments make the book feel like a conversation between friends at times. There is murder and a bit of mayhem and lots of suspects interwoven with Italian locations and food. If you like the Finlay Donovan books then this is right up the same alley. The book ended with a few clues as to a sequel and I will definitely read it.

Elizabeth Evans is the narrator and she provides the right amount of snark and sass to the main character and enthusiasm to the read. Her Italian pronunciations and accent It was fun to listen to and brought the book to life. The audio book also made reading all the footnotes easy as the narrator did the jumping around on the page and filled in the information so I didn't have to.

'10 days, 8 suspects, 3 bodies, 1 trip to die for.'

'Good Lord, who's writing this person's dialogue? Were they twirling a black moustache when they said it?'

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun time! High recommend consuming this via audio as it’s a great way to enjoy this story. I will be checking out the next book in the series 100%!

I always said I don’t think my heart has any more space for cozy mysteries. And then in walks:

Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies by Catherine Mack

Publication Date: April 30, 2024

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio

Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this audiobook. The main character, Eleanor, is a writer and talks to the reader which is funny.

There are so many funny parts which I was actually shocked about. They aren’t even corny funny which I find happens in cozy mystery novels, but funny-funny that made me laugh out loud.

I also kept guessing on what would happen and really didn’t see it coming until the end.

I think there will be more novels in this series and I’m here for it!

Eleanor Dash is a bestselling author ready to kill off the leading man in her books. While on a promotional book tour in Italy with her sister, several authors, and the man that inspired this character, someone is literally trying to kill him. Eleanor narrates the book and hilariously fills the reader in on her thinking through footnotes. All with Italy as the backdrop and a cast of characters that will at times make you laugh out loud.

Catherine Mack brings us a delightfully fresh and funny, but cleverly written twist of whodunit. While a light read, it's written about Eleanor Dash, a writer on a group book tour in Italy with a pretty eccentric cast of characters. With plenty of hilarious laugh out loud moments, there's also danger, suspicion and murder... someone on the tour wants her dead! Who could that possibly be and will Eleanor be able to solve the case before she also becomes a victim?

Mack does a great job with misdirection and deception which is what I look forward to in a mystery book. There were so many twists and turns and it was so much fun trying to figure it out from the footnotes and clues. The characters made it fun too, because each of them were so quirky and different. I love character driven books so I had a lot of fun with it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the audio format, as narrator Elizabeth Evans does an amazing job giving each character a distinct voice and personality. She was incredible! Such a FUN listen! This is the first book in this series and I am looking forward to the next one. 4.5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the Advanced Listening Copy. All opinions are my own.

I couldn’t get into this book at first. Light, fluffy mysteries aren’t really my thing, and I wasn’t a huge fan of the author talking at me. Eventually, though, her snarky sense of humor won me over and I flew through the second half of the book. If you’re looking for a light-hearted mystery with a dash of comedy, this one’s for you.

3.7 rounded up to 4.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Eleanor is an uber successful writer off on a tour of Italy to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of her successful series The Vacation Mysteries (the first of which is based on her real life experience in Rome). This book is written as a murder mystery, where Eleanor challenges you to solve it before her and often explicitly states when she’s telling you a clue. It’s very tongue in cheek with an entire chapter titled “Breaking the Fourth Wall.”

Overall it was a nice, light read. I was able to guess a portion of the ending at around 35%. There were maybe too many pop culture references for me that I’m not sure will age well (a mix of Taylor Swift lyrics or mentions (I counted 6), Bridgerton, White Lotus twice, and The Good Place). But others may enjoy.

Sidenote: I would recommend the audiobook reader actually clarify when they are reading one of the numerous footnotes. There are constant mentions at the beginning of footnotes not being required reading and “that’s why I’m mentioning this in the footnotes” but the audiobook reader doesn’t differentiate at all. I read a mix of the book itself as well as the audiobook and without seeing the pages in the book I would have been confused while listening. Simply adding “Footnote #56” before the sentence would have clarified.