Mack brings us a fresh and cleverly written whodunit. While a light read, it’s cleverly written about Eleanor, a writer on a book tour in Italy with a pretty eccentric cast of characters. With laugh out loud moments, there’s also murder afoot…someone on the tour wants her dead! Who could that possibly be and will Eleanor be able to solve the case before she becomes a victim? Mack doesn’t leave us hanging and expertly sets up her next book in the series before the last page is turned, one I’m eagerly looking forward to! As a dual read/listen, I’d definitely recommend the audio, the musings in between by Eleanor could get tedious reading, but while listening they were quite entertaining. Thank you to Minotaur Books, MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for an ARC and ALC of this book.

Highly recommend the audiobook!!

This story was SO FUN and fast paced and kept my attention from the start. That being said, I was reading the eARC and found it extremely difficult to navigate with all the footnotes. I say this because I don’t always read in the same font so my pages don’t always line up. Not only that, but it was constant back and forth trying to read the footnotes along with the story. However, I know this wouldn’t be as difficult with a physical book and I know, having listening to the ALC, the audiobook was also easier to follow along. The footnotes narrated were read as inner thoughts and it filled the story with personality and quirkiness. You’ll love it!

The characters are easy to love and almost hate. You’ll stay guessing until the very end and be shocked when you get to the twist. The cliffhanger though.. I can’t wait for book two!

Thanks so much Netgalley and Macmillan audio for the ALC.

I loved every minute of this book. This was so refreshing and different! It felt like I was in the authors/ narrators head with her “footnotes”. They added so much to this story. This is a funny, unique, and laugh out loud story about a romance author, Eleanor Dash, who wants to kill off her male lead, Conner Smith, in her vacation series… who may or may not resemble her ex… Conner. Who may or may not be convinced someone is trying to kill him while on this book tour with Eleanor.

The audio version was perfect and added so much to this story!!!

Thank you NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for an audio arc of ‘Every time I go on vacation, someone dies’!

This was my first cozy mystery and it wont be my last. This book was a good time, a lot of twists, it was very funny. It kept me entertained from the start. I did not predict the ending and I was surprised. Outstanding writing. I truly enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio copy to listen to in exchange for an honest review.

Ooooooohhhhh new favorite series alert! I adore this book - so witty and engaging. I do wish I was able to have a print copy just to see the layout. I bet it would be super fun to read as it was to listen to.

I love the entire premise - an author of mystery books writing about her writing, while becoming involved in murder. Delightful! No word yet on the next in the series but I'll be waiting impatiently for it!

"Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies" offers a deliciously twisted blend of mystery and humor that will keep readers eagerly turning the pages. While the main characters may not be particularly likable, their flaws and complexities add depth to the story, making it all the more engaging. Eleanor Dash's reluctant involvement in solving a real-life murder case alongside her ex-lover Connor Smith creates a captivating dynamic filled with tension and unexpected twists. Despite their shortcomings, the characters' witty banter and tangled relationships make for an entertaining read that mystery enthusiasts won't be able to put down.

A quirky, humorous cozy where the fourth wall comes crashing down to an almost irritating level. The characters aren't 100% likable, but they are mostly realistic. The conclusion was fair, you don't much mourn the dead guy, and the mystery was unique.

First off, this was a cute and funny murder mystery/romance. I was completely entertained and would read more books in this series.

The book relies on a couple of devices that I thought were unnecessary - endless footnotes and “breaking the fourth wall”. For example, I like to recognize a clue myself, I don’t need it told to me in a footnote. Considering I was reading an e-book and listening to an audiobook, the endless footnotes are clunky in those formats. Some readers might find the constant breaking of the fourth wall and endless footnotes refreshing and engaging, for me, it became more of a distraction than a delight.

The narrator of the audiobook did an excellent job with the comedic timing and dealing with all the footnotes.


3.5

I thoroughly enjoyed this read and give it a solid 4 stars. In Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies we follow Eleanor Dash, an author of a successful series of books featuring her real life first love, Conner Smith as the male hero of her stories. We learn Eleanor met Conner when traveling through Italy for a month after graduating from college. Conner is investigating a series of bank robberies and Eleanor helps him solve the case. Eleanor writes up their adventure into the novel that becomes When In Rome, and it is wildly successful. She writes 8 follow-up novels in the series and is working on ideas for her tenth story featuring Conner when they go on a tenth anniversary tour in Italy for When in Rome. The tour includes other authors as well as fans of the books. Conner tells Eleanor he thinks someone is trying to kill him, and Eleanor dismisses him. But, then Eleanor realizes someone is trying to kill her! Who could want them both dead?

Mack breaks the fourth wall early and often in this story. At first, this felt odd, but I began to expect these clever asides. I loved the quick pace, the sarcastic, funny attitude of Eleanor. The imposter syndrome that dogs her, because she dismisses her writing success as luck not talent, is something I've heard authors talk about it, so it feels genuine as well as referring to Good Reads as 'mean reads' and the indignity of begging other authors to blurb your books. I've seen frequent complaints about this from authors on Twitter and Threads. As well as the frustration of being tagged in one-star reviews. This is a good and enjoyable read with a terrible tour guide, obsessed fans, and a good mystery to solve. I loved the sister relationship between Eleanor and Harper and the romantic storyline, too. Breezy and fun with murders, too!

Thank you Net Galley for my advance audio copy of this book. Thank you also to Catherine Mack and Minotaur Books.

Queue this up for the perfect vacation read!

This was such a fun book to listen to and to follow along with in my e-book. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, the characters, the setting (Italy), and the writing style. The footnotes were a hoot!

Bestselling novelist Eleanor Dash and her personal assistant and sister, Harper, are off on a book tour with other authors and the winning contestants from the BookFace Ladies fan event. Eleanor is in a bit of a funk as she wants her long running series, the Vacation Mysteries, to come to an end by killing off the main character in the books, based on her actual ex-boyfriend and pain in her life, Connor Smith. Surprisingly, someone else seems to want to kill him too, but for real. After several attempts are made to end Connor, Eleanor realizes that the murderer must be part of their tour group.

As the tour moves from place to place with the situation growing more dire, someone in their entourage dies. Each is a suspect and the theories grow more wild as the finger pointing, motives, and investigation deepens.

This was hilarious and I cannot wait until the next in what must be a new series comes out. The audiobook was done very well and the narrator did a great job voicing all the characters with accents and pronunciations in Italian. I like to follow along in the book as well and the only jarring note is that in the e-book all the footnotes appear at the end of the chapter, so I had to pause to read those even though they were voiced at the appropriate point. Lots of clues in those!

I have to recommend this debut to anyone looking for a light-hearted read that is nearly impossible to put down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the e-book and the audiobook to read and review.

I enjoyed this audiobook. I liked the way the point of view came across. The narrator was nice to listen to as well.

Book: Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies
Author: Catherine Mack
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Comedy
Places Featured: Italy
Review Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review: This is a funny book; I appreciated that it was "different" and "quirky". There were a few too many characters to follow in the audiobook, but the narrator was great and I did especially enjoy how she handled the many footnotes, the breaking of the fourth wall, and the references to future books. The story is about Eleanor Dash, an author known for her series of mysteries set around Italy who is currently traveling throughout Italy with fans, fellow authors, and others with ties to the series. As the group tours through Italy, Eleanor has a lot to deal with: some old loves, the future of her series, some crazy fans, her past, and a possible killer among their group... It's a fun book and definitely a nice escape from real life. :)

Loved this one, perfect for fans of the Finlay Donovan series. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator could not have done a better job- phenomenal accents and great comedic timing. The storyline was interesting and the character development couldn’t be beat. I love this author’s writing style in ALL of her books and was so excited to see her pseudonym for a new genre. I can’t wait to continue this series!!

What a hoot! Catherine Mack gives us a clear view into the mind of an author with Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies. The main character, Ellie, as she plans her next mystery novel as she takes a book tour through Italy. Lots of twists and turns, and a colorful supporting cast.

The audio version of Every Time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies is nicely performed by Elizabeth Evans.

Ever wonder what it would be like to be inside the brain of an author as they start plotting their next book? This whole story acts as a pre-book. Giving the reader a deep dive into Eleanor’s stream of consciousness as she attends a book tour and plans the next installment in her fictional series. Elle is an author who stumbled across writing fame by accident a decade earlier and subsequently wrote many more books in the series. This is told from Elle’s POV which has zero filter. A refreshing, light, funny, unique listen dripping in sarcasm! Wonderful narrating across all characters. The ending sets us up for the second book in the series. I can’t wait to keep following Eleanor Dash on her author adventures.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing this ARC. This review is being shared on NetGalley and Goodreads.

Pub Date 30 Apr 2024

Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies- is such fun! I was sad to read the last words.

The author masterfully created a narrator that by the end involves the reader in the story and gives you an inside view of the crime, publishing and being an author. The characters are fun, except for Conner who I enjoyed not loving right along with Elinore (the main character)

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced audiobook copy. This was a cute and funny read I am interested in reading more from this author

What a delightful cozy mystery for fans of “Knives Out” and “Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone”! And a perfect book to be listened to! The main character, Eleanor Dash, is the sarcastic, self-deprecating narrator/main character, a travel-themed mystery author who is tired of her ten book series, and sort of plotting to kill off her “hero.” Why? Because the first book was based on a true life misadventure which featured her then-lover, Connor. Eleanor made him the series star but soon regretted it once he started blackmailing her for 20% of her continued earnings. Now ten years later, she’s on a “fact-finding” tour again in Italy (going back to the original location) with Connor, her sister/manager, a crew of “”BookFace” fans, and other mystery authors. Even as Eleanor is only wishing it, Connor is insisting someone is trying to kill him. Oh, my! Of course, there’s a murder, and everyone is a suspect, in true Agatha Christie type form.

But Eleanor is the absolute star, breaking the fourth wall with us, bemoaning the life of an author and the publishing world, giving us clues, and eventually stumbling on the solution. Elizabeth Evans gives Eleanor a breakout personality - to the point that you so much want to have an aperol spritz (or two, or three, or…) with her. The narration and dialogue is laugh out loud funny, and you do end up hoping Eleanor continues her crazy mystery writing career. 5 stars!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for a free advanced audio copy in exchange for an honest review!

I don’t know how I feel about this book. It had quite a bit of profanity at the beginning that I almost stopped reading but in a weird way I’m glad I kept going. Eleanor was annoying as heck. She just seemed so full of it. Like she felt sorry for Harper (her sister) but didn’t really seem sincere about that. I liked Harper the best. There were quite a bit of contradictions l, first she said she wasn’t a liar but later she said she actually is a liar, there were other things too about her relationship with Oliver and for a moment I thought that the reason they broke up was because she cheated with Connor but I’m not sure if she did or not. The footnotes and the outline drove me nuts, it was way too distracting and took away from the story. I felt like Eleanor wanted to be funny but she wasn’t, she was simply annoying. I didn’t even feel sorry for her and what happened to her parents. She just didn’t seem sincere at all.

Maybe if it is true that this will be a TV show, it will be better than the actual book, because you’ll have the voice over giving you all the commentary. But still I don’t know if I’d watch it. There are better books to turn into shows than this.

Overall, it was a bit entertaining—but miles away from an Agatha Christie novel.

I really enjoyed this. Listened to it in less than 24 hours. It was fun and quirky. Will definitely recommend to friends. I am looking forward to the sequel.