This book feels like it's trying too hard to be Finlay Donovan, but without the charm that makes those.books work for me. The footnotes are really hard to follow in audio format and I just feel like I can't keep everyone and everything straight. Our FMC is obnoxious and while I know this book will be a hit for some, it just wasn't for me.

Thanks to MacMillan Audio for my complimentary ALC. All opinions here are my own.

An author wants to kill off her main character, but while on a book tour event in Italy, someone might actually be trying to kill her? Lots of potential victims, and too many suspects. First-person POV makes great use of footnotes and breaking the 4th wall.

This was a fun genre change. Felt like a mix of Agatha Christie and Clue. Fans of Finlay Donovan will probably enjoy this one.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Murder Mystery
Age Level: Adult
Content: some strong language, closed-door

I really like how the narrator tells the story and talks to the reader. Most of the time breaking that 4th wall is very hard but this book does it well. The who Did it kept me guessing and changing my mind each chapter. I will be keeping my eye on this writer.

Consuming this book in audio format was such an experience! I really enjoyed it, since Eleanore, the narrator and protagonist, consistantly breaks the fourth wall throughout the story to bring us, the readers, in to solve the mystery. It's refreshing and different from anything I ever read! The narrator being excellent really helped, too, because it felt like a friend was telling me an impossible yet true story.

This story, inspired by the likes of Murder on the Orient-Express, is its own murder mystery that details the treacherous travels of a group of authors and fans in Italy. The protagonist, Eleanore, and her nemesis, Connor, start thinking someone is out to get them during this trip and the suspects are quickly identified : the entire party witch which they are traveling.

Bodies drop, theories are born and mystery ensues.

I loved the fourth wall breaking, the numerous possibilities, the pop culture references and the humour.

I didn't love Eleanore, though. She annoyed me at times and I felt like she was sometimes a little bit of en entitled author who left everything of importance to the good care of her little sister and manager, Harper. This made me ick a little and prevented me to really like her character!

Still, I had a wodnerful moment listening to this book and I will definitely read the second one!

I'm not usually much of a cozy mystery fan, but I really enjoyed this first book in a series about a mystery author who wants to kill off her long-time lead character--only the character is based on a real person, and someone seems to want him dead too!

There were a lot more moving parts to this book than I expected there to be, and it kept me on my toes. The cast of characters were quirky and they easy to differentiate.

The narrator of the audiobook did a really good job conveying both the sarcasm of the 1st person narrator/famous author and the serious fright of who's-going-to-be-murdered next.

Eleanor Dash is traveling Italy in honor of the book series that was launched after a vacation there several years earlier. Her publishing company is sponsoring the trip which includes several fellow authors and a group of lucky fans of Eleanor's series. One of the people on the trip is Connor, the man she fell in love with on that initial trip and who starred as a character in the book that resulted from it. Even though Eleanor no longer loves Connor, her readers do. That and a bit of blackmail on Connor's part keep him in the picture.

Harper Dash is Eleanor's sister, personal assistant, and usually her memory. Harper always has the details and itinerary that Eleanor either forgot or never bothered to learn. When Connor confides that he thinks someone is trying to kill him, Eleanor doesn't believe him. Furthermore, she begins thinking about how she can kill him off in her next book and finally be free of him.

After a series of near-misses for Connor and Eleanor which may or may not have been murder attempts, someone actually dies. The trip includes Connor's ex-wife (who was Connor's wife when he met Eleanor, unbeknownst to her), Eleanor's rebound boyfriend Oliver, now also an ex, and other authors with various motives to dislike or distrust Connor. There is no shortage of suspects. Eleanor's reasoning and investigation point to one suspect after another (perhaps further evidence of why she's an author and not a detective) before we finally discover the culprit.

This is a fun little cozy mystery with a lot of fourth-wall breaking, through innumerable footnotes. Eleanor is a mostly likable character, particularly redeemed by her relationship with her sister Harper. Listening to it on audio, the footnotes were maybe the funniest part of the book and didn't interrupt the flow at all. Reading it either digitally or in print I think would have been exceptionally frustrating.

Elizabeth Evans is the narrator who did a wonderful job with the voices, and particularly the accents which helped cement the location. Her pacing kept the story flowing and she was particularly adept at incorporating the footnotes and elevating the humor.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.

I saw this book compared to the Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano and that was all I needed to request it from the publisher. Unfortunately, it didn't land for me at all. Maybe, that comparison was unfair and set my expectations too high from the start, but I was bored while listening to this book. I found Eleanor Dash, the FMC fairly obnoxious and the solved the mystery about halfway through reading. Elizabeth Evans did a terrific job with the narration and differentiating between all the different players. I know this book will be a hit for many readers. It just didn't work for me.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the audio ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is the start of a new series by Catherine Mack.
I would love to give an opinion but it was a DNF for me, I pushed through the first half. I was just bored and had no desire to finish

I loved the writing style of this one! The fictional mystery writer Eleanor Dash is experiencing a real-life mystery while on a book tour in Italy. She is talking to us as readers as though we are just casually sipping cocktails in Italy together. I loved the witty, interactive, conversational tone. The footnotes throughout were a unique touch, and they actually translated quite well on audiobook!

This is teed up to be the first in a series, and I’m definitely keen to read more & see where else these characters will take us!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook which comes out April 30.

I am so thankful I got the opportunity to discover a new author! This audiobook was exactly as described. I was very entertained by this murder mystery book! If you’re looking for a book reminiscent of Finlay Donavan, then this is for you! It’s quirky, hilarious, and witty.

A famous author is sent on a trip abroad for a book tour. She has to put up with her ex who is profiting off her famous book series. She is done with him and wants him out of her life! She has her sister who is her assistant in the same trip, along with other authors who seem to copy her books, a stalker, and another ex. Someone is trying to kill her main character and now everyone is trying to figure out who on their trip is the murderer.

The narration was phenomenal, keeping me highly engaged, entertained, and at the edge of my seat. I loved all the sarcasm and funny moments along with feeling the intensity when everyone is trying to figure out whodunnit.

I can’t wait for the next installment in this series!

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Catherine Mack

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: 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?

Clearly, because when an attempt is 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’s enlisted to help solve the case.

Contending with literary rivals, rabid fans, a stalker―and even her ex, Oliver, who turns up unexpectedly―theories are bandied about, and rivalries, rifts, and broken hearts are revealed. But who’s really trying to get away with murder?

My Thoughts: This is the first book in The Vacation Mysteries series. Eleanor is in Italy trying to get her tenth book in the series written, where she plans to kill off character Connor Smith. The Conor character was inspired by her friend, Connor. He thinks someone is trying to kill him in real life. Then someone from the traveling literary group ends up dead. She goes in detective mode to try and figure out who the killer is and the list of suspects is large. Elenor has to contend with literary rivals, a stalker, and trying to find out who is the murderer, and finishing her tenth novel. This follows the tropes of cozy mystery.

Elenor relies a tremendous amount on her younger sister, Harper, whom is her assistant. Her character seems a little lack luster in the staying on track. However, I love Elenor’s humor, she was snarky, sarcastic, and witty. I love the inside look at the publisher world in a light, funny way. The story is narrated in the first person in present time. Set in Italy, the author does an amazing job with descriptive details, setting the tone and scene, the smells, the beautiful scenery, you really felt like you were there in Italy. The characters were well developed with depth, wittiness, mystery, and intriguing. The supporting characters were fabulous, eccentric, and really elevated the story. The author’s writing style was unique, funny, twisty, cozy, and creative. I love the author’s unique approach in the plot line.

I had the pleasure of having the digital and audio versions of the ARC. The story is narrated by Elizabeth Evans. Her voice was perfect. She really nailed the voice variation giving each character their own unique voice. The pitch was perfect and I could listen at 2x speed without having any issues. The book has footnotes in the chapters, which can be confusing. In the audiobook, the footnotes are woven into the story seamlessly. The audio was easier for me to follow along. I love thrillers and murder mysteries, along with romance novels. I am not a fan of cozy mysteries. This was a fun, lighthearted read. I would recommend picking up the audio.

An adventure through Italy - sign me up! Every time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies was such a fun cozy mystery to listen to by audiobook on my commute to and from work.

Because I don’t read synopses before I start reading a book, I was a little surprised that the book was written from the POV of a best-selling author writing a mystery book. Definitely made me pause the audio and see if this was in the middle of a series.

That said, I really enjoyed this set up and the book within a book theme. Not to mention, the book tour through Italy was a fun romp. (I totally need to try a Lemon Spritz!)

I 1000 percent related to Eleanor (I might slightly be a hot mess, too) and I need a Harper in my life (that would be my husband, seriously, he’s a godsend).

The audiobook was narrated by Elizabeth Evans, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite narrators.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the #gifted audiobook.

This was a fun and clever cozy mystery. It was reminiscent of Everyone in my Family Has Killed Someone, with its narrative style and breaking the fourth wall. I was engaged in the mystery the whole time and was surprised by the endings. I think I would have enjoyed more hijinks and action throughout the story--it was a little slow in terms of the mystery/murder element of the story. I was surprised by the ending and all my theories ended up being wrong!

I enjoyed the audiobook and definitely think this is a good story to consume via audio.

This is a series debut cozy mystery that gives readers an interesting experience that takes us behind the scenes of the life of an author and the publishing industry. The overall concept of the story ‘broke the fourth wall’ and was mind boggling. It is written to feel like there are really 3 different levels within the story. The story is about an author on a book tour in Italy who is also writing a book all while she is also talking to the reader, mostly through footnotes, making it feel like the reader is there with them on this once in a lifetime trip. Sometimes it was hard to distinguish between the three. I was thankful to have a physical copy to follow along with while listening to the audio. There were a lot of characters to keep track of plus the physical copy had charts, text boxes, outlines, interviews and footnotes that were obviously hard to “show” in an audiobook; however, the narrator did a great job making the multiple parts flow smoothly and giving the many characters unique voices.

I enjoyed the banter between the characters and even though the sarcastic, dramatic FMC was under a lot of stress, she was funny in the ways she chose to handle the pressure. I also enjoyed the many pop culture references and the book jargon and the use of literary element terms. Plus, the book cover is super cute, bright, and beachy!

The story leaves us on a cliffhanger preparing us for the release of the second book in The Vacation Mysteries Series.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for granting me early access to Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies in exchange for an honest review.

Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mic drop! 🎤 I did NOT figure out 🧩 this who dunnit completely by the ending. I was proud of myself for deducing who was behind the mystery but I was surprised 🫢 to find I was not entirely correct ✅️.
My first impression of this book 📚was the cover and title. The title made me giggle 😂 and I knew I had to listen to this story.
Eleanor Dash is on vacation with an ex-lover, Connor Smith, who, also, is the main character on her first nine novels. She wants to kill 🔪🔫 off his character in her tenth book so she doesn't have to interact with him anymore. While she considers what to do she, Connor, and several other authors are on a book tour in Italy. Connor thinks someone is trying to kill him and tries to enlist Eleanor 's support to figure out who is behind this conundrum.
This is narrated by Elizabeth Evans. This story is a light-hearted, funny, and cleverly written charade that is a delight to read!
#NetGalley #EveryTimeIGoOnVacationSomeoneDies #MinotaurBooks #CatherineMack #Mystery #CrimeFiction #HumerousFiction

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

💬 Eleanor Dash, bestselling author of the Vacation Series just wants to get through her book tour. It doesn't help that the the main character of her series, and her ex boyfriend, Conner, is also on the tour. Blackmailed into continuing to write the Vacation Series and pay Conner royalties, Eleanor is ready to kill off her main character.... in the books of course. When Conner claims that someone is trying to kill him, Eleanor brushes it off as a dramatic attempt for attention....but then someone on the tour is murdered.
This book is the very definition of a fun time! Told with such witty humor through a main character that I would love to be friends with, I enjoyed this from beginning to end. With a great cast of characters coming together to solve a mystery, a fantastic setting in Italy, and a narrator that breaks the forth wall - what's not to love? The only thing that makes this book better is that it's the first in a series - I cannot wait to read what this crew gets into next!
🎧 The audiobook narrator did such a wonderful job capturing Eleanor's humor and sarcasm. I absolutely loved it! Pop in an earbud, grab a bottle of wine and a bowl of pasta and enjoy!

💕 Thank you to @minotaurbooks and @macmillan.audio for the gifted copy of this book.

This was such a fun read! The setting and the characters were amazing and I loved the mystery aspect. Can’t wait to read more from this author!

This is a cute book with a unique writing style. The characters are fun and a bit over the top at times. The parts that seem to be breaking the 4th wall ]got to be a bit annoying to me but not enough to ruin the story. Overall, if you want a cozy mystery that is good for a vacation or poolside read this summer, this is a good one to pick up.

Catherine Mack's "Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies" presents a unique blend of intrigue and humour, set against the captivating backdrop of an Italian book tour. The story follows a bestselling author who finds herself entangled in a real-life mystery that mirrors her own fictional tales, promising a delightful mix of suspense and comedy. However, the execution of this promising premise leaves much to be desired.

The protagonist, Eleanor Dash, is a character with potential. As a bestselling author on a mission to kill off her fictional character while managing a chaotic book tour, she should be a compelling and relatable lead. However, Eleanor's character falls somewhat flat, lacking the depth and charisma to immerse me in her world fully. Her interactions with the enigmatic Connor Smith, a con man from her past, are intended to add tension and intrigue, but they often feel forced and unconvincing.

The plot's structure initially seems promising with its ten-day timeline and numerous suspects. However, the rapid jumps between different locations and characters can be disorienting, making it hard to stay invested in the unfolding mystery. The array of literary rivals, stalkers, and ex-lovers adds layers to the story, but the narrative doesn't delve deeply enough into these subplots to make them compelling.

Humour is a crucial element that the book aims for, but the comedic aspects often need to be revised. The dialogue and situations meant to be funny sometimes come off as contrived or overly quirky. While there are a few genuinely amusing moments, they are not enough to sustain the comedic tone the book aspires to.

While the mystery has potential with its array of suspects and red herrings, it lacks the gripping suspense to keep readers on the edge of their seats. The resolution feels rushed and unsatisfying, leaving several loose ends that detract from the overall experience.

In summary, "Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies" has an interesting concept and a picturesque setting that initially draws readers in. However, the lacklustre character development, disjointed plot, and uneven humour make it a less engaging read than anticipated. Fans of light-hearted mysteries may enjoy, but those looking for a more cohesive and captivating story might find this debut needs to catch up to its potential.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for the copies to review!

Oh my goodness I LOVED this book so much! I did not know what to expect going into this one and it was perfection. I loved the plot but even more so I loved how Eleanor ‘broke the fourth wall’ to include the reader in helping to solve the mystery here, and it was so well done. I also really enjoyed the audio for this, it was a great listening experience. I don’t want to spoil any more here but this was such a fun read, I enjoyed every single minute of it and I cannot wait for the next book!