I listened to the audio of this book and it was awesome. The narrator made the book interactive with the listener. The twists and turns made me want to keep listening to see what was coming next. Thanks NetGalley for the audio eArc.

I enjoyed listening to the audiobook of Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack. This was her debut novel and I thought it was well written, clever and laugh out loud funny at times. The audiobook was narrated by Elizabeth Evans and I felt that she did an outstanding job at distinguishing between the characters. It was set in Italy where bestselling novelist, Eleanor Dash, was celebrating her tenth anniversary as the author of a popular series of books, with a tour of Italy. Eleanor had been accompanied to Italy by her sister who was also her devoted and very capable assistant along with a group of devoted fans. The tour details had all been arranged ahead of time. Eleanor planned to use this time to strategize how she could kill off and eliminate the main character from the rest of her books. The main character had been modeled after her ex-boyfriend, Conner Smith and Eleanor was ready to completely erase him from any future books. She just had to figure out how to do it and how to get approval from her publisher to proceed with future books that did not include Conner.

Unbeknownst to Eleanor, Connor, ended up on her anniversary book tour. Early on the tour, Connor confided to Eleanor that someone in real life was really trying to kill him. He told her that he didn’t know who was trying to kill him but Eleanor suspected that Connor knew more than he was willing to share. As much as Eleanor wanted to eliminate Connor from her book, this was not how she wanted it to occur. Eleanor did not wish Connor any harm in real life. Then actual threats to Connor were actually attempted. Even though Connor was the intended target, others were killed instead. The realization of the murders were quite jarring. Who could want to really kill Connor?

The Italian police were finally called in when someone was found murdered in the hotel that all the people on the tour were staying at. One of the Italian police officers that was assigned to the case was no other than the police officer that had helped Eleanor and Connor solve a crime almost ten years ago when they were in Italy as boyfriend and girlfriend. Back then, Eleanor and Connor were able to solve a crime that involved members of the Mafia. Now here they were again right in the middle of another murder investigation. Will they be able to identify the murderer before anything else happens?

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies was full of twists and turns. It was fast paced with a very satisfying yet unexpected conclusion. The characters were a little quirky and each had their own unique qualities. Catherine Mack brought a very distinctive writing style to this book. It was told almost exclusively by Eleanor Dash who also included a multitude of informative footnotes, which were intended for the reader’s benefit. I enjoyed this cozy mystery. It was chock filled with intriguing details and funny moments. There were so many suspects who could have committed the murders that I found it hard to guess who the real murderer was. Every Time I Go on Vacation was the first book in The Vacation Mysteries series. I look forward to reading the other books in this series and I highly recommend this one.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Every time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies" by Catherine Mack, narrated by Elizabeth Evans, is a captivating mystery novel that keeps readers hooked from start to finish.

The characters in the book are not only interesting but also likeable and relatable. The main character, Eleanor Dash, stands out as a smart and funny protagonist who guides readers through the story with her engaging personality.

One of the unique aspects of this book is its writing style. The narrative feels personal as if Eleanor is speaking directly to you, providing hints and clues along the way that keep you guessing until the very end.

The fast pace of the story combined with a satisfying ending makes for an enjoyable reading experience. The vivid descriptions of the Italian setting transports readers to each location mentioned in the book.

As someone who enjoyed this first installment, I am eagerly anticipating diving into the second one to see where Eleanor's adventures take her next.

Elizabeth Evans' narration adds another layer of depth to an already intriguing story. Her portrayal of Catherine brings additional life to the characters and enhances the overall listening experience.

"Every time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies" is a must-read for mystery lovers looking for a fun and engaging read. With well-developed characters, an immersive setting, and expert narration by Elizabeth Evans, this book delivers on all fronts.

Thanks to an advanced copy, I was able to devour this delightful (audio)book and experience all of Eleanor’s chaotic Italian adventures! Catherine Mack’s writing style is witty and clever, with a certain poignancy that had me feeling every emotion right along with Eleanor. I can’t wait for the sequel!

One of my favorites this year. Character development is flawless. Its self-awareness along with the pointed hints dropped throughout the book made it really fun and refreshing. And the footnotes! I LOVE the way they were done. I happened to read the ebook as well as audiobook and I surprisingly liked the ebook more. I typically exclusively do audiobooks so they're my preference, but the way the audiobook is read sometimes makes the footnotes a bit difficult to follow since there's nothing denoting the change from story to footnote. Still a 5 star for me, just an observation.

Overall, wonderful experience and one i'll definitely be recommending and rereading.

This murder mystery is laugh out loud funny with witty dialog and many humorous situations. Eleanor and her sister Harper are best friends and also boss/employee, and there is a bit of familial tension there. Connor, Eleanor's ex, is a somewhat bumbling blackmailer that relies on Eleanor's books to fund his lifestyle and drives her crazy. Oliver is the man Eleanor is in love with although she doesn't know it yet. Filled with quirky characters and a fun murder mystery this start to a series is a charming read and perfect for a day at the beach! The audiobook is a fabulous way to enjoy this story and Elizabeth Evans does a great job with the narration.

This story follows author Eleanor Dash on a thrilling adventure as she tries to make it out of her book tour through Italy alive all while dodging literary rivals, old grudges, bad exes and rabid fans.

This book cured my reading slump! It was funny, fast-paced and totally unique for the mystery genre. The addition of the main character’s footnotes throughout the book broke the fourth wall in a fun way while also teaching you a bit about being a writer and the publishing industry. And the narrator was great! Elizabeth Evans did different accents for all the characters, which were well done and made it easy to tell everyone apart.

I’d recommend this book to:
- Fans of Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone and the Finlay Donovan series
- Escapist readers who want to tour Italy
- People going on vacation who are looking for an easy read that will keep their attention

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this gifted copy, I feel like this is going to be the book of the summer!

This was such a "Choose Your Own Adventure"-like mystery for adults! You're not choosing what happens to the main character (the narrator), but the narrator treats the reader as though they know the reader is trying to solve the mystery. It's engaging. I love that the setting is in Italy and that there's so much drama leading up to the solving of the murders.

✨book review✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Catherine Mack, NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced audio version of Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies!

This is a fun murder mystery set in Italy during a book tour for Eleanor. First, the inspiration for one of her main characters and past lover, Conner, says someone is trying to kill him, but it isn’t long until Eleanor finds herself in danger, too. Death is certain, but the question is who on this book tour has a good enough reason to hurt them both… among the many possibilities include Eleanor’s sister and PR Harper, who always wanted to be the writer, the dream Eleanor achieved instead; the ex boyfriend; the up and coming mystery writer who likes to use Eleanor’s plots as her own; a stalker; the list goes on.

In Agatha Christie fashion, this whodunit style mystery introduces a number of suspects, eliminating them as the story progresses, some through murder and others through alibi. The narration is unreliable in ways, which keeps readers on their toes. It also feels like a vacation mystery which is different and nice! However, the romantic element seemed a little bit overdone and cringy. I didn’t love the breaking the fourth wall narration of the protagonist, but that is a stylistic choice that others may enjoy! This would make for a nice summer read!

It’s set to be a series and I enjoyed the wit and humor enough to say I’d happily read the next one, which seems nicely set up!

I was hoping this was going to be a good story based on its anticipation. I was not a fan of all the footnotes or the fact that Eleanor spoke to the reader. This type of book and style of writing was not for me and I had a tough time listening and getting through it, just didn't hold my interest. Thank you for allowing me a free listen in exchange for my honest feedback.

Loved this one much more on audio! I had trouble with the foot notes within the physical copy. This was a fun one with lots of twists and turns. Thanks to the publisher!

I wanted to love this book. I wanted to love this book so much I gave it a second chance. At first, I received this book as an eBook. It had a lot of weird spacing and the footnotes were in weird places, and I could not even finish it. It felt like a part time job trying to read it the first time. But the Title and the Cover and the Description of this is a book were marketed just for people like me. SO I gave it another shot I got it as an audio book because I thought the footnotes would flow better AND I was right. I was so happy because I wanted to love this book. The audio book worked so much better, and I thought this is it! This book is going to be so good! But alas with all the characters in the book I could only tolerate Oliver. I think this book would have been so much better if the main character was tolerable. Eleanor dash is not likeable, and I think if there is another book that she should definitely evolve as a character. This book was also trying to be to Meta breaking the 4th wall and being a book inside a book. This is normally something I would love but for some reason it did not work. On top of everything the author ruined an Agatha Christie book I have been saving and ruining the ending. The narrator did a good job. I think I should have given up on this book.

Thank you, Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars // I loved how fun this book was! The narrator is cheeky and I enjoyed how she speaks directly to the reader while also telling the story. The Italian setting was also fun and made me want to visit asap. I love the narrator, Eleanor, is also a mystery writer and turned a real life situation into a best seller series. The twists and mystery of “who dun it” was fun to read and looking forward to more of the Vacation series.

Thank you to NetGalley for this audio arc!

This was my first time having the chance to review an audiobook arc and I am thankful for the opportunity. I really enjoyed this book. I liked that it was a cozy mystery that allowed me to do some arm chair travelling to Italy. I think that the narrator did a fantastic job in using different voices to really give each character their own voice and that was easier to help keep track of the characters in my head. I will say that the footnotes were a bit jarring at first, but I quickly got used to them- I came to think of them as when I talk to a friend and we randomly think of things in the middle of the convos that we need to share. I think that they might have been distracting in the paper version of this book and I was glad that I was reading it as an audiobook.

I really struggled with this book, from the style of narration to the plot that was so ridden with writers writing themes; I couldn't wait until the book was over. In short, Eleanor is an author of several murder mysteries who is on vacation while plotting out her next mystery that she is writing. She finds herself in the middle of a real-life mystery which someone parallels the one that she is writing. It was difficult to follow (at least in audio format), the characters weren't as developed as I'd want them to be, and the plot was just lacking.

I discovered at least that the "writer writing about writing" theme is not one that I enjoy nor will I be picking up in the future.

Overall, I probably should have DNF'd this book and picked up a different mystery!

BOOK REVIEW:
EVERY TIME I GO ON VACATION SOMEONE DIES🇮🇹🍝🍋

Eleanor Dash, author of The Vacation Mysteries, travels to Italy with a group of authors on a summer book tour. She wants to wrap up her book series by killing off main character Connor, who is based off of irl Connor, a handsome con man she got tangled up with years ago.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This was a fun mystery that was fast paced and had lots of moving parts! Fans of Finlay Donovan would enjoy this one! I loved the audio narration, the setting (it def made me want to book a trip to Italy!), and the authors style was fun and engaging! There were a lot of unlikable characters, but I liked Eleanor and her witty commentary throughout.

I loved the way the story engages the reader, especially when it moved into Act 3 and Eleanor broke the 4th wall, encouraging the reader to try and solve the mystery.

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies follows the story of Eleanor as she travels to Italy for the 10th anniversary of her debut novel, When in Rome. Along for the ride is also Connor, the man in the fiction story that is very much real and blackmailing her. He is convinced someone is trying to kill him and she might just agree. When someone else dies, who will be next?

This story was fun and witty from the start. I loved the writing style of breaking the fourth wall by speaking directly to the audience. Not many people can pull this off well but Mack did a great job of making the audience feel like they were listening to a campfire story. The twists and turns kept on coming throughout and, while there are breadcrumbs to help you figure it out, you most likely won't. This story is beautifully paced and just a fun ride from beginning to end. Definitely recommend the audio on this one!!

Wow, this was a fun listen! This novel reminded me a little of Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone and a little of Finlay Donovan. Both I loved so much. I really loved that in this novel, the main character, an author on her 10th book anniversary trip, broke the fourth wall. This was a great who done it that is light and funny. Kept me guessing until the end! Hoping to read more novels by this author. Thank you!

This was a fun listen!! It's a cozy mystery that transports you to Italy with a murder mystery to boot! I really enjoyed the narrator, Elizabeth Evans. She captured the essence of the main character, Eleanor Dash, exceptionally well. The humor sprinkled throughout the story was delightful and added an extra layer of enjoyment.

I had the pleasure of both reading and listening to this book. I really liked the foot notes and thought the audio did a great job of incorporating the humor into the main story line. It’s a bit cheesy, but it is a great summer mystery that you can fly through quickly! It was also fun to see bookstagrammers as side characters!