Book 2 in The Vacation Mysteries kicks off with a bang - another murder at an event when there shouldn't ever be one. A film is being produced about the protagonist's first book, quite similar to the actual first book in the series, and it all begins with a note predicting a future death. Toss in some Agatha Christie moments, and you've got books layered in books layered in books in this one. But it's fairly easy to stay current in the plot, as the author catches us up on pertinent info. Relationships cross lines a few times where I had to remember what actually happened in the book versus what is playing out in this sophomore effort - and not in a bad way. Editing must have fun in this one! The murder mystery is good - brings together some history we knew and history we didn't know. A bevy of film characters, each developing a motivation for wanting someone dead. But there's more than one death again, and it creates a conundrum for our interesting amateur sleuth and fiction writer protagonist. I liked this one more than the first book in the series, mostly because the characters are becoming more real and less of a caricature... I think given the plot, they have to be to stand out in a book within a book becoming a film, right?

Another fun and ridiculous murder mystery starring novelist Eleanor Dash. One of her books is being made into a movie starring her best friend Emma. Emma is marrying her costar Frank in a surprise wedding at the end of filming. Before the wedding weekend, Emma gets a death threat and of course Eleanor is on the case. A hurricane is headed their way and of course nothing goes to plan with the wedding. Just when you think you have it figured out, something new happens and you're guessing again. It took me awhile to really get into this book and overall I enjoyed it. I just found it a bit slow getting going. Once I was really into the story, I was excited to keep reading.

*3.5 stars*

Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the eARC of this book.

I liked the first book in this series, and I really like the books by this author’s other name, Catherine McKenzie, but I didn’t enjoy this one as much.

Eleanor Dash is a mystery author who had someone die on her vacation in the first book in the series. She wrote a book about that, and now it’s being made into a movie. Her best friend Emily is starring as her in the movie version. Emily is marrying Fred, the leading man, who is playing Connor, Eleanor’s ex-boyfriend. Are you following? There are lots of actors playing real people and backup actors playing those actors. There are boyfriends and ex-boyfriends and various cast and crew and producers, etc. and I found it hard to keep track of who was who, even though I read the first book. Lots of twists and turns and a breezy pace. Maybe I just wasn’t in a breezy-pace-constant-twists sort of a mood when I read this. This might be a TV show, and maybe I’d have an easier time following if I was visualizing the characters on screen who was who.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES MAY 13, 2025.

I enjoyed the first book in this series even though it dragged quite a bit in the end, but I was very disappointed in this second book. The characters are all very interesting except Eleanor. Her antics get on your nerves almost immediately and the plot is just lame. I miss the publishing aspects of the first one as well.

Another funny and fun one from Mack - but then, I'm a sucker for footnotes and potentially unreliable narrators and sisters.

Another sequel that isn’t as good as the previous, but fun nonetheless. Still distracted by the footnotes (but can’t help but love them) and still extremely annoyed by Eleanor and Oliver. While some of the characters from the previous book overlapped, we meet some new ones that are just abhorrent. Easy to hate which keeps it a light and fun murder mystery yet again.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press!

Just like the first book in the series, this is going to be SO GOOD on TV! As someone who can’t picture things as I’m reading, the exposition made my head spin sometimes. I’d love to get some stars to act it out for me.

Mack has settled into writing in the main character, Eleanor’s, voice, and I think this book was better than the first. We’re coming back to Eleanor’s life, instead of building it from scratch, which is why I love series. This is definitely one I’ll stick with.

No One was Supposed to Die at this Wedding 💍 by Catherine Mack is the second book in The Vacation Mysteries Series and just as fun! I loved the humor in this book and the footnotes that the main character Eleanor includes often! I like that this book has an underlying mystery, but the humor, the setting and the unique characters kept me reading!

The setting of Catalina Island was perfect for this book, especially since there is a big storm coming right before the scheduled wedding! This book can be read as a standalone, but it is more fun since we are introduced to a lot of the characters in the first book! If you've read the first book and enjoyed it, I highly recommend this one! It's not too late to pick up Book 1, Everytime I Go on Vacation Someone Dies,

As was the first one, this next installment in the Eleanor Dash series was so freaking fun! I love a good cozy but also high stakes and Murder-y mystery that has my head spinning but also has me laughing out loud, and Catherine Mack has yet to disappoint! Instead of a whole continent, we were whisked away to a beautiful island this time, and of course, Murder and mystery abounds. The dynamics between Connor and Allison/David and Eleanor/Oliver were a joy to maneuver, and had me feeling all the things and asking so many questions. The movie script behind this was a great interlude. This is just such a unique combination of things all wrapped up in one series, one book, even, and I cannot explain it to you but you need to pick this book up for your summer reading. Just do it. Not only is it a fun time but the mystery is GOOD, guys. Like so good that you think you have it, then you absolutely don’t, then you really totally don’t, and you’re flipping back to see what you’ve missed. Well done!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur books for giving me an eARC of this book. This is book two in a series, but you do not need to have read book one to jump into this one (I didn't). Mack does a good job within the book of keeping you in the loop so you never feel left out when they reference the first book.

Eleanor is the writer on the set of a movie being made based on her last book. The star? Her best friend Emma. Emma however, has a problem: someone is sending her threats. At the end of filming the movie, the cast and crew are off to a wrap party and then onwards to an island - despite a hurricane warning telling people not to - for Emmas wedding to her costar Fred.

If you have read Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone and enjoyed it, please read this. The two series have a similar sense of humour to add levity to their mysteries. I enjoyed the added footnotes within this book along with the asides, though I do think the book would have benefitted from slightly fewer. After a while they were just taking me out of the story and breaking the fourth wall a bit too often. This could have been a "me" issue, but I hope as Mack continues this series this is a consideration given.

I enjoyed my time with this and I will be looking into giving the first one a read (although fair warning, this book does spoil the first) and I'm looking forward to the next. My favourite characters? Oliver and Harper, though honestly Emma is a very close third.

If you like a mystery with a lot of humorous banter, this book is for you. As the FMC says, she knows dialogue!

I read this book without having read the first book. While I was a little behind on some of the goings on, I did catch up pretty quickly. The quick retelling and footnotes helped. The footnotes were actually extremely fun for me and I am usually not a footnote person. This book took some turns but definitely kept things interesting. It did move really quickly and rely a lot on following dialogue.

I have since requested the first book in the series from the library.

While I didn’t love this one quite as much as the first, I do enjoy the framework of this series. In the first book, the footnotes and asides added to the story and helped build suspense in my opinion. In this one, it felt like a lot of them were thrown in just because this is now a gimmick the author has committed to. Still, I do recommend this book for anyone who likes comedic whodunnits and I will definitely continue with this series.

Thank you to St Martin's Press and Netgalley for an early electronic arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Let me encourage you to pick up book one, Every Time I go on Vacation, Someone Dies before reading book 2. It will introduce you to all of the repeat characters, creating an atmosphere of fun watching how and why they all get together again.

Book 2 in The Vacation Mysteries Series shows some growth of characters and certainly some of the same bad behaviors. There is even a cameo of a past character that is a fun pop up. This time the group is headed to Catalina Island for the wedding of Eleanor's best friend. This had great appeal to me as I lived on the island decades ago. So much remains the same. I can visualize the Wrigley House.

As the weekend wedding celebration gets under way, you got it, bodies start to show up. Then a hurricane threatens the island and wedding. Add in Eleanor is now with her more recently ex while yet another ex is in the wedding party as well. There are exes everywhere.

A fun romp that continues to entertain and I look forward to where the next Vacation Mysteries Series takes me.

This was a fun, cozy and entertaining read. I read it in a few sessions and thought it was a great addition to "The Vacation Mysteries" series.

If you mashed together a Romcom and Mystery Thriller I think this book would be the result. I'm definitely a fan of how this author is able to grab a hold of my attention and keep it throughout the course of her stories. I love the footnotes.

Eleanor's character is an absolute joy to read, she's fun, witty, a bit chaotic and quirky.

Don't let the fact that I am labeling this as a cozy mystery fool you, there are twists that I didn't see coming. This one will keep you on your toes.

I'll continue to recommend this series and can't wait to see what new adventures are in-store for Eleanor in the future.

Thank you Catherine Mack, Net Galley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: May 13, 2025
“No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding” is the second novel in the Vacation Series collection of books by Catherine Mack.
Best selling author Eleanor Dash is attending the impromptu wedding of her best friend, Emma, to Hollywood heartthrob Fred Winters. The only guests in attendance are those who played some role, on-screen or behind the scenes, in the film adaptation of Eleanor’s novel, and as they settle in for a weekend of celebration on Catalina Island, the rest of the island shuts down because of an impending storm. But murder seems to follow Eleanor everywhere she goes and this wedding is no different as once again, Eleanor inserts herself into the investigation to try and solve the mystery before someone she loves becomes the next target.
“Wedding” is well-written, cozy, locked-room (sort of) mystery, where eccentric and brilliant author, Eleanor, is once again forced to become the crime investigator she only writes about in her books. The novel is suspenseful and creative and Eleanor is as deliriously funny as she was in the first installment, “Every Time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies”.
I highly recommend that you read “Vacation” by Catherine Mack, before reading this one. It isn’t necessary, as the plots of both novels are different, but it provides background and character development that you won’t want to miss out on.
Catherine Mack is a pseudonym for author Catherine McKenzie and, as many of you may know, I have been following this author for many years. In fact, she was one of the first authors I was invited to review for, so she has a special place in my literary heart. As Catherine Mack, she takes on an entirely new genre of books, and they’re just as entertaining and addictive as McKenzie’s domestic suspense novels.
Eleanor is a quirky delight and I love that Mack has brought her back for another adventure. Her relationship with ex, Connor, is still complicated, but I was happy to see her on-again with her boyfriend, Oliver. There are a great number of players in this novel, such as screenwriters, authors, directors, etc., but many of them were in the previous story, so it isn’t a challenge to keep pace. The ending was surprising and unexpected and the final pages hinted at yet another installment, and I can’t wait.

This series is so much fun! I just love the humor, the banter and the twisty murders that I can never figure out. The characters are fabulous as well! Oliver is swoon worthy, and I need more of him! Hopefully he has a bigger role next time. In this book they are trapped on an island, during a hurricane no less, for a wedding while a murderer wreaks havoc. Eleanor tries to solve the case. In the most ridiculous way possible, of course. The plot is complicated, in a good way, so I didn't guess any of the twists! I think I liked this book even more than the first, but both are delightful, and I can't wait to read the third one! The epilogue sets it up nicely and leaves you wishing you could read it immediately! I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys lighthearted humorous mysteries. 4.5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Mystery author Eleanor is supppsed to be blissfully attending her best friend's wedding weekend - not figuring out who is attempting to kill the happy couple and guests. To make matters worse, a storm is incoming and they're stuck on an island. As the weekend progresses, the threats begin. This is a fast-paced novel with strong dialogue that kept me guessing who the perpetrator was until the very end.

No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding is the book equivalent of getting tipsy at a fancy wedding—glamorous, chaotic, and utterly entertaining. The vibes? Think Knives Out meets The White Lotus.

My bad-I didn't realize that this book was a sequel until I had already started reading (and maybe I would have been more familiar with the cast of characters if I had) but I had no problem reading this as a stand-alone. I devoured this book in two sittings, and will DEFINITELY be going back to the first one now. The humor is sharp, the banter is top-tier, and the footnotes—truly just amazing. I want to be friends with this author. Eleanor’s chaotic inner monologue had me grinning at my kindle in public like a madwoman, and the chapter titles? Applause all around.

The mystery itself was twisty enough to keep me guessing, though the sheer number of characters had me wishing for a murder board to plot them all. Overall, this was a solid, hilarious read. I had so much fun, even when things got a little messy—and honestly, isn’t that what a good wedding (or cozy murder mystery) is all about?

Do yourself a favor, read this book. Pack it in your beach tote, pour yourself a drink, and enjoy the drama.

I loved this book. At first, I wasn’t completely into it, but it didn’t take long before I was completely hooked. The writing was smart and funny, and the characters felt so real that I could picture myself right there with them. The footnotes added so much personality and made the story even more entertaining.

What really stood out was how effortlessly the book blended humor with a well thought out storyline. It kept me engaged the entire time, and I was sad when it ended, I just wanted more! This was such a fun and refreshing read, and I would definitely recommend it.

Book Review
No One Was Supposed to Die at this Wedding by Catherine Mack (aka Catherine Mackintosh)

Vacation Mystery Series #2

What Its Got
✅Murder
✅Forced proximity
✅Hurricanes
✅Catalina Island excursions
✅Actors
✅Filmmakers
✅Screenwriters
✅Ex - lovers
✅Secrets
✅Drama

Characters/Suspects
Eleanor Dash- witty, sarcastic, writer
Connor- El’s ex lover, became entangled with Eleanor in Italy, private detective- esque
Harper Dash- El’s sister and PA
Oliver- El’s current boyfirend, also a writer
Fred- groom, actor, Knew El in high school
Emma- Bride, El’s BFF since high-school, actress
Simone- director
David- screenwriter
Allison- also emmeshed in Italy shenanigans
Shawna- movie PA
Mr/Mrs Winters- Fred’s parents

Thoughts
📕While I didn’t love the footnotes in the first of this series I am now a fan- Eleanor’s inner dialogue is hysterical- I could hear her voice in my head
📕The banter and humour are amazing, the back and forth dialogue reminded me of a tennis match
📕The ridiculousness, the sheer audacity of Eleanor, the petty drama- all perfectly played out like a daytime mystery Soap Opera
📕 I was entranced by the “dumpster fire” of a wedding - I mean everything that can go wrong does, bodies pile up and yet, we STILL have a wedding and the twists just keep coming
📕The Chapter titles- read em…. They’re just FUN!

Overall
Perfect read to pack in your beach tote on your next vacay… just dont mind the bodies

Thanks to @netgalley, the @stmartinspress and the author for my digital ARC in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own
Publishes May 13