This is a super fun, tongue-in-cheek mystery novel that takes place in Rome, which I very much enjoyed, having just traveled to Rome last month. The book follows a mystery writer on a book trip to Rome and then people having "accidents" and she has to solve a real-life mystery when someone finally dies. The MC keeps breaking the fourth wall, so to speak, in a fun and snarky way. This is going to be first in a series and I'm looking forward to the story continuing.

I am having such a hard time writing this review! I loved this book? It drove me crazy? It was so funny? But it drove me crazy? I couldn't stop reading it? But it drove me crazy? The writing style of this book contained the use of approximately 1 million (or so it felt) footnotes. Now, the author mentioned early on that you didn't NEED to read the footnotes. But was she kidding? Was it a plot device? Either way, they popped up so frequently it was hard not to read them, and almost all of them were incredibly witty, so I WANTED to read them...but MAN were they distracting! It was so hard to keep with the flow of the story with a footnote popping up every page. That being said...the writing was great, it kept me guessing in the best possible ways, it just needed a few hundred less footnotes :) *This review was collected as part of a netgalley promotion

This book was different. The main character is an author who writes mysteries and gets caught up in a mystery of her own on a trip to Italy when someone tries to kill her. It was funny in places and had a lot of secondary characters. If you like a good mystery then this book is for you.

3.5 Stars

Eleanor Dash is the author of a best-selling mystery series in which her main character travels throughout Italy solving crimes. Eleanor based the character on her real-life ex-boyfriend, conman Connor Smith. Connor is blackmailing Eleanor for a portion of her book revenue, and Eleanor wants to kill him off. Although Eleanor wants to kill off her main character, it looks like someone else wants to murder the real Connor Smith. Eleanor, Connor, and others close to her go on a book tour along with some lucky super fans of the series, but now everyone could be in danger from a killer.

I love the premise of this book and the Italian setting. I also like that in addition to the murder mystery, the book also includes newspaper articles, trip itineraries, and the notes Eleanor makes as she’s brainstorming ideas for her next book. Eleanor is a disorganized, quirky character who breaks the fourth wall to address readers at the end of a few chapters and also in humorous footnotes throughout the story. (Be aware that these notes are hard to follow when reading an ebook version of the book.) All of this adds up to a very unique way of telling a story. Sometimes it works well, and there are some amusing situations. However, it prevents a smooth flow of the story and makes it disjointed and sometimes hard to follow. I also had difficulty connecting with Eleanor, who relies on her sister to manage her life and career. She also can’t seem to stay away from the blackmailing Connor, even though she’s still in love with another ex who is also on the tour.

The heart of the mystery is good, and as the story progresses, it’s clear that many of the characters, including Eleanor herself, are keeping secrets. This sets up several potential suspects and motives. Writing so many mysteries has helped Eleanor become a very capable amateur sleuth, and she deduced the truth behind the crimes way before I did. This book has some entertaining parts, and I enjoyed the ending, but I don’t know if it’s a series I will follow.

~ Christine

Wow what a wonderful book! An unpredictable page turner, witty and entertaining! the characters are complex and filled with lots of twists and turns, murder and mayhem, a must read!

Funny book about an author whose boyfriend thinks someone is out to murder him!

I had not read any of the previous books, so I think I was missing something. I hate to take away a star but this is a 3 star book rounded up to 4 because I'm assuming most people would have read the previous books and would know what I'm missing.

The author has a good knack for adding endnotes that add to the fun. Lighthearted and a good beach-read pick!

Thank you to netGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. #sponsored

Thank you netgalley for the ARC. This book was full of twists and turns. The setting in Italy was fantastic and the keep guessing on who was truly trying to murder them. While the footnotes did get a little distracting in the kindle version, the story propels you through the writer writing about her own story

Dani's Rating: 4⭐️

Summary: Eleanor Dash literally fell into becoming an author ten years ago after an eventful trip to Italy. Now, she wants nothing more than to get through her book tour in Italy and kill(in the books, not for real!!) off her main character, Connor Smith, in her series. When it becomes apparent that someone actually is trying to kill Connor while on this book tour, Eleanor is pulled into solving the case.

Dani's Thoughts: I don't think I've laughed so much while reading a mystery before. This book was funny and quirky, but certainly kept me on my toes until the very end. I couldn't seem to solve the case as Eleanor is such an unreliable narrator throughout the story. I loved all of the moving parts and how many different directions the ending could have taken, even though it was always only leading one way. The epilogue eluded to a new vacation mystery and I cannot wait to see what Eleanor and gang will get into this time.

I actually was able to listen to the audio of this book and loved how the footnotes were incorporated into the script, instead of all at the end. I can see how having to read those footnotes all at the end would have been cumbersome, so I suggest listening to this one if possible!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the #gifted copy of the eArc.

I’m not even sure where to start. Every Time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies could have been an enjoyable book but I found it to be difficult to read for several reasons.

The footnotes. Seriously? In a cozy mystery? Ok, I could see using a few, just for fun and to be a little different, but this book has 237. It seems like a bit much to me. I will admit, I didn’t read every single one but the ones I did read didn’t really contribute to the plot nor were they even very funny. So, I’m not sure why the author decided to use them. They were nearly impossible to keep track of in digital form and I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t like them any better in print.

Meanwhile, the pace is relatively slow, and much of the dialogue isn’t attributed to one of the characters (this can go on for almost a whole page), so it’s up to the reader to figure out who is speaking and sometimes who that person is addressing. On top of that, the discussions seem to meander while the characters are immature, annoying, and unrealistic. I enjoyed “visiting” Italy but I had to slog through the story to do so. NetGalley provided an advance copy.

Catherine Mack has written a fun and sassy mystery with unique features, perhaps especially her entertaining footnotes; they are embedded in the text.

Ms. Mack’s protagonist, Eleanor Dash, is the author of a mystery series. For reasons that readers will soon discover the handsome and dashing Connor Smith features in all of them. What are Eleanor’s feelings about him? Will she get her wish regarding Connor? Find out in this fun read with its insider’s view of publishing.

I received an e galley of this book. I love that the inside covers of the hard copy absolutely meet the feel and rhythm of the story. They are worth a look.

Readers who like mysteries with humor, pick up this debut. Many will hope that this writer will keep on writing.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s-Minotaur for this title. All opinions are my own.

Mystery author Eleanor Dash can’t wait to remove the fictional Connor Smith and the real Connor Smith from her life. But she never expected murder!

This is a fun book. The idea of an author trying to figure out how to kill off her main fictional character while reckoning with his real life counterpart is really clever and well-done. The setting is fantastic-a tour around Italy-and the characters are all well-delineated. There’s a lot of murder attempts and murder, as well as romance. The ending is a great twist, and I would recommend this book.

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. I loved the premise but the footnotes and the constant comparing herself to her sister was what didn't allow me to continue reading this book. Maybe as an audiobook this would be better? I think I'd give it a shot as an audiobook because I am interested in the story and think the footnotes being read to me would be more appealing.

This was fun but just not appropriate for my classroom. I did enjoy the mystery and the ending was really fun. I think this book would do well with the NA audience.

The publisher’s do give a “warning” that there are footnotes throughout the book, but seriously it was way too much. It was actually this formatting which makes me dislike the story. It was hard to get into because you had to keep going to read the footnotes in case something important to the mystery was there.

I didn’t actually care for Eleanor either.

3.5/5
"Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies" offers a curious blend of mystery and adventure, keeping readers guessing until the final pages. While the premise is intriguing, and the plot unfolds with enough twists to maintain interest, some may find the pacing uneven, with moments of excitement interspersed with slower passages. The characters are well-developed, each with their own motivations and secrets, but at times their actions feel contrived or predictable. I didn’t really connect with the characters that much, and found the footnotes unnecessary and a bit confusing. Overall, it's a decent read for fans of the genre, but falls short of truly standing out among its peers.

First thank you to st martins press and NetGalley for giving me an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5 stars

Synopsis: Eleanor dash is a famous author on the 10th anniversary tour for you first book when things get dangerous. Will she survive this tour?

What I liked: I’m a cozy mystery lover and foodie so the premise and story were enjoyable to me. Eleanor was funny and love when she would break the fourth wall. However I thought it over complicated a lot by adding so many characters or plot choices. I had a hard time keeping track of the characters and more kept getting added all the way to the end of the book. I also didn’t see the value that the footnotes added to the story. There was some humor but not not enough to not feel disappointed when reading them. Overall the story was enjoyable but don’t think it will be one that I remember

This was a cute, cozy mystery perfect for the summer months! The humor in it reminds me of “Everyone on This Train is a Suspect” and I loved it. Definitely check this out for a light-hearted mystery

EVERY TIME I GO ON VACATION SOMEONE DIES
Catherine Mack, Author
Cozy Mystery

In this debut book from Catherine Mack: ten days, eight suspects, six cities, five authors and three bodies is a trip to die for. While on a book tour in Italy, all Eleanor wants to do is go home and finish what she hopes will be the last in her ongoing series. All while being pursued by fans, stalkers, and a murderer.

This book is hilarious; you will go from one emotion to another. Between, laughing, being scared and saying “Ooh la la,” it has a little bit of everything in it. I give this book a solid 5 out of 5 stars.

This was a very fun read. It has humor, a little romance, mystery, murder, and vividly described settings. I felt like I was in Italy with Eleanor and her group!

In this book you follow an author on a vacation in Italy with other authors & some fans, she's trying to (fictionally) kill off the main guy in her series, but he says someone is really trying to kill him, and then bodies really start dropping.
I did get annoyed by the footnotes. I thought they interrupted the flow of reading because I had to keep flipping back and forth to read them.

All in all, I enjoyed the book. If you are looking for a quick, cozy mystery set in a fabulous location, this is your book!

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur books for the chance to read this book.
I

Thank you, Minotaur Books, for the gifted copy of Every Time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies. {partner} 

Genre: Cozy Mystery
Setting: Italy
Format: 🎧📖
Audiobook Narration: ☆☆☆☆
Pub Date: 4.30.2024
Star Rating: ☆☆☆

I wanted to love this book - a cozy mystery set in Italy? Sign me up! But, unfortunately, it fell flat. 

To begin with, I started it on my Kindle, and the footnotes made it almost impossible to read. Footnotes in historical books provide interesting details or source information, but footnotes in a cozy mystery? They just offered unnecessary commentary. So, I decided to switch to the audio. Sure, the footnotes were more bearable as they seemed like babbling interruptions to the story. But that was the issue; they were interruptions. So many times, something exciting was about to happen, and the FMC would interrupt the scene with idle chat, and then we would never return to the excitement. Some of the added dialogue was funny, so that's a plus. 

Then the characters? The only one who was likable was Oliver. The others grated on my last nerve - they felt so elitist that I spent most of the book rolling my eyes at their ridiculous and immature antics. If that was what the author was aiming for, then bravo. But they didn’t work for me. 

👎🏼 Unlikable characters
📝 Footnotes
😜 Funny
🗣️ Breaks the fourth wall
🇮🇹 Setting

I believe this will end up being a series, and will I continue reading? You bet I will because maybe the next book will be better. Plus, everyone deserves a second chance.