While I don't often read cozy mysteries, I took a chance on this one because I've read other books by this author (writing as Catherine McKenzie). And I'm glad I did!

This book was a humorous romp through Italy with the main character Eleanor Dash. After 10 years, she's ready to kill off the main character in her book series, because she's tired of including him, and his games. Little does she know, someone is planning to kill Connor for real. Or are they?

Follow Eleanor as she tries to suss out the suspect(s) and figure out who, what, and why.

But, beyond the story are the footnotes. While the formatting was a little crazy on my older Kindle, I was able to read them better on my Kindle Fire. They should be just fine in the paperback/hardback versions. The author gives us a behind-the-scenes look at writing, publishing and the pitfalls of traveling under the watchful eye of social media. I really enjoyed these asides.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for this highly entertaining arc.

👙🇮🇹 ☀️BOOK REVIEW! ☀️🇮🇹👙

Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies
By: @catherinemckenzieauthor
Genre: Mystery
Length: 352 pages
Publish Date: April 30, 2024! 🎉🎉 @minotaur_books

Today is the pub date for this awesome mystery by Catherine Mack! I was given an advanced e-copy of this book via NetGalley and this is my own review.

Synopsis:
Successful mystery author Eleanor Dash has a problem. Both her books and her vacations always seem to end in death. While on a book tour to commemorate 10 years since the first book of her 'vacation murder mystery' series was published, Eleanor finds herself entangled in a real-life murder plot. 'Stuck' in Italy with her sister, Harper, ex-boyfriend con-man (and lead protagonist in her book series), Connor, other author/ex-boyfriend, Oliver, and a few other significant book world characters, attempts are made on her life and Connor's. When someone winds up dead on the book tour, Eleanor must decide who she can trust and put her mystery author brain to work to solve the case before she herself winds up a footnote...

Opinion:
I loved this one! It read as more of a cozy mystery with a nice humorous narration by Eleanor, including her own footnotes throughout the book. This gave it a unique perspective, breaking the 4th wall and involving the reader in solving the case. Think Finlay Donovan vibes, mixed with a hint of Agatha Christie, in a gorgeous Italian setting. If you love humor, a good old-fashioned murder plot, and some great pop culture references, you should definitely read this!
A solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me!

QOTD:
Do you like when an author breaks the 4th wall in books?

#stephsbookreads #bookrecommendations #bookreview #netgalley #catherinemckenzieauthor #minotaurbooks #mysterybooks

Mystery author Eleanor is on a book tour in Italy to celebrate the release of her 10th book. However, along the way she uncovers a real life mystery… someone is trying to kill her! With suspects around every turn (her resentful sister, her con-man ex boyfriend who her book series is based upon, his ex-wife, her one true love who got away, other authors hungry for the spotlight, and some die hard fans, Eleanor doesn’t know who she can trust. Will she solve the crime in time to save her life?

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💭 Thoughts 💭

This was a very funny book. Eleanor was a witty and sarcastic narrator. The multitude of suspects kept you guessing, although in the beginning I feel like the pacing could have been a little quicker.

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⌛️Favorite Moment ⌛️

All the pop culture references- from Taylor Swift to White Lotus! She also described each character by referring to a celebrity look alike which made it so easy to picture everyone!

Bestselling author Eleanor Dash got her start from losing basing her first book on real events over ten years ago. Now with her 10th book coming out, she’s celebrating her 10-year anniversary with Press Tour to Italy. Her ex-boyfriend Connor Smith, her sister, and others involved in the series are all joining her on the tour. All is well, until Connor unveils that someone is trying to kill not just him but also Eleanor. Can this mystery writer solve this real-life mystery before her time is up?

This book was such a fun cozy mystery and with lots of snark and quirky banter I flew through this book. All of our characters distinct, and I found even the unscrupulous Connor to be entertaining. Eleanor made such a great lead character, even with all her sidebar tangents. I listened to the audio and all the footnotes were added into the narration. I have heard a few other reviews say that when actually reading the book, it was hard to navigate all the sidenotes but as far as audios good it was seamless.

With plenty of suspects and Mack’s engaging writing; Every time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies was such a fun listen! Elizabeth Evans who narrates the book was simply outstanding. It’s the perfect road trip listen, or beach read, and I cannot wait for the next book in the series!


Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies comes out April 30, 2024. Thank you to Minotaur for my advanced copies in exchange for my review. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books.

I absolutely loved this book. It was like a vacation from house! I’m actually going to many of these places in 3 weeks on an Italian cruise. I loved the plot and the mystery itself. It is clever and funny and the suspects are fabulous! I love the book face fans on the tours!

A unique tale told by an author, Eleanor Dash, which includes footnotes with every chapter which makes for an interest method of telling the story. El is on a fan event in Italy with a few other authors and twenty fans who won the trip. There is a murder or two in which the main characters are all present. Think Agatha Christies murder mysteries. Who is the killer?

I enjoyed the voice and the breaking of the fourth wall didn't bother me. The Italy setting was fun and I felt like I was right there on the tour. However, I didn't find myself really caring if Connor died or not and there were a few times when I thought I would DNF. But the witty banter and insight into the publishing industry kept me going. I also appreciated the relationship between Eleanor and her sister, Harper. It felt real and genuine whereas a lot of the rest of the book and characters felt over-the-top and convoluted. The footnotes were fun initially but after a while, I felt like there were too many of them. It's hard not to read them though!

This book was a ton of fun! The characters are well-fleshed out with the best banter with a plot that kept me entertained and flipping pages until I got to the last page. I loved how the main character Eleanor tells the story, and how occasionally she speaks directly to the reader.
So many laugh-out-loud moments, twists, turns, and red herrings kept me guessing. And I had a great time trying to figure out what was going on alongside Eleanor.
The footnotes were hilarious, and I loved that extra bit of detail and humor they added to the story. I can't wait for the next one!

4.25 stars
I very much enjoyed this book! I loved the humor and cheekiness of the main character and found it to be a very fun story! These are the exact sort of cozy mysteries that I love. I’m quite excited for this series to continue. I will say, I started this as an audiobook, and while I enjoyed the narrator, I think the format of the book lends itself better to reading it physically. But I highly recommend!!

Hello, let me introduce you to the book that I will be recommending to everyone I ever talk to.

Bestselling author Eleanor Dash on her Italian book tour that turns into a real-life murder mystery, as her life starts to imitate her fictional world.

This book is hilarious. I loved all the inside jokes especially the Goodreads diss (sorry not sorry.) Iswitched back & forth from both the audiobook & the ebook & the audiobook made it feel like your friend was telling you the story.

This is such a good & it’ll be the perfect read for by the book this summer!

3.5 stars. Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is the first entry in a new series of cozy mysteries by Catherine McKenzie, and it’s a fun and fresh take on the genre. Eleanor Dash writes the popular Vacation Mysteries series, but after 10 books she’s ready for a change – and that means killing off her main character, Connor Smith, who also happens to be a real person she met a decade ago, and who she now can’t get out of her life (or her books). Maybe a book tour throughout Italy will provide the inspiration she needs for (figuratively) killing Connor – until, that is, there’s a threat on the real Connor’s life, sending the entire tour group into a tizzy of chaos and suspicion.

This book has been compared to the Finlay Donovan series, but it’s also similar to the Ernest Cunningham books, in that Eleanor addresses the reader directly, in a narrative that includes plenty of meta moments about the book world and publishing. It’s light-hearted and entertaining and funny, full of zany characters, and it’s also a pretty solid mystery, with plenty of suspects and red herrings.

There are lots of footnotes, which Eleanor uses to provide snarky asides and tidbits of juicy gossip, and I have to admit those got a bit tiresome after a while. It felt like Catherine Mack was trying just a bit too hard to be funny and clever, and I’m not sure how much those really added to the overall reading experience. However, I do love that Eleanor is a Swiftie, and as to how she’s going to get out of the predicament she finds herself in at the end of this book? All I have to say to her is: YOYOK (IYKYK), but I’ll definitely be coming back to see how you manage it. Thank you to Minotaur Books for the early reading opportunity.

Bestselling mystery author Eleanor Dash is on a whirlwind book tour trip to Italy, looking for inspiration on how to kill off one of the main characters in her book series. She is joined by the real-life version of said character (Connor), her sister, fans, her ex, and a slew of others. Her book tour takes quite a left turn when she finds that someone is trying to kill her and Connor in real life, and suddenly her days are mirroring her books a little too much. With everyone on the tour as a viable suspect, can Eleanor solve this mystery before it’s too late?

This was such a cute read. The style sucked me in immediately, with the author leaving hilarious footnotes throughout, as though they were talking to the reader. It was a fun and fresh take on the “book about an author writing a book” storyline, I thought all of the supporting characters were done well, and I really enjoyed this lighthearted cozy mystery. I can’t wait to pick up the next one in the series when it comes out!

Thank you to Catherine Mack, St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This charming story hit shelves yesterday!

Every Time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies was a quick, beach-read for lovers of murder mysteries and tales with comical protagonists.

The reader is quickly oriented to the events unfolding, and it begins in a most unexpected way - with Eleanor (our narrator) confessing to have sinned (even though she hasn’t acted on it yet). From opening scene right until the end, the reader follows El and a handful of other authors along on El’s book tour throughout Italy promoting her tenth (and possibly last) novel in her popular series. However, all is not what it seems as El and the others quickly realize someone is trying to kill Connor — or are they? And who among them is actually trying to kill Connor?

What I enjoyed most about this was the breaking of the fourth wall between El and the reader. I can’t recall the last time I read a book that had this writing style, and it made it more enjoyable and easy to read. The footnotes sometimes threw me off and didn’t always feel necessary, but they still highlighted the quirkiness of the narrator. The reveal at the end is fairly straightforward for mystery readers and watchers, and I would have liked to have seen it revealed in a more realistic nature.

All in all, this would be an enjoyable read for fans of Agatha Christie and other murder mystery fans. It’s a great beach or vacation read as it’s easy to pick up and follow without having to dedicate huge swaths of time before a chapter break. I am interested to see what else the author publishes in this series as the epilogue leaves off on a big cliffhanger.

Entertaining read , the author draws the reader in by have the main character "talk" to the reader . The storyline was more understandable when I listened on audio versus the written story . I did enjoy the story of authors and a who did it type mystery with a little "Clue " thrown in. I would read this author's work again for sure .

Overall I enjoyed this book. It was witty and mostly kept my attention - however the footnotes were a bit distracting. Another reviewer mentioned the audio book. I think this is an instance in where I would prefer audio for sure. Interesting characters and set in wonderful Italy which made the book more enjoyable.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 Stars
Happy pub day to Catherine Mack and Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies! Thank you to Catherine Mack, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen 🎧 to this book for an honest review. Additionally, thank you to St. Martin’s Press (Minotaur Books) for allowing me to read 📖 this book for an honest review!

📅 Tuesday, April 30, 2024 is the pub date for Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies. 📅

🎧The narrator for this audiobook is Elizabeth Evans.🎧

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

Bestselling Author Eleanor Dash is on a book tour abroad with her sister (and assistant/consultant), a man (Connor - former love interest) that one of her main characters is based on, a few (roughly 20) fans, and a couple of friends (including current love interest). Eleanor plans to write Connor out of her next book but he starts to feel like someone is trying to kill him in real life. Multiple deaths ensue. Is anyone safe on the trip? Will they finish the book tour unscathed?

I love, love, loved the audiobook version! There were so many characters but Elizabeth Evans expertly crafted a distinct voice for each. Her narration helped me keep each character straight as I was listening. I originally started reading the ARC on my kindle but the footnotes were distracting to me. They didn’t provide for a smooth, seamless read. However when I switched to the audio ARC, the footnotes enhanced the experience and provided a fresh perspective with a lot humor. This was an engaging and fast paced listen that made me laugh out loud many times. It’s considered a cozy murder mystery. I suggest this read to any audiobook junkie!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A fun mystery with witty banter and descriptive world building. Eleanor Dash is a like able FMC with great supporting characters as well. The layout of the story was different with footnotes and clues to help you solve the crime.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur, and Catherine Mack (McKenzie) for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

This book was fun. Definite Enola Holmes vibes - the fourth wall isn’t just broken, it’s smashed - which I don’t always love but I liked it here. The conceit of an author writing about an author writing about being an author was right up my alley. I liked Eleanor, who is a hot mess but whose sense of humor (read: sarcastic and snarky) is a lot like mine. I did wish her sister Harper was a little less “support staff” and a little bit more of an active participant. I also expected a little more villainy out of the weaselly Connor. Oliver was great though, and every scene with Oliver and Eleanor together was magical. I also developed a strong urge to go to Italy and, seeing as that’s not really a current option, eat lots of Italian food.

One side note: if you’re not a footnotes person (humorous or otherwise) you might struggle in this book. There are almost 300 of them. It didn’t bother me, especially because the footnotes occurred on each relevant page instead all at the end of the chapter (which I find hard to follow).

The mystery is entertaining, the scenery is gorgeous, and the main characters are a lot of fun. What’s not to enjoy? This is a great summer/beach/vacation read. Here’s hoping your vacation is less… shall we say “fatal”…than Eleanor’s.

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

10 years ago, Eleanor Dash wrote a bestselling mystery novel, and now she wants to kill off her main character. Connor Smith isn’t just her crime-solving protagonist, it’s also the real name of the man that she unraveled a real mystery with. Now as she contemplates the fictional Connor’s demise, real life Connor is convinced that someone wants him dead. When a body is discovered, it seems that everyone had a motive.

Set in a gorgeous backdrop of the Mediterranean, this is a fun whodunnit. 3.5/5 stars

This debut cozy mystery is full of wit and quirky humor. The author uses footnotes to have a side conversation with the reader, and many are embedded with clues and funny quips. This definitely gives the book a unique approach and helps the reader solve the mystery on their own. I probably would have enjoyed the footnotes more in a physical book as I was reading on my Kindle while on a plane which made my finger accuracy in opening up the footnote link a but suspect with the bit of mild turbulence we enjoyed on our way from Columbus, Ohio to Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Overall, I would rate the mystery as a 3.5 (I did figure out the whodunnit midway through) as I like my mysteries a bit more onstage, but I rounded up for creativity and overall enjoyment

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.