This book, I predict, will be a lot like cilantro. You will either love it or hate it with no middle ground.

Pros
It’s set in Italy and the reader gets a glimpse at all the wonderful things that country has to offer.

The format was original and the author uses footnotes to talk directly to the reader.

Reader gets an inside look at an author’s world and publishing challenges.

The plot was campy and if you wanted to get swept away with the silliness of it all there was plenty of over the top scenes.

Cons

It was too clever by half. Like a person who overestimates their humor telling joke after joke while the listener rolls their eyes.

If improbable scenarios make you cringe…this may not be the book for you.

The footnotes, while clever were overdone. I think this may be format dependent but in the electronic version it was too hard to flip back and forth to understand the jokes.

The characters were all extremely unlikeable and the mystery wasn’t quite so mysterious.

The synopsis of this one interested me because who doesn’t love a who dun it set in Italy? Eleanor was an unreliable and at times unlikable character. Her stream of consciousness and the meandering way she narrated the story bored me at times. I did enjoy her character ARC though and she made some great pop culture references. The relationships between Eleanor and the other characters were highly entertaining, and I liked the way they shifted throughout the story. The banter and dialogue was well timed and made me laugh at times. The story within the story was an interesting angle at first, but eventually it felt contrived and in the end it was barely mentioned. The plot pacing was slow in the beginning, well timed in the middle, but felt rushed at the end. There was so much set up and not enough depth in the middle in my opinion. I did like the way you were meant to be suspicious of everyone and how many things were just thrown at the wall for you to parse out. However, I did sort of put together the pieces of the puzzle and wasn’t majorly shocked by the end reveal. The footnotes included were comical, but annoying for me. Since I was reading an ebook, I kept having to scroll back to find what the footnote was referencing. The ending felt a little underwhelming and rushed. I would’ve liked a little more resolution for Harper and Eleanor and Eleanor and Oliver. I can appreciate the set up for the next book, but it felt like too many loose ends.

This book was really cute and fun! I was excited for the opportunity to read it as we just took a vacation to Naples & Rome and all the scenery in Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies was such a perfect Italian tread for a little travel longing heart. I totally called the killer early on (well, sort of), but the twists and red-herrings seriously kept me on my toes. I loved all the nods to classic mystery writers (though there are definitely some spoilers) as well as the current pop culture references. The language isn't totally PG, but the overall feel is pretty cute & clean. I really loved the third wall breakage with all the talks directly to the readers as well. This is a unique cozy mystery and I'll definitely read more in the series.

This was cute! It was a fast-paced cozy mystery, and I really enjoyed the way the story was written, but there were so many characters I found it hard to keep track of everyone's backstories at time. There were also a crazy amount of footnotes, and while I found it entertaining in the beginning, by the end of the book I ignored a lot of them.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me this book!

Wow, the original format and writing style of Catherine Mack makes this one an easy 4.5 (rounded up of course)! This book was so quirky with the many snarky, sarcastic, humorous footnotes, the actual personal invitation to help solve the mystery and the hints on which clues to follow makes you truly feel apart of the story. The book is filled with motive, jealousy, blackmail, greed, revenge and many possible suspects set within a book tour in Italy highlighting the complexity of the publishing world- what more could you wish for? Honestly, it was a fun, modern take on the cozy murder mystery genre and the ending was the perfect set-up for more to come.

I am grateful to Minatour Books, St. Martin's Publishing Group and NetGalley for allowing me access to the advanced Uncorrected Digital Copy. Although I was gifted this privilege, my review and comments are my own thoughts and opinions which I give voluntarily with no influence.

I am also noting here that I was also given access to the audio book which I would say I split my time just about 50/50 between actual reading and listening and I can honestly say this may be a case where the audio book will have a slight edge over the actual book which in no way is a bad thing!!!! The audio book is not too long and would be perfect for a road trip.

First of all, Elizabeth Evans does an amazing job narrating the story. Her voice is soothing, consistent and easy to follow. The story consists of many footnotes that are an integral part of the storyline and are actually pretty funny at times but when reading the actual book some may not be comfortable waiting to the end of the chapter and might feel the need to flip back and forth where the narrated version flows seamlessly.

Thanks to Net Galley for this advance copy of Every Times I Go on Vacation , Someone Dies. Television rights to both this book and its sequels have been sold for development into a series. After reading this book, all that I can say is that I hope the series is better than the book. One affectation in this book is the author’s cutesy inclusion of footnotes. There are 300 to be precise and they add nothing to the book. The main character constantly references herself and breaks the third wall way too often. The humor falls flat and the characters are poorly developed so we really don’t know the motives any of them might have until well into the book.
Sorry, but this was a “miss” for me. Hope the sequel(s) are better.

This story is super fun. It follows this mystery author who writes a series of books and now there might be someone trying to kill her or someone in her entourage. We get to try to guess what is going on while she reveals things at her own pace, and with style. I liked the narrator a lot and all of her random footnotes. I liked her as a character in general too, and I laughed a lot. I also really enjoyed the mystery part and the way it unfolded.

I did read it partially and listen partially and preferred the audio version. But I would recommend it both ways because it’s a really fun mystery read.

EVERY TIME I GO ON VACATION, SOMEONE DIES By Catherine Mack

It's easy to write reviews when you love the books and feel strongly about them!

Thank you to St Martin's Press / Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy! This book is out 4/30!

Eleanor is a famous author, on tour with her Vacation Mystery Series Universe and Co.- everyone she could want on vacation with her- and more.

The tour includes but is not limited to-
her ex boyfriend Connor and the main character in her novels, who is blackmailing her
her ex boyfriend she is very much still in love with
her envious sister- whose childhood dream was to become a writer
a TikTok writer who maybe ripped off her books
a bunch of crazy fans
her stalker

So what seems like a nightmare vacation right off the bat turns even worse when it becomes clear someone is trying to murder Connor- and clear that it's one of the members of the Vacation Mystery Series Universe.

This book was so fun and light. I absolutely loved Eleanor's humor! I will admit I was a little 🤨 at the footnotes at first because they slowed down my reading, I grew to love them, as that's where Eleanor gives so many little details and true bits of her humor come out. Each character was quirky in their own way. I really never knew who the potential killer was!

I am hesitant about books about books (weird, I know) but this book about books didn't focus on the actual writing of a book and due deadlines. I loved the purpose of the trip being a book tour and the drafting notes of how Eleanor could fictionally kill off Connor. I found it all very entertaining!

Read if you loved: The Finlay Donovan Series or The Expectant Detectives!

Thank you for the arc! This was such a fun read. Captivating, twisty, I had fun trying to figure it out. Will recommend as a fun beach read to my audience.

Eleanor Dash is a best selling author of crime fiction. Her first book was based on her trip to Italy when she was 25. There she met the handsome Connor Smith, had a whirlwind romance and then they helped solve a string of bank robberies. She wrote the fictionalized version of what happened and it became an international best seller. She is now working on her tenth book in this series, and things are not quite so rosy. Turns out Connor is a bit of a cad, he was married when he romanced her, and forced her to share part of the royalties to use his name. At the ten year anniversary of the original crime, her publisher has sent Eleanor, Connor and a bunch of other authors on a book tour through Italy. Connor tries to get Eleanor to help him, as he is convinced that someone is trying to kill him. Eleanor seems to think he is crazy, but then someone tries to kill her as well. Everyone on the tour has a reason to kill Connor;, Eleanor;Eleanor’s ex Oliver; Harper, Eleanor’s sister: Connor’s ex wife, Allisonn and a few other folks on the tour, including a crazed fan. But the question is, who would also want to kill Eleanor? This is a fun, humorous mystery. What kept this from being a five star read? The sinking footnotes. I think the author thought this would be quirky, but it was annoying. Overall, a fun read. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

Rounding up- 4.75!
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I LOVED this book.
Think Knives Out Glass Onion meets rom-com. Perfect to get you ready for summer or just for a fun read. I adored this writing style, and the footnotes?! Elite. This will be on my top reads of 2024 for sure! Mark your calendars for Catherine's publishing day: April 30, 2024!

THIS BOOK! I'm in love!! It was absolutely hilarious, kept me on the tip toes, and was so binge-worthy! I'm not sure if this is considered a cozy mystery - if it is, I'm new to the genre, and have to ask: do all "cozies" have this much murder? Either way, I'm its newest fan!!

This book would be perfect for people who loved Everybody In My Family Has Killed Someone and/or Finlay Donovan is Killing It. It has dark humor, witty banter between the characters, unsolvable mysteries, and (!!) the narrator/main character frequently breaks the fourth wall to talk directly to the reader, which is something I loved. There were apparently a lot of footnotes in the physical book too, but they were easy enough to follow in the audiobook as well!

It follows Eleanor, who goes on a book tour with an assortment of connected friends and family members to Italy. Not *all* are friends though, as it quickly becomes apparent that one of them is trying to murder her...

Absolutely highly recommend. I loved it so much!

This was a fun, cozy mystery! I really liked the format with there being anecdotes between some chapters and the footnotes were fun too. I also love how the author speaks directly to you in parts! It felt like a very unique read. It included humor and the characters were very intriguing. Also the setting of the Amalfi Coast was amazing as it’s a place I have always wanted to travel to! The narrator really kept my attention and the cover is so pretty!

“Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. I want to commit a homicide. ”
Here are reasons to read the Thriller book:

Mystery writer - Eleanor is a mystery writer who has around 10 books released
Book tour - in order to commemorate the first book’s anniversary, her publisher schedules a book tour in Italy
Character - Connor, who is the real life person one of her main characters is based on, shows up asking for help
Kill him - it seems like someone is trying to kill him, for real.

I had seen a bit of hype about this book, but I got more interested when I realized I had already read of few of this author’s thriller books under a different name, Catherine McKenzie. This book has the same vibes as Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone, which if you haven’t read yet, like pause your reading and go add it to your TBR. Anyway, her voice is very unique and she even breaks the fourth wall a few times to “collaborate” with you about who did it. And you know what, she still got me. I did not see it coming at all. Very excited to add this one to my shelf and continue to read this series.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I understand that there was a note at the beginning that this e-galley is a work in progress. There were definitely some formatting issues on my Kindle Paperwhite (11th Gen). It made reading somewhat difficult, but I was still able to get through. My review does not reflect any formatting issues, hopefully this will be resolved by the release date.

Now, onto my complete and honest review:

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is a quirky, witty, and cozy mystery with a narrator who is questionably reliable throughout. It is a very enjoyable read and creatively executed.

Catherine Mack has done a great job at presenting a chaotic and captivating mystery that gives you enough clues to put the pieces together and figure it out, while still making you question your thoughts.

There is great character development that makes many of the characters simultaneously likable and unlikable. The plot is well developed and while the reader is given clues to an arguably predictable outcome, the twist is still one that left me fascinated.
Overall, I enjoyed this read and there is a good chance I will read it again.

This was such a fun read! I loved how the author (both the actual author and our main character author) didn’t take themselves too seriously. This had a very clue-esque/Knives Out/Agatha Christie vibe with the humorous narrative dialogue, multiple suspects, and intriguing connections. I enjoyed how the narrator involved us in solving the mystery and how it also explored more serious topics like loss, sibling dynamics, and love.

If you’re looking for a fun murder mystery full of direct narrator commentary (and footnotes), this is the book for you! I will absolutely be reading any books that follow in this series!

Thank you to Netgalley, Minotaur Books, and St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Eleanor is a famous mystery writer. When she embarks on a vacation with fans, and apparently other writers from her publisher, she stumbles on a plot to kill her ex boyfriend. As the plot thickens, Eleanor finds herself in the middle of a real life murder mystery and hopes to get out alive.
Opinion
This books style was refreshing. Written in the first person, Eleanor has hints and tidbits for the reader as she presumably narrates her own story. I loved how she tried to give me hints and flat out told me what would or would not happen in certain chapters. This book was fabulous.
I did listen to the audiobook as well. The narrator had a beautiful cadence that kept my mind occupied while listening (which is a feat as my mind seems to go at a speed of roughly 1000 mph.)
Many thanks to Net Galley, St. Martins Press and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ARC of the book and audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley, Catherine Mack & SMP/Minotaur for an audio ARC of Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies in exchange for an honest review.

I was first turned on to this one with the fun cover & then the synopsis further sealed the deal. I just finished with this audiobook and it was an absolutely delight! I was not previously familiar with this author so I didn't know what to expect. I was so thrilled when it turned out to be fabulous!

I found this to be a bit similar to Benjamin Stevenson's Everyone in My Family series in how the narrator speaks directly to the readers at times. However, I LOVED Mack's version SOOOOOOOOO much more than Stevenson's (I'm not a huge fan of his - yes, I know I'm in a minority).

This book was LOL funny. Eleanor was such a fun, quirky character.

The entire cast of characters were expertly written. The dialogue was fantastic & the pacing was fast. This was a very engaging & fun story following Eleanor, an author on a book tour. Also on the tour are her sister, ex Connor, ex Oliver, Connor's ex-wife, a handful of other authors, Connor's current girlfriend and 20 Super Fans of Eleanor's books (one of which may be a stalker!).

The reader will have so much fun trying to figure out the whodunit and the "who tried to dunit." I almost always figure it out well in advance of the ending, 99% of the time. This one got me. I did not figure it out AT ALL. Kudos for surprising me!

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the eARC of Everytime I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies by @catherinemckenzieauthor in exchange for an honest review!

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 Does it get more meta than a mystery writer who is caught in a mystery in our cozy little mystery book? Eleanor Dash might be one eccentric lady but she sure does know how to write a good novel…with lots of footnotes (we cannot forget the footnotes!) Eleanor is on a book tour through Italy and references a lot of really fun places so it is a wild ride through her grand adventures personally and through her writing endeavors. Everytime I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies has a truly unique style and feels like you are truly inside the quirky yet brilliant mind of our leading lady Eleanor. This one is such a fun read!!!

Review is posted on Goodreads and will be on Instagram ahead of the publication date!

This had an interesting premise, a book within a book about a mystery writer trying to write off one of her characters. It took me a moment to get into this, but I ended up enjoying this story with its fourth wall breaking and precarious use of humor. It did often feel like it was trying too hard, so I'm not sure if I'll continue with the series because that feels really gimmicky, but it was fun for a one-off. Overall, this was a very solid mystery debut.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for gifting me with an ARC to review! All opinions are my own.