"Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies" by Catherine Mack is a thrilling addition to the world of mystery novels, set against the backdrop of captivating vacation destinations, the story follows protagonist Eleanor as her seemingly tranquil getaway gets marred by murder.

Mack's storytelling prowess shines through in this novel, expertly weaving a tangled web of intrigue and suspense. Each chapter propels the plot forward, leaving readers on the edge of their seats and hungry for more. Chapter 22, in particular, stands out as a pivotal moment where the tension peaks and readers are given all the clues necessary to solve the case alongside Eleanor. It's a brilliant move by Mack, inviting readers to engage with the story on a deeper level and offering a truly satisfying experience akin to solving a puzzle.

In terms of narration, Elizabeth Evans delivers a stellar performance, breathing life into the diverse array of characters. Her portrayal adds depth and authenticity to the story, drawing listeners further into the world of the novel.

Comparable to acclaimed titles like "Knives Out" and "One for the Money," "Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies" is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered. Mack's ability to keep the momentum going throughout the entire book is commendable, and it's a crime that more people haven't heard of this captivating read.

I give "Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies" a solid five stars out of five and highly recommend it to anyone in search of a gripping and entertaining mystery. Whether you're a fan of crime fiction or simply enjoy a good whodunit, this novel is sure to satisfy.

This book follows a group of authors who go on a tour of Italy. When one of them thinks someone is trying to murder them and a body drops, the story takes a sudden turn.

I really enjoyed the lighthearted and cozy feeling of the murder mystery. The fourth wall break near the end of book was so refreshing and it added a more personal feel to the book. Even though I enjoyed the fourth wall break, I didn't like the footnotes throughout the book or the references to pop culture as I felt it took me out of the story.

Eleanor Dash, best selling author, wants to finish this book tour and get home and kill off her main character, Conner. She has had enough of him, in her books and in real life. So, when Conner (real life Conner!) insists that someone is trying to kill him, no one really believes him. But strange things start happening and it just might land Eleanor in jail!

This is a novel by Catherine McKenzie, writing as Catherine Mack. I have been a fan of this author since I read her first novel, Spin. She has changed genres quite a few times…Romance, and women’s fiction then on to suspense and thrillers and now, this tale. This is more of a cozy mystery style.

I enjoyed how Catherine Mack portrays the narrator of this little jaunt through Italy. The narrator is the best selling author, Eleanor Dash. And she is very close, not quite, but close to a hot mess. She is a bit self centered and egotistical. So, you can just imagine some of her comments…these had me laughing out loud!

Now, this is not my favorite by this author but I did enjoy the hunt for the killer…did I figure it out…yep! But y’all it is a fun read! It has great characters, good setting, and cute quips!

The audiobook narrator, Elizabeth Evans, is impressive. Lots of characters and she distinguishes them all!

Need a good murder mystery…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Every Time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies by Catherine Mack
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Happy pub day to Catherine Mack and Every Time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies!

Thanks @macmillan.audio for my ALC of this book.

Ya’ll this was such a fun one! Author, Eleanor is on vacation in Italy for her book tour with her main character/ real life arch nemesis Connor. She’s planning on killing him off in her next book but is someone planning to kill him IRL??

I loved the narrator of this story. She gave Eleanor the perfect amount of attitude! I loved the breaking of the fourth wall so she could talk to the reader directly. This story had fun and funny moments. It was a quick read and had great pacing. I loved how the further along I got, the juicier the story got. Oliver was my fave! The ending was awesome. I’d definitely recommend you give this one a listen. It’s a great summer read.

✨Pub Day Review: EVERY TIME I GO ON VACATION, SOMEONE DIES

I spent the morning finishing up Catherine Mack’s EVERY TIME I GO ON VACATION, SOMEONE DIES and I have to say, that it was the *perfect way* to spend this rainy Tuesday morning.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I love this book, but I especially love the main character, Eleanor Dash, who simply brings the book to life.

Eleanor is funny, witty, and a little quirky. I love how she breaks through the fourth wall and talks directly to the reader in her re-telling of the mystery, in her personal journal notes (excerpts laced throughout the book in-between chapters), and in my absolute favourite part of the book—the footnotes.

I find that the footnotes *make* the book. I’ve never seen footnotes in a novel and I absolutely LOVED them. They add such a unique and fun extra layer to the story. If you listen to the audiobook (which is SO GOOD, by the way) you’ll notice that Elizabeth Evans reads them seamlessly as if they’re part of the main story. The footnotes provide the reader with so much insight into Eleanor’s thoughts, while also helping Eleanor’s personality shine through.

✨It’s also clear through the footnotes that Eleanor is a fan of Taylor Swift—which makes me love her even more—as there are numerous Midnights references hidden in them (footnote # 104 is my absolute fav)✨

ETIGOVSD is the first cozy mystery in a new series of Vacation Mysteries and I definitely recommend picking it up. You will absolutely want to meet Eleanor. Plus, books 2 & 3 are already on the way 😍

Thank you to @raincoastbooks, @minotaur_books and @stmartinspress for the review copies!

4.5/5!

Did I just find my new favorite humor-filled mystery series? I think so!

From the first chapter I fell in love with Eleanor Dash. I feel like we have the same personality. The same level of self-deprecating sarcasm. I love her! I want to be her bestie!

This book is so entertaining! The premise is one filled with secrets that the reader needs to figure out in order to guess who’s life or lives are in danger. Everything is told from Eleanor’s perspective, so we get to know right off the bat who of the secondary characters around her annoy her and should be considered as top-tier suspects. It seems like everyone has a motive to dislike each other, but who would go as far to attempt murder?

One of my favorite aspects of this book was the footnotes. I’m not sure that they’ll be for everyone, but I loved that they gave me that extra level of insider knowledge into what makes Eleanor tick.

The mystery itself has a lot of layers and there are several red herrings to be on the lookout for. I was able to guess part of the reveal, but this didn’t take away anything from my reading experience.

The book already hinted that there will be at least 2 more books in this series and I’m 100% going to be pre-ordering those once they become available!

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

This was such a fun book! I loved the setting of a book tour throughout Italy. I was transported there and wanted to eat everything they ate and drink everything they drank! I’m thinking of gelato and Aperol spritz while writing this!

Eleanor was a quirky character. She’s snarky, opinionated, and kind of a wise a$$, and I loved that she said what she thought regardless of the consequences. It brought a lot of humor to this story. I did think she made some bad choices at times, but I guess that’s typical in this kind of mystery. There are a lot of characters in this book, and at times I found myself struggling to remember who was who. None of them were particularly likable except Eleanor’s ex, Oliver. I don’t think I’d want to be stuck on a ten day vacation with any of them though!

This book is written in a unique way where the author had Eleanor talk directly to the reader. She also included footnotes and a lot of opinions on writing, publishers, and other authors. I enjoyed this writing style and liked that it wasn’t a cookie cutter cozy mystery.

I listened to the audiobook, and I thought that Elizabeth Evans was the perfect narrator for this story. She sounded exactly like what I expected Eleanor to sound like, and really brought her character to life. As I mentioned above, there are a lot of characters to keep track of so I really wish I read along with my ARC, but overall I really enjoyed the audiobook and would recommend this format.

This is book one in The Vacation Mysteries, and I’m excited to see where book two takes us. If you’re a fan of the Stephanie Plum series and looking for a humorous mystery, then I recommend reading this one! It’s a great summer read so grab a copy, some sunscreen, an Aperol spritz, and enjoy!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced listeners copy in exchange for my honest review!

OMG this book was everything I never knew I needed!! If you like the Finlay Donavan series then this will be the perfect book for you. I absolutely devoured red this audiobook. Elizabeth Evans did a PHENOMENAL job narrating this book. I was laughing out loud so much through this book .She made you feel like you were right there the whole time. This is a fun mystery with lots of LOL moments. The characters were well written. Eleanor is a fantastic main character. She's hilarious and snarky, and this combined with her total distain for Connor really makes the book. You will get some romance in this book as well. I did think I had the twist figured out but I didn't. I had such a fun time listening to this book and I can't wait for the next one. I would HIGHLY recommend this book.

Thank You NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this ARC for my honest opinion.

Eleanore is a best selling author but she realizes she needs to kill off her leading man, who is based upon an ex, Connor. As the lines between who she needs to kill off, her character or the real Connor become blurred, he tells her that someone is trying to kill him. Could her problems really be solved so easily if someone does murder him?
Eleanore thanks luck for everything in her life, one of them being her best sellers. But it seems luck has run out for her when she is almost murdered while on a book tour in Rome. is she the true target or is Connor? Has the terrible thing they did in the past come back to haunt them? Eleanore must find the true killer and put her experience of writing crimes to the test before she eats, prays, and dies.

I really enjoyed Mack’s take on breaking the 4th wall! She made it seem so seamless and it added to the story in such a unique way. Narrated by Elizabeth Evans who brings these characters to life in such a fun way. It was so refreshing to see “behind the scenes” with a writer while writing a book and their innermost thoughts, most of them regarding Goodreads, fans and the demand for writing the next best seller. Such a fun summer read!

*Thank you to Catherine Mack, Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

If you love cozy murder mysteries where the suspects are numerous and the twists keep coming, I’d highly recommend this one! The author breaks the fourth wall often which adds such a comedic effect to the whole storyline. I would recommend checking this one out on audio! Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan audio for the advanced copy of this audiobook.

This was a pretty fun read. If you like the Finlay Donovan books you will probably like this one too. I listened to the audiobook whilst reading along with the ebook. At first I thought that the abundance of footnotes would make the audio version more difficult to follow the story but I found the opposite to be true. If I were to have been only reading I might have skipped a lot of the footnotes because I was too lazy to look down at the bottom of the page. The footnotes do add to the story. There’s a lot of pop culture references (some I knew, some I didn’t) which just added to the fun.

I spent most of the book wondering if there was a “fourth wall” and if there was if it was maybe made of mesh or something. Don’t take this book too seriously and you will love this one. I will definitely read a sequel if there is one.

Mini synopsis: A writers vacation (with fans) turns into a messy & fun holiday with lots of tourist attractions & a splash of murder! After many years of writing a successful mystery series, Eleanor Dash is ready to kill off her main male character. Only problem? He’s on the trip & not happy about that. Oh and someone might actually be trying to kill IRL. What happens next? Shenanigans 😂

What a fun mystery novel & start to a series!!! I loved so much the tongue & cheek nature of the writing. Like through out we got direct to reader thoughts from her head (like how many common sayings imply death??) and we got other little witty footnotes that made me laugh out loud! Those just made me love her even more as a character with her quick wit! she almost gives Finlay Donavan vibes. Def if you like those books you’ll enjoy this!

Besides that! The plot was so fun! I didn’t see the murder coming 😱 I also liked how she kind of baited us with things like “have you figured it out yet?” Or “I’ve given you all the clues” which made it deal interactive & fun to try and solve along with her. Another thing that I loved is more personal to me. I’ve been on a similar trip to Italy, rome, Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast etc. so having that background and following on with the story was great! I kept thinking “I’ve been there!” Or “yup can totally picture that!” I just loved it!

This book was laugh out loud funny and I loved every bit of it! This story is about Eleanor Dash, a mystery writer who is on tour to promote her latest book. Along for the ride are three fellow authors, one of whom is her ex-boyfriend Oliver, another ex-boyfriend and the inspiration for her series hero, and his ex-wife. This book was a delight to listen to and I loved the narration.

The story follows Eleanor through the Italian tour, where she is contemplating ways to kill off her main character, Cameron. Of course, Cameron is upset by this and swears someone is trying to kill him in real life. I loved the complex story and the laugh out loud dialogue. I hope that they make this book a movie someday.

The author frequently "breaks the fourth wall" for readers, which is delightful and even more hilarious than the story itself. I just really really loved this book and I am looking forward to more in the series, which the author did mention were coming!

What a fun story! This was the first book I had read by Catherine Mack, but I will read more! The location added to my appeal.

4.5 ⭐

I started this audiobook not really knowing what I was in for. I heard the narrator (clearly hadn't paid much attention) and my jaw drop. Ms. Elizabeth Evans is a favorite narrator of mine, and I am so thrilled to have gotten to listen to this! I think she does no wrong in any narration.

The book was a delightful who done it, very similar to a murder mystery dinner vibe, with a comedic sidebar. The cast travels around often but have to stick together so it reads like a closed proximity mystery. The side stories kept me very entertained throughout regardless of what was happening with they mystery. I thought it was witty and fun. The main character in this story is a novelist, making this a book about books. I thought the characters had depth and were interesting without being overwhelming. I for sure had my opinions throughout. I especially liked Eleanor's honesty to herself and therefore the reader, and I love to hate Connor. I definitely recommend this lighthearted mystery read.

Charming, clever and funny from a fresh new voice in the mystery realm! I loved the characters in this book - chief among them Eleanor, a best-selling romantic mystery writer who is being kind of blackmailed by one of her main characters. (Not the fictional character of course, but his inspiration who is so beloved by her readers.) When an attempted murder happens, is she the prime suspect? She will have to find out whodunit.

This is such a clever and fun read, made even more fun by a great audiobook narrator. Don't be fooled by the cute cover - these characters are well-drawn and layered, the narration is funny and smart, and the plot moves at a brisk clip. Reminiscent of Finlay Donovan in some ways yet totally unique, and I actually liked Eleanor even better than Finlay! (Don't tell Finlay, I'm still excited for her next romp, too.)

The book is also chock full of little winks and jokes about authors and mystery fans, which makes for a very fun read. I for one would love if this became a series, and either way, I'll be reading what this author writes next!

Where do I start? I loved this book! Catherine Mack’s new novel, Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies, is fresh, funny, engaging, and has a unique narrative style that I instantly fell in love with. This is a book for mystery readers, mystery writers, and really anyone who loves books and wants to get inside of an author’s head. You won’t regret adding this to your to-be-read list!

What is Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies about?

Bestselling mystery author Eleanor Dash has arrived in Italy for her latest book tour, and she’s prepared to use this vacation to plot how to kill Connor Smith (in her books).

Not only is Connor Smith the main character in her bestselling Vacation Mysteries series, but he’s also her real-life ex-boyfriend and apparently a conman. Connor spent the last ten years (and last ten books) blackmailing Eleanor for a portion of her book sales.

He’s made the case that she based the character off of him and a real-life bank robbery they solved the last time they were in Italy, so he’s entitled to a portion of her earnings. He also has something he’s holding over Eleanor’s head that makes her continue to pay him. Eleanor is willing to kill off the character of Connor Smith in her own series if it means finally being free of the real-life Connor Smith.

But it turns out that while they are on the book tour in Italy (yes, the publisher brings him, too), it seems someone else is trying to kill him too, but in real life. Did Eleanor manifest this into existence?

There’s a whole crew full of motives along for the ride, including Eleanor’s sister and personal assistant who is not happy Eleanor stole her career, literary competitors who are competing for sales and budget, rabid fans, a stalker, another woman Connor used to be involved with, and another of Eleanor’s exes, Oliver. Can Eleanor figure out who is trying to get away with murder?

What did I think?

I’ll shout it from the rooftops—I loved this book! It’s fun, smart, unique, and completely engrossing. This is one of those books that is definitely funny, but it’s in a clever, well-crafted way rather than over-the-top or silly. There are plenty of humorous comments, but it’s really the overall narrative the reader gets directly from Eleanor that make this book so wonderful.

I’ve seen people compare this book to the Finlay Donovan books and I absolutely understand the comparison, but I personally found them to be quite different in tone. The Finlay books are great, but they are more silly than they are funny. In contrast, ETIGOVSD (let’s abbreviate for space) has a drier sense of humor that appealed to me (think Listen for the Lie in terms of humor style) and was narratively quite different in style and tone.

What is that unique narrative style I keep referencing?

One of my favorite parts of the book was the way it was narrated in the second person to the reader through footnotes. Eleanor is telling the story of what’s happening directly to the reader, and interjects her own story for commentary, context, and to engage the reader in the process of solving the mystery.

After reading this (and particularly doing the audiobook narrated by Elizabeth Evans), I feel confident saying Eleanor and I are close friends. We solved a mystery together! And I’d imagine this is a feeling most readers will have. Eleanor isn’t just telling the story to us, she’s pausing the story to discuss it with us. Sometimes this is done through footnotes to the reader, and other times we get whole chapters.

These second-person narrations tied back to the process of writing and the structure of mystery novels. For instance, Eleanor may pause to talk through the start of act three, and what that should entail. She asks us to be the one to solve the mystery. Sometimes she deep dives the suspect list and why we should or shouldn’t consider someone as a suspect (including her!). She may also fill us in on background information (she finally tells us what the thing is that Connor is holding over her head, for instance).

All of these kept pulling me in, as though I was sitting with Eleanor during a storyboarding exercise (if she did those, which she is very clear she unfortunately is not that type of writer) or chatting over a few lemon spritzes and a delectable bowl of cacio a pepe. Throughout her dialogue with the reader, Eleanor drops in tidbits about her thought process, her inspiration, and other great literary works.

At one point a fellow writer says to her “Goodreads is the worst” to which Eleanor adds the footnote to the reader, “Also known as MeanReads among authors, it’s a site that lets people review books they haven’t even read.” She’s not wrong! I loved these peeks into how authors work, think, and feel about their work and the parasocial relationships readers form with them.
How are the side plots?

There’s so much to love in this book! The sister-relationship between Eleanor and Harper I barely touched on in this review, but it’s actually a wonderful part of the story. Harper dreamed of being a writer, but Eleanor is the one who nearly accidentally achieved that dream. Harper is now Eleanor’s assistant and there is definitely a lot to work out between these two, though they have a great bond.

Connor is a constant, infuriating presence in the story. Like Eleanor, I wanted to roll my eyes at everything he did, but there is something that makes it hard to hate him despite how he treated her. Eleanor seems to agree. For you romance readers, there’s also a romance plot between Eleanor and her ex-boyfriend Oliver. I won’t go into details, but there could be a second chance at love for these two, if they can work through their issues!

What’s different between the physical book and the audiobook?

I read part of this in the physical book and then switched to the audiobook. I loved both in different ways! In the written form of the book, the footnotes are tagged with the comment Eleanor is responding to, but presented at the end of the chapter. This means the reader may be doing some flipping back and forth to see where they fell in context, though it also showcased how brilliantly this book is written and structured.

If you’re an audiobook listener, I think you’ll love the audiobook for a few reasons.

The audiobook narrated by Elizabeth Evans drops those comments directly in where they are referenced, rather than at the end of the chapter. This made the story read seamlessly from Eleanor’s perspective, rather than as a novel with footnotes. I loved both, but I think the audiobook brings the story to life. Elizabeth Evans captures Eleanor’s personality and tone, and the format made the whole book feel like a conversation between Eleanor and the reader (or listener).

If you’re on the fence, I’d say do the audiobook!

Final Thoughts (TLDR)

I cannot recommend this book enough! In terms of genre, this is probably closest to a cozy mystery, though I could also label it as a literary mystery. The tone is light and the main character is wry and witty in her commentary. Eleanor has a self-awareness that she shares with the reader that makes her infinitely likeable, even when she is doing or has done questionable things.

The mystery is gripping and the reader gets all of the clues to solve it along the way, with Eleanor’s coaching. I loved the romance subplot between Eleanor and her ex, Oliver. I wanted them to make it work! The narrative format is clever and fresh, and the audiobook narration truly brought it to life. An absolute delight!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for my advanced copies. Opinions are my own.

Eleanor is the best selling author of the Vacation Mystery series. She’s on a book tour in Italy, working on an idea to write the main character, Connor Smith, out of her books. There’s just one small problem. Connor is a real person, Eleanor’s ex, is on the book tour with her, and is currently convinced someone is trying to kill him. As the group adventures around Italy, it becomes clear that there is foul play occurring, and Eleanor is determined to figure out what is going on.

This book is a cozy mystery with funny moments sprinkled throughout. The writing was interesting, because Eleanor was speaking directly to the reader. There were footnotes in the audio worked really well, and I thoroughly enjoyed the narrator, Elizabeth Evans, and the way each character was given a unique voice.

The book moves really quickly and while it was fairly predictable, I didn’t figure everything out. I didn’t find Eleanor to be a super likable character. She’s really dependent on other people to manage her life, specifically her sister, Harper. It was a fun read, but I never felt fully invested in the mystery or in any of the characters. I'll still probably pick up the next one in the series, because it was an easy read and I'm interested in what happens next.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the MacMillan Audio for the ALC.

“if everyone didn’t make a bunch of stupid decisions this book would be over by now”. That’s the freaking truth. This wanted to be. Gilmore Girls episode mixed with Clue and it ended up just being a mess.

This book just annoyed me and really wasn't enjoyable at all.

I had SO MUCH fun listening to this book! HIGHLY recommend for a good laugh & a murder mystery!

Ten days, eight suspects, six cities, five authors, three bodies . . . one trip to die for.
All that bestselling author Eleanor Dash wants is to get through her book tour in Italy and kill off her main character, Connor Smith, in the next in her Vacation Mysteries series—is that too much to ask?
Clearly, because when an attempt is made on the real Connor’s life—the handsome but infuriating con man she got mixed up with ten years ago and now can't get out of her life—Eleanor’s enlisted to help solve the case.
Contending with literary rivals, rabid fans, a stalker—and even her ex, Oliver, who turns up unexpectedly—theories are bandied about, and rivalries, rifts, and broken hearts are revealed. But who’s really trying to get away with murder?

Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this book!

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies
By: Catherine Mack
Narrated by: Elizabeth Evans
Series: Vacation Mysteries Series, Book 1
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Release date: 04-30-24