This cozy mystery was so cleaver and funny! While cozy mysteries are not my go to genre, after hearing the synopsis and seeing the beautiful cover, I knew I needed to give it a try.

I went between reading the ebook and listening to the audiobook, which in my opinion is the best way to read a book! I was hooked from the beginning but I felt that it was a slow build and lost some steam throughout most of the book. There were a lot of characters to keep track of and it caused me to struggle to keep my attention. Overall, I enjoyed the book and I was extremely surprised by the twists.

The narrator, Elizabeth Evans, was a new to me narrator and the female voices were enjoyable. However, I think the audiobook could have benefited by having a male narrator for the male characters since I was not a fan of her male voices.

If you are a fan of Finlay Donovan series, the you will like enjoy this series.

****Many thanks to Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for my gifted copies in turn for an honest review.

So….this is a book about a book. One that hasn’t been written yet, but the author is throwing around ideas for it. That is, while she is on a book tour with her sister/manager…and 20 of her greatest fans who have won a chance to be here!

But, the plot thickens when her ex shows up and will be a part of the book tour. You see, the original book, in a series of ten books, was based on him and the relationship they had…several years ago. But now, all she wants,is to get rid of him! So one of her thoughts is that she’ll go ahead and kill him off in the next book…hoping that this will get him OUT of her life for good. 👍🏼
The only problem? Someone is really trying to kill him…in real life! 😮

Oh…and the book tour includes multiple authors on the book trail…

Oh, and another of her exes shows up too!

She tells the story thru the POV of the author…and her sense of humor is very dry…so for me it was either hysterical…or not…

Some of the antics were very funny! Some were far fetched. But all in all, it was a fun read!

3 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 rounded up to 4!

#EveryTimeIGoOnVacationSomeoneDies by #CatherineMack and narrated nicely by #ElizabethEvans.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review. It is due out in a couple of days on 4/30/24.

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IG @ #BookReviews_with_emsr or
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Thanks so much for reading! And if you 'liked' my review, please share with your friends!! 📚⭐️

Every Time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies is definitely worth the read, and the hype! This story was so cleverly crafted, it had me intrigued from the very beginning until the very end. I started recommending this book to others before I was finished, it is that good.

If you plan to skip this one because you’ve read (or listened) to too many stories about writers lately, don’t! This is NOT like other stories about writers. The writer of this novel used some experimental writing tactics that really paid off, and make this read interesting and fun. I highly recommend!

I listened to the audiobook, which had a fantastic narrator. I listened at 1.75x speed, with 1.75x - 2x speed being my normal audiobook listening speed. However, at times I did go backward to make sure I caught the information correctly (I didn’t want to miss any important clues), so that being said I could have slowed down to 1.5x speed to avoid needing to go back and listen to pieces a second time.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced audiobook copy. I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack is so much fun! The audiobook was excellent and Elizabeth Evans was perfection as the narrator.

Eleanor Dash is the main character and is on a book tour in Italy with several other authors and fans. The details of Italy and the food are fabulous! Eleanor is trying to kill off the main character in her book, Connor Smith, because he has been taking a percentage of her profits for using his likeness in her famous mysteries. Suddenly someone in their traveling group is trying to kill both Eleanor and Connor in real life!

This book is great fun as the author breaks the fourth wall. I am very excited to read the next installment in this new mystery series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced digital copy of the audiobook. This book will be published on April 30, 2024.

Eleanor Dash, best-selling author of the Vacation Mysteries series, is on an Italian book tour with her sister, two ex-boyfriends, her ex-boyfriend’s ex-wife and other authors. What could go wrong? Eleanor wants to kill off Connor Smith, the main character of her series, who also happens to be based on her real-life ex-boyfriend, when Connor becomes convinced that someone wants to kill him. He asks her to figure out who it is. Will she succeed?

While the book is marketed as the next Finlay Donovan series, this book is its own separate flavor. This book is basically a book within a book with a lot of internal dialogue, fourth wall breaks, foreshadowing, footnotes and helpful hints for the reader to help solve the mystery.

This review is based off the audiobook version and the narrator who lends her voice makes a perfect Eleanor. The style of writing lends itself to be an excellent setup for an audiobook with the footnote descriptions and the fourth wall breaks. It feels like the character is literally speaking to you when giving explanations or clues.

The characters, including the main, all teeter on the edge of annoying and enjoyable, which I think always give an authentic, well-rounded edge. And don’t worry, there is just enough romance to satisfy the romance readers but not too much to overwhelm the pure mystery readers.

This is an excellent cozy mystery for a debut author. This book will be a series, and I look forward to listening to the next installment.

#netgalley #macmillanaudio #everytimeigoonvacationsomeonedies

Looking for a fun story to take to the beach? Here it is - Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack.

"Best-selling author, Eleanor Dash, just wants to get through her book tour and kill off her main character, Conor. She wants to go in a different direction with her books and getting involved with con-man Conor has been miserable. When Conor claims that someone is trying to kill him, Eleanor is asked to help him find out who.
Eleanor wonders if she is in danger too, but after one member of their party is actually killed, everyone is a suspect.
Who is trying to get away with murder?"

I love the voice here of Eleanor - definitely some Finaly Donovan vibes. The setting is wonderful. All of the different places in Italy make it exotic. The book-face ladies are hilarious Eleanor groupies. (Think about that next time you go to an author event) Conor is a character you'll wonder about. He's charming, but maybe he's a snake - is he telling the truth? There are plenty of clues from Mack but you probably won't guess the bad guy (I did guess one).

Elizabeth Evans does a great job with the audio, especially with all of the different male and female characters. )I did think the Italian accent of Inspector Tucci was a little over the top.)

If you haven't been to Italy, this will make you want to visit. Take this book when you go.

The narrator does a great job with this one! I love the flow and the inflection of the narration. The story itself is already a five-star. When you mix the whodunnit with a whowilldoit, there’s always going to be edge-of-your-seat tension and that was well-conveyed with the narrator’s reading.

Eleanor, a mystery author, is going on her book tour through Italy and on this trip she plans the perfect murder. Her main character Connor is going to die, she just hasn't figured out how to do it yet. Joining her on her book tour is the real Connor, the complete opposite of the man she writes about in her book. In a weird turn of events it turns out that Connor believes someone is trying to kill him and he enlists Eleanor to help him solve his murder before it happens. As more people from Connor and Eleanor's past and present turn up on this tour suspicions begin to rise. Who among their group is trying to kill Connor and why? Eleanor races to figure out who the killer is before her unpublished book becomes a reality.

The cover caught my eye but the story within kept me listening! This is such a fun playful read, perfect for cozy mystery lovers. Mack gives readers a glimpse into the world of publishing from the eyes of her main character, Eleanor. This story is light and original, Eleanor speaks to the readers, literally. Eleanor breaks the fourth wall while leading readers through her investigation. Overall this book was a great refresher and I cannot wait to see where this series goes!

This audiobook is narrated by Elizabeth Evans. If you are a fan of Evans like I am, you know this audiobook was perfectly executed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I’ve read/listened to where the character breaks the fourth wall and talks to the reader so much. The fact that it was an author, explaining the writing process and how to write murder mysteries was a fun twist. Although the narrator asked us to solve the murder and said we had all the clues- I did not solve it and it kept me listening and intrigued. The title and cover drew me in and the fun Italian trip kept me along for the adventure. What a fun read!

Bestselling author Eleanor Dash just wants to get the book tour in Italy over with, and then she plans to kill off the leading male character in her novel, and quit writing. Connor Smith has to die. Connor's character, based on her ex (also named Connor) is the driving success for her vacation mystery series, but the real Conner has been blackmailing her for a percentage of the profits ever since she wrote the first book. When attempts are made on Connor's life on the trip, Connor enlists Eleanor to help him figure out who it is that wants him dead (besides her of course). Add to that the stalker-y fans that have accompanied them on the trip, as well as the other authors (one of whom is stealing Eleanor's plots and rewriting them as her own), and this is truly turning into a trip she wishes she could forget.

This debut was SO much fun. I loved Eleanor. She reminded me a lot of Finlay Donovan from the series by Elle Cosimano. The writing style was similar also, so if you are familiar with those books, or the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich, then you will absolutely love this. The narrator did an excellent job with the voices and making the novel come to life. Eleanor's dry wit, Connor's sleaziness, Oliver's charm & Sylvia's ineptitude were some of my favorite characters. The only character I wasn't completely sold on was Eleanor's sister Harper, who worked as her personal assistant. At some points she seemed extremely loyal and competent but at other times she seemed more of a wallflower and pushover. The epilogue ended with setting the scene for the next book in the series, and I can't wait. I loved this and I think you will too!

This book was gimmicky, with the main character Eleanor talking directly to the reader through out the book. I would describe it as more of a comedy than a murder mystery, even though it was based around several attempted and one actual committed murder. The main character is an author who never meant to be an author. She just accidentally happened to write a best seller and then ooops, 8 more, and is working on her 10th.

Her little sister, who actually wanted to be an author, is her assistant now. Her series' main character Conner is blackmailing her, based on the true events that were the basis of her first novel. She wants to kill off Conner in the book, not real life. But now Conner thinks someone is actually trying to kill him. Suspend your disbelief because here we go now, on a ten day trip in Italy, 20 fans plus Conner's ex-wife, Eleanor's ex-boyfriend, two rival authors, and Conner's new fling attend book publicity events. Conner is shady AF and thinks someone is trying to kill him, meanwhile, both of them face a few near death experiences.

This book was meandering, but mostly it was just annoying to me how much the author talked to the reader about writing. I listened to the audio, so the footnotes weren't a problem for me, but I think they would be a struggle in print form. The author talks too much about being an author, and she seems to not exist in the real world. Her sister does literally everything for her, despite references to their parents dying and Eleanor taking care of her little sister at the time. The author Eleanor also bashes on goodreads, which is funny, because that is where this review is going. Also it is listed as #1 of the Vacation series mysteries, as if there would be a second, and I can't possibly imagine what else she has to say that would make for a sequel or a series. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher's for the ARC.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this fun book by Catherine Mack (AKA Catherine McKenzie) and narrated by Elizabeth Evans. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Best-selling author Eleanor Dash is just trying to survive her book tour in Italy in the hottest month. Her other main goal is to kill off the main character of her books, Connor Smith. They have a real-life history as well, very much complicating her life, and he's along for the ride on the book tour. But then Connor is convinced that someone is trying to kill him and enlists Eleanor's help. Is life imitating art?

This was so much fun and it's apparently going to be a series, so count me in. I enjoyed the way it was written - Eleanor "talks" to the reader, filling us in on her thoughts and ideas, giving us hints and clues, and even spoilers. She's funny, with that dark snarky humor that's my favorite. There were references to other books as well as the way readers rate books, some of which will make you laugh out loud or even possibly recognize yourself. Plus, there are footnotes - a lot of footnotes! I had both the audio and digital versions and in the audio, the footnotes are read as they occur; in the book, they are at the end of each chapter. I preferred the audio version so ended up listening to it exclusively. The narrator did great female voices, but the males didn't quite sound like male. But no matter, this is just a fun story with a mystery I didn't solve.

4.5 stars- I really enjoyed this one. Grabbed this one for the cover, stayed for the charming vacation mystery. The idea of an author taking fans to a place her books are set is stuff of dreams, sign me up! I really liked the pacing and characters. Breaking the forth wall to pull me in, yes please! It was getting to see a little more personality from the main character and it was sometimes cheeky other times reminding the reader. Very contemporary with the drops about TS and Leo. IYKYK. For those who like cozy mysteries or Christie style “one room” this will satisfy. For those looking for fluffy beach read, this one will hit. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of the audiobook. My thoughts are my own.

Many thanks to @macmillan.audio for offering this audiobook for review! I haven’t had the best week, so being able to listen to a fun mystery with comedy really helped me get through it. This story is about an author on a book tour in Italy with friends, family, and an entourage and things take a deadly turn.
I loved that near the end, the narrator (who is the author Eleanor in the story) turns to you the reader and asks if you’ve figured out who the killer is.
Not a spoiler: I didn’t figure it out. Cause she was unreliable as her own biases made me think one way but then shocker: not who I thought it was! Those sidebars to the story were really fun I enjoyed that so much. I also enjoyed the comic relief at points, and the fun banter and romantic exploits. The ending set up for the next book and I’ll be there for that one as well! The audio was acted by #elizabethevans who did a wonderful job and the author #catherinemack gives her story a fun fresh banter and a great whodunnit feel. Like a cosy mystery thats more fun than cosy !!! Cosy would involve a small town cottage with cats and a grandma, this was more flashy and sexy with Italian coastlines and champagne and I was there for it! And I’ll be there for her next book to find out who used the cake knife to bludgeon a groomsman at her best friends wedding (like, how rude??!!!) lol can’t wait! Thanks for bringing a smile to my face this week!!

This book is an absolute gem—a delightful, comedic, and easy read that's perfect for anyone who enjoys witty banter and a good 'whodunnit' mystery! I couldn't stop laughing while trying to piece together the puzzle.

A big thank you to NetGalley and MacmillanAudio for the advance copy—this was a real treat!

A best selling author, 2 exes, an unhappy sister/assistant, a crazy fan, blackmail and murder go on vacation to beautiful Italy.

This had a great location, Italy was the perfect backdrop for this clever mystery filled with humor and great characters. It was narrated and written well. Lots of fun twists kept me guessing until the end.

4 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Every Time I Go On Vacation is a fun mystery that is written from main character Eleanor Dash's point of view.

An author of nine successful mysteries, she is sent on a trip to Italy by her publisher along with her assistant who is also her sister, and 20 of her fans. Oh yeah, and one stalker.

The build up to this story is slow, and the actual murder seems to arrive even slower, but even with the slow start, there seems to be enough humor in the story to keep you entertained, at least there was for me, I enjoyed the humor in it more than the rest of the book. The story also had plenty of depth and details that helped it along also.

I enjoyed the setting of Italy, and the many small details of the Island that were dropped through out the story. I found that most of the characters were likable and well written .

There was one thing I really did not enjoy in the books and that it had many footnotes in it, they distracted me as I read. I am sure this was my problem and that many readers will enjoy them.

Every Time I Go On Vacation is a funny, quick and easy read cozy mystery that many will enjoy, so if you are a cozy fan, be sure to put this on your TBR

EVERY TIME I GO ON VACATION, SOMEONE DIES is one of the most entertaining audiobooks I’ve listened to in a while. I love it when characters in any type of medium break the fourth wall, but Catherine Mack had her main character, Eleanor Dash, breaking it on every page with footnotes.
Depending on how my head is feeling, I fall asleep to either music or an audiobook, and more often than not, it’s the latter. I found bedtime was a lousy choice to listen to ETIGOVSD because I was so intrigued or laughing too hard that I didn’t fall asleep!

Eleanor Dash is a murder mystery author on a book tour plotting to off her main character, except now it’s happening in real life. The characters are so different but work together so well. The descriptions of Italy made me want to go there. And the mystery plot was fun. Plus, it’s the start of a new series, so I’m excited to see what happens next, but this one wraps up nicely so you can read it by itself!

Oh! The narration!! Elizabeth Evans is delightful as Eleanor Dash! She is one of my favorite audiobook narrators to listen to because her exquisite diction and complexity of voices really make the experience complete.

Thanks, Macmillian Audio, for the ALC!

I really enjoyed Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies. I found it very well written (as it should be when it is a book about books), witty, and enough romance not to be obnoxious. I often re-listen to books like this because I enjoy the narration, the plot, and I find it fun to listen to, but I not overwhelming.

There are a couple of little things that kept this from being a 5-star book for me. I LOVE books about books, however, if an author is going to do a spoiler of a famous novel (even if it isn't) I believe there should be a spoiler alert. It was one of the reasons I didn't give 8 Perfect Murders a 5-star rating as well. The other reason being that I found the main character annoying at times, but that was probably the point. But I get tired of the "I am a woman that can't commit or make up my mind" trope. But I think these are minor when the book is looked at in its entirety.

I would definitely give it a try if you enjoy the earlier Stephanie Plum books, How to Murder Your Employer, or the Finlay Donovan series. Happy listening!

Eleanore is a bestselling writer and for the 10th anniversary of her book series, her publisher decided to send her and other authors that are also mystery writers within the same publisher to Italy where Eleanore’s series all began. Things quickly go awry and one of the authors dies and someone is obviously trying to frame Eleanore and/or the star of her book, Conner Smith. The longer the Italian tour goes on, the more things escalate and it becomes increasingly more obvious the real target is Eleanore and it seems someone will stop at nothing until she is dead. Everyone is a suspect in this entertaining read. This book had me laughing and is reminiscent of Findlay Donovan.

I received a free audiobook copy through NetGalley. I wrote this review by my own choice.