Catherine Mack's (a pseudonym for the veteran Canadian author Catherine McKenzie) Vacation Mysteries kickoff, EVERY TIME I GO ON VACATION SOMEONE DIES, s full of mystery, humor, wit, and suspense! It features an author-narrator, an alluring Italian setting, an entertaining cast, footnotes, clues, and crimes to solve. Who is capable of murder?

Eleanor Dash, a bestselling author of nine murder mysteries, is working on her tenth installment, which she hopes will be the series' final book.

All Eleanor wants to do is complete the book tour and kill off her main character, Connor Smith, in the last installment of her Vacation Mystery series.

Her publisher has sent her on a ten-day tour of Italy with a consultant, her sister/assistant, twenty fans (including a stalker), and several other authors.

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

Connor is her ex (con) and has been blackmailing her for years, receiving royalties from her books. She has dealt with him for ten years and wants him out of her life for good. Now, someone has attempted his real life.

Who is trying to get away with murder?

From fans, literary competitors, a stalker, the publishing business, and another ex, Oliver, a book tour that turns into a real-life murder mystery offers a lot of action and fun.

With loads of snarky humor, EVERY TIME I GO ON VACATION is a light-hearted, highly entertaining read with creative, fun footnotes to enhance your reading pleasure.

From the stunning front cover with fun, clever chapter titles, this delightful, hilarious, entertaining romp is for fans of authors Elle Cosimano and Janet Evanovich. I look forward to the next in the series.

I read the e-book and listened to the amusing audiobook by Elizabeth Evans for a fun, lively, and entertaining performance. Ideal for your upcoming summer vacation escape.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for an advanced reading and listening copy. #SMPInfluencers

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Pub Date: April 30, 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars
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Embark on a delightful journey to Italy where author Eleanor celebrates the 10th anniversary of her beloved book in style. This fun mystery novel is filled with romance, mouthwatering food descriptions, and an intriguing plot that keeps you turning pages.

As Eleanor navigates the festivities surrounding her book's anniversary, she finds herself entangled in a mysterious puzzle that adds an extra layer of excitement to the narrative. With unexpected twists and turns, the plot keeps you guessing until the very end, making it a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Overall, "Everytime I go on vacation, someone dies" is a delightful escape to the enchanting world of Italy, filled with intrigue, romance, and delicious food. Perfect for cozying up with a glass of wine and indulging in a literary adventure that will leave you longing for your own Italian getaway.

Cute fast read, a la Finlay Donovan or Stephanie Plum. Eleanor fell into mystery writing after helping solve a crime with her summer fling turned boyfriend, but after ten years she's ready for a fresh start. Her publisher organizes a summer book tour to Italy, the scene of the crime, but from day one, things go awry. A fun cast of characters, enjoyed the writing style. Would definitely read the next book in the series.

This funny mystery is a little chaotic at the outset, with a LOT of characters to keep track of and the narrator’s backstory… but!! Once it gets going it’s much better. We’ve got an unreliable narrator and a dual telling of an actual lived experience and the book the FMC wrote about it. So.

I wanted this to come off a bit more Finlay Donovan, but it was fine. I enjoyed it but I haven’t decided if I’ll read the next one? I do love the narrator, Elizabeth Evans!

Eleanor is in Italy for her 10 year anniversary of her first book series. With her is a mismatch of character that all connect to her book series in one way or another. When her ex thinks that someone is trying to kill him and tries to convince Eleanor. She thinks he’s crazy until someone winds up dead.

This book was fantastic! I felt like I was listening to one of my best friends tell a story. I wanted to help her so badly figure it out and sadly failed so I a ready to try again. I honestly can’t wait until the second book comes out!

I also loved the little bit of romance sprinkled with sisterly love! 💙 thank you NetGalley, the publisher and Catherine Mack for the arc of this book

Thank you Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the ALC!

Synopsis: Eleanor is a famous writer on a book tour in Italy. Because she had used her ex boyfriend’s name in her books, she’s contractually obligated to never cut ties with him. She’s had enough and has decided to kill him off in her next book. But then things take a turn in another direction when Eleanor’s fictional fantasy turns into a real-life murder mystery.

My thoughts: This book is SO MUCH FUN! I’d strongly suggest the audio over the physical copy because #1 the narrator is fabulous and #2 The audio highlights the sarcasm in the footnotes perfectly! We did this as a group buddy read and I know others who did the ebook mentioned that the footnotes felt distracting but in the audio format, it doesn’t come across that way (in my opinion). If you’re in the mood for a mystery that’s both about murder but also light and funny - this is your book! If you’re a Finlay Donovan fan, ADD TO CART immediately. And if that’s not convincing enough, my Bridgerton and Swiftie friends - there’s so many references in there for you!
My only complaint is there were a few too many main characters for my taste. I would have preferred less characters with more development because I didn’t feel like I got to know them all very well. Overall, such a unique book and a great start to the series. I’m looking forward to continuing book 2 in the Vacation Mysteries series when it comes out.

Eleanor Dash is a bestselling author on a special book tour through Italy with her colleagues, team, and fans. She's looking for inspiration to kill off the main character in her series. When Connor Smith, the real man that her character is based off of, confides that there have been attempts made on his life, he looks to Eleanor for her help in figuring out the case.

Everytime I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies was so enjoyable, it felt very meta with Eleanor Dash speaking directly to us. This was the first in the series and I am eagerly awaiting more from Catherine Mack. I highly recommend reading this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Eleanor Dash is best selling author on a book tour of Italy with several other authors, her sister, some fans and her ex-boyfriend, Connor, who also happens to be the inspiration for her main character in her Vacation Mysteries series. She is in a writing funk and has decided to end her best selling series by killing off the main character. However, Connor believes someone is trying to kill him. No one believes him until it is hard not to believe him.

There is a lot of humor and lots of descriptions of wonderful food, drinks, and locations throughout Italy. It is a great read, or audiobook listen, for the reader who enjoys thrillers and rom-coms. I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator. It was an easy listen, entertaining, and kept me wanted to hear more.

3.5 stars, rounded up

Eleanor is the author of a best-selling book series that began when she wrote about a jewel heist that she helped solve. Unfortunately for her, she didn’t disguise her characters well and Connor, the man in her life at the time, recognized himself and demanded a share of the book’s profits. As the series took off, Connor’s demands did too, and now Eleanor wants nothing more than to kill off his character in her books. While on a book tour in Italy, it appears that several attempts have been made on Connor’s life and he asks Eleanor for help in figuring out who is after him.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. What I got what an entertaining story that made me laugh more than once – and roll my eyes almost as often. In a style reminiscent of Benjamin Stevenson’s <i>Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone</i>, Eleanor addresses the reader directly often throughout the book - almost too often, as it sometimes took me out of the story.

I like Eleanor, but she seems to have let her fame go to her head. I’ve never understood the people who rely on someone else for *everything – to keep track of their schedule, to make sure important items are not forgotten, to smooth things over with other people – and Eleanor is precisely one of those people. The other characters on the book tour round out the group nicely, with Eleanor’s ex, a fan group, rival authors and even a stalker.

It took a while to determine if Connor’s life was really in danger or if it was just a series of coincidences... or if the target was someone else entirely. I never did figure it out until just before it was revealed in the book. Given the character involved, the motive made sense.

I was fortunate to receive both an e-book and an e-audiobook of this story. The audio narrator was very good, voicing the characters well and drawing me into the story. I will happily listen to more books that she has narrated, and will look for the next book in this series.

EVERY TIME I GO ON VACATION SOMEONE DIES
Catherine Mack

Eleanor is going to Rome on a much-needed vacation. Well, kind of a working vacation. It’s more like a work trip. She’s writing the second novel in her murder mystery series, which takes place in Rome. Title to come. And she’s on a book tour through Italy.

One of her goals for this vacation is to read a lot of books by the waterside, make a bunch of new fans, and most importantly, figure out how to kill a character in her series named Connor. Connor the character is named after a real-life person, named Connor and Eleanor has struggled to both kill off his character and cut ties with him in real life.

While on vacation someone tries to kill the real Connor, ending her book tour and their relaxing vacation. Eleanor is the first to start theorizing about who would’ve wanted the real Connor dead (herself being high on the list), and we follow along as she solves the mystery.

Recently, a handful of books were all released around the same time that broke the fourth wall. It is repetitive to me at this point but EVERY TIME I GO ON VACATION SOMEONE DIES may be the first one of those books you’ve been able to get your hands on at the library. There is a reason for that.

This one was the least successful of the five books I’ve read this spring that break the fourth wall. It has Finlay Donovan in Italy vibes going for it. The mystery and the elements are cozy, I just wasn’t impressed by the story or the writing.

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copies!

EVERY TIME I GO ON VACATION SOMEONE DIES…⭐⭐⭐

This is the review I will be posting on my instagram in the next few days:

#BookReview:
𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝑰 𝑮𝒐 𝒐𝒏 𝑽𝒂𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝑫𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒃𝒚 𝑪𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑴𝒂𝒄𝒌

🏷️ Topics: Funny, Mystery, Over-The-Top, Breaks Fourth Wall
⚠️ Trigger Warning: Taylor Swift 😂

Get ready for a vacation you won't forget, because a murder mystery has never had summer vibes like this! 🏝️☠️

Are you heading to the beach? A day at the pool to lay in the sun? Spring cleaning to declutter your bookshelves? Pop this audiobook on with your earbuds, and enjoy the ride! The witty, lighthearted banter juxtaposed with a thrilling crime spree makes this an incredibly fun read that you could binge on a day.

Catherine Mack gets meta with her new murder mystery series by writing about an author who writes a murder mystery series. Breaking the fourth wall, the MC regularly speaks directly to the reader, which adds a fun layer. It also makes the audiobook that much better because it almost feels conversational, unlike most other books in this genre.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the Finley Donavan series, Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, and Dial ‘A’ for Aunties.

📖 Published by Minotaur Books
🎧 Audiobook Produced by Macmillan Audio
🗣️ Narrated by Elizabeth Evans

Many thanks to Minotaur Books and MacMillan Audio for early access via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. This will publish at the end of April!
This is the second book in a row that I’ve read which takes place in Italy! I'm not in Italy, but the ruins I visited had a bit of European flair - not to mention amazing views after hiking straight uphill to get to them.
This book follows author Eleanor on a ten-day tour of Italy with some other authors and the winners of a bookface contest. Eleanor has written nine books in the Vacation series, and she is struggling to write the tenth, as she wants to kill off a main character - and is even open to ending the series. She has her reasons for this, unbeknownst to even her sister manager. There is some conflict between the sisters, too. Unfortunately, accidents start happening on the tour, which makes it seem like someone wants at least one of them dead. The accidents ramp up to a death before anyone truly believes there is an issue.
This was a fast, fun book. The descriptions of Italian views, food (pasta!), and Aperol Spritzes made me want to book it over to Italy ASAP! I mostly listened to the audiobook for this one, and I definitely recommend it. The narrator is engaging, and I found that the footnotes (over 200 of them) were distracting as I followed along on my eARC but made perfect sense to hear, as they came across as parenthetical observations, seamless to the listener’s ear. This is listed as the beginning of a new series, and I would happily listen to another book along the same lines. I think readers of Finlay Donovan would enjoy this book.

Every Time I Go On Vacation is such fun modern take on the murder mystery genre. The narrator who is our protagonist Eleanor Dash breaks the fourth wall and talks directly to the reader. I think it's best to go in blind, and just enjoy the ride. This book is filled with great characters, and really keeps you guessing, even with Eleanor giving the readers hints, lol. The setting of Amalfi coast was wonderful. The book has a satisfying conclusion and the author sets up book 2 of the Vacation Mysteries series perfectly.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener copy. Elizabeth Evans was a wonderful narrator. I highly recommend this book, it's a fun read. 4.5 stars.

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is a clever murder mystery where the protagonist is a murder mystery author. The main character, Eleanor Dash, is a funny girl's girl kind of character who lets you in on all of her thoughts about writing mysteries, how she got into writing, and what sort of trouble it's brought her. I love getting her stream of consciousness, which comes through footnotes, sidebars, or her many wry comments to the other characters. She also drops purposeful clues along the way and invites you, the reader, to help solve the mystery. After the reveal, she provides a bit of hindsight knowledge which is interesting if you've been keeping notes on red flags.

This book is as delicious as the meals and scenery described. Eleanor talks about the food they are presented in multiple locations in Italy and it is mouthwatering. She also details the colorful locations, including Rome, Capri, Sorrento, and Ravello, making you want to plan your next holiday there. The narration of the book is by Elizabeth Evans who is superb! She has so many characters to portray (at last 10 main characters), in Italian, British, and American accents, and does a remarkable job throughout.

The title and cover alone sold me…then add cozy mystery, set in Italy and I am all in!

Eleanor Dash is a best selling author who desperately wants to end the book series that made her famous. Eleanor’s mistake was basing her main character on Connor Smith, a man she desperately wants out of her life. Since the success of the series Connor has been profiting off his likeness (getting royalties for his name LOL) and making Eleanor miserable in the process.

Now as Eleanor plots the demise of the literature version of Connor it seems someone else may be plotting Connor’s real life demise. Eleanor and Connor have been on a press tour around Italy when someone takes a shot at killing him but their motley group of traveling companions is full of suspects and does Eleanor really want to stop Connor’s demise?

Picking up Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack is one for not only cozy mystery lovers but with the main character being an author you could say for book lovers but this first book is also for the travel lovers with the setting being around Italy. The character do have that slight tough of quirkiness you’d find in a lot of cozies and there were plenty of twists along the way in the story. With a lot going on in the this first book I felt I could have gotten to know the characters a bit better but when finished I rated this at three and half stars and would return to the series.

I seriously thought I had this figured out multiple times. It was such a wild, fun ride! I love when books break the fourth wall, and this one did it in such a fun way! I was offered this book because I enjoyed the Finlay Donovan series, and it did not disappoint! It had the same "casual" vibe, and the characters were so chaotic and fun. I will definitely be picking up the next book in this series when it comes out.

The narrator seriously made the story so much more engaging and overall, I would definitely recommend this to readers who love to laugh and love thrillers, but maybe need a break from the hard hitting reads!

This was such an entertaining, humorous, and fun mystery novel. It was made up of unique characters, murder, plot twists, a little romance, humor, and serious atmospheric vibes of Italy. The way in which this book is written is so unique as you feel as though you are a part of the book that is being written by the MC all while trying to solve a murder mystery. The footnotes within the book were my favorite and added an extra layer of entertainment.
This is the first book in The Vacation Mysteries Series and I can’t wait to see where Catherine Mack takes us in book 2!

Thank you Minotaur for the #gifted copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was more light and airy than I expected. I am used to darker thrillers/mysteries; but this was great! I loved the humor and romance thrown in with the mystery/thriller aspects. The breaking of the 4th wall was also hilarious. I want more books in this series! Thank you NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and MacMillan Audio for the free audio ARC for my honest opinion.

This was a fun book!

The format includes some footnotes and a little bit of the breaking of the fourth wall; I wasn't sure how to feel about that at first but it ended up working for me by the end of the book.

This is a fun, light mystery with many possible suspects and a bit of romance and family relationships woven in. There is obvious set up for multiple books and I will be reading them FOR SURE!

Audiobook note: the narrator, Elizabeth Evans, is brilliant! However, in my mind cannon, she is the voice of Sarah J. Maas romantacies, so I was disconcerted at first to hear her voice in another genre altogether. She killed it, though, so great job, Ms. Evans!

Perfect! Perfect! Perfect!!! I loved everything about this book! Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of the audiobook in return for an honest review. Elizabeth Evans is one of the best narrators, in my opinion, so when I started listening to this and heard her, I KNEW this book was going to be good. However, it wasn’t just the narration that made this book a perfect read for me. I loved how the book was set up, with the first person narrative AND breaking of the fourth wall. This made the book seem more like a collaborative work between the characters and the reader and it was so much fun. I am so excited for more of this series and I’m already planning to go buy a physical copy of the book once it released because I need it on my shelf 🙌