This book was THE most fun. First of all, check out this amazing cover. I'd totally be recreating it if I still lived in Vegas and had access to poolside lounge chairs. Or if I were on vacation, if only!

If you liked Finlay Donovan or Blonde Identity, RUN to pick up EVERY TIME I GO ON VACATION, SOMEONE DIES. I love these lighthearted cozy mysteries with an unwitting amateur detective. It's the perfect fun summer read, and I can't hype it up enough. I've read many of Catherine McKenzie's thrillers as well and can confidently say that she nails the genre switch.

Elizabeth Evans absolutely nails the delivery. I obviously couldn't see the footnotes when listening to the audiobook, but I loved that it felt like El was talking right to me. The narrator's tone was the perfect match for El's sarcasm.

I'm so excited that this is already a series, and that it has already been sold for a TV show, I think it's going to be an absolute blast to watch. I can't wait for the next book!

A fun whodunnit for fans of Knives Out, which it reminded me of.
Told from the perspective of Eleanor, an author on an Italian book tour, someone is out to kill Connor, the man who inspired the main character in her novels, just as she’s trying to figure out how to kill off his character in her next book. Connor’s beliefs that someone is out to get him are not so far-fetched though when it’s clear someone is also out for Eleanor. With too many close calls, anyone can be a suspect. But when someone does die & Eleanor is named a suspect, the mystery is just beginning.
This was a fun novel full of comedy and suspense, & has more twists & turns than I was expecting. The narrator, Elizabeth Evans, did a great job with all of the accents and providing dimension to each character.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Eleanor Dash is the main character of this book and she spends lots of time talking directly to us - the reader- making for a funny and engaging book. Her footnotes and side comments make the book feel like a conversation between friends at times. There is murder and a bit of mayhem and lots of suspects interwoven with Italian locations and food. If you like the Finlay Donovan books then this is right up the same alley. The book ended with a few clues as to a sequel and I will definitely read it.

Elizabeth Evans is the narrator and she provides the right amount of snark and sass to the main character and enthusiasm to the read. Her Italian pronunciations and accent It was fun to listen to and brought the book to life. The audio book also made reading all the footnotes easy as the narrator did the jumping around on the page and filled in the information so I didn't have to.

'10 days, 8 suspects, 3 bodies, 1 trip to die for.'

'Good Lord, who's writing this person's dialogue? Were they twirling a black moustache when they said it?'

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun time! High recommend consuming this via audio as it’s a great way to enjoy this story. I will be checking out the next book in the series 100%!

I always said I don’t think my heart has any more space for cozy mysteries. And then in walks:

Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies by Catherine Mack

Publication Date: April 30, 2024

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio

Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this audiobook. The main character, Eleanor, is a writer and talks to the reader which is funny.

There are so many funny parts which I was actually shocked about. They aren’t even corny funny which I find happens in cozy mystery novels, but funny-funny that made me laugh out loud.

I also kept guessing on what would happen and really didn’t see it coming until the end.

I think there will be more novels in this series and I’m here for it!

Eleanor Dash is a bestselling author ready to kill off the leading man in her books. While on a promotional book tour in Italy with her sister, several authors, and the man that inspired this character, someone is literally trying to kill him. Eleanor narrates the book and hilariously fills the reader in on her thinking through footnotes. All with Italy as the backdrop and a cast of characters that will at times make you laugh out loud.

Catherine Mack brings us a delightfully fresh and funny, but cleverly written twist of whodunit. While a light read, it's written about Eleanor Dash, a writer on a group book tour in Italy with a pretty eccentric cast of characters. With plenty of hilarious laugh out loud moments, there's also danger, suspicion and murder... someone on the tour wants her dead! Who could that possibly be and will Eleanor be able to solve the case before she also becomes a victim?

Mack does a great job with misdirection and deception which is what I look forward to in a mystery book. There were so many twists and turns and it was so much fun trying to figure it out from the footnotes and clues. The characters made it fun too, because each of them were so quirky and different. I love character driven books so I had a lot of fun with it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the audio format, as narrator Elizabeth Evans does an amazing job giving each character a distinct voice and personality. She was incredible! Such a FUN listen! This is the first book in this series and I am looking forward to the next one. 4.5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the Advanced Listening Copy. All opinions are my own.

I couldn’t get into this book at first. Light, fluffy mysteries aren’t really my thing, and I wasn’t a huge fan of the author talking at me. Eventually, though, her snarky sense of humor won me over and I flew through the second half of the book. If you’re looking for a light-hearted mystery with a dash of comedy, this one’s for you.

3.7 rounded up to 4.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Eleanor is an uber successful writer off on a tour of Italy to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of her successful series The Vacation Mysteries (the first of which is based on her real life experience in Rome). This book is written as a murder mystery, where Eleanor challenges you to solve it before her and often explicitly states when she’s telling you a clue. It’s very tongue in cheek with an entire chapter titled “Breaking the Fourth Wall.”

Overall it was a nice, light read. I was able to guess a portion of the ending at around 35%. There were maybe too many pop culture references for me that I’m not sure will age well (a mix of Taylor Swift lyrics or mentions (I counted 6), Bridgerton, White Lotus twice, and The Good Place). But others may enjoy.

Sidenote: I would recommend the audiobook reader actually clarify when they are reading one of the numerous footnotes. There are constant mentions at the beginning of footnotes not being required reading and “that’s why I’m mentioning this in the footnotes” but the audiobook reader doesn’t differentiate at all. I read a mix of the book itself as well as the audiobook and without seeing the pages in the book I would have been confused while listening. Simply adding “Footnote #56” before the sentence would have clarified.

Ok now this was super cute and fun! I’ve really gotten into cozy-murder-mysteries in the last few years (Finlay Donovan, The Maid, etc), and I’m really happy to find another series that is quick and easy, interesting and immersive but not too heavy.
We’re following Elenor, a massively successful author, who’s in Italy promoting her latest book, and supposed to be writing another. Her ex, Conner, was once the inspiration behind her most beloved character, but is now a needle in her side, and bank account. He’s been taking royalties off her for years, and it’s got to stop. But just when she’s ready to kill off his book character, Conner comes to her for help. Someone is trying to actually kill him. Elenor must use her wits before it’s too late.

Elenor is a really funny character. She’s quippy, relatable and I love that she breaks the fourth wall to share little jabs or details. I loved her snark! The mystery was maybe a tad predictable, but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment. A few moments had me rolling my eyes much like during a Bond movie. But overall the book really entertaining to listen to. 3.5 ⭐️


Thank you so much NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this arc audiobook in exchange for my unbiased review.

This was an enjoyable murder mystery, but for some reason I wasn't 100 percent invested in the story. The reader in me loved that we followed an author, and Eleanor was a funny main character. I liked that she broke the fourth wall and the narrator did a fantastic job with the audiobook. There were parts that dragged a bit, and I found that, although I enjoyed it while I listened, I wasn't dying to pick it back up when I would have to put it down.

I was really excited about the premise of this book, but the side notes the author made to the reader really got on my nerves.

This book was very intriguing and held my interest however I feel I would’ve gotten more out of it by reading the story. The narrator had a lot of characters to take on so it could get a little confusing at times. I think I would’ve appreciated the way that the main character also invited us as the reader to form our own opinions on who was the murderer. Teaching the ins and outs of how the authors mind works at putting together a good story exchanging out ideas along the way. I loved the tongue in cheek references of Goodreads and other social media outlets being the bane of the author’s existence. All in all very entertaining I just would skip the audio version and get the most out of this with the print copy. Thank you to NetGalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion

This is my first book from this author. I loved the story although it dragged on at parts. The descriptions of all of the European cities and sites makes the listener just want to travel there to see the scenery. An author is back in the town where her first book was inspired. She is joined by fans and starts thinking that she is narrowly missing death. As she investigates and outlines her next book, you are introduced to many characters, both good and bad. A great story of intrigue and a sister relationship the was so amazing. Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC.

Every time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is an absolutely entertaining and fresh take on a cozy mystery. This was my first read from author Catherine Mack and I was hooked from the very beginning; I even finished in one day. The format of the book was something I’ve never experienced before and I really enjoyed it. The main character, Eleanor Dash, spoke directly to the reader throughout the story and there were also footnotes that I thought were extremely helpful as the mystery unfolded. As a fan of Taylor Swift, I did enjoy the lyrics throughout the book.

Narrator Elizabeth Evans does a fabulous job bringing these characters to life, especially Eleanor. Her characterizations and inflections kept me engaged and amused the entire time.

I highly recommend Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies if you’re looking for a fast-paced, laugh out loud, fresh take on a cozy murder mystery. I can’t wait to see where Catherine Mack takes this series next.

Thank you Macmillan Audio, author Catherine Mack, and NetGalley for this Advanced Listening Copy.

Eleanor Dash just wants to make it through this book tour and finish writing her Vacation Mysteries book series. Ten days in Italy. In July. With not just one, but two of her exes. And her sister who may or may not want to quit being her PA. And a pack of fans—a pack of fans that just happens to include her stalker. And some other authors who are not necessarily big fans of Eleanor.

As if all of that wasn’t enough to ruin a vacation, Connor, one of those aforementioned exes, thinks someone is trying to kill him, and it looks like he just may be right.

What an absolute blast of a book! Full of humor, intrigue, and a touch of romance, Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies would be appeal to fans of Finlay Donovan and Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone.

It has the meta aspects of an author experiencing mystery and suspense in their own lives that you see in both Elle Cosimano’s and Benjamin Stevenson’s works, paired with dropping the fourth wall like Stevenson and a level of romance approaching Cosimano’s.

I was hooked, and even though I figured things out before the end, I still found myself thoroughly entertained. I look forward to reading the next book in this series!

The narration by Elizabeth Evans is fantastic! I enjoyed her accents and voices for all of the different players. It was easy to tell each of the characters apart, and she plays up the humor in the footnotes and asides perfectly. I give this audiobook 5⭐️ for narration.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

3.5

A solid audio but having footnotes read in an audio book was very strange. I probably would’ve enjoyed it more reading rather than listening. The Italian setting was great and the mystery was done well enough to keep me second guessing myself until the end. I also wished the author would’ve taken the opportunity to deliver phrases that were plays off of pop culture or lyrics with more emphasis. Like slightly changing the words to “It me high, I’m the problem it’s me” should definitely be delivered via singing!

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies: Audiobook 4 stars. This was a fun little book, and I enjoyed the narrator too! This book reminded me of a “Whodunit” meets a “Cozy Mystery”. I didn’t take it too seriously, and it makes for a good palette cleanser. I enjoyed how this one was written. It’s like the main character, who is an author btw, stops to talk to the audience or speaks to the audience/reader via her thoughts. You know those shows where everyone freezes on the screen and the main character speaks to the camera. It reminded me of that. I enjoyed it! I’ll be picking up the next book in the series! Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an advanced copy.

The narration of this book was so fun! I loved the breaking of the fourth wall, and the conversations with the reader.

I really enjoyed the whodunit aspect of this mystery and the incorporation of pop culture references, especially Taylor Swift, Looking forward to continuing with this series!

Every time I Go on Vacation someone Dies was delightfully funny with a twist of a whodunit with a dash of murder. I would highly recommend this book. The author does a great job with misdirection and deception which is what I look for in a mystery book. It took me a minute to figure out who ther murder was and I still didn't have it all put together. Solid 4.5 stars!