Giving this a 3.5/5 STAR!

Finished the audiobook and enjoyed it! I wouldn’t say it was surprising (since it was obviously who the bad guys were from the beginning), but I enjoyed the banter and funny moments for sure.

The narrator was enjoyable too and I felt she did well…especially with the footnotes portion of the storyline.

It was cute, witty and entertaining!

I absolutely LOVED this book and the audio narration by Elizabeth Evans was the cherry on top. This book was my favourite read this month. I have never read anything in this style before (Glass Onion, Knives Out) but I SO enjoyed it. It was clever, witty, engaging and full of twists. Normally I gravitate towards darker mystery/thrillers but this was nice and light, yet still kept me on the edge of my seat! I enjoyed the line up of different characters. They were described in a way that was easy to follow/not mix up and each person was unique enough without it being over the top and unbelievable. I have added Catherine Mack to my "instant buy" author list.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley and Catherine Mack for sending this ARC audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Eleanor's writing career has been a success with just one mistake. A long ago experience was tweaked in a writing frenzy to later become a best seller with the exception of one character. Connor, to this day, relentlessly claims part of the fame for his role and use of his name. On a publishing tour together with others in the business, something is off and a dead body or three has everyone second guessing who is behind the not-so-coincidental events.
I enjoyed this book despite the fact that I was hoping for a little more death on this particular vacation. Most of the supporting cast was unlikeable and I was convinced at any given moment that any of them could be the culprit. I'm very curious how Catherine will continue the intrigue into book two. The footnotes especially shine as an unexpected highlight for me.
I've only heard narration with Elizabeth Evans with SJM books so not going to lie - my muscle memory kept expecting a wyvern or fae to make an appearance at any given moment. That being said, her accents are fabulous and I love that every character was given larger than life personality through her range and verbal cues.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the alc. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was a fun cozy mystery in a beautiful setting. Lots of suspects in this murder mystery to keep you guessing. With the footnotes and aside comments it would have been easier to understand as a physical book. I think the narrator did a great job with the characters. This does not meet the criteria for our high school library but I will recommend it to staff, family, and friends that read cozy mysteries.

AHHHHHHHHHH I loved this audiobook. It had me hooked from the beginning. What a great story from the beginning and I cannot wait to see what my patrons will think of this one!

This is a near perfect example of what i think of as a truly good beach read. Fun, charming, and snappily paced, but still truly clever and well structured.

Book within a book doesn’t always sit well with me as a whole remorse for a novel, but this is a slightly different spin on that and it worked really well. The plot is clever and compelling, and it’s funny without being too madcap or slapstick for some readers’ tastes.

The mystery itself isn’t anything terribly sophisticated, but it doesn’t need to be, because the fun of this one is in the getting there, and the solve is a logical one that (while not exactly shocking) doesn’t detract from the quality of the book.

It’s a great cast of characters and structured around the solidly plotted and entertaining dynamics between them, and in Eleanor we have a funny and lovable heroine who is more than worthy of a continued series.

This book was so fun on audio! Great narration and all the footnotes were effortlessly woven in, which were a little distracting in the physical book. I loved how she broke through the 3rd wall and spoke right to us.

Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies is the debut cozy mystery by Catherine Mack full of humour and interesting characters. Set in Italy, a group of mystery fans are on a tour with their favourite mystery writer, Eleanor Dash and her ex-lover, Connor Smith, who is the real-life model for a beloved (by fans, not so much Eleanor anymore) character in her books who she really wants to kill off in her books against her publishers’ advice. Only now, it seems, or at least Connor insists, someone is trying to kill him in real life and he wants her help. Eleanor has her doubts about it until she finds herself the target of a determined killer and now she has no choice but to investigate even if it means also helping Connor.

This is a fast, fun, and funny cozy mystery with plenty of twists and turns, interesting characters, and multiple suspects to keep the reader engaged. The story is told in the first person by Eleanor and, in her telling, she adds footnotes. I had both the ebook and audiobook and sort of split my time between the two. With the ebook, this added to the humour. However, I found it tended to break the flow of the audiobook. Still, overall, I quite enjoyed this book in both formats. The audiobook is narrated by Elizabeth Evans who does a great job.

Thanks to Netgalley, St Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read/listen to this book in exchange for an honest review

This book took me all over Italy on a murder mystery tour and left me wanting Gelato.

This was a fun little fair play mystery that had me thinking everyone was the killer at some point. I will say the clues were small to guest the true culprit but a keen ear might pick up on the small breadcrumbs that are dropped throughout.

I enjoyed all of the banter and the omniscient narrator style of the mystery writer. She was quite witty in her observations.

All of the characters were equally parts frustrating, annoying and funny which made this book entertaining.

This was my first time reading this author but I will be sure to add her books to my future tbr pile

I really enjoyed this read! Finley Donovan vibes, which I loved, but it's definitely unique. Funny, twisty, and propulsive. I'll be continuing the series for sure.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to listen to this advanced audiobook copy!**

I enjoyed this cozy mystery by Catherine Mack! It was very humorous and lighthearted! The narrator did a great job with all of the voices. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book is for readers who like:
- fourth wall-breaking narration (mostly in the form of footnotes)
- to vacation vicariously
- a will-they, won't-they relationship

A fun romp in the tradition of Finlay Donovan, ETIGOVSD brings readers through the gorgeous scenery of Italy with a murderer on the loose. It's very meta with its acknowledgment of the conventions and forebears (aka Agatha Christie) of the genre.

I mostly listened to this book while occasionally switching to the hardcopy, and I have to say the narrator Elizabeth Evans really elevated the experience. My only complaint about the audiobook format was that it got confusing to distinguish between the main narration and the footnotes, but eventually I just decided to go along for the ride.

The biggest drawback for me was the main character herself. It felt like she was supposed to be messy Milennial, which can be very relatable, but the persona could also be grating at times. She came across as self-deprecating without achieving self-awareness, pointing out her flaws without taking steps to fix them. And some of her narration about writing and publishing came across as a tad condescending.

Still, despite these hiccups, the book was highly readable and entertaining with its cast of charming yet suspicious characters. It's really a great choice for a beach/vacation read, and I loved the backdrop of Italy. I'd be interested in continuing in the series to see how the main character (hopefully) evolves in the course of the series and to see where we end up next!

Narrator: I enjoyed the narration throughout this story. The narrator brought this story to life and I could picture this being how the main character would sound telling the story.

Story: The writing style was unique throughout because not only are we go through the story with the main character (who is an author), but she is also discussing parts of her books and new clips throughout as it ties in with the storyline. For the most part the flow of these elements were done well. But a few of the transitions from the main story to something related to her book, it didn't always make sense to me. I do believe this would translate better in print versus audiobook.

I loved the cast of characters in this story. We have the ex lover, the ex lover's ex wife, the agent, tour guide, and so many other great characters. Each character is well written and adds more to the story to make it better.

For fans of Finlay Donovan, I think you will love this story.

Thank you netGalley and MacMillian Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

A book with a signature drink ? This one definitely has one - Eleanor Dash keeps downing Aperol Spritz's like there's no tomorrow "and keep them coming" !
Every Time I Go On Vacation by Catherine Mack is a funny and humorous mystery novel, the first in The Vacation Mysteries series, which I both read and listened to on audio, wonderfully narrated by Elizabeth Evans, who juggles the wide cast of different characters, the drama, and especially the significant number of foot notes masterfully, keeping me engaged from beginning to end.
I want to visit Italy now, there were such vivid and beautiful descriptions of classic Italian tourist locations that l'd love to visit. The reader gets deeply immersed since Caroline Mack uses fictional author Eleanor Dash and has her speaking directly to the audience bringing them in on their adventures and laying open that it may not be the wisest to fully trust her either.
Eleanor is not the most likable of main characters I found her a bit whiny and a bit too dependent on her younger sister/ personal assistant Harper waiting on her hand and foot. She finds herself on a 10 day book tour organised by her publisher from Rome through Pompeii and down the Amalfi coast with quite the entourage that includes her sister, Harper, other authors, fans and a stalker against whom she has a restraining order as well as her nemesis the dislikeable con man Connor Smith, the mold for the main character of her books but also her ex-lover and blackmailer. Add to this a slightly incompetent tour guide and get this show on the road !

This was a fun mystery with a gorgeous setting. Traveling around Italy with these fun characters was a blast and this mystery was well done. I particularly appreciated the complexity of the sister relationship. This would make an excellent movie! Thank you to Net Galley for providing me a copy of this book!

I loved this book! Gave some Agatha Christie vibes. I do think the ending was a little confusing, but I definitely didn't see it coming.

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack is a cozy mystery, I guess. It is about a mystery author who is on her tenth anniversary tour in Italy as that is where the first book took place. On it with her is her sister/personal assistant; a man who had been her boyfriend for the first book and she had named him by name so he was now a permanent fixture; his girlfriend, a couple of other authors, and the man she truly was in love with but had goofed it up. Connor, the original boyfriend, insisted that someone was trying to kill him. No one ever saw anything, and well, he is kind of a drama king. His girlfriend, Isabella, is so young her brain hasn’t formed enough to have many thoughts, so she gets a lot of eye rolls. Harper, her assistant, is making sounds about leaving her job. Oliver, the man she loves, is making it seem possible he still loves her. There is a lot going on. Then someone really does try to kill Eleanor, the protagonist.

I have multiple feelings about this book. She breaks the third wall constantly. I don’t like it as a technique. It plays better in the audio version than it does in the text version. She also uses footnotes which work better in the text version, but are really not a fiction technique and mostly pointless. The book also proves that mystery writers are not necessarily mystery solvers. Eleanor is not the only author present failing miserably at solving the crime(s). The book has no depth. Even the feuds in the story have no real teeth. The original crime, as it turns out, had way more to it than is revealed. The Italian police detective has been transferred because he made such a mess of the first investigation so now he’s investigating again in another city? I guess I just like a more serious book, even if it is a cozy.

Elizabeth Evans is the narrator and I am still trying to decide which I like better, the text or the audio. Evans did a more than adequate job and did well with multiple characters. She made it almost make sense, which the text did not.

I was invited to read Every Time I go On Vacation, Someone Dies by St Martins Press and to listen by MacMillan Audio. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #MacMillanAudio #CatherineMack #ElizabethEvans #EveryTimeIGoOnVacationSomeoneDies

Eleanor Dash is the bestselling author of the Vacation Mysteries series, and all she wants to do is get through the Italian book tour celebrating the tenth anniversary of her debut novel, When in Rome. With one more book left on her contract, she has decided it is time to kill off Connor, the main character based on the real life conman she got mixed up with on her first trip to Italy, years ago. But when attempts are made on the real Connor's life, Eleanor gets roped in to solve the mystery and clear her own name from suspicion.

This was a fun mystery with many layers and suspects that unfolded throughout the story to really keep you guessing. With first person narration from Eleanor, there are some fourth wall breaks and winks to the reader as she tries to solve the mystery. While I did have some suspicions at various points, I didn't end up fully solving the mystery before it was revealed. Looking back, you could see where the solution was foreshadowed, which I have found often gives the ending away in mysteries, but that was not the case here. Overall, I found this to be a clever and very funny mystery, and I look forward to picking up future titles in this series.

I had the opportunity to listen to an audio ARC through NetGalley, and while I did still enjoy it, I think the format of the story lends itself best to the print format. There are numerous footnotes and the inclusion of Eleanor's notes and outlines interspersed throughout, which made it a bit tricky to follow in places due to the audio format. I did think that the fourth wall breaks worked particularly well in the audio, however.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an audio ARC to review!

I love a book with an amazing cast of characters! This crew was funny and the story was fun to read. I love a cozy mystery!

Twenty rabid-fan “Bookface Ladies,” a ten day Italian book tour, three dead bodies, and one stalker…what could possibly go wrong?

Wanna hear a funny? As I was listening to this book I kept thinking it would be great for fans of the Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano, Later I saw that Elle was the first reviewer on the publisher’s website, so there ya go! 🤣

Eleanor Dash wrote a bestselling book (by accident!) that catapulted her to fame — and into a book contract for the Vacation Mystery series. But she made one mistake. She didn’t change the name of her main character: her ex-boyfriend Connor Smith, who turned out to be married, a con-artist, and now he’s blackmailing her for a take of her fame and fortune.

Now Eleanor is on a 10th anniversary book tour with Connor, his ex-wife, Eleanor’s more recent ex Oliver, and a host of rather competitive authors and crazy fans — all of whom become suspect when people start dying! ☠️

This is a fun, hilarious romp through Italy. Despite the fact that people are dropping like flies and no one can be trusted, you’ll find very little suspenseful angst in this mystery. But you will be entertained — Catherine Mack’s writing style in this book is very engaging, with frequent breaks in the story where the narrator speaks directly to reader.👌

I listened to the audiobook and can’t heap enough praise on Elizabeth Evans! She knocked the narration out of the park, and this may well be a book that is even better on audio!

I would point out, however, that the book opens in a church with Eleanor confessing to a priest for obviously the first time in her life. Fictional characters often treat religion with disdain, but this one felt flippant and mocking, which didn’t sit well with me. Keep that in mind if it’s something that affects your reading choices.

If you want a laugh out loud audiobook experience and an escapist read that doesn’t require a heavy dose of mental commitment, grab your earphones and download 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘐 𝘎𝘰 𝘖𝘯 𝘝𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘦𝘴. It published on April 30th, so you don’t even have to wait for it!

Thank you to Catherine Mack, Netgalley and Macmillan.audio for the complimentary advance copy! It was my pleasure to write this candid review.