Special thanks to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley, and Catherine Mack for the advanced copy of No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding. This is the second book in The Vacation Series—I enjoyed the first and found the second just as entertaining. I absolutely adore Catherine Mack’s writing style; her books are witty, clever, and full of charm. I'm eager to see where this series goes next!

Publication date-May 13 2025
#NoOneWasSupposedtoDieatThisWedding #NetGalley

I loved the first book in this series and gave it 5 stars, but unfortunately this follow up was not as successful for me.

All the things I remember loving about the first book (the quirky voice, the breaking of the fourth wall, the characters) all came off as annoying and flat for me in this story. Because it's been a while since reading the first, I can't remember if something has changed with the books or if it's just my preferences changing over time, but writing "Ha ha." as a full sentence was nooooot working for me and the story felt cringey to me.

I didn't find the mystery compelling and as bodies hit the floor I wasn't finding myself getting more invested. None of the characters felt like real people to me either, which is odd to experience in a second book in a serious after liking the characters in the first? This is what I mean - I don't know if it was me or the book, but it was a weird time.

I'll be hesitant to continue in the series now, but if the next book sounds interesting I might give it a a go.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions remain my own.

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this book as an arc
If you liked the first one I’m sure you will love this one as well as it reminded me a lot of it and pulled from things that happened there a few times
One thing I love about these books is the writting, it is very funny and feels like the author is talking directly to you

Also, the ending alludes to a third book coming out in this series so be on the lookout

Celebrities and hurricanes and murders, oh my!

Eleanor Dash should be riding high: filming just wrapped on a movie adaptation of her novel and she’s heading to Santa Catalina Island for the wedding of the film’s two biggest stars—one of whom just happens to be her best friend.

But there’s a hurricane stirring up the waves and winds, and that’s not the only thing that’s brewing. Can’t Eleanor leave home without a murder or three occurring? Is that too much to ask?

With twists and turns, the return of many characters from book one as well as some new additions thrown into the mix, a touch of romance, and the wit and humor abundant in the first book, No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding is another entertaining ride.

It’s not quite a locked room mystery, but it gets pretty close with that hurricane approaching the island. And the dropping of the fourth wall is just as fun in this book as it is in Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies.

I recommend this series to fans of Elle Cosimano and Benjamin Stevenson.

4.5⭐️

I received an advance copy of the book from Minotaur Books. All review opinions are my own.

I was sooo excited for this book! After Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies, I needed this follow up. Eleanor Dash, Queen of writing mystery novels, is back with her colourful crew of Hollywood friends for another adventure gone wrong. This time they’re headed to Catalina Island in the midst of a hurricane for her best friend and actress Emma’s wedding. When In Rome is being made into a movie and with a set of old and new characters, one dead body after another begins piling up and Eleanor must work with Conor, Oliver and Harper to solve the real life murders. One thing I absolutely love about Catherine’s writing style is her humour and wit. She’s the only author I’ve ever seen to use footnotes as a story telling device and not only are they funny, they hide clues! I think this is so unique and makes the reading experience so fun. The plot keeps you captivated the whole time, with short chapters and funny chapter titles. There are always twists I don’t see coming. These characters are bizarre, so Hollywood, so dramatic, so quirky and I just love these murder mysteries. 5 stars.

Book 2 but you can read it as a standalone. I wish I would have read the first book first, however. But I was able to catch up. Read if you like the Simi Chopra or Finlay Donovan series for a similar vibe. If you watched Murder Mystery on Netflix and loved it, read this. It was fun! Thank you to Minotaur Books, NetGalley and Catherine Mack for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The 2nd book in the series, and I am already looking forward to the third! I love the titles...of the books and at the beginning of each chapter. They are cute, and also provide clues as to what is going on in the chapter.

In this book, all of the crew from the first book is back. Eleanore's book has been optioned for a Hollywood movie, and her best friend Emma will be playing Eleanore's part. Better yet, the actor playing Conner is someone Emma has had a crush on her whole life. So it comes as no big surprise when they decide to have a secret wedding on an island...with a very bad storm moving in. Right from the start there are all kinds of attempts at murder, and then several actual murders. Everyone is turning against each other as they try to figure out the who, what and where.

There are also clues in each chapter, along with footnotes at the end of each chapter which may or may not help you try to play along and come to your own conclusions.

The second installment to this series follows all of the main characters from book one as they embark on the journey of making Eleanor Dash's book 'When in Rome' into a movie. When the film finally wraps up, Eleanor's befriend Emma is to be married to her co-star Fred. The only problem? Someone at this wedding will be murdered.

I enjoyed the second book in this series a lot more than the first one. While this book is a cozy mystery it features a ton of humor and suspense. The author actually writes as if Eleanor Dash is speaking to the reader and includes footnotes throughout the book to make you feel as if you are also solving crimes. I am really excited to continue this series as there was a sneak peak into what the third book will be about at the end of the epilogue.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and Catherine Mack for allowing me the privilege of reading the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in the series. Eleanor Dash is winding up a movie based on her book about the murder in Italy. Her best friend is playing lead and getting married to her costar on Catalina Island right after the wrap. Of course a storm and murder happens instead.
A little confusing being reintroduced to so many characters, and the main character always comes across as a pain. . As with the last book, the footnotes are completely unnecessary and don’t add anything positive to the book, especially as they’re not formatted for ereaders. I found the whole book too frenetic, too many characters, and Eleanor Dash way too hyper.

No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding is book 2 in the Vacation Mysteries series by Catherine Mack and it was a bit of a crazy one!

Author Eleanor Dash is headed to Catalina Island for the wedding of her famous best friend, Emma Wood but right before heading to the wedding Emma receives a threat that someone will die at the wedding and enlists Eleanor's help.

Unlike most cozy mysteries this one was not set in a small town, but the setting was isolated not only by location, but also due to an incoming storm which caused most of the population to evacuate.

I found No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding highly entertaining, but I would recommend reading it in physical format it possible. I read a digital version, and while I still enjoyed it, it is filled with footnotes, many of them humourous commentary, which are more difficult to reference while reading in an ebook and lessened my enjoyment ever so slightly.

It took over half the novel to get to the crime portion of the book, but the story never felt slow or boring. On the contrary, there seemed to be a lot of things happening in this story, and after the halfway mark it felt like bodies were dropping like flies.

Overall I really enjoyed this mystery, and I will be looking for future books in the series. If you love over-the-top, humourous cozy mysteries, with lots of red-herrings I think you'll really enjoy this book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I didn't like this one *quite* as much as it's predecessor, but did enjoy it. The plot/mystery was bit more convoluted and sometimes chaotic/hard to follow, especially when combined with the new characters. But it was still entertaining, and full of snarky humor. I know the footnotes are a little polarizing, but I have no problem with them. More importantly, I absolutely will read the next book in the series.

Book 2 in The Vacation Mysteries Series. This time the cast is at a wedding on an island when odd occurrences are happening and then the murders start.

I enjoy the witty lead character, Eleanor. I can definitely relate to her sarcastic side views. There’s lots going on so pay attention closely to see if you can figure out the mystery!

Thank you Catherine Mack, Net Galley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the eARC!

The second in a series, I would recommend reading the first to have more of the backstory. Elenore and the group are off to Catalina Island for the filming of her novel and there is a hurricane headed their way. Of course there is also a murderer added to the mix. There are a lot of characters in this one, which I found distracting at times trying to remember who said what. A quick, entertaining read. Thanks to Ms Mack, NetGalley, and Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second in a series (the first is Every time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies). I would recommend reading that book first-- I do think this story won't be as entertaining if you don't have the background from the first book. In this story, we're on Catalina Island in CA for a wedding, and needless to say, someone dies. There's lots of good drama and twists and turns. My only struggle was that it felt like we had a few too many characters- I found it a little hard to get invested in everyone. Overall, though, this was a good read.
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

Author Eleanor Dash is back and that means murder is afoot. Her best friend, actress Emma, is getting married…and also getting death threats. But Emma refuses to stop the wedding to actor Fred – a wedding that will be held on an island in the path of a hurricane. What could possibly go wrong?

When danger surfaces on the island, Eleanor gets deep into investigating. There are plenty of suspects, most of whom are working on the film adaptation of Eleanor's wildly popular book, "When in Rome."

I really love this series. Eleanor is fantastic: smart, flawed, somehow simultaneously cynical and hopeful. This story took a sad turn and I really felt for Eleanor at the end of the book, and her sister, Harper.

I’m also glad we got see Eleanor and Oliver together. I love a dash of romance with my mystery.

I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

I enjoyed this read, maybe not as much as the first one though. I like the moving through and evaluated the characters, eliminating them from being suspects. I also felt like there was some character development from Eleanor in her and Oliver’s relationship which I enjoyed seeing.

That being said some of the plot felt redundant from the first & the resolution felt a little far fetched to me personally.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC!

This book is a light and funny murder mystery. I had so much fun with the puns and references to classic Agatha Christie books.

The mystery and banter will keep you turning the pages and chuckling. Will you be able to solve the mystery before the end? No way Jośe! This book will keep you guessing until the very end. Can’t wait to continue the series.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC

In this sequel to Every Time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies, Eleanor and crew are headed to Catalina Island for the high profile but also very secret wedding of Eleanor's childhood best friend, Emma. Emma just happens to be the actress playing one of the main characters in the movie based on Eleanor's first book, When in Rome. And the groom is none other than her co-star, Fred Winter. Almost as soon as they arrive things begin to go wrong: an impending hurricane, threatening notes, and a close call with electrocution. Emma thinks someone is trying to sabotage her wedding and she asks Eleanor to investigate.

It was so fun to read a book set on Catalina Island, a place that I have spent time both in my middle school and adult years. Eleanor is still her delightful, sarcastic and quirky self. Many of the main cast of characters from book 1 reprise their roles here, with Connor still playing the foil to Eleanor's character. On top of that was an entirely new cast of characters: all of the movie people. At that point, there were a lot of characters to keep track of--so many that it felt like character development was less important that moving the plot forward. While the resolution made sense, it wasn't so much an "a-ha!" moment as it was an "ok" moment for me. I hope Catherine Mack keeps writing this series because I would really like to see more of Eleanor.

Catherine Mack’s No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding is a whirlwind of mystery and excitement, set against the ominous backdrop of a rare Pacific coast hurricane that traps the characters on Catalina Island. With communication down and no help coming due to the storm’s intensity, the stakes are sky-high as the danger escalates, from near-deaths to actual ones. The setting becomes a character in the story, amplifying the tension and keeping readers on edge.
The cast of characters is exceptionally believable, even those that lean into familiar stereotypes. Mack brings them to life with authentic personalities, giving each a depth that makes their motives and decisions feel true to the situation. Their intertwined histories add layers to the mystery, creating a rich, complex puzzle that only deepens as secrets unravel. You’ll find yourself genuinely invested in their fates, suspecting everyone at some point in the story.
Told in the first person with clever fourth-wall breaks, the narrative is both entertaining and self-aware. It offers a playful nod to classic mysteries while keeping the suspense fresh and unexpected. Mack expertly uses humor, twists, and tension to craft a fast-paced story that’s impossible to put down.
If you love twisty mysteries with heart, humor, and a dash of storm-fueled chaos, No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding is a highly enjoyable read.

No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding is a fantastic second installment in the Vacation Mysteries series.

The style of this is why I was hooked on the series immediately. It’s written in first person and very conversational. That isn’t for everyone, but it works for this quippy storytelling.

Is it a red herring? Can you guess it? I had suspicions but didn’t see the final twist coming!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.