really enjoyed this book and the journey of the main character and all that they went through. It kept me on my toes and what would happen in the story.

I LOVED the first book in this series. It was one of those rare finds in my favorite cross-genre (humorous mystery/thriller). So I was SO HAPPY when the end of the book eluded to a sequel. Well, it turns out I may have set my hopes too high.

The second book begins a few days after the last book ends. We have the same fun characters from the first book (Eleanor, Oliver, Harper, Emma, Connor) plus a few more.

The plot was okay but I found the writing was not as tight as the first book. The author relied a lot on “breaking down the fourth wall” and addressing the reader directly. Maybe this was supposed to be trite and cute but I found it made the writing very sloppy. There was way too much reliance on cliches throughout the novel. A few would be okay but after that, it felt like the author wasn’t even trying anymore.

I tried the ebook at first but found it confusing to consistently flip to the end of the chapter to read the footnotes, then try and remember where I left off. About halfway through I switched to the audiobook and this made the footnotes a lot easier to navigate (they are noted on their proper place in the story as opposed to the end of each chapter). Also I want to add that I really liked the audiobook narrator (I love a good Italian accent!)

The introduction of new characters and their back stories make the plot way too confusing. I had to keep going back and re-listen to parts to make sure I was following the story correctly.

I rated this novel a 3 out of 5 stars (I would have given the first novel 5 stars). I will read the next book in the series as I hope that this novel is just a one-off and not an indication that the quality of the novels are going down as the series continues (like the Finlay Donovan series did). Or maybe I should set the bar a little lower and recognize these books as cozy mysteries as opposed to intense (yet funny) mystery/thriller novels.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Publishing Group for an ARC of this book.

Courtesy of Minotaur Books and Netgalley, I received the ARC of No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding by Catherine Mack. Having read the first book in this series, I was familiar with the characters and their relationships, although that is flexible. This witty and quirky novel is about mystery author Eleanor Dash, with her book having been optioned for a movie starring her best friend, who plans her wedding on Catalina Island during the filming. Needless to say there are mishaps and murders as Eleanor turns investigator to solve the killings. A twist at the end that I didn't predict!

Eleanor Dash has been cast in a film based on her Vacation Mystery book. Her best friend Emma is the star and has planned a secret wedding to co-star Fred. An apparent typo in the program tells guests that someone will be, though. And then, strange events start happening that leave Eleanor afraid for her safety and suspicious of everyone. Who can she trust? And who will be the next victim?
The mystery kept me guessing. I would have the prime suspect figured out and then the author gave me a new clue that poiknted in a different direction.
The questions as chapter titles were too long. Likewise, the footnotes distracted from the story, and I gave up reading them after chapter two.
I also didn't care for the profanity.
I do like that Eleanor is a real person with imperfect reactions and words. She's mostly relatable.

This was just okay for me. I enjoyed the first one enough, but I don't think I will continue on with the series. I do enjoy cozy/humorous mysteries but this didn't feel very original or memorable. I would recommend for fans of Finlay Donovan if you need something similar.

Star Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️
No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding was a cozy mystery with a cast of entertaining characters. I enjoyed the dark humor and dramatics.

I read a digital copy as well as listened to the audio format, and I found I preferred the flow of the audio. The footnotes in the digital version were, at times, difficult to keep track of. The narrator for the audiobook had high energy- which was perfect for the main character- and gave an engaging performance.

If you're looking for a fast-paced murder mystery that's a little on the lighter side and a lot chaotic, check this one out.


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*Complimentary copy for review provided by St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books. All opinions expressed here are honest and entirely my own.

I love that Elenor is back! The quips, the sarcasm, and of course the footnotes!

The cast felt a little extra in this one, though that could have been very intentional since they were the crew and cast of the movie version of Elenor's book. After wrapping up shooting they all head to Catalina island for a production paid wedding between the two stars. While not everyone gets along - especially Elenor and screen-writer David, or Elenor and director Simone, that doesn't mean things have to end with dead bodies. Or does it?

Definitely a comedy-mystery, and an enjoyable one. I felt like Elenor was struggling to handle things a little bit in this one, and the movie/wedding/vacation was too wide of a plot at times. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book though, and can't wait to see how this series continues to go!

Catherine Mack is back!

A sequel to Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies, this book is just as witty, clever, and tangled. This is a must read if you love red herrings, secrets, and unsavory personalities from somewhat shady characters.

Eleanor Dash is headed to an island for her best friend Emma's wedding. The groom happens to be Emma's acting co-star, Fred Winter. But while everyone is preparing for the wedding, Emma receives a threatening note saying that someone is going to die at the wedding.

As a still-amateur sleuth, Eleanor starts trying to find evidence and piece together the puzzle to prevent someone's early demise. But when all of the wedding guests have deep-seeded secrets and motive, how can Eleanor possibly figure out who the potential murderer could be?

This was a good book, though it felt a little more dense than Vacation. The themes here seemed much heavier to me, but maybe that's on me. Overall, I still enjoyed this book and I found the humor and wit to be spot-on. 4 stars, and I'm looking forward to more from this author!

Eleanor is back! Her best friend Emma is getting married to another movie star while they are filming a movie adaptation of Eleanor's first book. But, wait! At the wedding trip, a note has been found promising that a death will occur!

I enjoyed this book, although not as much as I did the first book. I love mysteries that have humor, suspense, and romance, This book has all of that. For me, the way it all played out just didn't quite land as well as the first book did. I don't want to give any spoilers, so I will leave it at that. I would recommend this book, however, if you enjoyed the first one. I love the characters, especially the relationship between Eleanor and Oliver. Connor provides some comedy, even when he is just being annoying. One thing I would take out was the footnotes. I stopped reading them after the first book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this book! My thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was so excited for this book as I love the first one. This one didn't disappoint. I didn't love it as much as the first one but the writing style again did it for me. I am hoping there will be more to this series because I always have such a good time

Eleanor Dash, bestselling author of the Vacation Mysteries series, should be living her dream as she's seeing her best friend star in the movie adaptation of her novel. That it also includes attending said best friend's island wedding to Fred Winters, a major Hollywood superstar and her co-star, should have been the icing on the cake. But when death threats start appearing and people are turning up dead, it will take all of Eleanor's experience and creativity to figure out who the culprit is in time to ensure true love wins.

An excellent second volume to The Vacation Mysteries that retains the charm of the original while giving readers a story that feels fresh despite many of the same players being present. Eleanor is by no means a decent detective; she has zero skills beyond what she's learned from being a mystery author, possesses no self-preservation instincts, and is constantly the first to jump to conclusions. But what she lacks in skills, she makes up for in tenacity and entertainment value. And she's surrounded by interesting characters who add a different level of mystery to the plot because no one seems capable of being honest, and I frankly prefer it that way simply because it never fails to get a chuckle.

Mack writes Eleanor's story in a sarcastic and self-deprecating voice whose constant fourth-wall breaks make it feel like the reader is right there with her as she tries to find and follow clues. It's Mack's smart writing that keeps the bumbling attempts amusing in a plot that's simultaneously silly and serious.

Overall, it's not genre-defining or anything spectacular, but it's a clever story that gets at least a chuckle per chapter, and that's exactly what I'm looking for right now.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the fun and twisty read!

My review isn’t a reflection of the book per se. It just wasn’t for me. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and the storyline.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I absolutely LOVEEEEEEE Catherine, everything she writes I will devour. As the second book in her vacation mystery series, it definitely continued to live up to the hype of book 1.

Eleanor Dash is such an epic character - I feel like she is the friend we all want, and she's absolutely hilarious. Overall, this is such a cozy fun mystery, and the series is fantastic. Highly recommend!

If you want to have great fun reading a book, this is the series you should pick up. This book revisits the same characters as the first book in the series. It's just as quippy and humorous as I was hoping, with one-liners galore. Breaking the fourth wall works so well in her writing. All of it makes me laugh. Lighthearted, funny murder? Yes, please.

This time, Eleanor is back in California where her book is being made into a movie starring her best friend Emma. Emma's co-star is her teenage celebrity crush, Fred. Of course, Connor and Harper are in on the set as well. When Emma and Fred decide to get married for real, the entire cast and crew heads to Catalina Island for the event (just before a hurricane is coming, but they're not too worried about that). When Emma shows Eleanor a note she received that promised dire and deadly consequences, you know that Eleanor had to try to get to the bottom of it, because of course. Cue the shenanigans and dead bodies!

Some of the events in the book are over-the-top and a little ridiculous, but that's entirely expected and welcome. It's such a fun read. I flew through it because I was having a great time. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital copy to review.

this is such a funny series. In Book two, “author Eleanor Dash goes from wedding guest to murder mystery investigator at her best friend’s wedding on Catalina Island.” This one felt a bit longer than the first one, but I still enjoyed it. I’ve listened to both, and they are a delight on audio. The writing is witty and the settings and escapades of the characters easy to visualize. A fun mystery. I would love to hang out with Eleanor.

This series may just be the one reliable cozier mystery series to pick up during the summer. I think it's mandatory to read book one before picking this one up as there are some overlapping characters and you may be confused on the connections without reading book 2.

This one was fun and I did enjoy it more than book one. However, I think there may have been too many misdirections/red herrings in this one. It seemed more drawn out

These books have been so fun and I can’t wait until the next one drops!!

Catherine Mack writes murder mysteries (if you couldn’t tell by the title lol) with so much drama and a lot of comedic relief. Also, she puts these hilarious footnotes in each chapter which just adds a little pizazz to the book.

This one was a little more hard to follow with so many characters but once you get that down, it’s smooth sailing. And with so many twists and turns, she’ll keep you guessing at the answers until the very end!

The book was not that good. The writing and prose was a little choppy and it was hard to like the character.

Really well written, full of misdirection and occasional humor.

Love Eleanor's voice - I read this multi plot story in one day.

I absolutely love this writing style. It’s laugh out loud funny— filled with fourth wall breaks and relatable “oh my god is this really happening again” humor. And on top of this, you’re guaranteed to have a good twist. I can’t wait for the next book.