I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the pre ious one. However, I really do enjoy the characters and their lives and how everything ends up all twisted and the journey they go through to get it all unraveled!

I really enjoyed the first book, Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies, and Eleanor’s voice and foot notes, so I was eagerly looking forward to the second in this cozy mystery series. It follows successful mystery author Eleanor Dash ten years into her surprise career, where her younger sister works as her assistant, she can’t shake Connor Smith because she based a main character on him and used his actual name, and she’s finally back with Oliver. And, for whatever reason, whenever she goes on vacation, she ends up in the middle of a murder mystery. No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding takes her to Catalina Island for her actress best friend’s surprise wedding to her co-star, and of course someone dies.

Three months after the events of the first book, filming has wrapped for the movie adaptation of Eleanor’s first book, starring her best friend Emma and Fred Winter, on whom Emma had a crush in her younger years. Eleanor, though, hates that the movie’s made some big changes to the story and can’t stand Simone, the director. But filming has come to an end and now the entire production is heading for Catalina Island, supposedly to do more filming but to actually attend Emma and Fred’s super secret wedding. Except there’s a literal hurricane coming, and secrets are about to be exposed. The guests have been warned that murder is on the menu, and it does seem true that, whenever Eleanor goes on vacation, a body turns up, even if no one was supposed to die at the wedding.

One of the fun parts of this series is that the next book is teased in the epilogue of the previous book. So the first book’s epilogue took Eleanor, Harper, and Oliver to Catalina and set them down in the middle of the reception, where Eleanor finds a body in a closet. No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding picks up a couple of days before that event, when filming for When in Rome is wrapping in LA. I really loved that this book stayed a little closer to home. Italy was nice, but I don’t read many books set on Catalina, an island a boat ride away from where I live and somewhere I’ve spent time at as a kid. It was great getting back there through this book, though I was a little disappointed Eleanor didn’t really leave the Descanso Beach Club, where they’re staying as the wedding’s set there. It was also fun to have a hurricane blow through, because, after Hurricane Hilary a couple of years ago, I guess it’s completely possible for a second one. I did like how weather warnings were threaded through, but I also kind of didn’t see the point of them.

No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding blended in bits of the script into the story, too, complete with the bad dialogue Eleanor hated. It was kind of fun to read, and it did actually have a role to play, but the dialogue was actually hard not to cringe at. I’m sure that was the point, but it was also kind of disappointing because this sounds like it’s supposed to be a big movie, but I don’t think that dialogue would go over well with viewers. Though it did offer the opportunity of a misdirection as Eleanor seemed to really enjoy suspecting the scriptwriter, David, of the things going on and the murders since he butted heads with Simone, who seemingly took every opportunity to rewrite the script.

Which brings me to the characters, who didn’t seem as engaging as the cast of characters in the first book. Where the group in the first book had some really fantastic personalities woven in, these felt thinly fleshed out. Eleanor was, of course, a lot of fun, though her inner dialogue actually kind of grated and it felt like she was trying too hard. Also, her foot notes were nowhere near as fun and could definitely have been ignored this time around. Harper and Oliver felt like little more than her supporting cast, there when she needed them otherwise mostly absent and with lackluster personalities. I did feel Oliver tried, but it didn’t really come off well. I really loved the interactions between Eleanor and Harper in the first book, and this one just kind of ignored them. Most of the time, Harper wasn’t even around. Instead, Oliver seemed to be taking her place, but he doesn’t have the kind of fun personality Harper does.

Then there’s everyone else, from the bride and groom to the method actor to Crazy Cathy, Eleanor’s stalker. None of them felt well-developed, all of them playing a role and nothing else. Even Crazy Cathy didn’t really feel as stalkerish as she did in the first book, instead being used as little more than a tool. There’s so much drama around Fred and his parents and his old friend Tyler, who is also involved with the film, that it seemed to suck up all the story and anything interesting that could have happened outside of them. After a while, it was a little annoying to continually circle back to Fred and all the people in his orbit. I wanted so much more from Emma, but, I have to hand it to her, she’s a good actress, if a bit soft-hearted. I was disappointed Allison, who was present in the first book, didn’t seem as much fun and interesting, and her role felt far more minimal than it could have been. The really fun one, though, was the actor playing Inspector Tucci. As a method actor, he really went all in, and it was really a lot of fun. Everyone else felt drab.

The mystery itself was actually a little scattered. Someone’s clearly after Emma. Or maybe Fred. And at some point Fred’s mother? But then an unexpected body pops up and, at that point, I just kind of gave up. I felt like Eleanor was leading me in circles, and she was obsessed with just a couple of players. It did end up making sense, in its own way, at the end, but I felt like it ignored characters who could have put some really interesting twists on the mystery, and some things just didn’t really seem to get explained at all. The hurricane could have really wrecked havoc, but just felt like a bit of bad weather. Even Inspector Tucci constantly putting his nose in and getting yelled at by everyone else in the room grew old. The story here wasn’t nearly as fun as in the first book, and I felt like a few too many things were thrown into the mix and then just not explored and used as they could have been.

No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding is a decent follow up to the first book, but it felt like it was missing some flair and interest. I did love that it’s set on Catalina, and I did enjoy Eleanor’s voice, even if it sometimes felt like a bit much. But the story was more confusing than twisty, and it never seemed to make up its mind if it was focused on the wedding activities or the murder mystery. Oh, and Connor? His role was so minimal I forgot about him, didn’t I? It was a little exhausting being stuck in Eleanor’s head this time around, but it looks like we’re headed somewhere tropical next, so I’m hoping there will be a better mystery there, especially since there are some other mystery writers there, too.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

This second in the series continues moments after the Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies. As one should guess from the title, this novel begins with bestselling mystery author Eleanor Dash discovering a body in a broom closest during the wedding of star actors Emma Wood and Oscar-winner Fred Winters. While nobody WANTS a murder to occur at a wedding, at this point Eleanor Dash should have expected it. After all, she’s been on the 50-day film shoot of the movie based on her first mystery, inspired by her real-life adventure and with Santa Monica subbing in for Italy. An executive producer credit still doesn’t give Eleanor script approval, meaning that she’s forced to watch her dialogue be slashed into the tritest exchanges. At least she has the luxury of her best friend being the actress in the starring role, which is why Eleanor, her boyfriend Oliver, and her sister Harper are on the film set while also attending Emma’s wedding to fellow star Fred Winters. In addition to asking Eleanor to be her bridesmaid though, Emma asks the novelists to look into the threatening letters she’s been receiving. While the internet and social media is notoriously unkind with criticism, online attacks against Emma include too many details to have them being sent from the general public. When an electrocuted phone, possibly poisoned cat (don’t worry, it’s fine), and then the first body pops up, Eleanor, her ex-boyfrenemy nemesis, and a method-acting fake inspector jump into the investigation on who wants either the actors, the real-life characters they represent, or the stand-ins dead.

This is an absolutely fantastic read that combines all of my favorite loves. A sarcastic heroine, celebrity gossip, Hollywood movie-making, and an isolated mystery murder; just one of these is guaranteed to please readers, so when combined they are a true joy. The footnotes included by Eleanor for each chapter should NOT be ignored or skimmed over, as they add an infinite amount of delightful details and observational humor. Fans of the Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz will enjoy the use of these to add snark, fill in details from the previous book, and inform readers about the bookwriting and movie-making businesses. Eleanor occasionally breaks the fourth wall to talk to speak directly to readers, mostly to address murder mystery conventions and how these tropes definitely are NOT happening here (maybe). Segments from the movie script are included throughout as well, and the terrible writing and trite dialogue justifies Eleanor’s complaints and distain for the movie’s writer David Liu. There are so many plot swerves, misidentifications, and added complications that readers will be unable to figure out the culprit, and further, they will not care. The journey is what is important in this hilarious mystery, with the ending leading up to what will hopefully be yet another very on-the-nose book title in Eleanor’s future.

Fun read! Love when nothing goes to plan with the character’s plans on trying to run things smoothly! Great murder mystery fun read. I was laughing and trying to solve the mystery as I read. Great plot, fun character’s and memorable moments. A quick summer read to keep you throughly entertained!

No One Was Supposed to Die At This Wedding is the second volume in The Vacation Mysteries by Catherine Mack.

The series gives off a very humorous vibe and doesn’t need to be read in sequential order, but can help with the back story. It covers much of the history as you narrate through the current murder mystery.

The whodunit mystery basically has you pointing fingers at every one and combing out possible motives and timelines.

This humorous take already begins with a wedding between Hollywood A-listers on Catalina Island off the coast of Southern California when a Hurricane is barreling towards them. What can go wrong? And while the narrator will tell you not to read into the chapter titles too closely or even the numerous footnotes at the ends of the chapters, you’ll find yourself scouring for clues. Although you’ll find some red herrings and third act twists as you venture through.

It follows Eleanor, our narrator, as she visits the set of her mystery book turned movie. Turns out her real life best friend, Emma, is the lead actress and is now getting married to the lead actor. The twist: she received a note saying someone will die at her wedding! Gasp!

Plot twist: many die at the wedding!

Read through the drama of ex-boyfriends (plural), sisters who have had relationship with said ex-boyfriends, old jealous high school friends, secret cell phones, secret relationships, etc, etc. oh, and solve a murder!

Thanks @NetGalley and MacMillan for the advanced digital copy

Pick this one up if you like:
💍 Amateur sleuths
💍 Cozy mystery
💍 Closed circle trope (stuck together on the island)
💍 Quirky characters (lots of suspects!)

This is the second book in the Vacation Mysteries series. This series has great characters - Eleanor Dash is a successful mystery writer who once again finds herself in the middle of a real life mystery. This time, she’s on location for a film shoot for one of her novels - and her best friend’s surprise wedding. When Eleanor receives an anonymous note warning that someone will be killed at the wedding, she goes into full sleuth mode.

This book is full of laughs and surprises as Eleanor races against the clock to solve the mystery before anything happens to one of the wedding guests.

Throw this book in your bag and enjoy it by the pool or at the beach - a fun mystery for your next summer read!

This was a great sequel and I am excited for the upcoming third one!! This was such a fun mystery that left me surprised until the end.

Absolutely enjoyed the story. There were so many red herrings, that I was blindsided. The pace was good. The amount of recap was perfect to remind me of details from the first story. Hope there will be a book 3.

Like Book #1, although at times distracting, I find the footnotes unique and fun. These books give me Agatha Christie vibes with the flip flopping of suspects and motives, and while some of the plot was a bit predictable, there was a twist I wasn't expecting.

No One Was Supposed to Die at the Wedding by Catherine Mack. It was a fun fast-paced murder mystery. This is a series you'll love if you love Finlay Donovan or books about authors sleuthing their way to another book!

I can't wait for another one in the series to come out - and I need the paperback to go on sale cuz it needs to match the first!

In this sequel to Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies, novelist Eleanor Dash is on set as the movie version of her first book wraps, and the lead actress (her childhood best friend Emma) is set to marry the leading man on Catalina Island. Emma receives a threat that someone is going to die at the wedding, and Eleanor starts trying to figure out what is going on - all the more so when they are trapped on the island because of an incoming storm and someone actually dies.

It's another very light and fluffy mystery (despite the deaths), with lots of snark, winking at the audience, and fourth wall breaking footnotes. There are an absolute ton of characters and the first book had gotten a bit hazy in my memory, so sometimes it was a tiny bit hard to follow, but it also was a fun read that kept me turning pages, even though the ultimate resolution of the mystery was so complex it left my head spinning a bit. Still, I'll definitely keep reading the series even though it's not perfect.

3.75 stars

Catherine Mack did not disappoint. I love the audio version of how the story is told and how as a reader I dealt drawn into the book. Will definitely be an auto buy author for me. Thanks NetGalley for the eArc.

This was a fun, slightly campy, mystery novel. I have not read the first of this series but did not think that deterred my enjoyment of this book. Reading the first would fill in some gaps that aren't explicitly explained in this one but not a requirement, imo. While some aspects of the story were a little predictable, I didn't see the reveal coming & I enjoyed the MC breaking the fourth wall to talk directly to the reader. Overall, a solid 4 star read!

Thank you Macmillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press for my gifted copies. All opinions are my own.

I loved Every time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies and I was so excited for No One Was Supposed to Die at this Wedding. I love Eleanor’s adventures and misadventures. I’m not sure how it flows in the ebook, but Elizabeth Evans m does a fabulous job with Eleanor’s foot notes.

This always kept me guessing as I tried to solve the murder(s) with Eleanor. I did not want to put this one down! I really hope we get more books in this series. Also, Elizabeth Evans does such a great job portraying Eleanor.

This was a cute follow up for The Vacation Mysteries! As always, I will listen to anything Elizabeth Evans narrates and I highly recommend listening to these books. The drama is just enough to keep you interested and the twists are never what you expect with this series. I'm excited for the next one!

Thank you NetGalley, Minotaur & the author for the arc!

This book ya’ll … well actually, both books in this little cozy mystery series … so much stinkin’ fun!!

I love, love, love the writing style!! Breaking through the fourth wall will always be on my list of favorite things! I just couldn’t get enough of the humor, the wit, the snark, the banter and those hilarious footnotes. Plus, the cast of characters in this one are “chef’s kiss” with the perfect shadow of suspicion on everyone! And did I guess the whodunnit? Nope. Thought I did. I was wrong.

If you are looking for something laugh out loud funny to throw in your beach bag this summer … here it is! It’s comical, ridiculous, entertaining and I just had the best time reading it … can’t wait for book three!!

Catherine Mack deftly combines a page-turning mystery with a humorous tone and some laugh-out-loud moments.
I was looking forward to reading this since I really enjoyed the first in the Vacation Mysteries series - Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies.
It was great to see Eleanor Dash, her sister, and other characters again. However, for me, this book was too similar to the first. Still, it's definitely worth a read, and I am eagerly awaiting the next in the series.

Second in Catherine Mack’s Vacation Mysteries, No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding is another effervescent madcap mystery featuring bestselling author Eleanor Dash. As in Mack’s first book, Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies, she continues to defy novelistic expectations by having Eleanor speak directly to the reader throughout the text and in accompanying hilarious footnotes.

“Wedding” opens on the movie adaptation of Eleanor’s first book,When in Rome, starring her best friend Emma Wood (who plays Eleanor) and heartthrob Fred Winters (who plays Connor Smith, Eleanor’s ex and the leading man of her series). After the movie wraps, Emma and Fred invite the crew to their surprise wedding on Catalina Island. Not only is the island under a hurricane warning, but Emma received a note beforehand stating “Someone Will Die at This Wedding,” foreshadowing events to come.

As was the case with the first novel in the series, the plot of “Wedding” is very convoluted, which makes the mystery difficult if not impossible to solve. And, to the extent that “Wedding” involves characters and events in the first novel in the series, readers really should read the novels in order and put both in their beach bags this summer. I look forward to the third book in the series, as well as the upcoming television series based on the same. 4 out of 5 stars for the laughs and ingenuity of the novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me with a complimentary advance reader’s copy of this book.

I enjoyed book 1 of The Vacation Mysteries and that holds in book 2. Eleanor has spunk and the footnotes (like book 1) are extra but also add extra humor. I had a hunch on how the mystery would get solved but wasn’t 100% sure. If you like Finlay Donovan I think you’ll like The Vacation Mysteries too.

This books follows Everytime I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies, and both books are wonderful. The wedding takes place on the posh private Catalina Island and brings back the cast of characters that we got to know in the first book, hoping to avoid being murdered. The mystery is well crafted and will keep you guessing as you read. With the mystery and laughs, this book is one you will definitely want to add to your bookshelves!