Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC.

This book was interminable. I honestly could not wait for it to end so that I could run to the library and find something to make me forget this experience. What should have taken me a day or two to read ended up taking me almost a week because I just had no interest in getting back into the cutesy, empty, rambling storytelling.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series and I was so excited the the sequel became available so quickly, but unfortunately I did not enjoy this one. Which is really strange because all the things I liked about the first book are still there ( the quirky voice, the first person perspective, the footnotes, the constant twist of the story) but this time around it felt annoying and trite, cutesy for the sake of "style". I get that this is how you caught your audience, but let's evolve with the series.
It could also be that this is a thing now in storytelling (see the Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone series) and now it's just grating on my nerves.

I didn't find the mystery compelling, with the constant red herrings and misdirection and confusion not really there to spice up the story but to highlight how inept every single person is who's trying to solve this. And the narcissism of the narrator is tiring.
I couldn't keep the characters straight, and I didn't even care. Turns out it didn't make a difference anyway. And the final reveal was - meh.

I think I'm done with this series. There will clearly be many more as the book ends with a fresh murder. And apparently the author has sold the rights for a television show? I'm thinking it'll be along the lines of Elsbeth or something equally quirky. Good for her! But I'm going to pass on any more of her work.

If you're into light, quirky, nonsuspenseful murder mysteries than this might work for you. Not a thrill to be found, but you may find it funny.

3.5⭐️
Cozy mysteries are truly my favorite sub genre of mysteries but especially this wonderful Vacation Mysteries series that Catherine Mack has created! I loved book 1 in this series, Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies, and this next installment was just as great!!

No One Was Supposed To Die at This Wedding has the same funny, break the fourth wall narration that allows the reader to full immerse into the read. Set on the island of Catalina with a hurricane about to hit, we meet our rag tag group of characters as these murders start happening. The mystery in this one was so good and had me constantly questioning all the characters. I thought I knew who the killer was so many times but each reveal had me questioning everything. I don't normally love footnotes in books but the ones in this one really worked for me! Through the footnotes, we got to see Eleanor's snarky funny inner thoughts surrounding the plot events which I really enjoyed! I do think the audiobook would be my preferred method for reading because the footnotes were a bit hard to read at times.

Overall, this was a fun cozy mystery read filled with funny and charming characters! This is the perfect summer or vacation read for lovers of cozy mysteries!! I can't wait to see what Eleanor get up to next because the teaser at the end of this one has me very excited!!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC in exchange for my review

Title: No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding
Author: Catherine Mack
Series: The Vacation Mysteries #2
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Rating: 3.25
Pub Date: May 13, 2025

I received complimentary eARC and ALCs from St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted

T H R E E • W O R D S

Conversational • Breezy • Chaotic

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Attending your best friend’s wedding should be a piece of (wedding) cake, but not for Eleanor Dash, bestselling author of the Vacation Mysteries series. Because murder seems to follow her every time she goes on vacation and is definitely her uninvited plus-one to the special occasion.

Emma Wood, Eleanor’s best friend since childhood, is starring in the movie adaptation of When in Rome, Eleanor’s first novel. Emma is also marrying Fred Winters, a major movie star and Emma’s co-star, who just happens to be playing Connor Smith, Eleanor’s ex and leading man of the series.

Filming wraps and they invite the whole cast and crew to their wedding at nearby Catalina Island. There may be a storm headed their way—because of course there is—but nothing will stop their nuptials . . . that is until Emma receives a note that says 'Someone is going to die at the wedding.'

Eleanor is a professional at this point, and she’ll do everything she can to uncover the murderer so true love can prevail . . . before it’s too late for her and the rest of the storm-trapped wedding party.

💭 T H O U G H T S

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies, Book 1 in The Vacation Mystery series from Catherine Mack was a fun-filled escape with a entertaining cast of characters, so I was excited to receive an early reader copy of Book 2, No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding, ahead of publication. I was expecting more of the same in the continuation of this cozy mystery series.

Eleanor is back and finds herself in a host of new outlandish situations and engaging in funny antics. Footnotes don't always work for me, yet here the snarky tone of Eleanor's internal thoughts really help move the story along and provide much needed comic relief. It's these footnotes that make it seem as though the narrator and the reader are the only one privy to these important details.

Elizabeth Evans returns with another fantastic performance as Eleanor on audio, capturing both the humour and charm of the story. She has distinct voices for each of the various characters and makes good use of a variety of accents. I definitely thought the narration brings the story to life in a way simply reading the words wouldn't.

Overall, No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding was a fun palette cleanser between a couple of more serious books with a large cast of charming characters. It's the perfect lighthearted read for summer or vacation. For anyone thinking of picking it up, the series should definitely be read in order to get the full experience and get to know the characters. I look forward to seeing what Eleanor and company get up to next.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• cozy mysteries
• fun summer reads
• breaking the fourth wall

⚠️ CW: death, murder, blood

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"It's my personal belief that the only people who hate weddings are sociopaths. Because they are in a room full of people they have to pretend in front of."

Till death do us part?

Just like with the first book in this series, I loved the narration in No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding. Breaking the fourth wall makes it feel like a friend recounting one of those you-won’t-believe-what-happened stories, complete with sarcasm and inside jokes.

The mystery was also great - lots of red herrings that had me suspecting nearly everyone except the actual murderer.

I do wish we’d gotten a bit more from the atmosphere. The story takes place on the island of Catalina with a hurricane about to hit, which could have great And Then There Were None vibes, but most of the build up takes place while the sun is still shining and ferries are still running.

Also, I don’t recommend reading the ebook version of this. The author makes great use of footnotes and it’s a pain in the butt to scroll through the ebook pages to find them.

Overall, a great summer read that has me looking forward to the next one in the series.

Cozy mysteries are hit and miss for me, but without a doubt Catherine Mack’s ‘The Vacation Mysteries’ series is an absolute hit! Book two in the adventures of Eleanor Dash was delightful and laugh-out-loud funny. But taking a step back, one thing that I LOVE about this series is how Mack constantly breaks the fourth wall. She talks directly to you and the publishing industry insight is so fascinating (because I know it’s true!).
This serious just doesn’t take itself seriously, yet is so witty and well-written. In book two Eleanor finds herself on Catalina Island at her best friends wedding when a storm hits and locks everyone onto the island. Murder obviously happens, and our full-time mystery author/part-time amateur sleuth gets to work trying to figure out what happened, however it’s an ensemble comedy at its finest.
I just adore this series and while you technically don’t have to read the first book to follow this one, I highly recommend it because you’ll get to know the characters and back story so well (and honestly it’s also just a delightful book). I really hope we get a third book in this series!

Thank you @macmillanaudio for the gifted audiobook! Thank you to @minotaurbooks for the eARC! I fell in love with this writing style and this main character when I read Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies. The teaser at the end of the book had me hooked and I cannot wait for more escapades in this series. It’s a much different dynamic and a smaller setting, a stark contrast to the first book. The entire novel takes place within one wedding week/weekend, & it’s clear that someone is out to get the bride and/or groom and it’s up to our amateur sleuth/murder-mystery author heroine to solve the crime and save the day once again.

There was a lot happening and many misdirects - the mystery kept me on my toes this time and with the smaller setting and seemingly fewer characters it was nice to have so many possibilities that could have made sense. I loved the callbacks to the first book, and seeing Eleanor and Oliver’s relationship growth (tbh I’m worried the love triangle isn’t done yet though) was nice. I’m excited for more to come in this series!

Entertaining murder mystery. Having visited Catalina Island helped me enjoy the story even more. Many surprises. A unique way of telling the story. I would have been happier without the "f" word. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Book and NetGalley for the eARC. This book was laugh out loud funny, witty, and the foot notes were a great touch!

No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding - Catherine Mack
Pub Date - 5/13/25
Rating - 3/5
Thoughts - Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for this gifted advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. This book is a very interesting cozy mystery set on Catalina Island. The main character, Eleanor, is a best selling author of the Vacation Mystery Series, who writes her books based on her real life. One of those books, When In Rome, is finishing up filming at the beginning of this book, leading the reader into a wedding weekend. Eleanor is the maid of honor at this wedding since the bride is her childhood best friend and lead actress in the movie. Since death seems to always follow Eleanor, naturally someone dies.

This was a very witty and fun book! It gives Finlay Donovan vibes, which is a series I absolutely love. The story, plot, and events were well written. I felt like the story could have moved a little faster, which is why i gave it a lower rating. Overall, great story, and will definitely be checking out the first installation to this series.

Book 2 in The Vacation Mysteries series was a hit! I just LOVE the FMC, Eleanor- and her footnotes! Eleanor is super witty, and had me laughing out loud through the whole book! I thought this storyline was really unique, and the pacing worked really well. I was able to fly through this book, and DID NOT predict the twists. I'm hoping there are more stories in this series, because I really enjoy them.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I truly appreciate when an author can make me laugh out loud when I'm reading. To accomplish that in the midst of wedding drama, mysterious threatening notes, and bodies dropping like flies, I'm even more impressed. I was thrilled when I received the eARC for No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding, as I had just finished the first book in the series Everytime I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies. Finding another series of cozy mysteries with a side order of snark has this reader very happy.

These characters. Eleanor simply can't walk away from anything that slightly resembles a mystery. And she drags poor Oliver and Harper along, ignoring all the dangers, and putting herself into the crazies of situations. The twists and turns in this book kept me guessing all the way through, and although I had one plot line figured out, there were a lot of surprises by the time I reached the end. The footnotes add the perfect amount of snark and sarcasm, and they might be my favorite aspect of these books.

Looking forward to seeing where Eleanor and her motley crew end up next. Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me an eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts. I anticipate many positive reviews for this book.

My thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books/St. Martin's Publishing for the ARC of No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding" in exchange for an honest review.

With open arms, I welcome back Eleanor Dash, best selling mystery author and world's most luckless traveler to beautiful places. Because where El goes, fictional murders turn into real ones. Yes somehow, with her first person narration dripping with witty sarcasm, she stumbles her way into identifying the killer. And readers get a far more sunny, funny vacation than Eleanor's coterie of friends, enemies, frenemies, lovers and suspects.

After her calamitous book tour through Italy, El's on gorgeous Catalina Island not only to watch the filming of her book, but to attend the wedding of her movie star friend Emma and her co-star Fred. From the cast and crew, the guest list is of course rounded out with every Hollywood arch=type you can think of., along with the Eleanor's current love-of-her-life novelist Oliver and the never ending thorn-in-her-side, the dashing rogue, Connor. (She's still living with the mistake of making him the romantic lead in her mysteries.)

Like the most beloved murder mysteries set in islands off the coastline, a hurricane's headed for Catalina to coincide with the wedding. Also coinciding with the nuptials......simmering rivalries, ominous secrets, threatening notes, mysterious near fatal 'accidents'.......and dead bodies.

Loaded with laugh out loud moments, author Catherine Mack takes multiple whacks at the foibles of the publishing world and Hollywood's cast of A-Listers, Hangers-on and Bottom Feeders. Eleanor's self-depreciating narrative makes her the most endearing character amid this nest of oddballs and vipers, and you don't want to miss her further comic asides via her footnotes.

I had the same great time with this one as with the first book in the series and will definitely book my ticket for wherever El lands next. One of the most delightful 5 star beach reads you'll find this year.





Reading Progress

DNF at 14%. Witty, witty tone from the start, but I couldn't find a footing with this book from the get-go. It's the 2nd book in the series, and it showed. Readers typically get a big of a recap when reading a series, but the recap in this was too jumbled and too you-should-have-read-the-first-one.

Yes, yes, I should have, but I was excited to read this and thought perhaps the setup would be simplified and actually fun. Turned out, it barely gave me the chance to sink into the scene or the characters before shifting to something else or someone else. This was to be a cozy mystery, but it was too many things that didn't land. Too bad because this just sounded so clever, and the wit was right up my alley.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for a copy of this. All opinions are my own.

I laughed so hard reading this book my stomach was hurting. Needless to say, I loved this book. The author is so clever in her use of humor. I love how she talks to herself, yet sometimes, it’s out loud. The footnotes are full of tongue and cheek moments. There are moments when you feel as if the author is talking directly to you, like an actor on a television show talking to the camera. It all works especially when she writes a very good mystery that will keep your attention.

This review is entirely voluntary and my personal opinions.

Thank you to the publishing and audiobook teams—I loved this book! Catherine Mack is my hero for her droll, dark, and edgy spin on the cozy mystery, perfectly blending fourth wall-breaking wit with genuinely sharp plotting, fun twists, and a dreamy setting. Eleanor’s voice is truly one of a kind—snidely astute, frequently hilarious, and always aware of the genre she’s dancing through—and I adored her commentary that had me laughing out loud (sometimes inappropriately) whether reading or listening.

Elizabeth Evans delivers another pitch-perfect performance as Eleanor, capturing the sharp humor and charm of the narration with just the right touch. I especially appreciated how well the footnotes and side comments were woven into the audiobook—it made for such a smooth and engaging listen during commutes and walks. This sequel felt even more fast-paced and surprising than the first, with a few reveals in the second half that genuinely caught me off guard. I definitely recommend the audio format for this one, and I’m really looking forward to where the series heads next.

This series is so fun and has such a unique writing style! The story is told by the main character, directly to the reader, breaking the fourth wall the entire story, especially through the footnotes that are mostly used for jokes but occasionally to drop hints about the mystery. It is such a unique way to tell a story and I have never read anything quite like it. Eleanor already knows what happens as she retells the situation to the reader, but in a way that still conveys her shock and surprise as the story develops and the mysteries are revealed! The mystery was intriguing, the characters were charming, and the romance was very sweet! And the way she set up the next book, title and everything, was so clever! I can't wait for This Weekend Isn't Going to End Well for Anyone to read more about this chaotic mystery writer's detective skills!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was delighted to have this opportunity as I had very much enjoyed the first book in the series, Every Time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies. Happily this book fully met my high expectations. Both titles fit my idea of the world of the books perfectly - kind of like if a younger Jessica Fletcher in Murder She Wrote actually recognized that it should be extremely troubling, and quite immediately apparent, that people keep dying wherever you go. Eleanor Dash is a relatable character for me and I appreciate that she is more in the vein of Finlay Donovan in her intelligence and humor and romantic difficulties, than, say, Stephanie Plum. I also appreciated that there was reasonable overlap in continuing characters and plot threads from the first book to this one, but that even those characters and themes that recur can still surprise Eleanor and the reader and contribute in intriguing ways to the plot and ultimate resolution. Readers who enjoyed the first book will surely enjoy this also, and like me, be eagerly awaiting the third.

Eleanor is raking in all the success since she solved the case of who was trying to kill her on book tour! Her first book is being made into a movie, she’s working on another sure to be hit book, and she’s got her man back! When her best friend (and the lead actress playing Eleanor in the movie adaptation) is getting ready to her costar in secret, Eleanor is thrilled for them as they all head to an island for filming and the wedding. She’s less thrilled to see the threats against her BFF, threatening to ruin her wedding. And then the bodies start showing up, so it’s up to Eleanor and some favorite returning faces to figure out what’s going on and save the big day!

I liked this book more than the first one (Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies)! I think the author has some solid ideas that work to build suspense and keep readers on their toes. There’s definitely some decent surprises throughout the story. My only complaint is the main character’s voice is over the top, stream of conscious, rambling that I just struggle to enjoy. But my biggest complaint from the first book - about too many footnotes - was much better this time! They are better organized, less distracting, but equally funny, and I feel like that really improved my reading experience! If you decide to pick this one up, I hope you enjoy it!

I loved this book. The author’s voice was extremely light and readable, but at the same time she managed to develop characters and build a suspenseful plot. I look forward to the next book in the series!

Every Time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies was one of my favorite cozy mysteries last year, and I was excited to see that all of my favorite characters would be back in this newest book. Eleanor's book When in Rome is being adapted into a movie with her best friend, Emma, playing the starring role. Emma is marrying Fred Winters, Emma's co-star in the film. The cast and crew are heading to Catalina Island for the big day. But as a big storm makes its way to the island, Emma starts to receive threatening notes that say, "Someone will die at this wedding." Can Eleanor find who is behind the threats before the couple says I Do?

This series always makes me laugh. I know that is weird to say about murder, but the breaking of the fourth wall and footnotes are always comedic. Although I did not enjoy this book as much as the first one, I still thought this was a great cozy mystery and I was kept guessing till the very end. The conclusion does set up the next book in the series and I am excited to see what is next for Eleanor.

Just like book one, I would highly recommend the audiobook. Elizabeth Evan is the narrator for both books and does a fantastic job for all of the characters. I also found it easier to follow along with the footnotes than the e-book.

No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding is out May 13th.

Thank you to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding. All thoughts and opinions are my own.