2.5 ⭐️ At the start of NOWSTDATW, Eleanor, a writer, is bemoaning the way her book adaptation has been butchered by poor screenwriters. This somewhat fits, as the book reads like a screenplay which was stretched into a novel and not the other way around.

From the start, the fourth wall is smashed and the narrator, Eleanor, speaks directly to the reader. Remember the old 90s TV sitcom voiceovers that start “I bet you are asking yourself how I got into this pickle…well let me tell you!” It’s just like that. While in small doses that can be fun, over 350 pages it turns grating. Same for any story told in present tense, first person, single character point of view. We have to live so solidly in her often neurotic and scattered head it’s both claustrophobic and exhausting.

Every chapter has detailed footnotes which are occasionally cool facts or funny but would have worked better as a reading experience if they were just integrated into the main structure. (This feels only successful in the audio version.)

Footnotes which require jumping around were just one part of the messy story construction. We start off in what presumably is the present moment, at the wedding in question, with the main character stumbling on a dead body after the ceremony. That piqued my interest. But then the story leaps days backward to tell us how she arrives at this murder. Extended flashbacks often kill momentum - and this story up to 80% is basically one big flashback.

Then, and this is a real head scratcher, the past is also told in first person present tense point of view even though we as readers know it can’t possibly be happening in real time because we started in the now. Or was that the future and we’re breaking the space time continuum?

These narrative choices made for a deeply frustrating, messy, and distracting reading experience. Maybe this will work on the TV adaptation, but as a book to read with the eyeballs…less so.

The mystery was buried under these intentional quirks and the focus was so narrowed on the narrator that I never locked in long enough to care about any other characters. The only one here who feels like a real person is Oliver, the boyfriend.

NOWSTDATW was an exciting idea in a cool setting, but ultimately was a miss for me.
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Thank you Minotaur Books for the Advanced Reader Copy. Expected publication date: May 13, 2025

Series: The Vacation Mysteries Book #2

Themes/Tropes: travel mystery, writers solving crimes, Hollywood, celebrities behaving badly

Steam/Spice Level: closed door, fade to black

Setting: Catalina Island, California

BIPOC Characters: yes, secondary characters

LGBTQ+ Characters: yes, secondary characters

POV: first person, single POV, present tense

Standalone or Series: best read after book 1

Cops/LEO: yes, but no corruption themes

Does the Dog/Horse/Cat Die? A cat almost gets poisoned, but it ends up totally fine.
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I enjoyed this funny cozy mystery. The twist at the end was shocking!!Can’t wait for the next one in the series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

It's been 3 months since Italy and now Eleanor Dash finds herself back in California where the movie of her book When in Rome is wrapping up production. Coincidentally, the lead character is being played by Elle's best friend from childhood Emma. Emma and lead actor, Fred Winter, have happily found love during filming and, now that filming is complete the entire cast and crew are joining them on Catalina Island for a not-so-secret wedding. Everything seems rather idyllic until Emma receives a note saying someone is going to die at the wedding. Not on Eleanor Dash's watch. Elle will do everything in her power to make sure this wedding goes off without a hitch including throwing herself back into the investigation. Hey, at least this time she's not the target... at least she thinks she's not the target.

I think I was better able to handle this book after reading the first one and kind of understanding what I was getting into. Hello footnotes! Because of that I feel like I enjoyed this book more. Also, the first book took place in Italy, all over the place, so I also think the paired down locale in this book - being on an island and all with limited room to move - helped corral the ensuing chaos a bit.

I liked and appreciated how this second book continued the story from the first book and how Catherine Mack decided to place all the returning characters in a plausible way. Looking at you Tucci! Mainly, it's that I like that these characters are becoming familiar and I'm starting to recognize all their quirks and dynamics with one another.

The twists with the mystery were also done well. The outcome wasn't immediately apparent, but I also wasn't super surprised in how things turned out. I think by the time we got to the end we had already exhausted every other scenario so how things ended up just made sense.

Like the first book, the epilogue leads us perfectly into Eleanor's the next murder mystery infused vacation and I'm here for it.

Mack’s sequel starts out a little slow but certainly picks up and is just as enjoyable as her first book in this series. The usual cast of characters is back, this time going to Catalina to celebrate the wedding of Eleanor’s best friend to Fred. Along with her sister, her love Oliver, trouble maker Connor, and others the wedding doesn’t go as planned. Especially when dead bodies keep popping up. Secrets are exposed but can Eleanor figure out what’s going on before anyone else is hurt?
This book was suspenseful, easy to read and just enjoyable.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy in exchange of my honest opinion.

I inhaled this book! I absolutely love the blend of mystery and humor, and the setting was perfect! I applaud Catherine’s ability to maintain the humor and style of book one while also telling a fresh story with a new mystery. I absolutely love the use of footnotes and chapter headings. It’s a clever way to insert humor into a mystery, and I think Catherine is hilarious.

This is such a fun series! I can't wait to see where the story goes in book three, and I thought this one did a great job continuing to develop the characters and relationships from book one. This was a thoroughly enjoyable story, and I highly recommend it on audio!

Thank you to Minotaur Books for the gifted copy! All thoughts are my own.

I could not wait for this book to come out after gobbling up Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies and this one was just as amazing as the first!!! I absolute love everything about Eleanor and her odd group of friends (who are also sometimes suspects). It's so funny and smart, and I was guessing until the end! I am now anxiously awaiting the next vacation mystery book!

I read the first one while on a cruise last year, and it took me forever to read it, which was probably my first clue. Book 2 did not charm me over, there is just something about the format or the voice or maybe it is just the main character and all her footnotes. They take you right out of the story.
I can see how others would eat this up though and will definitely recommend to customers.

We’ve gotten another absolutely hilarious and fun mystery from Catherine Mack and I for one, am extremely grateful! I couldn’t think of a better way to kickstart my spring reading!

What I’ve loved most about this series so far is that I am equally invested in the mystery and trying to figure out whodunnit but I’m also just so INVESTED in the drama surrounding this (frankly) messy group of characters. I loved that the gang was back for book two and that their web of interconnected relationships continued to cause some trouble…

I had the opportunity to read an e-ARC and listen to an ALC of this book and thoroughly enjoyed both formats. However, I have to give credit where it is due because Elizabeth Evans is truly the perfect narrator, she brought the cleverness and cheekiness of Eleanor to life which made for such a fun reading experience!

If you’re a lover of light and cozy mysteries with a sprinkling of romance you absolutely need to pick up these books - you will have a great time!!

We’re back with Eleanor Dash in this second installment of the Vacation Mysteries series and this time she is at her best friend, Emma’s wedding in Italy. Emma is starring in the movie adaptation of Eleanor’s When in Rome book and is marrying her co-star. But just like the last time Eleanor was in Italy, a dead body shows up and Eleanor goes into sleuth mode. With a storm coming and no help available, the wedding party are all suspects.

This was a cute cozy mystery but I started by listening to it and I think it would have been better to get my bearings by reading the first few chapters because I was a bit confused. This is a light palate cleansing novel which was cute but not overly engrossing; that being said I did care to figure the mysteries out and didn’t always succeed. However, I did like it enough to read the next one (if there is one).

3.5

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the ARC to review

With an original voice, complex plot, and atmospheric setting, Catherine Mack delivered yet another home run with No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding. The second book in a series, we were gifted with even more dark humor as the laugh-out-loud-funny protagonist broke the fourth wall. A messy amateur sleuth who got just as much wrong as she did correct, her first-person narration was easily the winning piece to this hilarious whodunnit. After all, I can’t begin to tell you how many times I snorted, chuckled, and giggled as I raced through these pages.

The plot itself was a fun locked room murder mystery complete with a slew of suspicious characters alongside oodles of secrets and lies. Delivering us straight into a dumpster fire of a wedding, there was a delightful amount of gossip-worthy drama and dysfunctional family dynamics that made the plot come alive. Was the first half somewhat of a slow burn? Well, yes… But Eleanor’s snarky banter and sweet, second-chance romance kept me enthralled. After all, this cozy mystery had it all: quirky characters, original twists, and a clever format that pulled me straight into Eleanor’s head.

The only fly in the ointment was the drawn-out dénouement which was full of what Eleanor thought could have happened. Flipping back and forth between her theories and suppositions, I had a hard time following along once we fell into the wormhole of the inevitable “what-ifs.” Don’t get me wrong, it set up what really went down with utter precision and made the truth even more shocking to this armchair sleuth reader.

All and all, I was utterly blown away yet again. Perfect for fans of Benjamin Stevenson, the metafiction vibe and dark comedy feel only sold me on this witty, fun narrator even more. On top of an unguessable plot and smile-inducing conclusion, I couldn’t put the book down and I’m now eagerly awaiting the next book in the series. I do, however, recommend reading them in order. While the author did a fine job filling in what happened in the first novel, you might struggle a bit as there are a few continuing plot lines. Besides, you won’t want to miss a minute with Eleanor. Rating of 4 stars.

Thank you to Catherine Mack, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for my complimentary physical and digital copies. All opinions are my own.

No one was supposed to die, but fans of cozy caper mysteries will be glad someone did. Mack brings the usual suspects from Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies back for an encore and brings the house down.

Just like the first book this was a good time! All around light headed and hilarious mystery. Loved the characters so much and had a good time reading!

This was really fun.

You don’t have to read the first book in the series but it does really help with the character dynamics. I read the first in the series but it’s been over a year so I forgot so much of it. Some of the time I felt a bit lost, even with the foot notes.

I will say that I preferred the first book in the series. This one felt a little too goofy? Or something like that? Not sure but over all a cozy mystery and a fun read! I would continue with this series for sure.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc. This book was cute, but I did not read the first book in the series. Overall, I enjoyed it, and I thought the narrator did a really good job. I would definitely read more books by this author in the future. It was a good mystery and if you like the Finley Donovan series, you will enjoy this book.

Catherine Mack does it again! Who knew a murder mystery could be so downright fun?! Told through an abundance of wit, No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding is a delightfully enjoyable second book in Mack’s Vacation Mysteries series. (Though this book can be read and enjoyed as a stand alone!) Using unique humor and an unforgettable style, Mack breaks the fourth wall throughout the story and will have you laughing out loud and pointing accusatory fingers at each member of the eclectic cast! Highly recommend.

Huge thank you to Catherine Mack, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, & NetGalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

Sometimes I get a bit weary about sequels when I enjoyed the first book, but I have to say that this second book in a series was so much fun! I actually might even like this one a bit more than the first book. I have the mind of a goldfish when it comes to books, but the author did such a fantastic job of jumping right back into this series with subtle reminders of the last books plot and the major players. So much so that I do think that you could read this standalone, however I highly encourage readers to read the first one. I do love the breaking of the fourth wall during the reading of the book and the footnotes didn’t seem as cumbersome this go around. I also loved that the reader gets to figure out the murders at the same time as our leading lady. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend if you like a fast moving murder mystery that has you chuckling while putting on your detective hats!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced reader copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

Catherine Mack's second book in The Vacation Mysteries series is exactly what I hoped it would be: another light, charming, murder-filled escape. No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding picks up with Eleanor Dash, bestselling author and reluctant amateur sleuth, heading to her best friend's wedding on Catalina Island. Of course, it wouldn't be a Vacation Mystery without a looming storm, a dramatic guest list, and a threatening note promising someone won't survive the weekend.

This one is pure fun. No emotional heaviness, no complicated plot twists— just a beach read with murder, movie stars, and a bridal party trapped on an island. The characters are quirky and fun, even if they don't feel all that real. And that's kind of the point. They're not meant to reflect your everyday friends and neighbors; they're meant to entertain, and they do.

Mack's writing is quick, witty, and self-aware. I found myself laughing out loud at a few moments and breezing through most of the book in a single sitting. That said, the middle dragged a little. I wasn't totally hooked the whole way through, but the ending picked up enough to make it worth it.

If you're looking for a cozy mystery that doesn't take itself too seriously, this one's a solid pick. You don't need to read the first book to enjoy it (though you might want to). It's the kind of story you pack in your weekend bag and finish before checkout. No stress, just murder and mayhem with a smile.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for an advanced reader's copy; all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This sequel leans heavily on the first book, so it’s definitely one for returning readers rather than newcomers. With a large cast of characters, it can be hard to keep track of who’s who, and many don’t get the development they need in order to make sense. The plot has some interesting moments but feels a bit scattered overall. Fans of the series might still enjoy revisiting the world, but it doesn’t quite deliver the focus or clarity you’d hope for in a follow-up.

Such a funny murder whodunit story. The narrator is quasi-unreliable but it adds to the fun. She’ll also break the fourth wall to give more of her insight. Characters are interesting and I couldn’t predict a lot of the twists and turns.

I received an arc from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was so much fun! It had the same tone, humor, and twists as the first book, which is really all I could've asked for.

This is perfect for fans of things like Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone. It brings the laughs, the drama, and also some surprising twists. Even thought our MC can be sarcastic, I really like following her and all of the good side characters this series has to offer. We followed a lot of the same people in this one, but were introduced to some new characters as well. I also really like the element of fame/celebrity that came into this one a little bit more than the last.

I think these books are perfect summery mysteries and I'll definitely continue to read this series!