A murder mystery book that will takeaway your whole weekend! ❤️

I love this one a whole lot more than the first one so it kind of started like the first one where a murder happened where it shouldn’t. Our protagonist took interest and started profiling guests and their interests. This book is so funny and witty! I thoroughly enjoyed it!!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. 🫶🏻

Eleanor Dash is back as a wedding guest and amateur sleuth! Murder seems to follow Eleanor, best selling author of a Vacation Mystery series and she’s off to Catalina Island for her best friends wedding.

This was a fun follow up to book 1, Everytime I go on Vacation Someone Dies. I’m excited to see where the rest of the Vacation Mysteries series takes us!

If you like snark and banter you will enjoy this action packed murder mystery. This isn’t your typical straight forward mystery read - there’s a lot going on, drama and witty words between the characters that keep you entertained while trying to figure out who dun it!

Thank you to author, Catherine Mack, Publisher Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

No One Was Supposed To Die At This Wedding
Author: Catherine Mack
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Release Date: May 13th
Star Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
Scoville Spice Scale: 🫑

"I Went To Hollywood And All I Got Was This Lousy Murder?"

Eleanor Dash is up to her elbows in murder suspects at the wedding of her long time friend, actress Emma Wood to actor Fred Winter. The Fred Winter who was Emma's teenage crush. Hollywood is in the midst of making a film out of Eleanor's first book "When In Rome" - the book based on her real life experience with Connor Smith and his schemes and doublecrossing. Connor is in the thick of it having secured himself a consulting title on the film. Somehow Emma and Fred have fallen in love in real life and secured Catalina Island for their wedding and for the cast and production crew. A litany of press will also join them. That is, until the hurricane. Because, of course, there is a hurricane and, of course, most of the island is going to be deserted. It's a Catherine Mack Mystery! Keep Up!

I loved the relationship between Oliver and Eleanor. He is the right amount of strength and calm to her frenetic and sarcasm. I loved how the Dash sisters pulled together in supporting each other, especially when Harper makes her big reveal. I loved the twists and turns. Phew! This was a rollercoaster!

The hurricane itself took one its own foreboding characteristics as it menaced everyone. Will it ruin everything? Will it strand them there on the island? Will there be enough alcohol to get through this (I did miss my Aperol Spirtzes!).

One technical YAY! note. The footnotes worked so much better with pop ups at the note¹ instead of just at the end of the chapter. Thank you! This made the reading so much more enjoyable!

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I felt it had a few pacing issues but that really didn't take away from my enjoyment.

Thank you to @NetGalley @CatherineMcKenzieAuthor and @Minotaur_Books for a gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#noonewassupposedtodieatthisweddiding
#CatherineMcKenzieAuthor #MinotaurBooks
#ARCbookreview #outtoday #mysterybook

Your Next Cozy Mystery Read for Summer

Eleanor Dash is back—and she’s landed herself in yet another irresistible mystery. After loving the first installment in the series, I’m happy to report that the sequel delivers just as much charm, wit, and intrigue.

This time, we follow Eleanor as she takes on the role of maid of honor at her best friend’s wedding, set on a picturesque tropical island. But when a hurricane traps the wedding party, the story quickly turns into a delightful Agatha Christie-style locked-room whodunnit.

Following Eleanor is always a joy. She’s honest, relatable, and consistently funny—her fourth-wall-breaking commentary adds a unique flair that sets this series apart. It’s flat-out fun. The return of familiar side characters from book one is a welcome touch, and the new faces are just as engaging. The mystery itself is packed with twists and kept me guessing right up to the reveal.

I’m already looking forward to book three to see where this ragtag crew winds up next!

Read this if you enjoy:
-Cozy mysteries (perfect for a beach read!)
-Fast-paced stories
-A likable, quirky main character
-Endless plot twists
-Tropical settings
-Classic locked-room whodunnits

Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press / Minotaur Books for the digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Eleanor Dash is back!! I seriously couldn’t wait to see how this story continued. I really enjoyed the first novel in the Vacation series called Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies and just couldn’t wait for the next one in the series. It seems like wherever Eleanor goes there is someone or a bunch of people murdered. Eleanor’s first novel “When in Rome” is being made into a movie starring her best friend Emma Wood and movie star Fred Winters. After the filming wraps up the entire cast & crew head to Catalina Island for Emma & Fred’s secret wedding. Hurricane Isabella starts to arrive setting the scene, bringing on more twists and turns. Emma receives a note that someone is going to die at her wedding. Can Emma & Eleanor figure out what is going on before the trip & wedding is ruined? There is the same humor, banter & wit from the first novel which I love. I honestly couldn’t figure out who the suspect was in this story. I was actually surprised at the end! I am happy that I couldn’t figure it out and the entire novel left me wondering. You can read this novel as a stand alone however, book 1 builds up the characters but with a different story line. It’s fun to read them in order but you can totally read this one first if it’s the first one by Catherine Mack you’re picking up. I absolutely recommend this novel as well as the first book and I look forward to seeing some more of Eleanor Dash in the future.

Another wild ride with Eleanore! The quirky stream-of-consciousness writing style and witty dialogue makes this story so entertaining. Like the first book, I enjoyed how the author breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to the reader. There were a few moments in the first half of the book where I felt it dragged a bit, but the pace picked up in the second half of the book. Thank you for the ARC, and I cannot wait for book 3!

Best-selling author Eleanor Dash is excited to see her best friend, Emma Wood, get married on Catalina Island. Emma is also starring in the movie adaptation of Eleanor's first novel and happens to be marrying her handsome co-star, Fred Winters. Everyone can't wait to celebrate but Emma gets a distressing note that someone is going to die. A storm is coming in more ways than one, and Eleanor is determined to figure out who the murderer is.

I enjoyed the first installment of this series (Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies), so I was excited to be back with Eleanor Dash on another adventure. This was the perfect entertaining and cozy mystery and I loved the footnotes (just like in the first book). The cast of characters in this one will immediately draw you in and won't let you go.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the ARC!

4.5/5!

This book was easily one of my most anticipated spring releases and it did not disappoint!

Last year I fell in love with Catherine Mack’s writing style and the characters who starred in Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies. Naturally, the next in the series was a must read!

Our main character, Eleanor Dash, is back and just as witty as ever as she attends her best friend’s wedding that turns, you guessed it, murdery! The location is isolated, the cast of characters are suspicious, and the fun is next level!

Fans of cozy mysteries that come with a side of sarcasm need to put this series on their must read list and get started soon because Mack teases at the end of this one that there will be a book three!

I didn’t enjoy this second in the series as much as the first. Initially I was sucked right back in by the quick wit and inner monologue of El, but by the end I was turned upside down by unbelievable twists and red herrings. I just think the mystery went completely off the rails and, instead of keeping me in my toes, it left me scratching my head in confusion. I’d read another one because the dialogue is hilarious and I know from the first book that these have excellent potential, but most of these characters acted so childish and the relationships were all too fragile and unsure for me that I didn’t find confidence in the sleuthing at all.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After I read Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies, I knew I was going to absolutely love this series. When I was approved for Book 2, I was super excited and already knew I was going to love it. I wasn't wrong.

Similarly to the first installment, I had no idea where this story was going or how it would end. I was laughing and gasping aloud until the last page. I loved the characters, old and new. Their witty banter and Eleanor's thoughts are just pure chaos and I enjoyed every moment. Eleanor Dash definitely reminds me of a wannabe Hercule Poirot, with her own sense of humor (much less dry, I think). The way her mind works is similar to that of his, based on the several Agatha Christie books I've read. I love it. The numerous characters and red herrings and the discussions/banter reminds me so much of Agatha Christie, but with more humor. Eleanor Dash also reminds me of my other favorite fictional character, Becky Bloomwood, from the Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella. Her brand of humor and impulsiveness is similar, so that with the combination of a solid mystery makes my heart happy. I also just love the footnotes and the breaking of the fourth wall. It's definitely a unique way to read a book, and makes it more immersive.

I honestly hope we get as many books in this series as there are books that Eleanor has written about Conner! I highly recommend this series if you haven't started it already.

Catherine Mack's "No One Was Supposed To Die at This Wedding," the second in her Vacation Mysteries series, is a breezy, layered mystery that blends Hollywood glamour with murder and meta-commentary on the nature of storytelling itself.

At the story's center is Eleanor Dash, a mystery author whose fictional world starts becoming all too real when a threatening note upends her best friend's destination wedding on Catalina Island. With a mix of anxiety and intuition, Eleanor finds herself trying to stop a killer before her own story takes a fatal turn. While the premise is playful, Mack is adept at grounding the narrative by skillfully weaving Eleanor’s personal baggage into the plot without losing the thread of suspense.

The supporting cast is full of bold personalities including a movie star groom, his radiant bride, and Eleanor's past and current love interests. The wedding backdrop adds romantic tension and closed-circle stakes, and Mack cleverly uses the set of a film adaptation of Eleanor’s book to create parallels between fiction and reality.

Though the tone is witty and self-aware, the pacing never places cleverness ahead of plot. There are a few moments at risk being too knowing, but the central mystery stays engaging thanks to Eleanor’s sharp, self-deprecating, and emotionally attuned voice.

"No One Was Supposed To Die at This Wedding" is a mystery that’s just as much about character as crime, offering a satisfying blend of humor, heart, and intrigue.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

Eleanor is a mystery author, and unfortunately, every time she goes on vacation, someone seems to die. She is heading on vacation to see her best friend, Emma, get married. Emma is an actress, and the entire cast and crew of her most recent film will also be in attendance. Things get intense when a storm heads toward the island they are on and death threats start showing up. Now, Eleanor is on a mission to solve the murders.

This is a cozy murder mystery with an interesting cast of characters! Eleanor continued to be quirky and fun. The footnotes are an interesting component, which I think work best with the audio. I enjoyed the overall premise of this one, however I never really felt immersed in the mystery. There was a lot going on, and it was a little bit hard to keep track of all of the characters. The twists and turns kept me on my toes!

Book 2 of the Vacation Mysteries series is here and it was just as funny as Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies!

This lighthearted murder mystery is here just in time for summer and everyone’s pending vacations! No One Was Supposed to Die at this Wedding brings back the characters from the first book in the series, only this time the location is sunny California and they are shooting the film version of Eleanor’s book When In Rome. The filming is moved to Catalina Island, as the two main co-stars are set to surprise everyone with a wedding. However, a hurricane is blowing in and there are death threats coming in as well! The hijinks that ensue will keep you laughing and guessing.

If you love lighthearted murder mysteries then this book and series should be right up your alley🖤

Last year I listened to Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies and it became my favorite audiobook last year! I had the best time listening to the amazing story and Elizabeth Evans was a PHENOMENAL narrator. So when I was so excited when I found out there was going to be another book. Let me tell you this was as good as the first book! I was pulled in right away and I didn't want it to end. The story and characters were well written.

Eleanor Dash visiting Catalina Island to celebrate the wedding of her best friend, Emma Wood, who also plays Eleanor in the movie adaptation of the said writer's first novel. As is the case with every vacation that Eleanor goes to, there's a dead body amidst this celebration too, and she has to solve the case before someone else turns up dead as well! You will get more of her and Oliver but unfortunately we will also see her ex again too. If you get sea sick take some motion sickness pills because you in for one rocky ride on this ship!

Catherine Mack will once again take you on an adventure! I love how you will get equal amounts of suspense and humor. You minute your trying to figure out who did it and the next your laughing. It keeps you entertained and on your feet. There are twists and turns and when you think you know who did it you are wrong!

I highly recommend this book and I can't wait to read or listen to the next book!


Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

Look. I adored the first book. I wanted to frame it, marry it, and maybe send it to Catalina Island for a honeymoon. But this sequel? This was like RSVPing “Yes” to a glamorous destination wedding and showing up to find the open bar is a cash-only lemonade stand and someone just died in the broom closet.

Eleanor Dash, our sarcastic mystery author-turned-vacation-sleuth, is back—this time at her best friend’s wedding, which is held on a storm-ravaged island because apparently nobody in this series has ever watched a horror movie. We’ve got Hollywood drama, romantic exes, vague death threats, and a murder that feels less "Agatha Christie twisty" and more "Scooby-Doo if the gang had Instagram followers."

Where the first book sparkled with wit, heart, and plot that snapped like a beachy thriller, this one… kind of wandered around the resort in flip-flops trying to remember where it left its mystery. I mean, sure, I love Eleanor and her trademark sass, but even she seemed a little tired. Like, “I’ve solved six murders this year and forgot to pack Advil” tired.

And can we talk about the murders? Because wow, they sure did technically happen. It just didn’t feel like the emotional gut-punch or tightly paced chaos I signed up for. The stakes felt weirdly low for a wedding where folks literally die. I needed drama, not a vaguely ominous game of Clue: Celebrity Edition.

Still, the writing’s clever, the banter is fun, and if you’re already on the Eleanor Dash train, you’ll enjoy the ride—even if this one feels more like a scenic detour than a thrill ride. Here’s hoping book three brings the heat, the mystery, and fewer destination events with a body count.

Book 2 of The Vacation Mysteries opens with Eleanor on the movie set for the adaptation of her first novel, When In Rome. Her best friend, Emma, is playing Cecilia (aka “Eleanor”) and Emma’s new fiancé, Fred, is playing Connor. The rest of the story takes place during Emma and Fred’s wedding weekend on Catalina Island.

There is, of course, many things afoot as Eleanor cannot go on vacation without someone dying. Catherine Mack seemed to have as much fun writing the sequel book as I did reading it. The cast of characters were so much more entertaining to me because I know them now and I understand their senses of humor and relationship dynamics. The side characters were great because they all have some sort of history with Eleanor (ily Inspector Tucci).

Any fan of cozy mysteries will enjoy this series <3

Thank you to SMP and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

The @learfield_ book club got me into this series when they picked book one last year. I really enjoyed reading book one, and therefore, I jumped on the chance to read and review book two!

Once again, Eleanor, is a hilarious, quirky and unorganized main character and very self-centered. Yet, I love her! Overall, the book is funny and witty, and no one in it should be taken too seriously which makes this so enjoyable!

I have been in a cozy mystery mood, and this book fits the bill. In fact, the writing makes you feel like you are an active participant in solving the murders. Yes, spoiler there is more than one. I love trying to figure out how people fit together before the end is revealed.

Several characters are back from book one, and most are not lovable so it made for several good suspects. Be sure to read book one in this series before starting this one. Also, there are a lot of characters. Highly recommend a cheat sheet to keep them all straight.

Additionally, I like a secluded setting with a weather event. I thought that part could have been further developed and explored for me.

Lastly, the footnotes are not my fav, but if you do the audio, they are incorporated into the narration seamlessly.

This is a laugh out loud mystery, and I challenge you to figure it out before the end. I know I didn’t!

Thank you to @netgalley, @stmartinspress, @minotaur_books and @macmillan.audio for the eARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC! I love when mysteries are also comedic, and this one was exactly the right mix. Eleanor’s witty remarks and footnotes kept the story lighthearted and engaging.
While the story worked fine as a standalone, I think I would suggest reading the previous book in the series first just to get more context and backstory. I feel like it was still easy enough to follow having jumped into the series with this book. I’m eager to go back and read the first book, and I’m excited for the next one to come out too!

Catherine Mack is back with the second book in the vacation mysteries series. Our intrepid writer, Eleanor Dash is off to her best friend Emma’s wedding on Catalina island, just after filming wrapped on When In Rome, (the movie based on Eleanor’s book). The bride is worried though, she’s received threats and is worried something will happen at the wedding. Will Eleanor look into it. Of course she will!
There are a lot of names to keep straight, but, if you read the first book you’ll know quite a few of the characters. I found it easy to make sense of.
The mystery itself didn’t really impress me until the end. Really enjoyed how it all came together. Before that it felt like they were just throwing gum at the wall to see what sticks.
This could have used a little more zaniness for me. It was funny, but not laugh out loud funny. I did enjoy the footnotes.
I’m giving this 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
I really love this author and look forward to her next book.
If you love funny, cozy mysteries with quirky characters, this book is for you!
I received this from St Martins Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Catherine Mack's NO ONE WAS SUPPOSED TO DIE AT THIS WEDDING was that light yet somehow thoughtful and thought-provoking story that is locked-room murder mystery for the incredible Eleanor Dash. I love spending time with her and try as I might, I never knew what was coming next, only that I wanted to keep reading about a destination wedding on an island about to be hit by a hurricane with complicated, wonderful characters being their most twisted, loving, and fascinating selves. Fun, funny, unpredictable romp! I never did see the end coming and for that I applaud Mack for a truly wonderful story brilliantly told. I received a copy of this book and these thoughts are my own, unbiased opinions.