What an adventure! This was my first Catherine Mack book, but definitely not my last. Although this was second in a serious, we get enough background information to not feel left out. I absolutely love how our narrator Elle talks directly to the reader and drags us into the action. And though I listened to the audiobook, I could still hear it when the hilarious footnotes were being read. This book is laugh out loud funny! I’m sure my fellow Houston drivers thought I was a crazy woman if they saw me driving while I was listening to this. I smiled throughout the entire thing. I loved the pop culture references— hey fellow Swifties!! Wonderfully written and perfect narration. I’m ready for the next one! Big thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy of this recording.

Eleanor Dash is such an amazing character with her author background and witty sense of humor. I’m so glad more of these books are coming. The cozy plot is entertaining with an intriguing mystery and secondary characters that always deliver entertainment. I read both books in this series in audiobook, and Elizabeth Evans did such a great job with the narration.

I was so happy to continue the adventures of Eleanor and her sister, Harper and the murder and mayhem that surround them. In this episode, Eleanor's best friend Emma is having a surprise wedding on Catalina Island following the filming of the movie about Eleanor's last book and to her co-star in that film. Most of the characters from the prior book are included in some way due to the movie of their earlier escapades and murder follows. While the book is a bit convoluted at the beginning with having to track the story of a story within a story and the movie inside that story (see what I mean) it does get its feet under it and take off int he second half. I both read and listened to this title and would recommend both. It was easier to read at times with the script pages and other characters monologues thrown in, but then again was easier to listen to as the footnotes flow more evenly in the audio version and the narrator is delightful. Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the early access to both in exchange for my honest opinion.

Catherine Mack’s *No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding* delivers a breezy, meta-infused cozy mystery that’s as much about its quirky narrator as it is about the murder plot. This second installment in the Vacation Mysteries series finds bestselling author Eleanor Dash attending her best friend’s secret wedding on Catalina Island, only to be swept into yet another murder investigation—because, of course, someone dies at the wedding.

What Works:

Eleanor’s voice remains the standout feature. Her snarky footnotes, pop culture references, and self-aware commentary add a layer of humor and charm that keeps the tone light, even as bodies start piling up. The Hollywood-meets-murder setting is fun, and the inclusion of a hurricane trapping the wedding party adds a classic locked-room vibe. Mack’s conversational writing style makes the book feel like a friend recounting a wild weekend.

What Falls Short:

While the premise is promising, the execution falters in places. The pacing drags in the middle, with repetitive suspect interrogations and meandering internal monologues. The large cast of characters—some underdeveloped—makes it challenging to keep track of motives and relationships. Additionally, the mystery’s resolution feels somewhat convoluted, with certain plot threads left unexplored.

Final Verdict:

*No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding* is a decent follow-up that maintains the charm of the original while raising the stakes. Like a good wedding, it has its awkward moments and occasional lulls, but ultimately delivers a celebration worth attending—even if someone does end up dead in a broom closet.

I received a copy of this audiobook from netGalley for a honest review.

I loved this sequel! It was so good with an ending I didn't see coming. I will totally read the next in this series. I believe this one was even better then the first.

Please hold while I go run to listen to Catherine Mack’s first book in the Vacation Mysteries series! Because if book 2 was this good, I need to immediately listen to book 1!

I could not stop listening to this mystery that both made me laugh out loud and kept guessing who the murderer was! Read or listen to this one if you’re a fan of the movie Clue!

Also, the narration was perfection
- especially how she handled the “foot notes”.

Thank you,@macmillan.audio for my free audiobook. #MacAudio2025 #macmillanaudio

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding (The Vacation Mysteries, Book 2) by Catherine Mack
⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 337 / Genre: Cozy Mystery
Audiobook Narrator: Elizabeth Evans
Duration: 8 hours 45 minutes
Release Date: May 13, 2025

Like the first book in this series, Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies, this was a cute lighthearted cozy mystery. As indicated by the title, Eleanor attends a wedding where someone dies. The writing is fun but a little too cutesy for me. She’s also footnote crazy, which makes reading on an ebook super annoying. If you’re going to read this one, definitely go for the audiobook. It reads seamlessly that way, which begs the question—why doesn’t she just write it that way instead of using the irritating footnotes? Because that’s her thing? Time to find a new thing. Seriously.

Anyhoo, Elizabeth Evans does a marvelous job narrating the audiobook.

Mack is back—and just as entertaining as ever!

I thoroughly enjoyed the sharp, sarcastic first-person narration, especially the playful breaking of the fourth wall. The wit carries seamlessly throughout, and continues to extend into the clever footnotes.

Set against a vivid, immersive backdrop, this locked-room murder mystery delivers delightfully amateur sleuthing and a steady stream of red herrings to keep you guessing. Mack handles murder and mayhem with unmatched charm, and I can’t wait to continue the Vacation Mystery Series.

Eleanor is attending the wedding of her best friend, Emma, on Catalina Island. And as usual, murder and mayhem have followed along for the ride. Emma shows Eleanor the threatening notes she's received and then several "accidents" occur, which sends Eleanor on a mission to solve the mystery so Emma gets the wedding she's always wanted.

This is book two in the Vacation Mysteries series. I love the way these books are written and the narrator is top notch! She brings the characters to life in a way that you don't see often. Eleanor is a great character  even though she gets it wrong 90% of the time. I just love being along for her journey. The mystery had a lot of parallels to the first book so it was easy to follow. I had a hunch from the beginning which turned out right but there was so much more going on than I realised!

Thank you to @macmillan.audio #macaudio2025, Catherine Mack and @Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I thought this book was so fascinating and hilarious from start to finish. I got Stephanie Plum vibes from this story and was not disappointed. I didn't read the first book in this series but the author did a great job of recapping what happened in the first book so I wasn't confused. While I do wish I had read the first book I don't think it's necessary to get the enjoyment out of the book.

While I did have an inkling of what was happening and who did it, I was kept guessing the whole time. I love Oliver and was constantly laughing out loud at the shenanigans that Eleanor and her cohorts got into while trying to solve the murders.

Narration: Elizabeth Evans was fabulous as always. She is one of my favorite narrators and did an excellent job of doing different voices so I wasn't confused with who was talking.

I received this book on both audiobook and paper, I thought the book started a bit slow, but then picked up once the scene was set. If you liked Only Murders in the Building, you will like this book. It’s action packed and kept me on my toes. The entire time I thought I had the plot figured out but I was wrong every time. I highly recommend to anyone looking for a book that is suspenseful and engaging.

Thanks, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for the arc/ALC! #MacAudio2025

The second book in THE VACATION MYSTERIES is just as entertaining as the first. Catherine Mack had me laughing so hard during NO ONE WAS SUPPOSED TO DIE AT THIS WEDDING with all the antics that author Eleanor Dash goes on to solve a murder while on vacation again.

I read a bit of the arc, but I immediately listened as soon as I had access to the ALC! Elizabeth Evans narrated. She narrated the first one, and I loved her narrations just as much in this one!

This book was a big ode to Agaith Christie. It’s a wedding party that ends up storm-trapped on Catalina Island - so very much the feels of Christie’s AND THEN THERE WERE NONE. Only because Eleanor is not a detective, there are way more laughable moments that happen during the mystery than what would happen in a Christie novel.

I liked the island and character descriptions. Each character had shady moments that made you suspect them, but since I’m not the best guesser, I was surprised by the ending! I think I was enjoying the read so much that I didn’t try too hard lol.

I 100% recommend this series. You can read them separately, but they will be way more fun if you read them together. And this is a time I definitely recommend audiobooks over physical books!

This is shaping up to be a rather interesting series. This installment overall is well written, but I am not sure I am committed to continuing to reading this series.

A delightful follow up to humorous series! This installment was no less twisty and fun as its predecessor. I was guessing up to the final page!

It’s official, I really love Catherine Mack’s Vacation Mysteries series.

For me, No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding was unquestionably better than the first book. I was actually pretty surprised to see that the author had a way to continue the series with a pretty big chunk of the characters from the previous novel. And while I definitely had fun with the first one, I think the mystery here was far more engaging and interesting. Not only that, but how everything came together felt far cooler than before. For that alone, I have to give this series a lot of credit.

It’s unfortunately difficult to talk about the aspects of this book that I really appreciated without getting into spoilers, so I suppose I will just leave it with the fact that I had so much fun reading this book, finding out the twists and turns of the plot, and getting to know the characters. A strong suit, truly, is the personality of the main character and all her little asides as you get further along in the story. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the next installment!

I’m also a huge fan of the narrator. She really does such an excellent job of bringing this character to life, to the point that I’m almost unsure of my own ability to hear her voice and think of any other character.

If you’re a fan of the Finlay Donovan series, you’ll love this one! Eleanor Dash is just as fun and quirky as Finlay. It’s a story of exciting antics with the mystery of deaths to solve written among the novels of Eleanor, with her fascinating footnotes!

Elizabeth Evans shows amazing depth with her fabulous narration!

Here’s a review you can use or customize:

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Audiobook Review: No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding by Kathleen Kilgore, narrated by Elizabeth Evans

This series continues to be an absolute blast! I adored the first book, so I was thrilled to get an early listen to No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding—and it did not disappoint. The mix of mystery, humor, and quirky charm makes it such a fun and bingeable listen.

Elizabeth Evans once again delivers a fantastic performance. Her narration brings Eleanor Dash and the whole cast to life with energy and nuance. She’s especially good at giving each character a distinct voice, and her timing adds an extra layer of wit and suspense to the story. Her talent really shines in scenes packed with both tension and comedy—of which there are plenty!

The plot has just the right balance of suspense and playfulness. Between the glamorous (and slightly chaotic) wedding setting, the stormy island backdrop, and a murder mystery that hits a little too close to home, the story kept me hooked from start to finish. The characters are colorful and compelling, and Eleanor makes for a wonderfully sharp and relatable amateur sleuth.

The ending leaves you hanging a bit, but in a good way—it perfectly sets the stage for the next installment, and I can’t wait to see what Eleanor gets pulled into next.

If you’re a fan of lighthearted mysteries with clever twists, lovable characters, and top-notch narration, this one’s a must-listen!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for my advance audiobook copy of No One Was Supposed To Die At This Wedding by Catherine Mack in exchange for my honest review. This was released on May 13, 2025 and I'm a little behind because I was finishing up the first book in this series and I'm so glad I did!

Catherine Mack is an absolutely hilarious writer that will have you laughing out loud while you're trying to solve a mystery. I absolutely love the perspective she has with this book as she is telling YOU the story. She will drop you hints and give you some behind the scenes perspectives so it feels like she's with you, telling you this story personally. Does it make it easier to solve the mystery? Ha...good luck!

This book follows behind Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies and picks up where it left off. Could this be read as a standalone? Absolutely. I do feel like you'll enjoy it more if you read the first one in the Vacation Series because you'll already have all the background on the characters and situation. She does give you brief backgrounds in case you didn't read it, but I think this would be even that much more enjoyable paired with it (or maybe you wouldn't even miss it and I just know what I would have since I read the first one).

Eleanor is attending her best friend's wedding and everything is great until a note is discovered that says someone will die at the wedding. Eleanor and her gang of friends go into detective mode to try and figure out who is a potential murderer and who the target is.

We also have a love story in the mix with Emma (Eleanor's best friend) and her movie star fiance Fred Winters, as well as Eleanor with her own love life drama being around her ex-boyfriend Connor while with her new (yet also previous) beau Oliver. Oh the drama with that as well!

4 stars. This will have you constantly chuckling while also playing detective. I failed at guessing who the murderer was in the first book and I failed miserably this time as well. If you read it, let me know if you figured it out because...HOW?!

No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding sets up a juicy, high-stakes premise — a destination wedding turned deadly — but doesn’t quite deliver on the tension. The characters felt more like caricatures, and the pacing lagged in spots where it should’ve been electric. While there were some fun twists and a few sharp lines, the plot ended up more chaotic than clever. It’s not without entertainment value, but it didn’t fully stick the landing for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 stars
Rated PG-13 for language, some suggestive content, and light thriller-style violence.

Total rating: 4.5/5 stars.

This series is just so much fun! It is not perfect but it's a hilariously over the top cozy mystery with high stakes (like several people die) and lots of humor. How is it cozy and high stakes? Who really knows, it just is.

I love the way these stories are told. Eleanor is an almost unreliable narrator full of sarcasm and badly timed jokes. The footnotes can be a lot but that is 100% how my brain works. I recommend the audiobook for a seamless read. The narrator does a fantastic job at including the footnotes without it distracting from the story.

I did not see some of the final twists coming but one of them was a little too far out of left field for me (which took my rating down a .5 star). Overall, I had a really fun time with the story.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and Minotaur books for this ALC in exchange for an honest review.