This was fantastic. I really enjoyed it and couldn’t stop listening. I was hooked from the first minute! The narration was wonderful. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this audiobook.

A humorous action-packed mystery that will have you turning pages furiously to see what is going to happen next! Slightly edgier than a traditional cozy, but closer to a cozy than a gritty murder mystery wrought with witty dialog wrought with bantering that will keep you giggling and reading. The main character has the habit of speaking to the reader like they are friends and confidants. She describes what is happening in a snarky and witty manner that is oddly engaging and connects you to her even more. This particular installment in the series had some serious twists and turns. Just when you think you have it figured out, you'll find that you need to change your thinking and the book explains why very well. I do recommend that you read the books in order as they build upon each other and help flesh out the characters even more. I have to say the narration on the audiobook really helps bring the characters to life and makes them more well-rounded. The narrator also brings the emotions to the surface more helping the reader connect to the story more. I've quickly become a fan of this series and can't wait to read the next one and the one after than and.....hint..hint...dear author, keep writing and I'll keep reading!!!

This series is a HOOT. I love how it keeps you guessing. And the narrative is so well done. So much fun for a murder mystery. I loved listening on audio because of the way the book is written it really feels like the author is talking to you. I will definitely be reading the next book!

This was a wild ride of a murder mystery where there are so many names and characters that it's hard to know who's coming and who's going. Each chapter was named a rhetorical question, the writing is humorous and slightly annoying. I wasn't enthralled with this at all, mostly because there were so. many. characters. that i just didn't care what happened.
10/10 for the narrator.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion!

I missed the first book in this series (Everytime I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies - The Vacation Mysteries) but I think this book could work as a stand alone in a pinch. I will go back and read Everytime I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies because I really did enjoy this one.

I loved the crazy characters, and how they all fit in together. The puzzle was satisfying-as it was being pieced out. I loved being inside Eleanor Dash's head - I found her humorous and likeable. I listened to the audio of this, and I also really liked the narrator.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copies of No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding, in exchange for my honest opinions.

I received this as an ARC, I really enjoyed the writing style and how the story was shared as if the main character was talking to us, the readers.

Anything that Elizabeth Evans narrates is a book for me!
Audio Narration 🎧 5/5

While it's been a while since I read the first book, the author effectively included reminders to refresh my memory. Although this mystery didn't quite hit the mark for me, it was still an enjoyable read. I missed the wit and charm of the first book, and the story felt a bit meandering and overstuffed at times. Still, a great addition to the series!

3.5 stars
Entertaining humorous mystery. Like the first book, it is best if you listen to the audiobook because there are a lot of footnotes and with an audiobook, they are inserted seamlessly into the narrative. The narrator for this, Elizabeth Evans, is the same as for the first book, and her snarky delivery is absolutely perfect for the story.

In this book, author Eleanor Dash's book, When in Rome, is being filmed as a movie. When they wrap, a trip to Catalina Island is planned as a cover for Eleanor's childhood friend (and main actor in the movie) Emma to marry her co-star Fred. When they arrive on Catalina, many people have evacuated due to a rare incoming hurricane. And someone seems to be threatening Emma's life as she receives a note "Someone is going to die at this wedding."

Is this realistic? Nope! But it is sure a lot of fun. I think you should read the first book, Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies, in the series before this one because there are a lot of backwards references to what happened in that book, and the important character connections are also formed.

There's a great twisty mystery, some deaths, some romance, and a lot of hidden motives. I look forward to seeing what Eleanor will be up to next.

I was so excited to be gifted the audio for No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding after absolutely loving Book 1, and let me just say—this one did not disappoint! We are given another laugh-out-loud cozy mystery that will keep you hooked from the first chapter to the final twist. Literally. It was the type of audio that is so easy to binge!

I loved the wedding weekend setting on Catalina Island with many of the same characters from book 1—it was the perfect backdrop for another murder mystery full of secrets, storms, and so many red herrings. Listening to Eleanor juggle best friend/maid of honor duties, ex-boyfriend awkwardness, and amateur sleuthing all while being trapped on this island made it even more entertaining.

The narrator was spot-on—she captured the humor, suspense, and heart of the story wonderfully. I was grinning, shocked, and glued to my headphones the entire time. If you're a fan of funny whodunits with the perfect amount of drama and charm, you’ll want this one playing in your ears ASAP.

I can’t wait to see where El ends up next (and who might end up dead there)!

Eleanor Dash continues her amateur sleuthing, this time at her best friend's wedding. I love Eleanor's wittiness, especially with the footnotes and breaking the fourth wall. I listened to the audio for this one and it was a little harder to keep up with the characters, theories and what was the screenplay/movie vs the book. I think I would have followed along better if I read it. Overall super entertaining! Excited for a possible 3rd book!! Thanks to netgalley and MacMillan for the early copies.

This was such a fun read, much like the book before in the series. Catherine Mack has become an auto read for me. If you can, listen to these on audio, they are so well done.
Elle is solving mysteries again, this time on Catalina Island during her best friend’s wedding. Love that Mack stays true to her characters and writing style all the way through.
Totally recommend! Thank you netgalley for the listen!

No One was Supposed to Die at This Wedding, was an amazing read! The characters were real and did not feel just like any characters in a book. They made mistakes, they made incorrect assumptions, in short, they acted like humans. I loved El, Conner, and Ollie. Catherine Mack was a new author to me, but I will definitely be checking out any other books she writes, and she will be a must read author for me from now on. I love reading thrillers and murder mysteries, but I frequently guess the murderer or murderers, whichever the case maybe. This one had amazing twists, and yes while I was able to predict parts, I did not see the whole picture. If you like Jessica Weaver, Kara Thomas, & Cynthia Murphy, I highly recommend you read this book!

Another campy, tongue in cheek, breaking the 4th wall book in The Vacation Mysteries series. The twists and reveals come super fast in these stories and I like how clues are dished out along the way, along with the witty banter. Even though it is about murder, this series feels light hearted. This book includes behind the scenes for movie production and writing in addition to the publishing background from the first. Characters from the first book make appearances but yet it could be read as a standalone. And the epilogue seems to set it up for another installment.

I enjoy the narrator chosen for the novel - the humor comes across well in the audio version and the voices for each character are distinct and add to their personalities.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.

I absolutely love this series. I adore the broken 4th wall, the humor, the atmosphere and vibe. But on too of that, the twists and plotting is also very good. I love that we got a taste of the next book too. This is such fun!

The second book of the Vacation Mysteries by Catherine Mack was just as good as the first! Author Eleanor Dash returns as her latest book is turned into a movie. Attending the wedding of her best friend, murder yet again follows Eleanor and she is back to her amateur sleuthing.

I absolutely loved the style of writing in "Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies", and this one followed that same humorous, immersive narrative. These cozy mysteries are fun because you feel like Eleanor is talking directly to you, and the situations she and the other characters find themselves can be so wild, it's pure entertainment!

The narration was perfect for this book, great pacing and clarity. Elizabeth Evans brought Eleanor to life and did a fantastic job with all the secondary characters as well.

Read this one if you are up for some easy murder mystery with a side of laughs! It probably helps to read the first one for some context, but Mack does fill in the blanks along the way. Perfect summer beach read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced digital audio of this book!

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."

Author Eleanor Dash is back as her best selling novel is being turned into a movie with her childhood best friend Emma in the starring role. At the end of filming, Emma is set to marry her co-star Fred on Catalina Island, but soon they get a mysterious note that warns someone will die at the wedding, as they also face incoming storm warnings. Eleanor is ready to solve this case but she may have to partner up with someone she hoped to never work with again. There’s humor, romance, and plenty of high stakes.
This was a fun read but I sometimes didn’t enjoy the narrator’s direct speaking to the reader outside of the rest of the story-but that’s my personal preference! The audiobook narration was great and brought this fun story to life.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Eleanor Dash is back for another crazy adventure! I loved the first book and this one did not disappoint. They complete the taping of her first book coming to life on the screen and the whole crew goes to an island for a secret weeding. The stars of the show, Emma Wood and Fred Winters' , have scheduled their weeding. At the beginning a death threat is made but unsure of who the target might be. Eleanor, of course thinks that tit is her. This one is just as funny and quirky as the first book, and I still would love to read the book, "When in Rome," that is the subject of this installment as well.


Overall the story was funny and crazy at times but the narrator did a great job reading this book. I love a good audiobook, so I finished this one in two days.

Thank you to #Netgalley and Macmillan Audio. for the advanced listening copy.

I fell in love with the way this story was told. The author truly made it an immersive listen like she is telling a story directly to the listener. The quirk, banter and wittiness had me chuckling to myself consistently. I felt like I was living out a childhood dream of being caught in the middle of a "clue" mystery.

If you're looking for a fun, new take on a murder mystery I highly suggested you pick this up!

Thank you NetGalley & MacMillian Audio for the advance listen!

Thank you @macmillanaudio for the gifted audiobook! 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!

Not as good as the first, but certainly not bad!

WOW what a book! I’m enjoying this series so much. This book was crazy good. So. Many. Twists!! And that ending! I was hooked from the start.

Eleanor is a favorite. She’s so snarky and to the point. I enjoy so much how Mack writes her and the other characters. I really enjoy breaking the fourth wall narrative. And that adds so much to the story and makes it so fun. I need to find more books to read with it while I wait as patiently as I can for the next book in this series.

Mack does a great job of throwing the reader off the trail and just when you think it’s safe, it’s not. I love this in a book.

The audio narrator is quickly coming a favorite. Elizabeth Evans performs these characters so well. I love how she plays Eleanor, and she does a great job with accents. And her tone sets the pace for this great book.

The story is fast-paced and the setting of the hurricane also adds well to the drama.

I received a NetGalley approval from the publisher for the audio. All views are my own.