What do you think?
Rate this book
The Vacation Mysteries #1
Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies
Ten days, eight suspects, six cities, five authors, three bodies . . . one trip to die for.
All that bestselling author Eleanor Dash wants is to get through her book tour in Italy and kill off her main character, Connor Smith, in the next in her Vacation Mysteries series―is that too much to ask?
Clearly, because when an attempt is made on the real Connor’s life―the handsome but infuriating con man she got mixed up with ten years ago and now can't get out of her life―Eleanor’s enlisted to help solve the case.
Contending with literary rivals, rabid fans, a stalker―and even her ex, Oliver, who turns up unexpectedly―theories are bandied about, and rivalries, rifts, and broken hearts are revealed. But who’s really trying to get away with murder?
Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is the irresistible and hilarious series debut from Catherine Mack, introducing bestselling fictional author Eleanor Dash on her Italian book tour that turns into a real-life murder mystery, as her life starts to imitate the world in her books.
All that bestselling author Eleanor Dash wants is to get through her book tour in Italy and kill off her main character, Connor Smith, in the next in her Vacation Mysteries series―is that too much to ask?
Clearly, because when an attempt is made on the real Connor’s life―the handsome but infuriating con man she got mixed up with ten years ago and now can't get out of her life―Eleanor’s enlisted to help solve the case.
Contending with literary rivals, rabid fans, a stalker―and even her ex, Oliver, who turns up unexpectedly―theories are bandied about, and rivalries, rifts, and broken hearts are revealed. But who’s really trying to get away with murder?
Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is the irresistible and hilarious series debut from Catherine Mack, introducing bestselling fictional author Eleanor Dash on her Italian book tour that turns into a real-life murder mystery, as her life starts to imitate the world in her books.
342 pages, Hardcover
First published April 30, 2024
3225 people are currently reading
78157 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Mack
10 books1,036 followersCatherine Mack (she/her) is the pseudonym for Catherine McKenzie, the USA Today and Globe & Mail bestselling author of over a dozen novels. Her books are approaching two million copies sold worldwide and have been translated into multiple languages including French, German, Portuguese, and Polish. Television rights to Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies and its forthcoming sequels sold in a major auction to Fox TV for development into a series, with Mack writing the pilot script. A dual Canadian and US citizen, she splits her time between Canada and various warmer locations in the US.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,625 reviews
April 20, 2025
3.5⭐️ I really enjoyed the writing style for this it was a lot of fun! (BUT pls for the love of god why was Taylor swift mentioned 5+ times)
April 7, 2024
I am in the minority here but this book was not for me which is odd as I do enjoy a good cozy mystery. It was very hard to get into and I just couldn’t connect or care about the main character (or any of the characters really). The use of footnotes was very distracting and overdone and the author tried too hard for the main character to be funny. This one felt like a long slog and it took way too long before anything interesting started to happen. I was really anticipating this one but it just didn’t work for me. Others have enjoyed it so please just take my opinion as just one of many.
Thanks to the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Thanks to the publisher. All opinions are my own.
October 6, 2023
Fresh, clever, and laugh out loud funny! Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is written by an author about an author being an author. Mack smashes through the fourth wall, giving you an inside look at the complex and hilarious world of publishing, while making you feel like you're a part of the story. It's wildly fun, completely addictive, and an absolute must read!
May 8, 2024
3.5⭐
Genre ~ cozy mystery
Series ~ The Vacation Mysteries, #1
Setting ~ Italy
Publication date ~ April 30, 2024
Page Count ~ 344 (29 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 9 hours 34 minutes
Narrator ~ Elizabeth Evans
POV ~ single 1st, present tense
Featuring ~ author, blackmail, murder
Eleanor is an author on tour in Italy, with a whole bunch of people, planning out her 10th book in a very popular series, which stars her 'friend', Connor. She's ready to kill him off in the series and he just so happens to think there's someone that actually wants him dead in real life, too.
Eleanor speaks directly to the reader (which was interesting) as we're along on the ride trying to figure out who the murderer is. With a cast of unlikable characters/suspects we are thrown for a few loops, but ultimately it's not super hard to figure out.
I can't remember exactly Eleanor's age, but I think she's in her 30's. I don't know if immature is the right word for her, but I just wish she had her act together more. She relies way too heavily on her younger sister, Harper, who is her assistant, for every little thing. The whole blackmail Connor bit was a meh, too.
Overall, cozy is not my go to for murder mysteries, but the humorous and fun moments kept me entertained, even if it took me an unusually long time (5 days) to get through it. So while I didn't hate it I'm not sure this is the right series for me.
*There are quite a bit of footnotes, which are not bothersome in the audio, and actually make listening quite fun, but I gather from those that read it that they cannot be read seamlessly. So take that into consideration if you choose to read this one*
Narration notes:
Elizabeth did an outstanding job giving each character a distinct voice.
Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter
Genre ~ cozy mystery
Series ~ The Vacation Mysteries, #1
Setting ~ Italy
Publication date ~ April 30, 2024
Page Count ~ 344 (29 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 9 hours 34 minutes
Narrator ~ Elizabeth Evans
POV ~ single 1st, present tense
Featuring ~ author, blackmail, murder
Eleanor is an author on tour in Italy, with a whole bunch of people, planning out her 10th book in a very popular series, which stars her 'friend', Connor. She's ready to kill him off in the series and he just so happens to think there's someone that actually wants him dead in real life, too.
Eleanor speaks directly to the reader (which was interesting) as we're along on the ride trying to figure out who the murderer is. With a cast of unlikable characters/suspects we are thrown for a few loops, but ultimately it's not super hard to figure out.
I can't remember exactly Eleanor's age, but I think she's in her 30's. I don't know if immature is the right word for her, but I just wish she had her act together more. She relies way too heavily on her younger sister, Harper, who is her assistant, for every little thing. The whole blackmail Connor bit was a meh, too.
Overall, cozy is not my go to for murder mysteries, but the humorous and fun moments kept me entertained, even if it took me an unusually long time (5 days) to get through it. So while I didn't hate it I'm not sure this is the right series for me.
*There are quite a bit of footnotes, which are not bothersome in the audio, and actually make listening quite fun, but I gather from those that read it that they cannot be read seamlessly. So take that into consideration if you choose to read this one*
Narration notes:
Elizabeth did an outstanding job giving each character a distinct voice.
Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter
April 15, 2024
3.5 stars, rounded down
Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies, is a fun, light mystery. It breaks the fourth wall with Eleanor Dash, the main character, speaking directly to the reader. Eleanor is the author of 9 successful murder mysteries. She’s currently plotting out the tenth and what she intends to be the final book in the series. Her publisher has sent her, her “consultant”, her sister/assistant, 20 of her ardent fans (including one stalker) and several other successful authors on a ten day tour of Italy. Put aside your qualms that no publisher would send rival authors on a fan fest for another’s work. The implausible reason serves to get enough possible murder suspects in one place. And there will be a murder, even if it takes ages before it occurs. Connor, the “consultant”/inspiration/blackmailer/prior love interest of Eleanor’s, is convinced someone is trying to kill him. And he doesn’t mean Eleanor’s plan to kill off his character in the upcoming book.
There’s lots of humor in this book. I appreciated Eleanor’s snarky sense of humor. For example, she has a blast pointing out how many violent expressions there are in the English language.
The book moves at a brisk pace. I did find that several key scenes never seemed to play out so that I could envision them. Also, a few plot points were implausible. But it was entertaining, nonetheless. And I only partially guessed how this would play out and who was behind things.
I chose to listen to this, which other reviewers had recommended. This is a novel that contains footnotes. In the audiobook, they’re seamlessly woven into the story, relieving the reader of trying to figure out how, when or if to read them. Elizabeth Evans did a great job as the narrator for Eleanor but her male voices never sounded like men.
Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies, is a fun, light mystery. It breaks the fourth wall with Eleanor Dash, the main character, speaking directly to the reader. Eleanor is the author of 9 successful murder mysteries. She’s currently plotting out the tenth and what she intends to be the final book in the series. Her publisher has sent her, her “consultant”, her sister/assistant, 20 of her ardent fans (including one stalker) and several other successful authors on a ten day tour of Italy. Put aside your qualms that no publisher would send rival authors on a fan fest for another’s work. The implausible reason serves to get enough possible murder suspects in one place. And there will be a murder, even if it takes ages before it occurs. Connor, the “consultant”/inspiration/blackmailer/prior love interest of Eleanor’s, is convinced someone is trying to kill him. And he doesn’t mean Eleanor’s plan to kill off his character in the upcoming book.
There’s lots of humor in this book. I appreciated Eleanor’s snarky sense of humor. For example, she has a blast pointing out how many violent expressions there are in the English language.
The book moves at a brisk pace. I did find that several key scenes never seemed to play out so that I could envision them. Also, a few plot points were implausible. But it was entertaining, nonetheless. And I only partially guessed how this would play out and who was behind things.
I chose to listen to this, which other reviewers had recommended. This is a novel that contains footnotes. In the audiobook, they’re seamlessly woven into the story, relieving the reader of trying to figure out how, when or if to read them. Elizabeth Evans did a great job as the narrator for Eleanor but her male voices never sounded like men.
May 31, 2024
After becoming a bestselling author seemingly by accident a decade ago, Eleanor Dash is finally back among the sunny vistas of Italy where the adventure began for her tenth anniversary book tour. This time, however, Eleanor has every intention of finding a way of killing off her main character, the debonair hero, Connor Smith. With a likeness borrowed from a real life Connor, the only means she has of getting away from the actual man is to write him out of her award winning Vacation Mystery series. Hardly cut from the same cloth as her fictional character, Eleanor is eager to be done with Connor once and for all.
Naturally, it shocks Eleanor to her core when Connor begs her for help. It seems someone is out to kill him—for real. Is it life imitating art? Pure coincidence? Or is Connor’s narcissism showing? Regardless of Eleanor’s doubts, when one of their party turns up dead, she must try her hand at solving the mystery before others end up meeting a nasty end. Along the way, Eleanor must contend with a rash of suspects, her stalker and even a literary rival. But is she cut out to be a real life detective? After all, this isn’t a work of fiction and more lives could be at stake if she’s not careful. Who could be the murderer? And what else do they have planned?
Oh. My. God. What a work of utter perfection. With giggle-worthy banter, a narrator to die for (pun most definitely intended) and a plot I could read again and again, Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies was beyond a hole in one. Given that Catherine Mack (aka Catherine McKenzie) is also a gifted writer of thrillers, I was overjoyed to find that she’s equally talented at crafting dynamite mysteries. Funny, easy to read and complete with eccentric characters, I’m over the moon that this was just the first in a series.
Perfect for fans of Everyone in My Family Is a Murderer or Knives Out, the first-person narration and metafiction feel created an engaging storyline the sucked me in right from the start. Packed with plenty of suspects and more than enough red herrings to distract even the best armchair sleuth, there wasn’t a chance that I’d figure out the plot before the timely reveal. Then there were entirely original footnotes. Adding a witty sarcasm to the plot, they kept a smile firmly planted on my face from the first page until the perfectly staged last scene. And boy did that epilogue make me yearn for the sequel. After all, with a title like No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding, it will surely be brilliant.
With a fast pace, lighthearted plot and unputdownable premise, this well-written tale grabbed me and didn’t let go. Unbelievably clever and quirky, it was the perfect kind of book to slip in between some harder hitting thrillers. That’s not to say it wasn’t one hundred percent perfect (yes, I know I’m overusing this word… so sue me) no matter what you read before or after. So if you’re looking for a good time, grab this book as soon as you can. After all, Ms. Mack/McKenzie has done the unthinkable and shown her virtuoso-like skill at crafting books in not just one genre—but two. Rating of 5+ stars.
Thank you to Catherine McKenzie, Minotaur Books and HTP Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: April 30, 2024
Trigger warning: NONE
Naturally, it shocks Eleanor to her core when Connor begs her for help. It seems someone is out to kill him—for real. Is it life imitating art? Pure coincidence? Or is Connor’s narcissism showing? Regardless of Eleanor’s doubts, when one of their party turns up dead, she must try her hand at solving the mystery before others end up meeting a nasty end. Along the way, Eleanor must contend with a rash of suspects, her stalker and even a literary rival. But is she cut out to be a real life detective? After all, this isn’t a work of fiction and more lives could be at stake if she’s not careful. Who could be the murderer? And what else do they have planned?
Oh. My. God. What a work of utter perfection. With giggle-worthy banter, a narrator to die for (pun most definitely intended) and a plot I could read again and again, Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies was beyond a hole in one. Given that Catherine Mack (aka Catherine McKenzie) is also a gifted writer of thrillers, I was overjoyed to find that she’s equally talented at crafting dynamite mysteries. Funny, easy to read and complete with eccentric characters, I’m over the moon that this was just the first in a series.
Perfect for fans of Everyone in My Family Is a Murderer or Knives Out, the first-person narration and metafiction feel created an engaging storyline the sucked me in right from the start. Packed with plenty of suspects and more than enough red herrings to distract even the best armchair sleuth, there wasn’t a chance that I’d figure out the plot before the timely reveal. Then there were entirely original footnotes. Adding a witty sarcasm to the plot, they kept a smile firmly planted on my face from the first page until the perfectly staged last scene. And boy did that epilogue make me yearn for the sequel. After all, with a title like No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding, it will surely be brilliant.
With a fast pace, lighthearted plot and unputdownable premise, this well-written tale grabbed me and didn’t let go. Unbelievably clever and quirky, it was the perfect kind of book to slip in between some harder hitting thrillers. That’s not to say it wasn’t one hundred percent perfect (yes, I know I’m overusing this word… so sue me) no matter what you read before or after. So if you’re looking for a good time, grab this book as soon as you can. After all, Ms. Mack/McKenzie has done the unthinkable and shown her virtuoso-like skill at crafting books in not just one genre—but two. Rating of 5+ stars.
Thank you to Catherine McKenzie, Minotaur Books and HTP Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: April 30, 2024
Trigger warning: NONE
October 29, 2023
This book is really, really fun. I was expecting a light, airy read (which it is), but it's also so much more than that. There's humor and murder and attempted murder and romance and a fabulous setting, and it's all really well written. There's even some fourth-wall breaking, which is one of my favorite tropes in all of literature (and cinema).
Eleanor is a famous writer on tour in Italy, which, I mean, sounds pretty good to me. But she's contractually obligated to be there with her unscrupulous ex-boyfriend/blackmailer, Connor. And her stalker. And a fellow author who is stealing all of her plotlines. And another ex that she still has feelings for. Oh, and someone's trying to kill her (and Connor, although she's not too concerned about that). So maybe it's not such a perfect trip after all? And who could possibly want her dead?
Eleanor is a fantastic main character. She's hilarious and snarky, and this combined with her total distain for Connor really makes the book. She repeatedly breaks the fourth wall in the funniest of ways, at one point reassuring her worried readers that she doesn't “die in this chapter” (like in that scene from The Princess Bride). I adored her relationship with her sister/assistant, Harper, and the oh-so-dreamy Oliver.
And, yeah, there's some romance. But it's not particularly annoying or sappy, and I say this as someone who despises romance in books.
I wasn't the biggest fan of all the footnotes, but you can mostly skip them if you want to. After the first several chapters, I just skimmed them and don't feel as if I missed much.
The murder (and attempted murder) mystery itself is perfect. I thought I knew who the culprit was at around the 50% mark, and I was right … but only kind of. Most of it I did not see coming at all. Pretty much everyone is a suspect, including Eleanor. Is she an unreliable narrator? Or is someone else out for revenge?
Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is one of the highlights of my 2023 reads. It's really, really fun (have I already said this?) and you should definitely read it. I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.
Eleanor is a famous writer on tour in Italy, which, I mean, sounds pretty good to me. But she's contractually obligated to be there with her unscrupulous ex-boyfriend/blackmailer, Connor. And her stalker. And a fellow author who is stealing all of her plotlines. And another ex that she still has feelings for. Oh, and someone's trying to kill her (and Connor, although she's not too concerned about that). So maybe it's not such a perfect trip after all? And who could possibly want her dead?
Eleanor is a fantastic main character. She's hilarious and snarky, and this combined with her total distain for Connor really makes the book. She repeatedly breaks the fourth wall in the funniest of ways, at one point reassuring her worried readers that she doesn't “die in this chapter” (like in that scene from The Princess Bride). I adored her relationship with her sister/assistant, Harper, and the oh-so-dreamy Oliver.
And, yeah, there's some romance. But it's not particularly annoying or sappy, and I say this as someone who despises romance in books.
I wasn't the biggest fan of all the footnotes, but you can mostly skip them if you want to. After the first several chapters, I just skimmed them and don't feel as if I missed much.
The murder (and attempted murder) mystery itself is perfect. I thought I knew who the culprit was at around the 50% mark, and I was right … but only kind of. Most of it I did not see coming at all. Pretty much everyone is a suspect, including Eleanor. Is she an unreliable narrator? Or is someone else out for revenge?
Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is one of the highlights of my 2023 reads. It's really, really fun (have I already said this?) and you should definitely read it. I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.
April 13, 2024
I honestly don’t know what to say about this book. It started out as entertaining, but then it was so repetitive and annoying. At first, I thought I enjoyed the style of book but the more I got into it the more I realized I did not. It was very cheesy, and I did not like the way the author talked to me like I was in her mind. It was really weird. There were also a few too many Taylor Swift references. I have learned this is not my type of book.
May 28, 2024
DNF at 30% Update: got the physical book, skimmed to the end, it didn't get better.
Very childish characters and plot, so one sister is a writer and now the other can't be? Dumb. A man has been blackmailing you for 10 years and you're just like, okay, oopsie, oh well? Dumb. Your stalker is on your European tour. No problem. Don't even get me started on the annoying footnotes. What even is this book?
Very childish characters and plot, so one sister is a writer and now the other can't be? Dumb. A man has been blackmailing you for 10 years and you're just like, okay, oopsie, oh well? Dumb. Your stalker is on your European tour. No problem. Don't even get me started on the annoying footnotes. What even is this book?
May 26, 2024
I enjoyed listening to the audiobook of Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack. This was her debut novel and I thought it was well written, clever and laugh out loud funny at times. The audiobook was narrated by Elizabeth Evans and I felt that she did an outstanding job at distinguishing between the characters. It was set in Italy where bestselling novelist, Eleanor Dash, was celebrating her tenth anniversary as the author of a popular series of books, with a tour of Italy. Eleanor had been accompanied to Italy by her sister who was also her devoted and very capable assistant along with a group of devoted fans. The tour details had all been arranged ahead of time. Eleanor planned to use this time to strategize how she could kill off and eliminate the main character from the rest of her books. The main character had been modeled after her ex-boyfriend, Conner Smith and Eleanor was ready to completely erase him from any future books. She just had to figure out how to do it and how to get approval from her publisher to proceed with future books that did not include Conner.
Unbeknownst to Eleanor, Connor, ended up on her anniversary book tour. Early on the tour, Connor confided to Eleanor that someone in real life was really trying to kill him. He told her that he didn’t know who was trying to kill him but Eleanor suspected that Connor knew more than he was willing to share. As much as Eleanor wanted to eliminate Connor from her book, this was not how she wanted it to occur. Eleanor did not wish Connor any harm in real life. Then actual threats to Connor were actually attempted. Even though Connor was the intended target, others were killed instead. The realization of the murders were quite jarring. Who could want to really kill Connor?
The Italian police were finally called in when someone was found murdered in the hotel that all the people on the tour were staying at. One of the Italian police officers that was assigned to the case was no other than the police officer that had helped Eleanor and Connor solve a crime almost ten years ago when they were in Italy as boyfriend and girlfriend. Back then, Eleanor and Connor were able to solve a crime that involved members of the Mafia. Now here they were again right in the middle of another murder investigation. Will they be able to identify the murderer before anything else happens?
Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies was full of twists and turns. It was fast paced with a very satisfying yet unexpected conclusion. The characters were a little quirky and each had their own unique qualities. Catherine Mack brought a very distinctive writing style to this book. It was told almost exclusively by Eleanor Dash who also included a multitude of informative footnotes, which were intended for the reader’s benefit. I enjoyed this cozy mystery. It was chock filled with intriguing details and funny moments. There were so many suspects who could have committed the murders that I found it hard to guess who the real murderer was. Every Time I Go on Vacation was the first book in The Vacation Mysteries series. I look forward to reading the other books in this series and I highly recommend this one.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Unbeknownst to Eleanor, Connor, ended up on her anniversary book tour. Early on the tour, Connor confided to Eleanor that someone in real life was really trying to kill him. He told her that he didn’t know who was trying to kill him but Eleanor suspected that Connor knew more than he was willing to share. As much as Eleanor wanted to eliminate Connor from her book, this was not how she wanted it to occur. Eleanor did not wish Connor any harm in real life. Then actual threats to Connor were actually attempted. Even though Connor was the intended target, others were killed instead. The realization of the murders were quite jarring. Who could want to really kill Connor?
The Italian police were finally called in when someone was found murdered in the hotel that all the people on the tour were staying at. One of the Italian police officers that was assigned to the case was no other than the police officer that had helped Eleanor and Connor solve a crime almost ten years ago when they were in Italy as boyfriend and girlfriend. Back then, Eleanor and Connor were able to solve a crime that involved members of the Mafia. Now here they were again right in the middle of another murder investigation. Will they be able to identify the murderer before anything else happens?
Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies was full of twists and turns. It was fast paced with a very satisfying yet unexpected conclusion. The characters were a little quirky and each had their own unique qualities. Catherine Mack brought a very distinctive writing style to this book. It was told almost exclusively by Eleanor Dash who also included a multitude of informative footnotes, which were intended for the reader’s benefit. I enjoyed this cozy mystery. It was chock filled with intriguing details and funny moments. There were so many suspects who could have committed the murders that I found it hard to guess who the real murderer was. Every Time I Go on Vacation was the first book in The Vacation Mysteries series. I look forward to reading the other books in this series and I highly recommend this one.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 22, 2024
Sadly this book was not for me and I DNFed at the 50% mark.
It was just so hard to get into the story and never once connected or even really cared about the main character. It felt like she was trying to make the her funny and quirky, but to me, she came across as impersonal. I also really didn’t find the whole cast characters entertaining (it was also a huge cast that I could not keep straight for some odd reason).
The pace was slow and I only slogged through 50% in a whole week.
The use of footnotes was very overdone, and since I had an ebook arc they were randomly thrown in at times and even in the middle of sentences.
Others have really enjoyed it so please just take my review with a grain of salt.
It was just so hard to get into the story and never once connected or even really cared about the main character. It felt like she was trying to make the her funny and quirky, but to me, she came across as impersonal. I also really didn’t find the whole cast characters entertaining (it was also a huge cast that I could not keep straight for some odd reason).
The pace was slow and I only slogged through 50% in a whole week.
The use of footnotes was very overdone, and since I had an ebook arc they were randomly thrown in at times and even in the middle of sentences.
Others have really enjoyed it so please just take my review with a grain of salt.
November 4, 2024
With humor, conversational banter and footnotes, bestselling author, Eleanor Nash explains to us readers why she is ready to get rid of hanger-on, Conner Smith, her character, who also happens to be the real person who has made money off of her success.
The more we read, the more we learn about just who Conner Smith is, and why she would want to murder him. Well, his character anyway.
So, as she saunters around Europe on her latest tour promoting her latest book, with her sister, Harper who is her assistant, it appears that someone else also wants Conner dead. But doesn’t Eleanor just want the character dead? Who really wants the person, Conner dead?
And while we are at it, can Eleanor handle her stalker, Cathy on this tour, and her once lover, Oliver, also an author on this tour? And people dying along the way? Does this mean she has to be an amateur sleuth, too? How is she going to manage this tour with all these distractions?
This captivating, funny debut mystery will keep readers engaged from the very beginning page. And, as far as the footnotes go, readers will either like them or be annoyed by them. I leave that determination to each reader.
The more we read, the more we learn about just who Conner Smith is, and why she would want to murder him. Well, his character anyway.
So, as she saunters around Europe on her latest tour promoting her latest book, with her sister, Harper who is her assistant, it appears that someone else also wants Conner dead. But doesn’t Eleanor just want the character dead? Who really wants the person, Conner dead?
And while we are at it, can Eleanor handle her stalker, Cathy on this tour, and her once lover, Oliver, also an author on this tour? And people dying along the way? Does this mean she has to be an amateur sleuth, too? How is she going to manage this tour with all these distractions?
This captivating, funny debut mystery will keep readers engaged from the very beginning page. And, as far as the footnotes go, readers will either like them or be annoyed by them. I leave that determination to each reader.
April 14, 2024
*This is a review of the audiobook of this novel. The narrator did a good job with all of the male and female voices!
This was an easy listen, entertaining and light hearted. This is the first in what is to be a series of “Vacation Mystery” books.
As you know from the blurb “All that bestselling author Eleanor Dash wants is to get through her book tour in Italy and kill off her main character, Connor Smith, in the next in her Vacation Mysteries series―is that too much to ask?” Apparently it is!!
Eleanor is a well known author and is on a book tour in Italy with several other authors. She is in a writing funk and wants to end her best selling series.
Connor has shared that he knows that someone is trying to kill him. None of the others believe him until things start to heat up.
This was a fun mix of characters, lots of different personalities.
*Connor Smith, the ever philandering dashing man, once a love interest with Eleanor. He is also the main protagonist in Eleanor’s books. She plans to kill him off in her next book!
*Harper, Eleanor’s sister and personal assistant
*Oliver, an author who also had involvement with Eleanor. Does he still love her? Does she still love him?
*The “BookFace ladies” who are excited to be with their favorite authors. They won a contest to be included in this tour.
The group visits six cities which are well described. By the end of the tour there will be three bodies!
Who killed who? What is the motive behind the murders and what do they have to gain?
I went into this one wanting a fun escape from some of the thrillers that I’ve read. There was a lot of humor and lots of descriptions of wonderful food and drink! Count me in for the next book tour!
I received an audiobook from the publisher and MacMillan audio through NetGalley.
This was an easy listen, entertaining and light hearted. This is the first in what is to be a series of “Vacation Mystery” books.
As you know from the blurb “All that bestselling author Eleanor Dash wants is to get through her book tour in Italy and kill off her main character, Connor Smith, in the next in her Vacation Mysteries series―is that too much to ask?” Apparently it is!!
Eleanor is a well known author and is on a book tour in Italy with several other authors. She is in a writing funk and wants to end her best selling series.
Connor has shared that he knows that someone is trying to kill him. None of the others believe him until things start to heat up.
This was a fun mix of characters, lots of different personalities.
*Connor Smith, the ever philandering dashing man, once a love interest with Eleanor. He is also the main protagonist in Eleanor’s books. She plans to kill him off in her next book!
*Harper, Eleanor’s sister and personal assistant
*Oliver, an author who also had involvement with Eleanor. Does he still love her? Does she still love him?
*The “BookFace ladies” who are excited to be with their favorite authors. They won a contest to be included in this tour.
The group visits six cities which are well described. By the end of the tour there will be three bodies!
Who killed who? What is the motive behind the murders and what do they have to gain?
I went into this one wanting a fun escape from some of the thrillers that I’ve read. There was a lot of humor and lots of descriptions of wonderful food and drink! Count me in for the next book tour!
I received an audiobook from the publisher and MacMillan audio through NetGalley.
April 22, 2024
Many thanks to NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read the first book, 'Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies,' in The Vacation Mysteries written by Catherine Mack, which I only learned this week is a pseudonym for suspense novelist, Catherine Mackenzie. I enjoyed two of her books and had high hopes for this one. A writer goes on tour in Europe but her publisher sends several other writers, and the inspiration for her main character, who is a ruthless man that blackmailed the author on a few things. For plots, A+... as I loved the depth and detail. I liked some of the characters and the setting, but I wasn't pulled into the book as much as was needed. Part of it is due to the style in which the book is written. Mack tells the story through scenes and various commentary which is often footnoted. The footnotes contain references to her books and past events between her and the real-life guy they were based on. It was too jarring for me as I lost pace a lot. Sometimes it worked, but sometimes I also felt it was too much. Also, do not read this as an ebook. The formatting is such that the footnotes regularly appear page later, so you are swiping left and right so much, it was a chore! Had the formatting and overall style been more to my preferences, I would have given this a 4, but it was not an easy read. Sorry!
October 9, 2025
This book is proof of why Americans are so hated outside their country.
Like, wtf is this? Do you think the rest of the world is just yours to play with? So less important to you that you don't even make the bare effort of using the right translation?
So unimportant that you can create a book out of bad stereotypes? MAKING JOKES ABOUT THE MAFIA?! COMMENT ON THE MURDER OF A YOUNG WOMAN WHOSE MURDERS ARE OUT ONLY BECAUSE THE POLICE ARE INCOMPETENT?!
But please, don't get me wrong, that Amanda Knox comment was just the last drop in a vast ocean of reasons why this book is awful.
Firstly, somehow the author feels the need to spell every single thing that happens with long chapters of nothingness — just to reach her amount of requested words —, and it’s still a very poorly written book. It’s repetitive, boring, and annoying, and I was one footnote away from throwing it outside the window.
And do you want to talk about the characters? I couldn't care less about any of those self-centred idiots, except Eleanor, which I’d have loved to see falling off a cliff.
It’s kinda funny actually, because I’ve always skipped books set in my home country for all the reasons this book is so bad, and the only time I don't bother checking the synopsis beforehand, that's the time I get traumatized.
↠ 1.5 star (DFN @66%)
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
Like, wtf is this? Do you think the rest of the world is just yours to play with? So less important to you that you don't even make the bare effort of using the right translation?
So unimportant that you can create a book out of bad stereotypes? MAKING JOKES ABOUT THE MAFIA?! COMMENT ON THE MURDER OF A YOUNG WOMAN WHOSE MURDERS ARE OUT ONLY BECAUSE THE POLICE ARE INCOMPETENT?!
But please, don't get me wrong, that Amanda Knox comment was just the last drop in a vast ocean of reasons why this book is awful.
Firstly, somehow the author feels the need to spell every single thing that happens with long chapters of nothingness — just to reach her amount of requested words —, and it’s still a very poorly written book. It’s repetitive, boring, and annoying, and I was one footnote away from throwing it outside the window.
And do you want to talk about the characters? I couldn't care less about any of those self-centred idiots, except Eleanor, which I’d have loved to see falling off a cliff.
It’s kinda funny actually, because I’ve always skipped books set in my home country for all the reasons this book is so bad, and the only time I don't bother checking the synopsis beforehand, that's the time I get traumatized.
↠ 1.5 star (DFN @66%)
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
December 31, 2023
*Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review.*
This is what I get when I take reviews at face value: disappointment.
I’ll only touch briefly on the mystery itself. I did not guess who did it, mostly because I never actively try to solve mysteries (that’s just how I read mysteries), and because I wanted everyone to die, so what’s the point in guessing when I know I’ll be further disappointed? The reveal would be a bit more convincing if I could see these people interacting with each other and if they had personalities, because as it is, finding out that Generic Flesh-sack No. 5 did it is underwhelming on all fronts. Woo-hoo, I guess?
If I was supposed to like the MC, I did not get the memo. She is helpless, annoying, bitchy, self-centered and a little…well, clueless. She also says that she’s a liar, which is strange because she still comes across as incompetent. If you lie, why would you portray yourself as hopeless? And if you’re such a liar, why are you seemingly determined to not come across as likable? And why is she so exquisitely clumsy that she legit falls to the floor when she trips on her own shoe? It takes skill to be that uncoordinated, I’ll give her that.
The difficulties she has with her sister Harper could maybe have been interesting. But I do not get the logic of, “I want to be an author, but because my sister got to it first, now I can’t publish a book.” Like, why? If you’ve got a book to write, write it and to hell with what your sibling is doing. Their relationship is (I’m pretty sure) supposed to be solid. But they can’t communicate on basic levels and Harper is a slave to the MC’s whims. And they live together, so how did their troubles remain hidden for so long? Also, GROW UP.
As for the other characters, I have never come across an ensemble cast that is so forgettable. But they’re not just forgettable, I had trouble separating them while I was reading. Isabella and Allison are so bland, it took me a really long time to tell them apart, and I was only able to by their names. I challenge anyone reading this book to give me strong descriptions of those two, and throw in Emily while you’re at it. Just for the fun of it, add Harper too. I can define them by their association/job, but their personalities are unavailable.
And the guys! Normally it’s easy to find at least one guy in a large cast that I like. Not so here. There’s Connor, whom Eleanor (that’s the MC’s name, in case you forgot, like I did) describes as a handsome asshole, and who is actually an asshole. I thought it might be a Mr. Darcy situation. But no. He’s an asshole. My reaction to someone trying to kill him is, “Get on with it already.”
Oliver is the other main guy and he could also die, for all I care. And let’s not forget Guy, who is just a guy, from what I gathered. One of the footnotes actually draws attention to the fact that Guy hasn’t been given a backstory.* I suspect it’s because the author couldn’t be bothered to write one.
Seriously, all these characters are either blank slates or unlikable. It’s actually kind of impressive.
The location of Italy is entirely wasted. I’ve never been there, but the descriptions provided here do not make me feel like I’m in a foreign country. Change the names and it could pass for California.
The writing itself is readable, mostly. I know this is an ARC, but I could’ve used more dialogue tags because it’s kinda hard to tell who’s talking when no one has a distinct voice. And some of the back-and-forth bits go on for just too long, so I had to backtrack to check who’s talking.
I read this whole book at night just before I went to sleep and maybe it’s because my brain was winding down, but I don’t think I genuinely smiled once. (When I’m reading with no one around, I never laugh out loud.** For a book that’s being promoted as “funny,” I imagine that’s a bit of a problem. It’s especially bad since I’m not that hard to amuse.***
One major problem that may not be a problem, depending on how you read the book, are the footnotes. Now, one of the first footnotes says that they are optional.**** But being a bit of a completionist, (and I’d have to pass them anyway on my Kindle), I read them. This is where Eleanor really comes across as annoying, pitiful, resentful and plain unlikable. It also dates the book to a distracting degree. I mean, it references the third Ant-Man movie, which isn’t even a year old and it’s already been forgotten. The notes (and the book proper) also mention Bridgerton, The White Lotus, Only Murders in the Building, BookTok, and actors who may not be a thing in a couple years. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t want contemporary books to be quite so easily carbon-dated.
To summarize, if this hadn’t been an ARC, I would not have finished it.
* I’m fairly sure this is true, but I couldn’t find the spot in the book, so maybe I imagined the whole thing.
** Unless it’s Terry Pratchett, P. G. Wodehouse or just some absolutely brilliant bit of dialogue.
*** Which is not the case with the other reviewers, who all seemed to die of laughter while reading this book.
**** Much like mine are.
This is what I get when I take reviews at face value: disappointment.
I’ll only touch briefly on the mystery itself. I did not guess who did it, mostly because I never actively try to solve mysteries (that’s just how I read mysteries), and because I wanted everyone to die, so what’s the point in guessing when I know I’ll be further disappointed? The reveal would be a bit more convincing if I could see these people interacting with each other and if they had personalities, because as it is, finding out that Generic Flesh-sack No. 5 did it is underwhelming on all fronts. Woo-hoo, I guess?
If I was supposed to like the MC, I did not get the memo. She is helpless, annoying, bitchy, self-centered and a little…well, clueless. She also says that she’s a liar, which is strange because she still comes across as incompetent. If you lie, why would you portray yourself as hopeless? And if you’re such a liar, why are you seemingly determined to not come across as likable? And why is she so exquisitely clumsy that she legit falls to the floor when she trips on her own shoe? It takes skill to be that uncoordinated, I’ll give her that.
The difficulties she has with her sister Harper could maybe have been interesting. But I do not get the logic of, “I want to be an author, but because my sister got to it first, now I can’t publish a book.” Like, why? If you’ve got a book to write, write it and to hell with what your sibling is doing. Their relationship is (I’m pretty sure) supposed to be solid. But they can’t communicate on basic levels and Harper is a slave to the MC’s whims. And they live together, so how did their troubles remain hidden for so long? Also, GROW UP.
As for the other characters, I have never come across an ensemble cast that is so forgettable. But they’re not just forgettable, I had trouble separating them while I was reading. Isabella and Allison are so bland, it took me a really long time to tell them apart, and I was only able to by their names. I challenge anyone reading this book to give me strong descriptions of those two, and throw in Emily while you’re at it. Just for the fun of it, add Harper too. I can define them by their association/job, but their personalities are unavailable.
And the guys! Normally it’s easy to find at least one guy in a large cast that I like. Not so here. There’s Connor, whom Eleanor (that’s the MC’s name, in case you forgot, like I did) describes as a handsome asshole, and who is actually an asshole. I thought it might be a Mr. Darcy situation. But no. He’s an asshole. My reaction to someone trying to kill him is, “Get on with it already.”
Oliver is the other main guy and he could also die, for all I care. And let’s not forget Guy, who is just a guy, from what I gathered. One of the footnotes actually draws attention to the fact that Guy hasn’t been given a backstory.* I suspect it’s because the author couldn’t be bothered to write one.
Seriously, all these characters are either blank slates or unlikable. It’s actually kind of impressive.
The location of Italy is entirely wasted. I’ve never been there, but the descriptions provided here do not make me feel like I’m in a foreign country. Change the names and it could pass for California.
The writing itself is readable, mostly. I know this is an ARC, but I could’ve used more dialogue tags because it’s kinda hard to tell who’s talking when no one has a distinct voice. And some of the back-and-forth bits go on for just too long, so I had to backtrack to check who’s talking.
I read this whole book at night just before I went to sleep and maybe it’s because my brain was winding down, but I don’t think I genuinely smiled once. (When I’m reading with no one around, I never laugh out loud.** For a book that’s being promoted as “funny,” I imagine that’s a bit of a problem. It’s especially bad since I’m not that hard to amuse.***
One major problem that may not be a problem, depending on how you read the book, are the footnotes. Now, one of the first footnotes says that they are optional.**** But being a bit of a completionist, (and I’d have to pass them anyway on my Kindle), I read them. This is where Eleanor really comes across as annoying, pitiful, resentful and plain unlikable. It also dates the book to a distracting degree. I mean, it references the third Ant-Man movie, which isn’t even a year old and it’s already been forgotten. The notes (and the book proper) also mention Bridgerton, The White Lotus, Only Murders in the Building, BookTok, and actors who may not be a thing in a couple years. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t want contemporary books to be quite so easily carbon-dated.
To summarize, if this hadn’t been an ARC, I would not have finished it.
* I’m fairly sure this is true, but I couldn’t find the spot in the book, so maybe I imagined the whole thing.
** Unless it’s Terry Pratchett, P. G. Wodehouse or just some absolutely brilliant bit of dialogue.
*** Which is not the case with the other reviewers, who all seemed to die of laughter while reading this book.
**** Much like mine are.
April 24, 2024
Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack is the first book in the new cozy The Vacation Mysteries series. I can’t say totally for sure yet but with the mystery in this first book being solved by the end I expect this series to be one you could read as a standalone or in any order with new mysteries in each book.
Eleanor Dash is a best selling author who desperately wants to end the book series that made her famous. Eleanor’s mistake was basing her main character on Connor Smith, a man she desperately wants out of her life. Since the success of the series Connor has been profiting off his likeness and making Eleanor miserable in the process.
Now as Eleanor plots the demise of the literature version of Connor it seems someone else may be plotting Connor’s real life demise. Eleanor and Connor have been on a press tour around Italy when someone takes a shot at killing him but their motley group of traveling companions is full of suspects and does Eleanor really want to stop Connor’s demise?
Picking up Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack is one for not only cozy mystery lovers but with the main character being an author you could say for book lovers but this first book is also for the travel lovers with the setting being around Italy. The character do have that slight tough of quirkiness you’d find in a lot of cozies and there were plenty of twists along the way in the story. With a lot going on in the this first book I felt I could have gotten to know the characters a bit better but when finished I rated this at three and half stars and would return to the series.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Eleanor Dash is a best selling author who desperately wants to end the book series that made her famous. Eleanor’s mistake was basing her main character on Connor Smith, a man she desperately wants out of her life. Since the success of the series Connor has been profiting off his likeness and making Eleanor miserable in the process.
Now as Eleanor plots the demise of the literature version of Connor it seems someone else may be plotting Connor’s real life demise. Eleanor and Connor have been on a press tour around Italy when someone takes a shot at killing him but their motley group of traveling companions is full of suspects and does Eleanor really want to stop Connor’s demise?
Picking up Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack is one for not only cozy mystery lovers but with the main character being an author you could say for book lovers but this first book is also for the travel lovers with the setting being around Italy. The character do have that slight tough of quirkiness you’d find in a lot of cozies and there were plenty of twists along the way in the story. With a lot going on in the this first book I felt I could have gotten to know the characters a bit better but when finished I rated this at three and half stars and would return to the series.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
April 22, 2024
This is a well-written, entertaining, fast paced, lighthearted mystery novel. It has humor, a touch of romance, vividly described settings, murder, intrigue, twists and turns, and a satisfying conclusion. I especially enjoyed the quirky footnotes! Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and Ms. Catherine Mack, from whom I received an ARC of this delightful novel. This is my honest opinion.
November 29, 2023
A very cute modern cozy. Eleanor is kind of a lot to take at times and I can't say I ever felt sorry for her travails but she won me over anyway. She knows she's been messy and needs to do better so that went a long way. Both her former love interests were pretty well done. I liked sister, Hayley and wished she had more characterization. The remaining cast was well done and worked really well.
The mystery was good and red herrings abound which made for a fun puzzle to solve. The reader couldn't deduce all of the How because that information isn't fully offered until the big reveal but the Who and broadly Why are there (both the Who and Why is multifaceted). There was enough to satisfy the puzzle-solver in me. I figured out some of what was going on but I read a lot of mysteries. Always take note of what isn't getting attention but is odd. What's said and uncommented upon and what isn't being acknowledged at all. That's where the answers are in the blizzard of everything else happening around the characters.
More thoughts:
Eleanor and Hayley had a Party of Five (show from the 90s) origin story that I literally had to read twice. That gave me a giggle (the orphaned by a drunk driver part notwithstanding) and made me feel old.
There are some funny jibes at Goodreads from authors' perspectives. Calling it "MeanReads" made me laugh and there was a musing on how Agatha Christie would contend with one-star reviewers of her works.
The footnotes... there are many and do work on some level. I don't know that I enjoy flipping back and forth so much as the flow of story is a bit broken but a lot of it was genuinely witty.
Characters being described like someone did a Dream Cast board is not my thing when I read but others may love that.
In the arc i received the title of Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was misspelled. I'm sure this will be corrected by pub date.
A few too many "of the moment" references for me but they were the sort that either you know and agree so adorbs or you understand, don't care and can move on quickly enough (I'm of the latter category).
I'm not usually one for an epilogue but here it worked, especially for a next book set up. I don't know if the book the main character teases is really going to be the next book here but I would absolutely read No One Was Supposed to Doie at this Wedding.
Recommended. It was fun and a neat addition to the landscape of cozy mysteries.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the Adavance Reader's Copy.
The mystery was good and red herrings abound which made for a fun puzzle to solve. The reader couldn't deduce all of the How because that information isn't fully offered until the big reveal but the Who and broadly Why are there (both the Who and Why is multifaceted). There was enough to satisfy the puzzle-solver in me. I figured out some of what was going on but I read a lot of mysteries. Always take note of what isn't getting attention but is odd. What's said and uncommented upon and what isn't being acknowledged at all. That's where the answers are in the blizzard of everything else happening around the characters.
More thoughts:
Eleanor and Hayley had a Party of Five (show from the 90s) origin story that I literally had to read twice. That gave me a giggle (the orphaned by a drunk driver part notwithstanding) and made me feel old.
There are some funny jibes at Goodreads from authors' perspectives. Calling it "MeanReads" made me laugh and there was a musing on how Agatha Christie would contend with one-star reviewers of her works.
The footnotes... there are many and do work on some level. I don't know that I enjoy flipping back and forth so much as the flow of story is a bit broken but a lot of it was genuinely witty.
Characters being described like someone did a Dream Cast board is not my thing when I read but others may love that.
In the arc i received the title of Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was misspelled. I'm sure this will be corrected by pub date.
A few too many "of the moment" references for me but they were the sort that either you know and agree so adorbs or you understand, don't care and can move on quickly enough (I'm of the latter category).
I'm not usually one for an epilogue but here it worked, especially for a next book set up. I don't know if the book the main character teases is really going to be the next book here but I would absolutely read No One Was Supposed to Doie at this Wedding.
Recommended. It was fun and a neat addition to the landscape of cozy mysteries.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the Adavance Reader's Copy.
March 17, 2025
Rounding up to 4.
Coming off a fairly serious book, this was just what I needed - a lighthearted and quirky whodunit. Well done, Catherine Mack! Not too many red herrings, which often get annoying after the third one. Answers were staring me in the face, but the plot was structured well enough so that it wasn’t so obvious.
Looking forward to the next one in the series. Looking forward to Connor getting his due.
Coming off a fairly serious book, this was just what I needed - a lighthearted and quirky whodunit. Well done, Catherine Mack! Not too many red herrings, which often get annoying after the third one. Answers were staring me in the face, but the plot was structured well enough so that it wasn’t so obvious.
Looking forward to the next one in the series. Looking forward to Connor getting his due.
July 7, 2025
☆☆☆☆
Catherine Mack’s Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is a smart, entertaining mystery with plenty of sharp humor and industry satire. While I ended up really enjoying it, I have to admit the beginning felt a bit sluggish and took a while to draw me in. I was also caught off guard by how unlikable Eleanor was right from the start — it made connecting with her more difficult than I expected. That said, once the mystery gained momentum, the story became genuinely compelling and hard to put down. A solid debut, and I’m definitely curious to see where this series goes next.
Catherine Mack’s Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is a smart, entertaining mystery with plenty of sharp humor and industry satire. While I ended up really enjoying it, I have to admit the beginning felt a bit sluggish and took a while to draw me in. I was also caught off guard by how unlikable Eleanor was right from the start — it made connecting with her more difficult than I expected. That said, once the mystery gained momentum, the story became genuinely compelling and hard to put down. A solid debut, and I’m definitely curious to see where this series goes next.
April 18, 2024
This was probably about a 2½ star read for me. There were a lot of footnotes which didn't work well in the ebook. It was a hassle to flip back and forth. In the audio, the footnotes sounded more like asides from the narrator which helped, but they were too repetitive which made them annoying enough at times to elicit eye rolling.
Keep in mind that every time the narrator adds a footnote, which is multiple times in each chapter, it is directed at the reader as if she is talking to you and telling you a story. She does refer to the footnotes and her editor, so you are made aware of the fact that you are reading her story written to you.
I will say that I flopped back and forth a bit as to who the 'bad guy' was. I was not fooled by the author's attempts to lead the reader astray though and had a decent idea of who it was and wasn't a little over halfway through. I can't say what was right or wrong because I don't want to give anything away for future readers.
I think the book needed a more likable main character to really give you someone to root for. This is one of those books where there are no great characters. So, if you need to love your characters give it a pass.
The audio version was narrated by Elizabeth Evans and I think that is partly why I'm rounding this one up. She did a really good job.
My other reason for rounding up is that I think if you skip the footnotes, which the author suggests you can do at one point, the story may read better. I would recommend reading without the footnotes if you give this one a try. They aren't necessary to the story and actually take away from it.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press / Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for providing me with complimentary electronic copies of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Keep in mind that every time the narrator adds a footnote, which is multiple times in each chapter, it is directed at the reader as if she is talking to you and telling you a story. She does refer to the footnotes and her editor, so you are made aware of the fact that you are reading her story written to you.
I will say that I flopped back and forth a bit as to who the 'bad guy' was. I was not fooled by the author's attempts to lead the reader astray though and had a decent idea of who it was and wasn't a little over halfway through. I can't say what was right or wrong because I don't want to give anything away for future readers.
I think the book needed a more likable main character to really give you someone to root for. This is one of those books where there are no great characters. So, if you need to love your characters give it a pass.
The audio version was narrated by Elizabeth Evans and I think that is partly why I'm rounding this one up. She did a really good job.
My other reason for rounding up is that I think if you skip the footnotes, which the author suggests you can do at one point, the story may read better. I would recommend reading without the footnotes if you give this one a try. They aren't necessary to the story and actually take away from it.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press / Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for providing me with complimentary electronic copies of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
May 26, 2024
So vapid and repetitive. Ridiculous book and not one thing to redeem it- complete waste of my reading time.
Read
July 23, 2025A very silly yet entertaining murder mystery with lots of tongue-in-cheek humor and footnotes that break the fourth wall.
July 18, 2025
4🌟
Mood/ Seasonal Reading: Summer
This was a very solid 4 stars.
In my opinion, it takes a lot of inspiration from Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone, which anyone who knows my taste in books knows that means I would adore this.
While this doesn’t match that novel’s fantastic ability to break the 4th wall it does have a lot of things I loved from it. Discussions of clues and when we should be paying attention makes the solving of the book that much more fun. I especially enjoyed the authors pause before going into the final act so the reader had a chance to solve it.
I could’ve done without about a solid six less Taylor Swift song references and hearing “a book for another time” or “more on that later” every other chapter. It’s nice to hint at things but we don’t constantly need to be told we will hear about it. As well, the final reveal was a bit weak for me overall.
I loved how this hints towards the next books and sets up the sequel so it can begin right where this freshman instalment ends.
This was a very decent first go of it and with some polishing I can see the next few being five stars for me.
P.S I adore footnotes in audiobook format
Mood/ Seasonal Reading: Summer
This was a very solid 4 stars.
In my opinion, it takes a lot of inspiration from Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone, which anyone who knows my taste in books knows that means I would adore this.
While this doesn’t match that novel’s fantastic ability to break the 4th wall it does have a lot of things I loved from it. Discussions of clues and when we should be paying attention makes the solving of the book that much more fun. I especially enjoyed the authors pause before going into the final act so the reader had a chance to solve it.
I could’ve done without about a solid six less Taylor Swift song references and hearing “a book for another time” or “more on that later” every other chapter. It’s nice to hint at things but we don’t constantly need to be told we will hear about it. As well, the final reveal was a bit weak for me overall.
I loved how this hints towards the next books and sets up the sequel so it can begin right where this freshman instalment ends.
This was a very decent first go of it and with some polishing I can see the next few being five stars for me.
P.S I adore footnotes in audiobook format
July 18, 2024
A quick, quirky fun book. Perfect for a vacation.
September 15, 2024
Well this was not my kind of book I could tell from the beginning the characters were not appealing although the prose sounded good.
April 23, 2024
This was just a really solid good time! Reminds me of HOW TO SOLVE YOUR OWN MURDER and EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE. You follow an author on a vacation in Italy with other authors & some fans, she's trying to (fictionally) kill off the main guy in her series, but he says someone is really trying to kill him, and then bodies really start dropping.
This is a quirky/gimmicky story interspersed with nearly 300 footnotes throughout the text where the author breaks the fourth wall. I kind of wish the footnotes would've just been embedded in the text normally (because I love mysteries where the narrator breaks the fourth wall!), but I guess it was a smart move because some people don't like that quirk and it allows you to skip it for the most part (except there are a couple chapters in the end speaking straight to the reader).
I didn't think the reveal was too terrible surprising, but I had so much fun with the story that I didn't really mind not being blown away by a twist/reveal. What I did really like was that the threat was current, everyone looked suspicious, and you didn't have to understand something overly complicated for the reveal to make sense. Looking forward to the next book in the series!
Thank you to the publisher for granting me access to an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions remain my own.
This is a quirky/gimmicky story interspersed with nearly 300 footnotes throughout the text where the author breaks the fourth wall. I kind of wish the footnotes would've just been embedded in the text normally (because I love mysteries where the narrator breaks the fourth wall!), but I guess it was a smart move because some people don't like that quirk and it allows you to skip it for the most part (except there are a couple chapters in the end speaking straight to the reader).
I didn't think the reveal was too terrible surprising, but I had so much fun with the story that I didn't really mind not being blown away by a twist/reveal. What I did really like was that the threat was current, everyone looked suspicious, and you didn't have to understand something overly complicated for the reveal to make sense. Looking forward to the next book in the series!
Thank you to the publisher for granting me access to an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions remain my own.
July 31, 2025
Me after coming across the eleventieth footnote while attempting to read an advanced copy of this on my Kindle . . .
Yeah I had to put it aside and opt for the audio instead which definitely was a better format for me. Buuuuuuuut, the entire premise right at the beginning of an author who doesn’t change the name of a character to the point where she has to pay him royalties for eternity was so ludicrous that I simply could not get on board. I stuck around for all the details laying out the whys, however begrudgingly. Cute cover/catchy title, but a disappointment for me.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Yeah I had to put it aside and opt for the audio instead which definitely was a better format for me. Buuuuuuuut, the entire premise right at the beginning of an author who doesn’t change the name of a character to the point where she has to pay him royalties for eternity was so ludicrous that I simply could not get on board. I stuck around for all the details laying out the whys, however begrudgingly. Cute cover/catchy title, but a disappointment for me.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 8, 2024
Rating: 1.3/5
Author, Catherine Mack, is perhaps better known as Catherine McKenzie, but has adopted the pseudonym to accompany this switch in genre. "Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies" features fictional crime writer, Eleanor Dash, who finds herself in the middle of an actual murder mystery case while on a promotional book tour in Italy. I was attracted to the book by its premise and was looking forward to an engaging, fun read - but my experience was far less enjoyable than I had hoped.
The story itself is okay - not the greatest, but decent enough to pass the time with. It has a cosy mystery at its heart that follows the accepted structure for the genre. The setting is appealing enough and the cast of characters should offer enough potential for a mixture of some fun and some intrigue. I recently read the wonderful "Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect" by Benjamin Stevenson and the format of this novel has a number of striking similarities: The central character is an author who stumbles into the middle of a murder mystery; the writer breaks "the fourth wall" and speaks directly to the reader to involve them in the mystery; and the writer describes the fictional structure they are following in constructing the work of fiction. However, whereas I loved "Everyone on This Train ...", I found "Every Time I Go on Vacation ..." to be a poor facsimile by comparison.
Be that as it may, there should still have been enough going for this book for it not to be a one-star-read. So what went wrong? Footnotes! For some ill-advised reason the author decided it would be a good idea to litter the narrative with footnotes. I am not averse to this technique, per se - but it does need to be done well if you are going to go down that track. Jasper Fforde has regularly used footnotes in his books and to good effect, adding an extra dimension to the storytelling. Sadly, Catherine Mack does not execute it very well, at all. There are far too many and rather than enhancing the narrative they suck the life out of it and the result is anything but enjoyable. I hate not finishing a book, but there were many times I was sorely tempted to give up on this.
I believe that this book (and the series that will follow) is being dramatised by the author for the small screen. That medium may actually suit the subject matter better, as there won't be any of the footnotes that slaughtered the reading experience.
As ever, I would still like to convey my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review. It is a pity I was not in a position to pass more favourable comment on this occasion.
Author, Catherine Mack, is perhaps better known as Catherine McKenzie, but has adopted the pseudonym to accompany this switch in genre. "Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies" features fictional crime writer, Eleanor Dash, who finds herself in the middle of an actual murder mystery case while on a promotional book tour in Italy. I was attracted to the book by its premise and was looking forward to an engaging, fun read - but my experience was far less enjoyable than I had hoped.
The story itself is okay - not the greatest, but decent enough to pass the time with. It has a cosy mystery at its heart that follows the accepted structure for the genre. The setting is appealing enough and the cast of characters should offer enough potential for a mixture of some fun and some intrigue. I recently read the wonderful "Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect" by Benjamin Stevenson and the format of this novel has a number of striking similarities: The central character is an author who stumbles into the middle of a murder mystery; the writer breaks "the fourth wall" and speaks directly to the reader to involve them in the mystery; and the writer describes the fictional structure they are following in constructing the work of fiction. However, whereas I loved "Everyone on This Train ...", I found "Every Time I Go on Vacation ..." to be a poor facsimile by comparison.
Be that as it may, there should still have been enough going for this book for it not to be a one-star-read. So what went wrong? Footnotes! For some ill-advised reason the author decided it would be a good idea to litter the narrative with footnotes. I am not averse to this technique, per se - but it does need to be done well if you are going to go down that track. Jasper Fforde has regularly used footnotes in his books and to good effect, adding an extra dimension to the storytelling. Sadly, Catherine Mack does not execute it very well, at all. There are far too many and rather than enhancing the narrative they suck the life out of it and the result is anything but enjoyable. I hate not finishing a book, but there were many times I was sorely tempted to give up on this.
I believe that this book (and the series that will follow) is being dramatised by the author for the small screen. That medium may actually suit the subject matter better, as there won't be any of the footnotes that slaughtered the reading experience.
As ever, I would still like to convey my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review. It is a pity I was not in a position to pass more favourable comment on this occasion.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,625 reviews