Eleanor Dash is a successful author of a series of books, her publishers have organised a book tour of Italy with her sister and assistant Harper, a couple of her exes, their exes and more authors. A set of book-loving groupies have won a competition to join them at various places on the tour.

The main character of her book, based on her ex Connor - is feared someone is trying to kill him. Or are they trying to kill Eleanor? A series of botched attempts of murders occur, all the while set in the most scenic of places in Italy, from Pompeii to Rome.

Can the tour group solve the crime before Inspector Tucci, or is one of them the guilty assassin?

As suspicion turns to everyone, they’re in a race to solve the mystery before the killer is successful.

This is not my usual psychological thriller, but I really enjoyed it.
Packed with humour, alternate style of adding authors footnotes and a genuine mystery, what’s not to love?
I found this easy to read, easy to pick back up whenever to had to put it down.
It was a fun book, which made me laugh and kept my inquisitive mind guessing. Simple but very effective.

Definitely one I’d recommend in future

Thank you Netgalley for my free ARC in return for an honest review

I really enjoyed this book. I read it with another bookish friend. We both enjoyed the story and characters. Would recommend

Eleanor Dash is the main character of Every Time I go on Vacation, Someone Dies. She is the author of 9 very successful murder mystery novels and has been sent with a whole host of people, including fans and other authors on a whirlwind tour of Italy. Whilst there, Eleanor is planning her 10th and final book of the series, which is going to involve killing off Connor, one of the characters, who also happens to be a real person and her ex-boyfriend.

There are loads of plot holes in this book as well as the fact that no publisher would ever send a bunch of authors on a tour together with a load of fans.

The MC is annoying and the way that she leans heavily on his sister, who is her PA, is ridiculous . The issues that the sisters have could have been interesting but when the MC is so childish, that was never going to happen.

I can't even remember any of the female characters (and that's never a good sign) because that's how pointless and forgettable they all were.

The two main male characters were forgettable too, both of whom are ex-boyfriends of Eleanor. Connor is obviously the worse of the two but the other, Oliver, is just so bland.

I did not enjoy this book at all. It took me ages to read and it was a real, hard slog.

Slow to progress and didn’t really keep me hooked. More cosy mystery than thriller! But ok if that’s your thing

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book but I really enjoyed it, it was more cosy mystery than I thought picking it up but it was perfect!

I struggled to get into this book in spite of the other reviews I had seen.The main issue for is that the story didn't seem to go anywhere for such a long time. I may return to it at a later date but currently this isn't the book for me.

I was sent a copy of Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack to read and review by NetGalley. I really enjoyed this novel; it was fun and entertaining and I really liked the way it was written in the first person but as if it was being spoken to us. I also enjoyed all the footnotes – my only bugbear with this being that I was reading the book on my kindle so it made it more awkward for me to refer back to the passage referred to if I needed to. I almost gave up after the first couple of chapters because of this but I’m so glad I didn’t as it ended up being an absolute delight! I see that it is to be made into a TV series – I do hope that they keep the spirit of the book alive as I think it could be marvellous on screen. I can’t wait for the sequels – I’ll be reading them as a physical copy though, not on my kindle!

"Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies" by Catherine Mack is likely a clever and humorous mystery novel that combines the thrill of a whodunit with the light-heartedness of a travel adventure. The title suggests a protagonist who, despite their best intentions for a relaxing holiday, finds themselves repeatedly embroiled in murder mysteries wherever they go.

Mack's writing is probably filled with witty dialogue, quirky characters, and vivid descriptions of exotic locales, making the book both an entertaining read and a bit of an armchair travel experience. The plot might follow the protagonist as they inadvertently stumble upon crimes, using their amateur sleuthing skills to solve the cases while trying to enjoy their vacation.

This novel would be perfect for readers who enjoy cozy mysteries with a humorous twist, as well as those who appreciate a story that blends suspense with a fun and light-hearted narrative. "Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies" is likely a delightful mix of mystery, comedy, and travel, making it an ideal pick for fans of Agatha Christie-style puzzles with a modern, humorous edge.

This is such a light and funny murder mystery, perfect for those who appreciate a slightly dark sense of humor. It's easily the most amusing book I've read in ages. Eleanor Dash, the protagonist, is wonderfully quirky and endearingly awkward, making her a perfect fit for a character who dabbles in amateur sleuthing. Her fraught history with Connor, which fuels her fictional animosity towards him in her Vacation Mysteries series, adds depth and humor to their interactions.

Eleanor's relationship with her sister and assistant, Harper, is another highlight, showcasing their dynamic and supportive bond. The concept of a European book tour, combined with entertaining historical tidbits, provides a fresh and engaging backdrop to the mystery. Elizabeth Evans' narration is exceptional, bringing the story vividly to life. I'm thrilled to have a signed copy of the paperback on my shelf and am eagerly anticipating the next book in the series.

3.5/5.

This book kept me thinking Settings were beautiful Interesting characters and it really kept me guessing Could not put it down!!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book! I read it on holiday on the rare few days where we actually had back to back days of sunshine in the UK - perfect timing for a murder mystery set on a tour of Italy. Catherine Mack writes so well about the tour that I almost felt I was there! It even inspired me to dabble in Italian on the Duolingo app!!
I loved the way Mack kept breaking the fourth wall and giving great insights in how an author works and thinks!
Kept me on my toes trying to work out who did it! Fab book! Grazie!

The premise for this story really grabbed me and I was looking forward to a summer vacation through European cities but I didn't feel like I quite got that. Scenic descriptions were minimal with the bulk of the attention paid to the characters themselves; what they were doing, who they were with, elements of danger experienced, etc. Having read the book, I can see why this is the case and appreciate that to have done otherwise may have greatly extended the book without good reason.

Overall, I enjoyed the plot. I thought it made for a great beach read, or would suit someone who took to their garden or snug to cosy up with a mini mystery. However, I found the side notes rather distracting and a great hindrance to the point that I stopped reading them after about 25% of the way through. The author is quirky and the side notes provide the bulk of the humour. Some of them may even be useful for English Literature students wanting to step inside the author's mind. I may have better received them had they been suited to the format that I read the book in (Kindle). My issue was tat as footnotes they were often appearing in the centre of the page and for items a few page turns back so I would have to skip back and forth to tally them up. This would cause a loss of reading flow and didn't aid the plot.

In the later quarter of the books there were a handful of instances where a word or two would be skipped. This only added to te hindrances already experienced, so although it was a relatively good story, the actual reading experience was lacking.

A clever and silly story which had me gripped. Loved this funny book with all the twists in it. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

DNF just couldn’t get into it I’m afraid. Maybe audiobook would have fared better for me. I will keep a look out at the library for an Audio version.

This book was very entertaining and was funny.
It is the perfect holiday read
I personally found the writing style a little difficult with the footnotes but have over looked that on the e format will be interested to see how it’s published in paperback.
This was fun enjoyable read

I really enjoyed this story and was eager to learn who the culprit was. I was left guessing until the very end which is great.
However, I found that all the footnotes were really offputting and had to scroll through until I could continue with the story.
I would imagine that this would read better once it is published. For that reason, I am giving the book 4 stars.

When author Eleanor Dash and her frenemy ex boyfriend (and star protagonist of her hugely successful murder mystery novels) Conor Smith embark on a book tour through Italy, the last thing they expect is murder. This novel featured likeable cast of characters, a witty tone and an intriguing premise- my only qualm is that it spent the first 60% flirting with the idea of murder before a ‘proper’ murder took place (read the book, you’ll understand what I mean!!) after that, the plot flew along and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Because this novel uses lots of fun footnotes (I’ve seen that some reviewers found this interrupting- I actually enjoyed them as asides) I think it is worth noting that the novel is better suited to a paperback format to my kindle pdf. 3*

I really enjoyed this book, it was a little slow paced to begin with. About a third of the way into the book it really started to hot up. The story follows a set of authors who travel to Italy on a book tour. One of the authors thinks someone is trying to kill him - but is it all that it seems.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

“Ten days, eight suspects, six cities, five authors, three bodies, one trip to die for”
Eleanor is a bestselling author of “the vacation mystery” series
While on a book tour in Italy, the world she is writing about starts to become true as her ex boyfriend, Connor is convinced someone is trying to kill him
Eleanor’s detective skills are actually put to the test in a real life case.
Loved the setting and destinations, you really feel you’re on holiday with the author
Loved how the author also writes directly to the reader - an unique way of storytelling
The author is a fresh new new voice - so witty and fun
However personally did find the use of footnotes a little distracting from the read of the novel.
All in all it was a fun read - in similar vein to ‘Knives Out’ or Agatha Christie in that everyone is a potential suspect.
Can’t wait for the next in the series.
Thanks @CEMMckenzie1 @panmacmillan & @netgalley for the fun read

I loved the concept as it's exactly the kind of premise I gravitate towards, There was excellent character building that quickly felt like this was not a standalone but instead the middle of a well established series.
Despite liking Eleanor's sassy wit, there was such a lot of footnotes that broke my flow of reading that I ended up ignoring them by about 20% of way through and the sniping with Connor took away from the plot propulsion so it lagged early and was harder to stick with.
Loved the Italian setting and as one of my favourite places in the world, this was a fun read in places that was trickier to stick with than expected.