Catherine Mack’s second installment in The Vacation Mysteries series delivers exactly what its title promises—a wedding where someone definitely wasn’t supposed to die, but inevitably does. Following the success of Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies, Mack returns with our favorite snarky, footnote-obsessed amateur sleuth, Eleanor Dash, in a setting ripe for both romance and murder: her best friend’s wedding on Catalina Island.
The charm of this series lies in its self-awareness. Eleanor knows she’s in a murder mystery because, well, she writes them for a living. Her meta-commentary and fourth-wall-breaking asides create an intimate relationship with readers that feels like we’re solving the case alongside her. When she quips, “Did you forget? I told you that it’s that kind of book,” you can’t help but smile at the knowing wink.
The Perfect Setup: A Storm, A Wedding, and Hollywood Drama
Mack wastes no time establishing the stakes. Within pages, we learn that Eleanor’s childhood best friend Emma Wood is marrying her co-star Fred Winter after a whirlwind romance on the set of the movie adaptation of Eleanor’s first book, When in Rome. The entire cast and crew, including Eleanor’s ex Connor Smith (who seems to haunt her life both personally and professionally), are headed to Catalina Island for the nuptials.
But before we even reach the island, the sinister machinations begin. Emma receives an ominous note cut from magazine letters: “SomEonE Is GoiNg To Die At The WedDinG.” And if that weren’t enough, a hurricane aptly named Isabella (sharing a name with someone who once tried to kill Eleanor) is bearing down on the island.
The setting is particularly effective—a remote island where escape becomes impossible once the storm hits. It’s classic closed-circle mystery fare, but with the fresh twist of Hollywood players trapped in their own real-life drama. The claustrophobic tension builds naturally as deaths begin to pile up and suspicions mount among the wedding party.
Character Entanglements: A Web of Relationships
The strength of No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding lies in its complex web of relationships. Eleanor finds herself navigating:
- Her rekindled romance with Oliver, the sensible, steady writer who represents the life she could have if she weren’t perpetually entangled with Connor
- Her complicated history with Connor Smith, her literary creation come to life and perpetual source of chaos
- Her protective relationship with her younger sister Harper, who may be falling for the wrong person
- Her lifelong friendship with Emma, which begins to show cracks as secrets emerge
These relationships create genuine emotional stakes beneath the murder mystery shenanigans. When Eleanor worries about losing Oliver again, or frets over Harper’s judgment, or feels responsible for Emma’s safety, these moments ground the otherwise outlandish plot in relatable human concerns.
The Masterful Meta Mystery
What sets this book apart from standard whodunits is its playful engagement with the conventions of the genre. Eleanor frequently references what “should” happen next based on her experience writing mysteries. Chapter titles are posed as questions (“Is It Wrong to Pretend This Never Happened?”), and Eleanor’s footnotes provide running commentary on the events as they unfold.
The mystery itself is satisfyingly twisty. Just when you think you’ve identified the killer, another body drops, another suspect emerges, and the plot takes another hairpin turn. Multiple interwoven motives—money troubles, professional jealousy, romantic revenge—keep readers guessing until the dramatic reveal.
Particularly enjoyable is watching Eleanor slowly piece together clues while we, the readers, try to stay one step ahead. The final revelation manages to be both shocking and, in retrospect, perfectly set up from the beginning.
Strengths and Shortcomings
What Works Brilliantly:
- The voice: Eleanor’s first-person narration is consistently engaging, witty, and distinctive
- The format: The footnotes, chapter titles, and meta-references create a unique reading experience
- The pacing: Bodies drop at perfectly timed intervals to maintain suspense
- The setting: Catalina Island during a hurricane provides both glamour and danger
- The humor: Even in deadly situations, Eleanor’s observations keep things light
Where It Occasionally Stumbles:
- Character overload: The large cast sometimes makes it difficult to keep track of everyone’s motives and relationships
- Coincidence factor: The sheer number of interconnected relationships occasionally strains credibility
- Tone shifts: The book sometimes lurches between genuinely emotional moments and flippant humor
- The footnotes: While mostly charming, they occasionally pull readers out of the narrative flow
The Series So Far: Vacation Mysteries Worth Taking
No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding builds nicely on the foundation established in Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies. The first book introduced us to Eleanor in Italy, where she was promoting the tenth anniversary of her book When in Rome while dodging murder attempts and reconnecting with both Connor and Oliver.
This second installment deepens the character relationships while maintaining the breezy tone and meta-mystery approach that made the first book delightful. Readers who enjoyed Eleanor’s voice and the playful structure of the first book will find more to love here, with the added intrigue of Hollywood and wedding drama.
The epilogue cleverly sets up what appears to be the third book in the series, teasing another vacation-turned-murder-spree in the Bahamas. The formula works because Mack knows exactly what she’s doing with it—leaning into the absurdity while delivering genuine surprises and emotional resonance.
For Fans Of…
Readers who enjoy Lisa Lutz’s The Spellman Files series will appreciate the similar blend of mystery and dysfunctional family dynamics. Fans of Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell mysteries will recognize the witty banter and romantic subplot beneath the murder investigations. And those who loved Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club books will enjoy the self-aware approach to the mystery genre.
Final Verdict: A Wedding Worth Attending
No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding delivers exactly what it promises: a witty, twisty murder mystery set against the backdrop of a glamorous wedding gone terribly wrong. While occasionally sacrificing depth for cleverness, the book balances humor and suspense with remarkable dexterity.
Eleanor Dash remains an engaging protagonist whose professional knowledge of murder mysteries makes her both uniquely qualified to solve the case and amusingly blind to certain clues right under her nose. Her relationships with the supporting cast provide emotional grounding for the increasingly outlandish plot twists.
At its core, this is a book that doesn’t take itself too seriously while still respecting the conventions of the mystery genre. Catherine Mack has crafted a series where the next vacation disaster feels inevitable yet completely welcome. After all, as Eleanor might footnote: Nobody wants to read about a relaxing vacation where nothing goes wrong.
No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding is perfect for readers who:
- Enjoy mysteries with a healthy dose of self-awareness
- Appreciate complex female protagonists with messy personal lives
- Don’t mind a body count at a destination wedding
- Like their murder mysteries with a side of romance
- Can’t resist footnotes and fourth-wall breaks
And while someone definitely wasn’t supposed to die at this wedding, readers will be glad they did—if only for the pleasure of watching Eleanor Dash solve the case with her trademark wit and (occasional) wisdom. Just like at any good wedding, you’ll laugh, you might cry, and you’ll definitely go home with stories to tell.
