Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies

Eleanor Dash is the author of the Vacation Mystery series and also the narrator of this novel, which creates a very meta setup of a book within a book. As the author of Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies, how does Catherine Mack use this technique to enhance the story she’s telling? What parallels, or differences, are explored?

Eleanor begins the book by proclaiming that she wants to kill off Connor to end her book series, which foreshadows the murder attempts later on. Does Eleanor’s motivation to end the Vacation Mystery series make her appear guilty at any point, and in what ways?

How does the use of footnotes add humor to the story? Which moments did you find the most memorable out of these?

Harper is introduced as the organized itinerary-follower in contrast to Eleanor’s chaotic attitude, but we soon learn that there’s much more to her character. How do you think Harper feels toward her sister?

Since the book is in Eleanor’s point of view, we meet the other characters through her very opinionated eyes. How do Eleanor’s feelings toward the key characters in the tour group sway your initial impressions of them? Or your suspicions toward them?

Connor is a charming yet morally questionable character, and his decision to blackmail Eleanor for the profits from her book series is a major revelation. How did learning about his background with Eleanor alter your perception of him? What do you think Eleanor saw in him originally, and do you think he has redeeming features?

Eleanor rekindles her romantic feelings for Oliver during the tour, but the murder mystery at hand complicates matters. What are some obstacles to their budding relationship that come into play? Do you think their relationship will last?

The BookFace Ladies appear as enthusiastic fans throughout the tour, but Eleanor’s history with Crazy Cathy makes her immediately skeptical of spending any time with them. How does their presence add intrigue to the mystery?

Who did you suspect was the killer before it was revealed? What were the clues you picked up on? Did you guess correctly, and if not, why did you suspect who you did?

In the epilogue, Eleanor finds another dead body. What do you think she has learned from her experience in this book that she could use in her next investigation?