This Weekend Doesn't End Well for Anyone
- Judith D Collins
- Apr 13
- 6 min read
Vacation Mysteries #3
Narrated by Elizabeth Evans
ISBN: 9781250445650
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: 04/28/2026
Format: Audio
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
The third in the witty and captivating series following bestselling author Eleanor Dash, who once again has to swap her sun hat for her detective hat, when a body is found at a murder mystery writing conference in the Bahamas.
"[Narrator] Elizabeth Evans masterfully voices successful crime novelist Eleanor Dash, listeners' new best friend... Evans demonstrates her talent for accents and finds voices that capture the personalities of each of the characters." —Kirkus Reviews on Every Time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies
Eleanor Dash can never catch a break. Not only has she had to solve two real-life murder plots in the past year, but both times it was when she was meant to be on vacation. Now she’s finally got a ticket to a relaxing weekend—an all-inclusive resort at the Bahamas where she’s speaking at a conference for murder mystery writers—but she arrives to find a body on the floor of her hotel room. Because of course she does.
With plenty of familiar faces at the resort, any one of them could have been the intended target or the culprit behind it all. Was it Oliver Forrest, Eleanor’s dashing boyfriend who’s in danger of getting dropped by his publisher because his sales are dwindling? Or Connor Smith, Eleanor’s infuriating ex-lover-turned-bestselling-rom-com-author with a sordid past of his own? Or her sister Harper, whose own stilted writing career has been a sore point for years as Eleanor’s has soared? Perhaps it’s one of the other writers also in attendance, as friends, frenemies and foes from Eleanor’s past all seem to be invited to the island.
Surrounded by mystery writers who know all too well the many ways to craft the perfect crime, Eleanor is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery and do whatever it takes to get out of this weekend alive.
A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books.
My Review
In This Weekend Doesn't End Well for Anyone (The Vacation Mysteries #3) by Catherine Mack, author Eleanor Dash finds a body in her Bahamas hotel room during a murder mystery writers' conference. While attending the conference with her boyfriend, Oliver, and sister, Harper, Eleanor must solve the murder among peers who know how to commit the perfect crime.
"Eleanor Dash is back for a sun-soaked third round of mayhem in Catherine Mack's most sardonic outing yet. An intricately plotted mystery that proves three really is a crowd—especially when it involves a madcap writers' conference and a body count that just won't quit. This meta-fictional romp is absolutely unputdownable."
My thoughts...
"Third time’s a charm— unless you’re Eleanor Dash. In this sun-soaked third installment of the Vacation Mysteries series, bestselling author Eleanor Dash finds herself at a Bahamas writers' conference where the fiction is far less dangerous than the reality.
Catherine Mack delivers a madcap mystery that is brilliantly meta, as Eleanor navigates a resort filled with irreverent authors and their fragile literary egos.
The stakes are personal this time: Eleanor must balance a sardonic search for a killer while managing a simmering professional rivalry with her sister, Harper. In a world where everyone is an expert at the 'perfect crime,' the truth is buried under layers of professional jealousy and old secrets.
While it retains a cozy-adjacent charm, don't be fooled—the mystery is intricately plotted, proving that for Eleanor Dash, a vacation is just a crime scene with better weather. Fast-paced and entirely unputdownable, this is a masterclass in narrative chaos.
A standout feature is the way Eleanor Dash provides a literal "how-to" guide for writing a mystery, integrated through footnotes and act breaks.
The audiobook...
I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook, narrated by the masterful Elizabeth Evans, known for her skill in handling Eleanor's constant fourth-wall breaking and biting wit. One of the biggest talking points for the audio version is how it handles the footnotes. Some listeners find this seamless, while others enjoy seeing them visually on the page. Evans is noted for her "talent for accents," which helps differentiate the large cast of "frenemies" and international authors at the Bahamas conference.
Final Verdict for Listeners
The audio version is highly recommended for fans of character-driven humor. Hearing Eleanor’s inner monologue out loud often enhances the madcap and chaotic energy of the plot. I enjoyed the performance, and it is the best way to experience Eleanor's "queen of sass" persona.
The Meta-Twist:
Because the resort is full of mystery writers, everyone is an expert on forensics, motives, and alibis. This creates a "game of chess" where the suspects are actively trying to outsmart any investigation using literary tropes.
The Tone:
The book blends a classic locked-room mystery structure with modern, sardonic humor and meta-commentary on the publishing industry.
Why It Stands Out
The novel is famous for its footnotes, where Eleanor breaks the "fourth wall" to give the reader tips on writing mysteries or to vent about her fellow authors. It balances a high-stakes investigation with the "messy" personal drama of a woman who just wants to finish her series and survive her ex-boyfriend.
The ultimate takeaway is that life is the messiest draft of all. The title is both a literal warning and a meta-fictional joke that perfectly encapsulates the tone of the third book.
Verdict 5/5 Stars
"A fast-paced, hilarious ride for anyone who loves a classic whodunit served with a side of biting literary satire."
Special thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for graciously sharing an advanced listening copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: April 28, 2026
Praise
“The series’ signature humor, delivered via footnotes and Eleanor’s sardonic first-person narration, is as fresh as ever.”
―Publisher's Weekly
“With her signature wit and skillful twists, Catherine Mack (or is it Eleanor Dash?) lures readers into another madcap whodunit, this time at a fiction workshop in the Bahamas. I’ll say it: Mack’s murder-mystery-conference murder mystery, packing irreverent observations, hilarious asides, and playful subversions of tropes, left this murder-mystery author gasping, groaning, and giggling with glee. So. Much. Fun!”
―Andrea Bartz, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Ferry Out and We Were Never Here
“A sun-soaked murder mystery that proves even paradise can't give Eleanor Dash a peaceful vacation! Mack's most entertaining whodunit yet features a cast of suspicious writers who all know how to craft the perfect crime. Absolutely unputdownable― the perfect blend of tropical glamor and deadly intrigue.”
―Michelle Gagnon, USA Today bestselling author of Slaying You
“This Weekend Doesn’t End Well for Anyone stands out like a balmy breeze in the muggy world of murder and mayhem. The tight plot clips along at a brisk pace taking sharp turns when you least expect. Reading the footnotes is like being at a family dinner and sitting beside the cousin who insists on whispering their inappropriate observations. They keep you giggling and Grandma wondering what the heck is so funny. A fun, twisty read, anyway you look at it.”
―Sue Hincenbergs, #1 Canadian bestselling author of The Retirement Plan
“Hilarious, binge-worthy and utterly delicious. If you don’t laugh out loud, you might need to get your pulse checked.”
―Bianca Marais, USA Today bestselling author of A Most Puzzling Murder
“Brilliant characters and a deliciously devilish mystery . . . Mack has that indefatigable knack for keeping you guessing, right until the very end. The world she's created is absolutely somewhere I want to be ALL the time!”
―Jonathan Whitelaw, author of the Concert Hall Killer
“Catherine Mack is a master at seamlessly blending humor with suspense. Come for the mystery as the bodies pile up, stay for the behind-the-scenes look at author life with the delightfully relatable Eleanor Dash. This Weekend Doesn't End Well for Anyone is a fast-paced romp that'll leave you 'dying' to see what Dash (and Mack) get up to next!”
―Liz Alterman, author of You Shouldn't Have Done That
“This Weekend Doesn’t End Well for Anyone is a fabulous whodunit that will keep you guessing right until the end; this sparklingly self-aware escapist delight will keep you turning the pages, reeling from twists, and laughing until you too will need another vacation. If you like your murder served with wicked humor, and good advice on how to structure as well as solve a mystery, this is the book for you.”
―M.K. Oliver, author of A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage
“Eleanor Dash, the queen of sass, is back, and this time she's going bananas in the Bahamas. No one is above suspicion in this eclectic cast of characters. This Weekend Doesn’t End Well for Anyone is a refreshing and zippy read that will have you dreaming of beach holidays and writers' retreats, while wondering where on earth Eleanor Dash gets her bravery.”
―L. M. Kemp, author of I, Spy
About the Author
CATHERINE MACK (she/her) is the pseudonym for the USA Today and Globe & Mail bestselling author of twenty-two novels. Her books have sold two million copies worldwide and have been translated into multiple languages, including French, German, Polish, and Portuguese. Film rights to Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies have been optioned. Mack splits her time between Canada and the US.
