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 competitors, 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?
Release Date: Apr 23, 2024
Publisher: Macmillan
Imprint: Minotaur Books
Price: $14.99
Eleanor Dash is the author of a best-selling mystery series in which her main character travels throughout Italy solving crimes. Eleanor based the character on her real-life ex-boyfriend, conman Connor Smith. Connor is blackmailing Eleanor for a portion of her book revenue, and Eleanor wants to kill him off. Although Eleanor wants to kill off her main character, it looks like someone else wants to murder the real Connor Smith. Eleanor, Connor, and others close to her go on a book tour along with some lucky super fans of the series, but now everyone could be in danger from a killer.
I love the premise of this book and the Italian setting. I also like that in addition to the murder mystery, the book also includes newspaper articles, trip itineraries, and the notes Eleanor makes as she’s brainstorming ideas for her next book. Eleanor is a disorganized, quirky character who breaks the fourth wall to address readers at the end of a few chapters and also in humorous footnotes throughout the story. (Be aware that these notes are hard to follow when reading an ebook version of the book.) All of this adds up to a very unique way of telling a story. Sometimes it works well, and there are some amusing situations. However, it prevents a smooth flow of the story and makes it disjointed and sometimes hard to follow. I also had difficulty connecting with Eleanor, who relies on her sister to manage her life and career. She also can’t seem to stay away from the blackmailing Connor, even though she’s still in love with another ex who is also on the tour.
The heart of the mystery is good, and as the story progresses, it’s clear that many of the characters, including Eleanor herself, are keeping secrets. This sets up several potential suspects and motives. Writing so many mysteries has helped Eleanor become a very capable amateur sleuth, and she deduced the truth behind the crimes way before I did. This book has some entertaining parts, and I enjoyed the ending, but I don’t know if it’s a series I will follow.
~ Christine
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