Devi Nair
The Vacation Mystery series continues to charm with its cozy blend of celebrity glitz, wedding drama, and murder. Of course, Eleanor Dash can’t go anywhere without stumbling over a dead body. I really enjoyed the premise. It features a bestselling author who becomes a reluctant sleuth. The setting is a stormy island. It’s a best friend’s wedding where someone is clearly up to no good. It’s playful, full of winks to genre tropes, and doesn’t take itself too seriously.
That said, I did struggle a bit with the pacing. The mystery takes a long time to actually begin. The body, which dropped in the first page, doesn’t come back in the story until around the halfway mark. While I usually love a slow burn, this one lingered in the setup longer than I expected. Once the murder finally happens, things pick up nicely. But by then, the momentum had dipped a little for me.
The ending made sense. I can see how it all added up. However, it didn’t feel as satisfying as I’d hoped. The resolution went in a different direction than what I expected, after all the buildup.
Still, there’s something undeniably fun about the world Catherine Mack has created. It’s especially enjoyable for readers who like stories that play with genre. These stories blur the line between fiction and fiction-within-fiction. The setting is vibrant. The characters are entertaining. There’s a definite charm in following Eleanor from one chaotic vacation to the next. Even when the mystery takes its time unfolding, the charm remains. There’s a teaser for book three, so you’re in it for the long game, there’s more Eleanor Dash to come.
Originally posted at viewsshewrites.wordpress.com.
The Vacation Mystery series continues to charm with its cozy blend of celebrity glitz, wedding drama, and murder. Of course, Eleanor Dash can’t go anywhere without stumbling over a dead body. I really enjoyed the premise. It features a bestselling author who becomes a reluctant sleuth. The setting is a stormy island. It’s a best friend’s wedding where someone is clearly up to no good. It’s playful, full of winks to genre tropes, and doesn’t take itself too seriously.
That said, I did struggle a bit with the pacing. The mystery takes a long time to actually begin. The body, which dropped in the first page, doesn’t come back in the story until around the halfway mark. While I usually love a slow burn, this one lingered in the setup longer than I expected. Once the murder finally happens, things pick up nicely. But by then, the momentum had dipped a little for me.
The ending made sense. I can see how it all added up. However, it didn’t feel as satisfying as I’d hoped. The resolution went in a different direction than what I expected, after all the buildup.
Still, there’s something undeniably fun about the world Catherine Mack has created. It’s especially enjoyable for readers who like stories that play with genre. These stories blur the line between fiction and fiction-within-fiction. The setting is vibrant. The characters are entertaining. There’s a definite charm in following Eleanor from one chaotic vacation to the next. Even when the mystery takes its time unfolding, the charm remains. There’s a teaser for book three, so you’re in it for the long game, there’s more Eleanor Dash to come.
Originally posted at viewsshewrites.wordpress.com.