Book Review: This Weekend Doesn’t End Well For Anyone by Catherine Mack

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5

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Bestselling novelist Eleanor Dash is expecting a lot of things when she agrees to attend a murder mystery writers conference in the Bahamas. What she isn’t expecting is a dead body in her hotel room.

But honestly… at this point, she probably should.

Once again, what seems like a coincidence quickly starts to feel like something more intentional. Is someone actually targeting Eleanor? Or could it be someone close to her? Connor, Oliver, Harper—and yes, even stalker Karen—are all back in the mix, which makes the suspect pool both familiar and chaotic.

We also get a return of several characters from earlier books, with ongoing storylines tied to past events. This one really builds on the previous books, so I wouldn’t recommend reading it as a standalone. You’ll get a lot more out of it if you’ve read the first two.

Without giving too much away, things escalate quickly. There’s a storm warning, the island is evacuated, and our group decides to stay behind after signing away any liability. So now we have a full-on closed-circle mystery, but instead of a single house or mansion, it’s an entire island.

And yes… the bodies do start piling up.

As the group gets smaller, the tension ramps up, and the suspect list becomes more focused. There’s also someone from a previous book who returns with unfinished business, which adds another layer to the mystery and raises the stakes.

I listened to this one on audio and would absolutely recommend that format. The narration works especially well with the author’s style, particularly with the footnotes and moments that break the fourth wall. That kind of storytelling can feel forced if it’s not done well, but here it’s clever and intentional.

This is another twisty, fun installment in the series. It definitely feels like a nod to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, which is one of my favorites. You can really see that influence in the isolated setting and the steadily shrinking cast.

Overall, I love this series for its mix of humor, chaos, and mystery. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, but still delivers a satisfying twist at the end. This book also ties back nicely to earlier storylines and expands the world in a meaningful way.

If you’re a fan of the Finlay Donovan series or other lighter, character-driven mysteries, this is definitely worth picking up.

On sale now, you can grab your copy here.

Check out the other titles in The Vacation Mysteries Series:

Book One: Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies

Book Two: No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding

Thank you to Catherine Mack, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the ALC & ARC copy of this book.