Published on April 30, 2024, book #1 of this new murder mystery series caught my eye right away because of the title and that cover! I enjoyed reading it, but it was quite a different read for me. First of all, if I wasn’t constantly surrounded by middle schoolers and high schoolers, I would have missed quite a bit of the vernacular used by the main character Eleanor Dash, who at 35 is a bit old for the likes of “sus” and “natch.”
This is the second book I’ve read this summer utilizing footnotes, and I’ve decided I’m not a fan. Again, part of my issue is on a Kindle, it is somewhat of a distraction to click on that footnote number, read what pops up, click on it again, and return to your place in the narrative. I’ve noticed some reviews that say it works well as an audio book, but that is not my preferred reading method, so I can’t speak to that. As with the Kinsella book earlier this summer, these footnotes are really just asides the author (or shall I say the main character) is making to the reader, not really adding information for the reader as in nonfiction. I hope this footnote in fiction is not a new trend.
Cozy mysteries are perhaps one of my top three genres, but I’m not sure this is a cozy mystery. There is some language, that each time came as a bit of a shock to me given the main character’s personality, and there is a bit of spice, even if it’s off the page in most instances.
My biggest takeaway is the absolute first person nature of the narration, including breaking the fourth wall throughout the book. In a lot of ways, this book reminded me of the Benjamin Stevenson Ernest Cunningham books. Is this another new trend in murder mysteries?
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book. Best of luck to Catherine Mack with her Vacation Mysteries series!
Michelle Blanchard Ardillo 
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