This week on Jen’s Jewels, I’m thrilled to welcome Catherine Mack, the talented author behind the sharp and witty Eleanor Dash mysteries. In her latest release, NO ONE WAS SUPPOSED TO DIE AT THIS WEDDING, Mack whisks readers away to the stunning and storm-swept Catalina Island for a high-profile wedding that takes a deadly turn. With a clever nod to Agatha Christie and a cast of unforgettable characters, this cozy mystery blends glitz, secrets, and suspense in all the best ways. Join us as we chat about island intrigue, Hollywood drama, and what makes Eleanor Dash a heroine worth rooting for.
Jennifer Vido: Congratulations on the release of your second Eleanor Dash mystery! Catalina Island makes for a breathtaking and secluded setting. What drew you to this specific location, and how did the island's unique atmosphere influence the tone and pacing of the story?
Catherine Mack: Thank you! It’s somewhere I’ve been a bit fascinated with for a while and I wanted to set this book on an island for reasons that are obvious when you read it. It’s a small island with challenging geography and I think that played into the story well.
Jen: The stormy weather trapping the wedding guests adds a wonderful layer of tension. Did you always know you'd include that element, or did it emerge organically during the writing process?
Catherine: I did always plan to have a hurricane during the wedding. But it turned out that there hadn’t ever been a hurricane on Catalina! Not until last year that is. When I was writing the book, the island was evacuated because of a hurricane! I was supposed to be going there at that time but my trip got cancelled! Life imitates art.
Jen: The chilling note Emma receives - “Someone is going to die at the wedding” - immediately sets a tone of suspense and urgency. Can you share what sparked the idea for that ominous message, and how it served as a narrative catalyst in structuring the mystery and pacing the tension throughout the novel?
Catherine: I love putting nods to Agatha Christie in these books, and a favorite of mine was A Murder is Announced. Imagine being so arrogant as to tell someone they’re going to die! I had to use the device.
Jen: Weddings are naturally charged events, full of heightened emotions and long-held secrets. How did you use that energy to craft red herrings, suspects, and twists throughout the book?
Catherine: Yes, weddings themselves always add tension to any situation which is necessary for these types of books to succeed. I also wanted to explore the trope of a wedding party trapped on an island with a murderer because it’s such a fun one. Feels like there’s always someone feeling murderous for one reason or another at a wedding.
Jen: In this book, Eleanor finds herself in the middle of a high-profile wedding between her best friend and a movie star, with her own past tangled up in the drama. How did you approach writing those layered emotional dynamics between Eleanor, Emma, Fred, and Connor?
Catherine: One of the themes that I explore in these books is about how murders are never just the result of one action or one event. They often take years to sprout. I also wanted to play with the meta-ness of it all - Fred is playing Connor; Emma is playing Eleanor in the movie so that allowed me to play with having people who resemble one another walking around. What could go wrong?
Jen: Eleanor is a bestselling mystery author herself, and now one of her novels is being turned into a movie. What was it like exploring the behind-the-scenes world of Hollywood through Eleanor’s eyes, especially while juggling a murder investigation?
Catherine: Super fun. I did a book tour in Book 1, so I wanted to explore another inside-baseball idea in this book. A movie seemed the obvious/best choice.
Jen: Eleanor is a writer who solves crimes - something that mirrors your own experience in a way. How much of your real-life author world influences Eleanor’s fictional one?
Catherine: Oh I only solve crimes on paper! And since I made up the crime and know who did it, it’s easy. But for sure, things I’ve observed as an author make it onto the page.
Jen: One of the hallmarks of a great cozy mystery is the blend of charm and suspense. How do you strike that delicate balance while keeping readers both laughing and on the edge of their seats?
Catherine: It’s a delicate balance. I think it works here – at least I hope it does – because Eleanor’s voice is so clear in my head. She’s both self-involved and self-aware. In the best way, of course.
Jen: Eleanor has this deliciously dry wit and a knack for stumbling into trouble. How has she evolved from book one to book two, and what’s been the most fun part of writing her journey so far?
Catherine: I think she’s on the brink of growing up. Eleanor had to grow up fast when her parents died, but then she kind of reverted to her childish ways once she got famous. For the last 10 years, she hasn’t really been challenged to be better. But through these investigations and her relationship with Oliver, she’s finally taking on some responsibility.
Jen: What do you hope readers take away from Eleanor’s latest adventure, beyond the whodunit?
Catherine: I hope they have as much fun reading it as I did writing it.
Bonus Question – Jen: What’s currently on your nightstand or reading stack? Anything you’re especially excited to dive into?
Catherine: I am about to start reading the new Hunger Games book. May the odds be in my favor!
Jen: Catherine, thank you so much for joining me! I loved diving into this glamorous, suspenseful, and witty world you've created. Wishing you all the best with the launch! Before we go, what’s the best way for readers to connect with you online?
Catherine: Thanks so much! You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Threads or TikTok. I post a lot, lol.
Vacation Mysteries #2
The second in a witty, USA Today bestselling series following author Eleanor Dash as she goes from wedding guest to murder mystery investigator at her best friend’s wedding on Catalina Island.
Attending your best friend’s wedding should be a piece of (wedding) cake, but not for Eleanor Dash, bestselling author of the Vacation Mysteries series. Because murder seems to follow her every time she goes on vacation and is definitely her uninvited plus-one to the special occasion.
Emma Wood, Eleanor’s best friend since childhood, is starring in the movie adaptation of When in Rome, Eleanor’s first novel. Emma is also marrying Fred Winters, a major movie star and Emma’s co-star, who just happens to be playing Connor Smith, Eleanor’s ex and leading man of the series.
Filming wraps and they invite the whole cast and crew to their wedding at nearby Catalina Island. There may be a storm headed their way—because of course there is—but nothing will stop their nuptials . . . that is until Emma receives a note that says “Someone is going to die at the wedding.”
Eleanor is a professional at this point, and she’ll do everything she can to uncover the murderer so true love can prevail . . . before it’s too late for her and the rest of the storm-trapped wedding party.
Mystery Woman Sleuth | Humor [Minotaur Books, On Sale: May 13, 2025, Hardcover / e-Book , ISBN: 9781250326133 / eISBN: 9781250326133]
CATHERINE MACK (she/her) is the pseudonym for the USA Today and Globe & Mail bestselling author of over a dozen novels. Her books are approaching two million copies sold worldwide and have been translated into multiple languages including French, German, Portuguese, and Polish. Television rights to Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies and its forthcoming sequels sold in a major auction to Fox TV for development into a series, with Mack writing the pilot script. A dual Canadian and US citizen, she splits her time between Canada and various warmer locations in the US.
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