Eleanor Dash is the protagonist of Catherine Mack’s Vacation Mysteries series. She is a bestselling mystery author whose novels are based on her real-life tangles with Connor Smith, a con man she got involved with a decade ago. Connor has been blackmailing her ever since, and Eleanor has been writing about their exploits as fiction.
Each book finds Eleanor on a trip that turns deadly. An Italian book tour, a destination wedding on Catalina Island, and a writers’ conference in the Bahamas all end with bodies on the ground and Eleanor working to figure out who is responsible. She narrates the books in first person, frequently breaking the fourth wall with asides and footnotes to the reader.
Reading Order#
See the complete Vacation Mysteries reading order for all books in the series.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Eleanor Dash?
Eleanor Dash is a bestselling mystery novelist and the narrator of Catherine Mack’s Vacation Mysteries series. Her fictional detective novels are based on her real-life misadventures with Connor Smith, a charming con man and ex-lover who has been blackmailing her for years.
How many books does Eleanor Dash appear in?
Eleanor Dash appears in three novels: Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies (2024), No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding (2025), and This Weekend Doesn’t End Well for Anyone (2026).
What makes Eleanor Dash unusual as a protagonist?
Eleanor breaks the fourth wall throughout the series, addressing readers directly through her narration and footnotes. She is a mystery writer who repeatedly ends up in actual murder investigations, giving the books a self-aware, comic quality that has drawn comparisons to Fleabag mixed with Agatha Christie.