Rating: 3 out of 5.

I didn’t read the first book in this series, but I didn’t feel lost while reading this one. Eleanor is a best-selling author and has just finished wrapping up a movie of her latest novel. It stars her best friend Emma, who is engaged to her leading man and getting married after the film wraps. The entire cast and crew are invited to the wedding on Catalina Island, just as a storm develops that will hit the island. As the wedding weekend gets underway, Eleanor discovers a dead body. This sets the guests in a panic and overstretches the one police officer still on the island.

This is a quirky mystery with the author/Eleanor constantly breaking the fourth wall. For the most part this is entertaining, but it does get a bit tiresome after awhile. She also liberally uses footnotes in the book, which is fine if you’re reading a physical copy, but annoying while reading it on an e-reader.

The book has several twists, some you see coming and others you won’t. I liked the relationship Eleanor had with her boyfriend Oliver and sister Harper. They played well off each other and were a good sounding board when trying to figure out the mystery. The book ends on a fun cliffhanger that sets up what I’m assuming is the next book in the series.

I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press | Minotaur Books. All opinions are my own.