How fun was this?! Why did it take me so long to start this series?! And the cliffhanger at the end of this one! 👀 Thankfully I don't have to wait at all lol. Except I do, to listen to my audiobooks in date due back order lol but that's okay, that'll just be a week or so. Loved Finlay. Loved Vero. Loved how things escalated when they were trying to de-escalate lol. And TWO love interests, yes please. I'm ready to binge the all of the published ones including Digs Her Own Grave! Hopefully that's not the last one!

Finlay’s adventures began with this book and it was such a way to kick off what’s becoming a truly addictive series! Love the quirkiness. So much fun. Thank you so much Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for the advanced e-Arc in exchange for my honest review.

I received this book and others in the series as a “Read Now for 24 Hours.” I had never heard of the series and it sounded good, so I downloaded all of them. I am very happy that I did! I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Finlay is divorced with two young children. Her ex wants custody of their children and he has just fired her nanny. She is having trouble paying the bills. She is an author with a deadline that she keeps extending. She is totally overwhelmed. Her life is a hot mess! While discussing the plot of her book with her agent in a coffee shop, a woman at a nearby table mistakes her for a contract killer and wants to hire her to kill her husband. And it goes on from there! Just when I thought the story couldn’t get crazier, it does!

This is one of the funniest mysteries that I have ever read. It reminds me of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. I cannot wait to read the others in this series!

I highly recommend this series to mystery readers who also want some romance and a lot of humor thrown in. This page-turner is a fun read from start to finish.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This book was not what I expected! It was laugh out loud funny with suspense and absolute chaos! Finlay is a witty FMC who gets tangled up in a murder-for-hire plot, making for a quick and hilarious read. I would definitely recommend for fans of Lucy Score’s Riley Thorn series!

Finlay Donovan is Killing it….

Finlay has so many balls in the air and she is dropping them one by one. Her ex husband is useless and fires her nanny… Her agent wants the manuscript she was promised and she needs to make ends meet. When a woman overhears her talking with her agent about the plot to her new book, it sets Finlay on a path of hilarious disaster.


So we meet Finlay.. Single mother who needs something stronger to drink at bedtime and is on the verge of total collapse… Vero is her nanny and to offset some of the cost of having her, she allows Vero to move in and the two of them together.. Non-stop, laugh out loud antics.

Finlays money issues can be solved by a misunderstanding… She is hired to bunk off a ladies husband.. The stuff she gets up almost had me peeing my damn pants. I haven’t laughed so hard in my life. I was listening to the audio while I was working out the first time I read it and I laughed so hard I fell off the elliptical trainer. I am not even joking.

The writing is phenomenal. The banter is absolute perfection and the storyline was done with expert level finesse. It's the best start to a mystery series I have ever read.

5 explosive stars!!

Thank you NetGalley, St Martins Press and Elle Cosimano for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this series pretty blind and it was fun to figure out what was going on and what it was about.

Pretty quickly it reminded me of the Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum series I read years ago (FMC is a lovable mess, men seem to be drawn to her, questionable actions but things seem to work out).

I’m normally a mostly romance reader so I was annoyingly anxious during some of the dicey scenes haha.

I enjoyed the complexity of divorce with children and the mouth of a 5yr old on top of everything else going on in the book. My kids are 5 and 3 so I related to some of that.

Looking forward to the rest of the series in between my romance books!

Ps I loved the authors note at the end that the idea of the book came from her real life situation!

What can I say that hasn't already been said at this point about Finlay Donovan? I can't get enough of her messy life! Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is the one that started it all. A fantastic start to a unique and unforgettable series. I was used to reading serious thrillers. I didn't know I could love so much humor and wackiness mixed with murder! This book will always be special for introducing us to Finlay and Vero. I hope this series never ends!

This book is so much fun and completely lives up to the hype. Finlay is the perfect character who is a mess but also a hilarious mom who ends up the main character in a crime story. So well written and unique!

With a clever premise and engaging characters, the pages of Finlay Donovan Is Killing It flew by! Finlay Donovan is a newly divorced single mother of two and a struggling writer of romantic mysteries way past deadline. A meeting with her agent in a crowded Panera leads the woman at a neighboring table to think Finlay is the answer to her prayers: the hit woman she has been looking for to take her husband out. Of course Finlay would never consider taking the job, right? If you enjoy mysteries with dark humor, zany characters who do stupid things but it works out okay in the end, a bit of romance, and a fast-paced story, you should check this series out! I've already started book 2...

Finlay is SO much fun, and l've had a great time with this series! I picked up this full series after having had it on my TBR for a really long time. I didn't really know what it was going to be like, but I found myself absolutely loving this fun take on a mystery. The series hooked me pretty much immediately, and got me really invested in how Finley and Vero were going to get through the story. No spoilers, but it's really fun, funny, and sarcastic, with dark comedy vibes throughout that made it really entertaining. I read it really quickly and jumped right into the second one because the story flows together really well & I recommend binging these!

Got this as a Read Now in anticipation for the fourth book. So glad I grabbed it because I didn’t know what I was missing. The hot mess of a life when your husband cheats on you and you have to raise your two kids and then some lady mistakes you for a contract killer….the craziness of a storyline but it was so much fun.

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is Elle Cosimano‘s first book in her mystery/thriller series, Finlay Donovan.
31-year-old Finlay Donovan is a stressed-out single-mom of two and a struggling novelist, reeling from her husband’s affair with their real estate agent. Her life is in chaos as she juggles parenting two preschoolers while trying to find inspiration to meet her writing deadline. She has spent the advance on her current book and is behind on all of her bills and frequently needs her ex-husband to bail her out financially. While she seems like a hot mess, she has a lot on her plate and is emotionally devastated by her husband’s betrayal.

When Finlay meets her agent for lunch, they discuss the plot of her new suspense novel and are overheard by the woman sitting at the next table. She slips Finlay a note, and Finlay realizes that this woman has mistaken her for a contract killer. Finlay is tempted to accept the woman’s offer of $50,000 to dispose of her problem husband. Pretty quickly Finlay discovers that real-life crime is more complicated than the stories she writes.

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is a fast-paced, clean and hilarious story about a young mother whose life is in the toilet. The descriptions of motherhood are spot-on, while Finlay’s adventures are pure escapist comedy. It’s a definite page-turner that will leave readers begging for a sequel. The Finlay Donovan series would make an excellent TV show.

I received an advance review copy (ARC) from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Murder, Moms, and Mayhem

This was my first time diving into the world of Finlay Donovan, and let me just say—it is such a vibe! I was barely a few chapters in before I knew I needed more, so book two is already sitting on my Kindle, ready to go.

Elle Cosimano’s Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is a delightful blend of humor, suspense, and heart that had me hooked from the very first page. Finlay, a struggling novelist and single mom, stumbles into chaos when she’s mistaken for a contract killer, leading to a wild, laugh-out-loud adventure filled with unexpected twists and ridiculous (yet somehow relatable) moments.

One of the highlights of this book is Finlay’s dynamic with her live-in nanny, Vero. Their witty banter and ride-or-die energy bring so much charm to the story, making them an unforgettable duo. The plot is fast-paced, packed with suspense, and keeps you on your toes while still delivering plenty of humor and heart.

While the premise is wonderfully absurd, Cosimano’s execution makes it work effortlessly. The struggles of motherhood, career pressures, and personal growth all weave seamlessly into the mystery, adding an authentic and relatable layer to the humor.

If you love mysteries with a comedic twist, strong female friendships, and a main character you can’t help but root for, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is a must-read. I’m officially hooked on this series, and I can’t wait to see what kind of trouble Finlay gets into next!

I read this for the vibes and they were immaculate. Not realistic but it was so fun I didn’t mind! Can’t wait to continue the series!

Finlay Donovan is struggling. Her latest book is overdue to her agent and she's out of ideas, her finances are a mess, and her cheating ex-husband is trying to get custody of their kids. When Finlay is mistaken for a contract killer after a woman overhears her talking to her agent, things get really crazy. Curious about the target of the hit, Finlay tracks him down, only to have him inadvertently die anyway. Now the police are involved, and maybe the mob, as well. This is a light, fun start to a new series. Fans of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series will enjoy this one, too.

"Getting the job done" for one single mom takes on a whole new meaning in Finlay Donovan is Killing It."

Thank you for the chance to read and review Finlay Donovan is Killing It. This book was an amazing start to a new series. I loved Finlay and the way she is sucked into this caper and misidentification and proceeds to use to her benefit. The relationships between Finlay, Vero and her ex are realistic and lend to the character building. This is definitely a new favorite series for me.

I haven't found a story I enjoyed this much in a long time. I've moved to the fantasy genre because it kept my attention, but I decided to read Finlay Donovan as I had the arc provided and the new one is releasing. Oh my goodness. Finlay is so much fun. Such a mess. And Vera becoming her partner in crime is just icing on the cake. They have made me laugh out loud, and also gasp in shock with some of their antics. I sped through book 1 and immediately moved to book 2. I didn't even take time for this review until afterwards. So very good. I'm so excited to continue the story of these quirky ladies and all of their antics.

Thank you to St Martins Press and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this fantastic series in return for my honest review. I couldn't recommend these enough!

3.75 - this was such a fun read! Wasn't expecting a cliffhanger but I'm excited to continue the series

I loved this book so much. It made me laugh and wonder how a person could get in so much trouble in their life. Finlay Donovan is accidentally mistaken as a hit woman and this is the story of what happens after that. I cannot wait for more books in this series!

This book was so much fun! I loved Finlay’s messy life and especially loved her relationship with Vero. For a murder mystery this book was surprisingly light, fast paced and entertaining. Looking forward to reading the next one.