Fun beginning to a new series. Finlay Donovan is a character that is easy to cheer on! Thank you #NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun book to read. I enjoyed the storyline and loved the combination of mystery and humor. I can't wait to read more adventures of Finlay and Vero and am hoping to see more Nick and Julian.

I received this e-book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the author/publisher for the copy!

Finlay Donovan is a stressed out single mom of 2, who is also an author. She is not only behind on all or most of her bills, but she is also behind on the book she is supposed to be writing for her publisher or she will have to give back all the money from the advance that she doesn't have anymore. She is also about to be in a custody battle with her ex-husband and his new fiance, whom she also has to ask to pay her bills. After a crazy morning, Finlay meets her agent for lunch to discuss her new novel, but is mistaken for a contract killer and must follow through with the job or she will have to pay for the consequences.

Although I heard a LOT about how good this book was when it first came out, I never got around to reading it. When I got the opportunity to read it via Netgalley and a friend gave me a copy, I knew I needed to read it and I am so glad I did! Finlay Donovan is a character that makes me feel bad for her and the situations she gets herself into, but man was it a funny ride! I am definitely going to read the next book and the rest of the series!

I was so excited when I saw the entire Finlay series was read now.. it’s such a great series and is funny and lighthearted it’s like a cozy mystery and am so grateful I was given the chance to read it.

Finlay Donovan is a struggling author with writer's block, whose husband left her for their realtor. A misunderstanding leads Finn to becoming an accidental contract killer. She begs her babysitter to help her get rid of the body, and so begins a wild ride of discovering that Finn didn't ACTUALLY kill her mark, someone else did, and now Finn and Vero (the babysitter) need to find the real killer so they don't go to jail themselves.

This is fun and ridiculous. Not a SINGLE thing would ever actually happen to set off this crazy chain of events but it was a fun ride. Finlay and her personal troubles are quite relatable, but boy, what a mess to get wrapped up into. I love the friendship that builds betted Finn and Vero, and how she just accepts Vero into her home like she's always been family.

I have been meaning to pick this book up for ages, and thanks to a special release through NetGalley, I got to snag the whole series, not just the most recent coming release, which was amazing. I'm plowing through these books, and giggling the whole way. This was a blast.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book. Thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity!

2024 reread:
This was so fun to reread, but I don’t think I could write a better review than my OG review...

2021 OG review:
Raise your hand if words you have spoken have been misinterpreted? 🙋🏻‍♀️

Raise your hand if those words got you hired as a contract killer? 🙋🏻‍♀️

Now, raise your hand if you have ever been personally victimized by Regina George? 🙋🏻‍♀️

Oh, wait, wrong story🤦🏻‍♀️ At least the book cover to FINLAY DONOVAN IS KILLING IT is pink - it’s Wednesday, we wear pink on Wednesday. 💕🔪

But, please, answer me, why did I not read Elle Cosimano’s book sooner? I mean seriously y’all. This book is everything - mystery, comedy, romance, and a great big whodunit - all wrapped in a perfect little bow with a fantastic little cliffhanger at the end that makes you so excited for what comes next!

(I can’t believe I just wrote the words, “fantastic little cliffhanger,” 😮 I hate cliffhangers, but this one was brilliant. It doesn’t take away from this story, but it makes you want the next book!)

Finlay might not have her life together, but she and her nanny/sidekick, Vero, are people I want to be friends with. The hijinks the two of them get into kept me intrigued and brought me joy. Plus, the overall mystery made me never want to put the book down. This is a book I recommend to anyone—readers, authors, contract killers—it’s that fun of a read!

Content Warnings: infidelity, divorce, kidnapping, gun violence, murder

This was a fun murder-mystery that will not bring you down. I enjoyed the author's take on killers for hire. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a book with a fast, clever plot.

Not going to lie, this took me a minute to get into.... but then I wound up really liking Finlay. Poor girl, getting roped into contract killing. I would definitely pick up the rest in the series. More lighthearted than a true murder mystery, with a little bit of romance and a mini-van.

Thanks to NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review. New release in series coming March 2025.

This book was a fun and at times laugh out loud suspense/mystery/thriller. Finlay is a single mom and author working on her next mystery novel. She is overheard talking about her next book at a restaurant and is mistaken for being a contract killer. The story that follows is hilarious and page turning as Finlay deals with a new world of crime while juggling being a single mom and struggling author. If you’re looking for a fun, witty and unpredictable read, this is a great choice!

I absolutely loved this book. A miscommunication leads to a rather unique story/plot. I can't wait to read the next book!

God, I love this book!
This is the perfect start to a series. Every character is thoroughly developed, and the plot is a twisty, turney fun ride! This is my second reading of this first of the Finlay Donovan books. I wanted to experience it again before I delve into the rest of the series. I’m so glad I did! Elle Cosimano is an author to add to your must read list. She’s got the brain of a criminal with the wit of Lucile Ball. Finlay and Vero are the Lucy and Ethel of this millennium! Do yourself a favor and read this book! Now I’m on to the second installment “Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead”. I can’t wait!!!

During the craziness of 2020, I have been struggling to find books that hold my attention. Finlay Donavon Is Killing It not only kept my attention but it kept me wanting more. I loved this fun mystery. Imagine an author who is struggling to make ends meet while her ex-husband is asking for custody of the kids. Finlay cannot even keep her household together and then gets pulled into a tangled, twisted, and fun web of lies, secrets, and murder.



I laughed, I cringed, and I kept turning page after page of this wonderful book. I did not know how it would turn out, I could not even guess what would happen, I had no clue how it would end but I knew that I had to get to the end to find out. As I got closer to the end I slowed my reading down. I devoured each word just to make the book last longer. I was not ready to walk away from Finlay her crazy life. There were so many things that as a mom I could relate to. The everyday mom life is not easy and Finlay is not quite slaying it. Her fails as a mom made her realistic while the drama if her life made me laugh.

This book was just pure fun! Mystery, humor, action, great characters, it had it all! I absolutely enjoyed the heck out of it. Finlay was such a relatable and charming character and you can’t help but root for her. I loved how steady the pacing was and how nervous I got for Finlay and Vero trying to figure out the big picture of it all. I’m so excited to continue with the series (that ending though!) and see these two get into even more trouble and hijinks. I HIGHLY recommend this book for when you just need something that will make you smile and also keep you on the edge of your set!
CW: infidelity, death, mentions of sexual assault

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

Finally a 5 star read. The romcom style of this crime thriller makes it addictive. The plot is unique. I had a great time reading it. And picked up book two right away. I would recommend it to anyone who loves RomComs and cozy mysteries.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book and the chance to read the others in this series. This book just clicked with me. I desperately needed some laughter in my life right now. My 15-year-old granddaughter attempted suicide by hanging two months ago. She has no brain activity but minimal brain stem activity. They are still evaluating her but the prognosis isn't good. So again thank you and Ms. Cosimano keep writing, your books are a delightful escape for any who love cozy mysteries. I received an e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

I absolutely adore this book. The way Finlay plummets haphazardly into her life of crime is a joy to behold. The characters are so witty and delightful. This story plays like a comedic suspenseful heist movie. I love the mix of real drama and suspense with comedy. Love that this is a continuing series!

I really enjoyed this one. It was hard to put down. It kept me wanting more. The characters are amazing! And I love the title and the story line. Such an amazing book! I love this book so much. Wish I read it sooner!

Finlay Donovan is Killing it is a comedic thriller about an author who inadvertantly gets into some deadly serious business.

I enjoyed this for what is is, a fluffy-at-cotton-candy page turner. Definitely best read when you want something easy, accessible, with enough twits to hold your attention, and some laughs.

Downside is that it felt a bit sit-com-y. I hope future volumes have more memorable set pieces.

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano is the first in a series of books about Finley and Vero, mother and nanny, who become taken for hitmen through not fault of their own. As the bodies pile up Finley's life is exploding and it all snowballs. These are fun books (there are four in the series so far) and all the characters are crazy enough to enjoy as we wait to see what can happen next.

BOOK REPORT
I’m gonna cheat just a little here with my Book Reports on the Finlay Donovan series by Ellie Cosimano, which I received complimentary copies of from St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books/NetGalley.

Instead of providing a title and description for—as well as a reaction to—each book, I’m doing one review for all and putting a publisher-provided summary of the series here first: "Edgar-Award nominee Elle Cosimano’s witty, fast-paced adult mystery series follows struggling suspense novelist and single mom turned-amateur-sleuth Finlay Donovan, whose fiction begins to tread dangerously close to the truth."

The reason for this approach is because I took advantage of the opportunity to download all of the books in the series to date all at once, including the newest one scheduled for publication in March 2025 (Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave), which was the reason NetGalley made everything available—to promote the latest. And then I basically binged my way through it, partly while doing things like folding clothes and watching TV at the same time.

This was a fun little series, as I expected it to be. Nothing very challenging, some predictability, some romance, some silliness. I got a little aggravated that Our Finlay never seems to learn from her mistakes. And the agent character gets to be more and more like a caricature as the series progresses. My favorite installment was the novella about nanny/accountant Veronia Ruiz; it was written a lot tighter and was more believable. Looks like the next book to be written will flesh out her back story even more, so I’m looking forward to reading it.

In short: This is the kind of series you will like, if you like this kind of series.

PS
I realized yesterday during a discussion with some friends at lunch that I’ve been ingesting an awfully not of non-serious fiction here lately. I decided that, you know what? That’s perfectly OK, given not only the state of the world in general right now, but also because at least seven people I know have died this year (two by intentionally self-inflicted gunshot wounds). I’ve been seeking both escape and comfort, and I very much appreciate all the authors who have brought me both.