I had so much fun reading this book! I'd been in a reading slump for a week and this pulled me right out of it!

If you're looking for a funny murder mystery, I would definitely check this out!

This had already been on my TBR, but I received a review copy from NetGalley which bumped it up on my priority list! I can't wait to see what trouble Finlay and Vero get into next! 4.5/5

3.75/5 rounded up

This was such an easy read, very fun and light-hearted.

When our main character (an author and single mother) finds herself mistaken for a hit man when discussing the plot to her next book, she must decide if that is the more viable career path for her and her family...I mean, in this economy, who can blame her...

This was funny and such a unique set-up to a story, one I can really see being translated very well into a movie. (I know it's a controversial thing to say a book would work as movie because no, they should not ALL be adapted. But as a book girlie and a film girlie, I feel like my opinion on the matter is informed and valid.)

This is meant to be a dark comedy/murder mystery and I think that could appeal to a lot of people. And even be a good way to get into mysteries and darker stories if you don't want to dive right into the super dark stuff.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

I love this single mom mystery! It was funny and the suspense was a great surprise. Finlay Donovan has the life that I would love and I thought it was so funny how she fell into "hitman" status! Go grab this book because you will love it!❤️

This was such a fun, cozy mystery!
I really enjoyed the writing - it kept me interested and guessing the whole time! will definitely be continuing the series

tbh, a mom whos husband left her and now her life is falling apart as the FMC is not usually my cup of tea, but I still enjoyed this book, which is saying a lot. Finlay was/is such a disaster, and at first I had to force myself not to be annoyed by her, but by the end of the book, she grew on me. plus, her and Vero are such a fun duo!

This is a great start to what should be a fun series! After having a meeting with her publisher Finlay is mistaken for a contract killer and ends up getting involved in a murder investigation and other mishaps. This story is just one accident after another and it actually kind of works. Some of the characters can be annoying sometimes and none of the events are realistic, in the end everything somehow works out for Finlay. This reads like an over the top SNL skit, and if you’re looking for a fun mystery, with a little bit of romance you’ll love this

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this e-arc

What took me so long to get into this series?! Finlay is fantastic, Vero is hilarious, and this story is wild!
This is the most off the wall, slapstick murder mystery I think I have ever read. And the glimpse into motherhood with little kids is hilariously accurate. I devoured this book.

This was an absolutely killer (ba-dum-tisssss) read. Finlay and Vero are a straight up iconic pair of accidental hitladies.

Finlay has two small children, a cheating ex husband engaged to his mistress, no money, no inspiration for her next book, and…. a note with a hit on a man she doesn’t know. Her curiosity gets the better of her, flinging her involuntarily into the world of mobs, murder, and mystery.

Stoked for the rest of the series!!!!!

This was a super fun concept. I love a book where a totally normal person ends up in a ridiculous situation and this book delivered. Finlay was so relatable and I loved how she just rolled with all the chaos she was thrown into.

This is such a fun book - the situations are hilarious, characters somehow relatable even with the craziness that happens. This would make a great tv series. I hope there are many more of these books!

As soon as I could get over how horrible Steven is, I could really dive into this witty and surprising story. It's not your typical murder mystery, and I loved it for that. Finlay and Vero are the duo we need, they're over the top which makes the story that much more fun.
Nothing in this book is quite believable and I really thought at the end we were going to learn that we just read Finlay's new novel, not that this actually happened to her.
The cliffhanger at the end guaranteed that I will be reading Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead!

This series is one of my favorite reads of the year! it is such a perfect blend of mystery, comedy, and romance. The characters are so lovable and I found myself rooting for them even as they did some morally questionable things. If you are looking for something laugh out loud funny with a lot of heart and a delightfully twisty plot, I would highly recommend picking up this book!

Sometimes you need to stick with a character at the start of a book to get past their flaws and quirks and fully appreciate them. Finlay was one of those characters for me. Initially, I found her to be a little annoying. However, after the first 10% of the book I was so into the story that I grew to accept her eccentricities. The story is an easy-to-read take on the fact that life can turn in an instant, often in ways that you do not expect. Humor can be difficult and I did not find this quite as funny as others claim (just no with the duct tape incident). However, the overall story is great!

This book will have you hooked immediately, with a unique premise in which a down-on-her-luck author is mistaken for an assassin, this is a must read. There's romance, suspense, intrigue, mystery, and humor. I laughed out loud several times and was enthralled in the story. The audiobook narrator was excellent and I cannot recommend this enough. An expert blending of genres with highly likable characters.

I love Finlay! She's so relatable and hilarious. I want to be her bestie!! I can't wait to continue this series.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first picked up the very first book in the Finlay Donovan series. After reading just a few pages I knew I had found a new series, and writer, that I liked. I even got one of my kids to read it!
Finlay Donovan is a single mom with 2 little ones and a baby sitter that keeps getting herself in situations. It’s a fast paced easy read that keeps you turning pages because even though there might be a body in the room it’s very light hearted and at times almost ridiculous (but in a good way).
If this book series would be made into a series I would see Kaley Couco as Finlay Donovan. That might give you an idea on the character.
Fun, creative, easy to read and follow with enjoyable characters.
Definitely recommend!

I loved this book! Finlay is so relatable (well, except for the whole finding a dead body thing) and I could see a lot of myself in her. The story is fast-paced and the characters are loveable (even some of the unlovable ones). Looking forward to the next one!

Finlay Donovan is recently divorced and hard on her luck. She is having a hard time paying her bills and is struggling with writers block. A crime writer, she discusses the plot points of her book with friend at Panera, and someone accidentally overhears and thinks they are assassins.

So naturally she accepts a job as a hit woman. As one does.

This books is definitely silly and fun. It is a classic in the field of "cozy mystery" and you get the page turning aspect of a mystery while still being a bit lighthearted. Some of the elements of this story are challenging traumatic situations, but this is one of those in the realm of those who die usually deserve it and are one-dimensional villain types.

I was excited to see this entire series available as "read now" on netgalley. I decided I had too much FOMO about this series which I had never picked up so I snagged this first one. This was a fun read and I liked Finlay and Vero, they are a good team and funny dialogue.

Finlay Donovan is a single mother with a jerk for an ex-husband. When she is overheard discussing the plot for her next book, someone thinks she is a contract killer & hires her to kill their husband. This was a fun read with a few bumps.

“Delightfully macabre” is kind of a niche subgenre that I just made up to describe books that have a lot of humor, but also some dead bodies and maybe some murder… and that description fits this book perfectly! Finlay and her ex-nanny-turned-roommate-and-friend find themselves in a variety of murder-related shenanigans, but the humor and ridiculousness of it all keeps the book from being too dark or gritty.

Do you maybe need to suspend your belief a few times throughout the book? Well, yes, but I honestly don’t think that this detracts from the enjoyment of the book in the slightest!

I enjoyed the budding friendship between Finlay and new bestie, the foibles that constantly make them wonder if they’ll be caught, the “behind the scenes” of Finlay as a writer, and the mystery behind it all. Honestly, I think the only aspect of the book I didn’t enjoy was one of the potential love interests, who acted in a very unprofessional way despite knowing the rights and wrongs of the position he was in. There was an ick factor about him for me, but otherwise, I quite enjoyed the book and you’d better believe I’ll be coming back for the next one!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ MUST READ for fans of mystery and plucky heroines
🌶 innuendo
🤬🤬🤬

I loved Finlay’s character, her antics and bad luck were laugh out loud funny! This book surprised me multiple times and it was such a fun murder mystery. And just when I thought the story concluded nicely, the epilogue sets you up for more! I can’t wait to read the next book!