Finlay Donovan is a divorced mother of two and an author, albeit one whose newest manuscript is past deadline and not yet written. A comedy of errors leads to a woman in Panera mistaking her for a contract killer and chaos ensues.

I really enjoyed this book! I know I tend to rate books highly, but this was such a fun, fresh concept for a book! I also love that the main character was a suspense novelist, which allowed Finlay to possess knowledge that a character with another profession may not have had.

As someone who lives in Fairfax County, I LOVED seeing so many familiar places in this book! It was a fun bonus in an already great story.

I know a lot of Bookstagram has already read Finlay Donovan is Killing It, but I picked it up recently in a Barnes and Noble buy one, get one half off sale! I was so excited to read it, and I listened Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead right after I finished book one!

If you haven’t already read this delightful book, I highly recommend it! Even if you are not usually a fan of thrillers, I think you’ll enjoy Finlay Donovan is Killing It! It was fast-paced and witty, and I found it to be much lighter than many other books in the thriller genre.

Thank you to Minotaur Books for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

Love this series of books.
It’s impossible not to laugh while reading this book.
You root for Finlay the whole time. One of my favorite series to read.

I was just about as ready for Finlay as she was for her day. Haha!! Being a mom, I could totally relate to the opening credits of this book. GRRR her ex-husband what a sleazeball. I loved the premise a meeting with her publisher leads to murder for hire... or does it? oh wait DOES IT? This whodunit book will take you on a funny, wild ride. I laughed, I eyerolled and I gasped. Vero is the greatest sidekick ever. Read this if you like cozy mysteries with family drama.

Struggling author Finlay Donovan finds herself in a precarious situation after a misunderstanding escalates into a contract killing and subsequent cover-up. However, the question lingers: did she actually commit the murder? Alongside her former nanny, Vero, who has become her reluctant partner in crime, Finlay is entangled in a real mystery.

The chaos begins when Finlay’s conversation about the plot of her next book with her editor is overheard in a coffee shop, leading to the assumption that she is a contract killer. To make matters worse, Finlay has to send her four-year-old daughter to school with duct tape covering her self-administered hair cuts, which should have been a clear sign of trouble.

Adding to her woes, Finlay also has a toddler and a writing career. Meanwhile, shared custody with her ex-husband has been tumultuous, especially after he fires her nanny. Despite the rocky relationship, Vero insists that she won’t leave, leading to an awkward yet unexpected partnership.

As the misunderstanding unfolds, Finlay’s already chaotic life spirals further out of control. No matter the adventure or crime that comes her way, Finlay and Vero are determined to protect their growing secrets at any cost.

Many thanks to Minotaur and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Hilarious here, hilarious there… have we read the same book?

So, Finaly Donovan is a cosy mystery author and a killer on commission, both by accident and luck.
Will you consider me a bad person if I say she's too good, tho? Like, she’s in about murdering someone for money in less than a chapter, but she still can't say a bad word about the woman who fucked her husband and was ready to take her kids away without a second thought. Girl, you can be petty.

Also yes, hilarious is not how I’d described it, but I get the hype and the “Good Girls” vibes of the whole thing.
My personal experience was probably more numbed than what it should have been because there are already three books out, so I was pretty certain she wouldn't end up in chains. Not this time, at least.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Thank you to the publishers, NetGalley and Elle Cosimano for the chance to read this book again. This is one of my most read books, as just this year alone I have read it three or four times.

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It introduces us to Finlay, a recently divorced mom of two young kids who is trying to figure out life again. She is also an author on a deadline with nothing to show for it. What follows is hijinks and friendship and starting over. Rediscovering who one is after a divorce is hard enough, add in an editor breathing down your neck for pages and a nanny who quit because your now ex husband hit on her, and you've got yourself one of my favorite books.

Finlay Donovan is an author who gets mistaken for a contract killer while talking to her editor in a café. Finlay's curiousity leads her from one ridiculous situation to another and hilarity ensues!

So funny. I cannot even begin to describe how funny this book is. I went into this book blind and found myself pleasantly surprised by the story. I ate it up and wanted more the moment I finished the book!

Elle Cosimano is a gem & a genius.

Let me tell you! If you haven't started this series, what are you waiting for?!

It's funny, witty, suspenseful, and incredibly well written. Finlay and Vero are some of my favorite fictional characters on the planet. I am so excited for another installment, to go on yet another wild ride with these two!

Buckle up, and be ready to literally laugh out loud! The audiobook versions are awesome too!

Thank you to Minotaur Books for the gifted book!

This is absolutely one of my favorite books of all-time. I will recommend this book to anyone and everyone. I have given this to so many friends and every single one absolutely adored it. Finlay is also my favorite individual character of all time! She's hilarious, relatable, etc..

Also, the first line is this book is the most memorable book first line I've ever read and it makes me laugh every time I think of it.

If you haven't read this book, you absolutely have to!

Thank you Minotaur Books, St. Martin’s and NetGalley for the digital arc.

Finlay Donovan is an author who is struggling to write a book. She is a single mom having a hard time keeping her head above water. She is also an accidental contract killer.

This book is a lot of fun, and I enjoyed the writing style quite a bit. I’m working my way through the rest of the series now.

Thank you Minotaur Books for a copy of Finlay Donovan is Killing It!

"Fast-paced, deliciously witty, and wholeheartedly authentic in depicting the frustrations and triumphs of motherhood in all its messiness, hilarity, and heartfelt moments, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is the first in a brilliant new series from YA Edgar Award nominee Elle Cosimano."

My current favourite murder mystery series! Picked this book up at a whim and I cannot stop - the characters are endearing and the story just keeps you on the hook! Highly recommend for folks looking for an easy read with characters you want to root for. :)

This was such a fun murder mystery with a bunch of comedy thrown in. The story was very fast-paced, and it was hard to stop reading to go to sleep because I wanted to just keep reading and see what happened next. I really enjoyed all the characters, and I'm so happy this is a series because I can't wait to read more!

I figured I should finally read Finlay Donovan since the second book of the series was coming out and it seemed interesting. It was a really fun read overall but for me it was a bit over the top. I still gave it high stars, and the absurdity of it added to the comic side of the book. Nothing about this book was serious, well except murder, but how they went about it was too funny.

Finlay Donovan is a newly single mom juggling two kids in suburbia while trying to write her book. One morning she is supposed to meet her agent at a Panera when she gets passed an ominous note. This sets off a string of events involving her new fired nanny (she didn’t fire her) and the death of a very bad man. Finlay doesn’t remember killing him…did she do it and not realize? In a panic she makes more poor life choices…which things just spiral from there and begin to involve her ex-husband. Will Finlay be able to figure things out while managing the chaos that is her life?

Like I said, pretty absurd to think a single mom of two, with a sister who is a detective could be a contract killer. I mean sure it could happen…but really?!? This book was really funny and it made me laugh out loud several times. I tried not to get too bogged down with the absurdity of it and just sit back and enjoy the chaos that was Finlay’s life. I gave this one 4 stars because it was fun and delightful. I might actually read the second book in the series!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Finlay is relatable, hilarious, and really just doing her best given the crazy circumstances she’s finds herself in. I’m definitely going to be continuing the series!

Thanks NetGalley for the free copy - I also have a purchased copy of this book!
Finlay Donovan is Killing It is one of my favorite book series I have read in a long time. It's a perfect blend of rom-com and murder mystery all rolled into one. Finlay is a single-mom in her 30's who gets mistaken as a hitman and the events that follow are great and it had me actually laughing out loud throughout the entire book. It's a great mystery and I love the characters so much!

I absolutely adored Finlay and was so thrilled when Minotaur and NetGalley gave me access to read this book. It’s been on my list forever.

This book is one of my favorite books of all time! Finlay Donovan is Killing it has it all. The perfect amount of comedy, suspense, and romance. The main character Finlay is super relatable and I found the comedy of errors surrounding her to be hysterical. I will continue to purchase each and every Finlay Donovan book the second they hit the shelves.

If you want a book that will keep you laughing and guessing throughout the whole book, then this is the book for you. It will always be one of my top recommendations!

Finlay Donovan is a hot mess. Her life is nothing like she thought it would be and if things don't turn around, and soon, it's going to be worse.

That's when an overheard conversation, gone wrong, changes everything for her. Suddenly she's pretending to be her ex husband's girl friend, and dragging a dead body around with her Nanny, and getting involved with a bar tender and a cop. She's suddenly living the life of her book heroine, and her publisher loves it.

She and her side kick/nanny figure everything out and get themselves on hopefully the right path, or are they?

Finlay Donovan is a hot mess and when she leaves her husband, she finds herself in a few predicaments….first being that she’s a struggling novelist with bills and kids, and the second being that she accidentally finds herself a quick way to make some good money…but it includes disposing of a problem husband. This book is so fun and quick paced. Highly recommend to anyone who likes fun, murder mysteries!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Finlay Donovan is Killing It is the buzzy book from Elle Cosimano.
“Finlay is a stressed out single Mom and struggling novelist. Her ex-husband fired the nanny without telling her and this morning she sent her daughter to school with hair duct-taped to her head. A woman hears Finlay talking about her new book and thinks Finlay is a contract killer. Now Finlay finds herself tangled in a murder investigation with the contracts piling up.”
Aren’t you glad when a book lives up to the buzz? Some great characters here from Cosimano. Although I would like to know what’s a wig scarf? The ex is a jerk and nobody will like him. He deserves what he gets. I enjoyed the new partnership between Finlay and Vero. Vero seems to be the go-to for unmarked bill accounting. As things continued to pile up and unravel l kept pulling for Finlay just hoping she could get ahead. Fast-paced read and great story from Cosimano. Already looking forward to the follow-up book. This would be a great beach read 🌴