Think thriller/mystery but one satirical and relatable? This was such a fun read! Newly divorced, Finlay is struggling with juggling it all…bills and money, solo parenting, stymied author career. A cryptic note leads to potential wealth and a solution to all her issues. The shenanigans that ensue are hilarious, the plot well done and kept my interest, and the satire of the absurdity of the situation not lost with me. Looking forward to continuing this series.

This is the first book in the series. Finlay Donovan is a struggling author and mother of two busy children. When her ex-husband fires her nanny, she is beside herself on what to do. When she is mistakenly taken as a hitman, she decides to see who the mark is. One thing leads to another and all of a sudden she is dealing with a true crime unlike the ones she writes about. Luckily Vero, her nanny comes to the rescue to help her, but Vero has secrets of her own.

This is a great introduction to this fun series!

this was exactly the sort of silly murder mayhem i had been hoping it would be, and i'm so excited to keep reading this series, especially after that ending! i do think it might be even more entertaining for readers who can relate more to Finlay's life than i did, but even her two bratty kids weren't enough to stop me from enjoying this, and i think that says a lot since i am Not a Fan of kids. also, Vero was such a fun character, and i'm really looking forward to her book/novella now.

I didn't know what to expect going into this, but knew it had rave reviews so I was excited for it.

More than halfway through the book I still didn't know how to categorize it but I knew I was completely entertained. If you look at this book from a purely entertaining wild, unrealistic murder-mystery comedy then you will find it just as enjoyable!

Absolutely love Finlay Donovan is Killing It. There's adventure, mystery, slapstick comedy, sassy sidekick, and adorable kids. Without a doubt I could see this being a Netflix show. Thankful to receive the entire series from Netgalley. The audiobooks are on Libby and I just want to say I loved the narrator selection for the audiobook as well. This book was great fun.

Very cute. I did not see the ending happening. I didn't like the detective character, but I was happy with the romantic storylines.

Finlay Donovan is a stressed-out single-mom of two adorable children. She is struggling to write a novel and struggling financially to keep up with bills. One day, Finlay meets with her literary agent for lunch to discuss the plot of her new suspense novel. After her agent leaves, she finds out that someone was listening to her conversation and she ends up being mistaken for a contract killer. Finlay inadvertently accepts an offer to dispose of a “problem husband” in order to make ends meet and takes her nanny, Vero, along the way!

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is the start of a fantastic mystery/thriller series that I can’t get enough of! This book is so fun and humorous that you’ll fly through the pages and wish you had the next book already. Elle Cosimano does a wonderful job writing such relatable characters and doesn’t forget to include how Finlay is feeling toward her ex-husband, about being a single mom, and accidentally accepting a job as a hitwoman. If you haven’t read this, what are you waiting for?!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press | Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader’s Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest opinion. Please note that I have read this book twice before receiving an ARC and have loved it just as much the second time around.

This is the best beach read since “Dial A for Aunties” which I read last summer (though I enjoyed this one more.) Definitely brain candy, this story follows a hot-mess mom/procrastinating author (relatable) into an accidental mob hit and the subsequent fallout and cover-up. I laughed out loud in parts, appreciated the just-steamy-enough romance, and loved the girl gang Finlay and her nanny Vero were establishing. Not to mention the tantalizing ending which sets up a very exciting book #2. I’m embarrassed by how much I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one.

I had never heard of this book series before, but it had a promo to read now so I picked it up. I am so glad I did. I loved it! It was a great mix of suspense and light hearted fun.

We meet Finley at her worst. While I haven’t been exactly where she is, I can relate. I love a character who is down on her luck but likable. It helps me when I’m having a hard time to see someone else come through it. I can commiserate with Finley when her whole life feels like it’s falling apart.

I wasn’t sure going in how the author would basically turn her into a hitman but still keep her likable. And I must say following Finley as she accidentally falls into a life of crime was delightful. My favorite moments are seeing how she’s basically setting up her husband and his mistress and wondering how that will all end up. I was on the edge of my seat for the ending in the field. I will definitely be picking up the next one!

Can’t believe it took me so long to pick up this book! Some moments had me literally laughing out loud, and I could easily envision this as a tv series. Looking forward to more Finlay!

This is the first book in the Finlay Donovan series and it doesn't disappoint! I always enjoy Finlay Donovan books! They are lighthearted, quick reads. They remind me of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series in the way that the main character is always getting into sticky situations where she and her sidekick Vero don't always toe the line. There's also a police detective boyfriend and ex-husband in the picture, as well as other fun side characters.

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 Vero 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!

This was a hilariously fun ride! I devoured it in a day! I ended up borrowing the audio from the library and the narrator was amazing! Can’t wait to jump right in to the next one!

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!