Finlay Donovan is a single mother and author who finds herself in trouble over and over. With her nanny Vero by her side, Finlay solves a murder, gets her life in order and finds success with a promising new book. Finlay reminds me a lot of Stephanie Plum from the Janet Evanovich series, but less silly. This mystery was fun and the ending left me wanting more.


Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the arc.

What do we have here, but a new comedic super sleuth mystery series! The conundrums Finlay Donovan finds herself in throughout this book is delectable, funny and unexpected.

Finlay is a struggling single Mom, whose ex-husband's treachery leaves her drowning in debt. She desperately needs to find ways to support her family until she can complete her next novel. One fateful morning meeting her publicist at her local Panera, it happens. She is mistaken for a hired assassin.

Her chaotic life unravels over the course of the few weeks with mishaps, misunderstandings, and criminal behavior. She inadvertently amasses a reputation in the murder for hire for business. The one saving-grace in Finlay's world is her nanny, Vero, who becomes a willing partner in the bedlam.

This book is killing it literally. I can't wait to continue on in the series, especially after the closing lines. WHAT?!?!? A murder, laughter, romance and hilarity who doesn't need that right now in their life, so pick up this book.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC publication for an honest review.

This was the most enjoyable book I've read this year! Finlay Donovan is a single mother/romance novel author trying to make ends meets, with an ex-husband who is doing all he can to make sure she fails so that he will win the custody case; with bills piling up; and with an agent who wants to know why she's behind deadline on her next book. A chance meeting with a serious misunderstanding sets things in motion that will lead her out of the darkness, or deeper into it... Along the way she is helped by her babysitter/accountant/??? who I think has a secret in her background that future books may reveal.
What sets this book apart is the combination of humor and plot. I am sure other reviewers will compare this to other humorous novels by different authors in the genre, but most of those novels don't have a plot this original and engrossing. In addition to laughing out loud several times, I couldn't stop reading because I wanted to know what happened next. This is clearly set up to be a series, and I can't wait for the next installment.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so much fun! The cover pulled me in at the onset, but I kept picking it back up for the humor and fast-paced plot. This book had a vibe that you don't see much of, and I really enjoyed it! As other readers have said, I found the author's note about the origin of the book to be hilarious - looking forward to reading the (hopeful) sequel to this book!

This book was INCREDIBLE. A funny, intense, murder mystery that takes place where I grew up? Of COURSE I’m going to love it. Finlay was one of my favorite and most relatable characters I’ve seen in a long time. She appears to have it all together, but in reality she’s falling apart just like the rest of us. Her ways of reacting to things are questionable (me too, girl) but her intentions are good. I loved the female friendship in this book, the questionable post-divorce romance, and all of the secrets. I truly couldn’t put this book down. I stayed up reading it until my eyes couldn’t stay open, and had it in my hand while I brushed my teeth because I didn’t want to miss anything. And I don’t love epilogues, but this one truly left my jaw on the floor and I alreadycannot WAIT for the next book. If you’re into female companionship, unexpected friendships, and a whole lot of murder...check this one out ASAP.

Review available here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CI3ViB-AVMf/?igshid=8uns6ztycwxj

This beautiful cover pulled me into this book. Going into this book blindly rewarded me with tons of fun. It’s an amazing book with wild twists and turns. Finlay Donovan is a sassy, impulsive and kickass lady. This is full of audacious ladies who aren’t afraid of taking the bull by horns.

Finlay’s husband Steven had dumped her. She struggles to pay bills, take care of kids as her scumbag husband has fired the nanny. She has been trying to write a crime book but novel ideas of killing are eluding her. This story is about what she is aspiring to write has been pulled on her, made her embroiled deep into it, and would she be able to climb out of the tangled mess before being implicated?

Her actions defy explanation and common sense. Some are outright ridiculous! I was like what the hell was she doing. I don’t mind them as they made me laugh. Omg, when I think things are getting weird and weirder, Finlay thinks they keep getting better and better.

Something happened at the end of the first quarter, I couldn’t believe my eyes at what I was reading, oh man events have taken a wild and dangerous turn causing my heart to pound. I was too scared to even predict what would happen next, guessing the author leading Finlay into a bottomless rabbit hole.

I was amazed at Cosimano’s talent in cleverly bringing all the characters together in a twisted plot. I was wondering how she had come up with this awesome idea, the author’s note at the end provided the answer. She cleverly mixed humor into this cozy mystery. This had me smiling for most part of the book. Her writing is witty and I appreciate her for this fresh idea full of twists, hard to guess what would happen next.

The collaboration between Finlay and Vero is one helluva of a ride. Vero is a sassy, brazen sidekick. The decisions they make, instead of taking them out of the chaos created around them, propel them into tricky situations.

Overall, it was an entertaining, engrossing, and unputdownable, fresh story. Absolutely recommend this fun book.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book in a new combination dark comedy and mystery series. The main character, Finlay, is a young mom, recently divorced after her husband cheated on her with their real estate agent. Findlay is a mystery writer, trying to write a book she already received an advance for, while raising two young kids. The scenes with her kids are quite funny. In Panera, while meeting with her agent and discussing the book, a woman sitting near them gets the wrong idea and thinks Finlay is a hitman. The laughs and hijinks continue from that point, and I know every reader will enjoy this quirky,y book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a pleasant surprise!! I was hooked by Chapter 1 and had already fallen in love with the hot mess that is Finlay Donovan. I could not stop talking to my friends and family about this book while I was reading it. I smell a Netflix original movie...

I loved the mystery, the friendships, the hilarious situations, the bits of romance. But what I enjoyed most of all was the journey to independence and self-love. I seriously cannot be quiet about this gorgeous book.

I knew from the opening sentence that this was going to be my kind of book. “It is a widely known fact that most moms are ready to kill someone by eight thirty A.M. on any given morning.”
Finlay is recently divorced, way behind with her bills. She writes romantic suspense novels, but is currently suffering from writer’s block. When someone misunderstands a conversation she’s having with her agent, she finds herself with a way to make enough money to solve all her problems. Murder for hire. Then she teams up with Vero, her babysitter. Vero is my favorite character in the book. Ballsy, fun, resourceful and organized she gives Finlay the strength to become her own person.
The book is crazy, every decision leading to another problem. It’s the perfect, easy read, escapist book for this crazy time we’re living through. It’s fast paced and I couldn’t see how things would play out. The climax of the story didn’t quite work for me but that’s a quibble given the fun provided.
Make sure to read the author’s note for the inspiration for the story.
My thanks to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

When my favorite book blogger raved about Finlay Donovan is Killing It, I knew I had to pray to the ARC gods that I would be approved. I lucked out and it was everything I hoped it would be. Main character at her wit's end? Check. Terrifying yet amazing babysitter? Check. Murder mystery? Check. Revenge plot? Check.

This was such a fun book that I was counting down the hours until I could open it back up. I hope this will not be the only foray into Finlay's world because I truly enjoyed it!

This book is amazing! I was absolutely sucked into the story. The writing is wonderful, and the characters are just perfect!

Finlay is a divorced mom of two and working-to-make-ends-meet author. Her unpayable bills are piling up on her doorstep, and her ex-husband is threatening to sue for full custody of her children. After a meeting with her agent at a local Panera, Finlay finds a note from a neighboring diner offering her a lot of money to get rid of the lady’s husband. Finlay, an author, not a hitman, has no intention of doing anything with this, except call the number the lady left and explain that there was a misunderstanding. One thing leads to another, and Finlay ends up in the middle of a murder mystery.

I was absolutely invested in this story. It was fabulous! I loved Finlay and Vero. They are a great team together and their banter together was both hilarious and endearing. The two of them are going to make a great pair in this series, and I can’t wait to see what other trouble they can get into!

The plot was a ton of fun, and I didn’t know where the story was going to take me, but after every turn in the road, I was utterly entranced. This is a lighthearted murder mystery with a heroine who is just trying to do the right thing but keeps getting in deeper and deeper over her head.

Overall, I absolutely adored this book. It was a fast-paced, quick read that kept me thoroughly entertained. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

What do a stolen dress, an overheard conversation, and a mercenary for hire have in common? Two words; Finlay Donovan.

Finlay Donovan is a woman at the end of her wits. A divorced mother of 2 as well as a struggling author, she has to contend with nosy neighbors, a good for nothing ex husband and his fiancé, and of course, writer’s block.

Things take a turn for Finlay the day she meets up with her agent at Panera and a misheard conversation has someone thinking Fin is a mercenary for hire. While trying to correct the misheard conversation, she unintentionally takes the job and all of a sudden she’s now living the life of the heroine in her novel.

Joined by her kids’ babysitter, Vera, they both make cringeworthy but also hilarious decisions that make you root for them. Looking forward to the next book in the series!

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is out February 2nd, 2021. Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for an arc of the book!

r/suggestmeabook: I want a well-plotted mystery with a tinge of romance, a splash of humor, and a woman who’s finding herself at the center of it all

It’s not the first time I’ve read the premise: someone overhears a mystery author talking to someone else at a restaurant about her novel and thinks they’re talking about a real murder. This is the first time I’ve seen it taken on so effectively, and the novel is an enjoyable jaunt as Finlay Donovan considers the unthinkable because she’s been pushed into a corner.

Elle Cosimano’s descriptions of the struggles of a mother with young chlidren are quite funny; the opening segment of how Finlay is trying to deal with her five-year-old’s attempt to cut her own hair is one of those insane things parents do when sleep-deprived. Not everything in the book is as original, though. The cheating asshole of an ex and the conniving bitch the ex left Finlay for are fairly standard characters (perhaps because they’re not unknown in real life), but other characters in the book make up for it, and the writing is crisp.

Probably my favorite character in the book is Vero, the nanny cum accountant who is completely unflappable and utterly competent, able to wrestle babies, exes, criminals, and cops with equal aplomb. Finlay, by comparison, is just making it up as she goes along, and doesn’t seem to have a clue about much of anything. However, it’s her growth over the course of the book that makes it stand above the typical murder mystery of its type.

The mystery itself is fairly far-fetched, but executed well enough that it didn’t make me feel the need to stop reading. Most people can believe that a woman would be willing to do anything to hold onto custody of her kids, but the mechanics of the deaths in here give me some pause. On the other hand, it was hard to sympathize with the level of guilt as much as the anxiety about being caught, as the victim was a terrible human being.

My biggest gripe about the book is that it felt like it had ended at least three times before it actually had. You shouldn’t turn the page and think, “What, it’s not over?” It would have been nice had not each of the next to last three chapters hadn’t ended with lines that sounded like the ending, but rather lead into the next one. But that’s a relatively small complaint.

All in all, it’s a solid, enjoyable read.

Finlay Donovan is recently divorced from her husband, juggling her career as a mystery writer, and has two small children. Finlay's life is turned upside down when she is meeting her literary agent. This meeting goes as expected - the agent is rushing Finlay on writing more and meeting her deadlines, while someone is eavesdropping nearby they misinterpret the conversation and offer her $50K to get a job done. Will she go through with it? Does money motivate us?

This book has everything I was hoping for, a little romcom, twist and turns, and vindication.

Read if you like
-strong female characters
- enjoy laughing
-mystery and putting on your detective hat
-wit and scarcasm

Trigger warnings: divorce, murder, cheating,

I am already so hyped about this book coming out (on my BIRTHDAY), and I've told countless thriller book lover friends about it. This book is going to get you out of a reading rut, and if you aren't in one, I know you will fly through these chapters!

**I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Funny, page-turning, and attention grabing! This is the Bridget Jones for murder! I loved the characters and saw the movie being played out before my eyes.

What a delightful and innovative storyline! Nothing like an assassin who doesn't want to be one.

Finlay Donovan is going through a rough time. Her ex-husband cheated, got engaged to their realtor and now it’s trying to take custody of their two kids. Finlay's financial situation is dire. She can’t pay her bills!

Finlay is a writer but since her divorce, she has not been able to write a word. She already used the advance she was given. If she doesn't deliver a new book, her suspense writing dream is over and she will lose her kids for sure.

Then while meeting her literary agent at Panera, the woman next to them (Patricia Mickler) started eavesdropping on their conversation and she misinterprets what Finlay and her agent were discussing. Next thing you know, Mrs. Mickler leaves a message with a phone number. When Finlay calls, Patricia is offering fifty thousand dollars in exchange for Finlay disposing of her husband.

This book was unputabledown. It was refreshing. I was entertained throughout!

I was also anxious about Finlay getting over her head. The one saving grace was Vero. I want a Vero in my life. She was the perfect babysitter and friend anyone should have.

I love Finlay too. She was stuck in a hard place and did what she thought needed to be done. Of course, her decisions were mostly wrong and led to even more trouble for her and Vero.

The best part was the ending. I loved it.

Grab this gem when you need a distraction, it will make laugh and hopefully root for her as I did.

I can't wait for the next one.

Cliffhanger: No

5/5 Fangs

This was a compulsively readable dark comedy thriller that I could not put down! Finlay is a down on her luck recently divorced author, who is meeting with her agent at Panera when someone overhears their conversation and mistakes her as a murderer for hire. The story takes off from there, and was equal parts smart, witty, and surprising. I thought the pacing and character development was solid, and I especially loved Vero.

The ending left open the door for a second book, and I’d love to read more with these characters!

Finlay Donovan’s life is a mess. Her ex-husband and new fiancée want custody of the kids. She’s behind on all her bills and hasn’t actually started her novel that’s overdue. When she’s overheard discussing her book someone thinks she’s a hit man. And so begins a little murder and some confusion. This book was just a ton of fun. I hope it’s a series. I want to know what happens to Finlay.

An absolute engaging novel of mistaken identity. A great chick lit story that is thoroughly enjoyable.
Great story to read before a roaring fire or on a sandy beach.

This deliciously fun and funny thriller features a loveable but disorganized writer, mistaken identity, mob connections and threats, a conniving ex-husband, lots of duct tape, a sassy nanny and nosy neighbor, Panera Bread, and so, so many bad—but relatable—decisions. It is also one of the funniest books I’ve read in quite a while! I found myself neglecting my own writing as I frantically flipped pages to see what would happen next to Finlay. Hilarious, sweet, and entertaining, Finlay Donovan is Killing It is sure to be on many best-of and TBR lists in 2021!

Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.