“Finlay Donovan is Killing it” by Elle Cosimano

Despite the title, Finlay Donovan is absolutely not killing it. She’s broke, stressed out, and her ex-husband just fired the nanny. Her literary agent is breathing down her neck to get her a book that she hasn’t even started writing yet, and she just had to duct-tape her four-year-old daughter’s hair to her forehead in order to narrowly miss the type of meltdown that only a four-year-old can deliver. And that’s just the beginning of the laugh-out-loud scenarios that Finlay finds herself in throughout this hilarious new book from author Elle Cosimano.
Finlay finally manages to deliver her kids to her ex, and she narrowly makes it to her meeting with her agent at a local Panera. As they discuss the plot of her (again, unwritten) new suspense novel, Finlay can’t help but notice the seemingly nervous woman passing glances her way from a nearby table. Turns out that the woman, Patricia, is looking for a permanent way out of her marriage from a man that no one would miss. So, when she overhears only bits and pieces of Finlay’s conversation, she mistakes her for a contract killer and leaves her a note offering her $50,000 in return for Finlay killing her husband.
Finlay isn’t a killer…she just writes about them. But for $50,000, could she be? She decides it’s worth a shot to find out, and one thing leads to another before Finlay has a dead man in her garage, and her ex-nanny, Vero, watching her try to move the body. The two decide to tackle the problem together and there is no shortage of trouble, or laughs, as they dig more than one grave for themselves, literally and figuratively.
“Finlay Donovan is Killing it” was an entertaining, super-fun, hysterical mystery, and I loved every minute of it.

Reviewed by Abbey Peralta for Suspense Magazine

I absolutely adored this book! It was funny, witty, and completely entertaining! I took this book with me on our annual beach vacation and I'm so glad I did! It's the perfect poolside/beach read because it just draws you in and you can't stop laughing. I loved seeing the adventures these characters got into and I'm so glad it's book #1 because I can't wait to read #2!

When you're already laughing out loud a few pages into a book, you know it's going to be a good time.

I thoroughly enjoyed this comedic mystery and am so glad it's the start of a series. The premise is FANTASTIC, the writing stellar, and the humor on point. Finn is an easy character to root for, and even though the romantic interests (yes, there's more than one!) felt somewhat contrived, in the end, I found I didn't care. I was game for the ride and having too much fun to nitpick!

My only quibble is that the humor I enjoyed so much at the start of the book waned as the story went on. Maybe that's what happens when you become an unintentional "assassin," but I did miss those moments of snark and hilarious POV later in the story that hooked me at the start.

Regardless, I cannot wait to see what's in store next for Finn (and Vero).

RATING: A- (4½ stars)

Finlay was quite relatable as a romantic suspense novelist turned accidental assassin—she reminded me a lot of Darren Boyd’s character in the British TV series Spy. I liked both her love interests (though the romance was incidental to the plot), her nanny/partner in crime was great, and I laughed out loud at several points. The cliffhanger ending already has me checking the publication date of the next book in the series. A perfect beach read.

What’s a book that exceeded your expectations? For me, that was Finlay Donovan is Killing It! This book was so outside my normal genre (it was actually my first mystery!) and I completely apologize for the late review! Life got away from me and I'm so mad that I waited so long!
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Finlay is a hot mess and I adored her. The writing is superb, and the ending (didn't see it coming)! I cannot wait for book 2!
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A million thanks to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the reader copy. This book will be within my Top 10 for the year.
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I couldn't love this book any more if I tried and have already preordered the next book starring Finlay Donovan.

Finlay is a recently divorced mystery writer who is just trying to keep it together and finish her next book. While meeting with her agent in a Panera, a stranger at an adjoining table overhears Finlay talking about her next novel and mistakes her for a contract killer. The stranger slips Finlay a note with her husband's information and a dollar amount, a note Finlay vows to ignore until her curiosity gets the better of her. Deciding to check out the woman's husband, Finlay quickly discovers that there are some very good reasons she wants him dead but can Finlay be the one to kill him?

This book is uproariously funny and incredibly enjoyable, an easy read with a healthy dose of plot twists and "oh my god" moments.

I liked it but it didn't live up to the hype for me. Parts of it really weren't very funny, certain situations were hard to believe, and for someone who kept calling herself plain etc., she had two good-looking men fawning over her.

I really enjoyed this book. It was very funny and I hope there’s a sequel! Finlay, a writer, was going over the plot of her new crime thriller, and a woman overheard her and thought she was an assassin! She tried to hire Finlay to murder her husband. As a plot device, this was a winner! I couldn’t put the book down.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Finlay Donovan is Killing It is a unexpected hit of a novel. Main character, Finlay, is a single mom fighting a rough custody battle with her husband while trying to keep all of her balls juggled - kids, house, job as a novelist on a deadline. Now, her life has gotten significantly more complicated when an overheard conversation in a Panera leads a stranger to believe she is a hit woman.

I was surprised by how much I fell in love with Finlay and her bff, Vero. Elle Cosimano is able to keep Finn and Vero grounded in real life all while the plot falls apart around them. It is no surprise that Cosimano will expand on this character in a second novel. This book is definitely a 2021 must read for everyone!

This book is fun and keeps you guessing until the end. The tone shifts are occasionally abrupt, but it does manage to make murder funny at times.

I absolutely adored this book. Elle Cosimano is the queen of humour sprinkled in a wild and page turning plot. I loved Finlay and I loved Vero, an the only thing that made finishing this book less sad was knowing there are bore coming!

The ending was fantastic. I'm a sucker for a cliffhanger and Cosimano delivered. If you're a millennial that grew up on Veronica Mars, possibly with a kid or two of your own now, you'll be cheering Finlay on with each page.

I'm anxiously awaiting book two, out next February!

This book really lived up to the hype. This book had me laughing out loud and at the same time feel the desperation that Finlay was living through with her awful ex-husband and her money problems. You couldn't help but cheer for Finlay even when things got crazy. I also enjoyed her burgeoning friendship with Vero, her unexpected partner in crime. This book was smart, funny, way over the top but I didn't want to put it down. Thanks #NetGalley and #Minotaur for my ARC.

The hype for this book is real, this book was amazing!! Right from the very beginning I was hooked and could not put the book down. I had seen this book all over bookstagram and was worried it wouldn’t live up to the hype, but it sure did!

This book is hilarious, over the top, and will keep you turning the pages to find out what’s going to happen next. Finlay is such a like able character, even after all the terrible choices she makes. The side characters are really great as well. This is a really fast paced book, and the plot will keep you guessing what will happen next. I listened to this one on audio and highly recommend it! If you’re looking for a fun and not scary mystery/thriller to read, I recommend this one! I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.

A fun ride from start to finish. I couldn't put it down, curious what would happen next. Perfect mix of mystery, romance, and comedy. I want to follow Finlay on her next adventure.

So my TBR is spiraling out of control and I was having one of those moments where I couldn’t decide what to read next. I was scrolling through the titles on my Kindle when I stopped at this one and a little voice in my head said “this one”. I’m so glad I listened. And I’m so sorry I didn’t read it earlier.

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is fun, fresh and a little dark and twisty. Finlay is, to put it mildly, a hot mess. Her life is in shambles when we meet her. I knew from the first few lines of the books that I’d love her, because I could relate to her. The supporting characters, especially Vero, are fun too. Vero just might be one of my most favorite literary sidekicks ever. Even Finlay’s daughter, Delia, is developed in such a way that she provides comic relief.

Finlay does find herself in some seemingly implausible situations. If you’re looking for a book that leans more realistic in terms of plot, this might not be for you. Me? I like to escape reality every once in a while, and this book was the perfect opportunity for me to do that.

And the ending. Wow. Just...wow. I can’t wait for Finlay’s next story!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books and Elle Cosimano for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It was a fun and engaging read. I rarely, if ever, read thrillers or mysteries, so the books was out of my comfort zone. Finlay Donovan is a good mystery for readers like me who don't typically read them and are looking to dip their toes into the genre. The characters were fun, and the plot twists just kept coming. However, I did think that the ending wrapped up a little too neatly. As someone who lives in Northern Virginia, my favorite parts of the book were the references to local towns and places.

Finlay Donovan's life is going down the tubes. Her husband left her for the real estate agent, she doesn't pay her bills on time, she has been banned from Panera, she is having writers block and now her husband wants full custody of the kids! After reading a few pages you can see why Finlay's life is so bad...the woman can't make a good decision to save her life! This book follows all of her bad decisions. At times I was feeling anxious about where Finlay was heading, at other times I was laughing.

As many reviewers have stated, this book is flat-out fun. The writing is charming and while I wasn't that attached to the story, I would definitely read more by this author.

I was genuinely a fan from the very first sentence of this book. This was a fun romp, and the playful twist of a thriller author being mistaken for a hitwoman was delightful.

I really enjoyed this clever mystery. It started off a pretty dark comedy and then kind of lost that edge, which I would've liked to have had more of, but it kept me invested and wondering about the characters. I could definitely see it as a film. Will be looking for more of this series!