This is an absolutely hilarious and clever mystery novel. Finlay Donovan is a struggling single mom who accidentally falls into the “contract killing” line of work.

Finlay Donovan is Killing It was a fast-paced book that kept me hooked with its dark humor and original storyline. I can’t wait to find out what’s next for Finn, as the author seems to have set it up to be a series!

This book is perfect for anyone who loves mysteries and comedy.

Thanks to NetGalley and St.Martins Press for this arc in exchange for my honest review!

Super fun book! Move over Stephanie Plum! Thoroughly enjoyed this fast read with engaging, relatable characters. Was so happy to see room for a sequel. Will definitely recommend to readers who enjoy a cozy romance/mystery.

A fun read. This has many Pugh out loud moments. Some parts are hard to believe but a good read all the same.

Finlay, a recently divorced mother of two young children, is beset by problems. She’s late turning in her unwritten novel to her agent, unpaid bills are piling up and her cheating ex-husband lives down the street with his fiancée. A stranger overhears a conversation at a restaurant and misunderstands, kicking off a madcap caper with laugh-out-loud moments, ending with a surprise. If you like fast-moving, fun frolicking mysteries with strong female characters, make sure you read this book. Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Finlay Donovan is more than killing it. Divorced from an arrogant philanderer, Fin is trying to keep her family fed while writing a murder mystery that is past due, like all of her bills. A woman passes Finlay a note at a local establishment that sets her into a tailspin into a crime scene. Suddenly the book starts writing itself as well as the real like criminal story. Is Fin over her head?

Finlay Donovan is Killing it is a fresh and funny satire. The dark humor and quick pace surprisingly kept me wanting to read more. I enjoyed reading this novel and look forwards to what the author will come up with next!

What a blast! Finlay Donovan is Killing It is a fun, quick read that keeps you guessing! Finlay is so relatable! I loved every second, and I can't wait for the next book in the series.

I would describe Finlay Donovan Is Killing It as a mash-up of romantic suspense and chick lit, with a dash of 1930s screwball comedies thrown in—it brought to mind some of Jennifer Crusie’s novels, but with a bit more snark. In short, this hybrid genre novel packs a lot into it, and to very entertaining effect.

It took me a while to warm to Finn (when the story began, I wasn’t sure about her scruples or common sense and neither was she), but the plot gripped me from page one and midway through I was invested not only in “whodunnit,” but also the fates and interpersonal relationships of Finn, Julian, Nick and even Steven. There’s some really lovely shading with the three male characters, one of my favorite aspects of the book.

The story does require suspension of disbelief several times, especially during the climactic scene at the sod farm (yes, the sod farm!), but it’s a fun ride and an entertaining first installment to a series I will definitely continue.

Oh boy, this book was NOT what my anxiety needed right now. The mere mention of sticky fingers and surfaces sent my heart racing (and I can’t afford unwarranted heart racing’s in the midst of a pandemic)

This was just so much fun. You can’t do much better than a murder mystery where the author becomes part of the story with non-stop comedy and even a splash of romance. It had the feel of Dead To Me or Why Women Kill, but possibly even more over the top and it had me gasping and squealing at the twists and turns. Just when I thought everything was wrapping up, that shocking ending snuck up on me. I need more Finlay!

This book had me laughing out loud! I loved the cleverness behind this mystery. Finlay is a recently single mom in the middle of a horrible divorce and custody battle. She's trying to write a book but has writers block.
I enjoyed the dark humor in this book and that I laughed so much.
I hope there is more to come from Elle Cosimano.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for my advanced ebook copy!

Wow! Finlay Donovan is Killing It killed it! I was full enraptured by this hilarious and clever mystery novel. Finlay is a recently single mother and writer in the midst of a horrible divorce/custody battle while struggling with writers block. She is discussing her next novel at Panera when chaos ensues and she ends up thrust into a world of contract killers along with her nanny Vero.

This book was really well paced and I could not put it down. Definitely a 2020 favorite for me. I was laughing out loud throughout the novel. I have always been a fan of dark humor and this book brings it! Finlay was hilarious while ridiculous at times but also totally relatable at the same time. She was well developed and complex. I really hope this becomes a series and can’t wait to see what Elle Cosimano writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I freakin' LOVED this book! I was amused by the synopsis so I applied for it on NetGalley, and boy am I glad I was approved! The set-up: a mom is in over her head - rambunctious children, horrid divorce, writer's block - and on a meeting with her editor is mistaken for a hitman. Zany, no? Elle Cosimano has written a hilarious and well-paced novel that I literally could not put down. I had to find out what the hell Finlay was going to do next! All of her characters pop off the page, and I found myself laughing out loud as the story leapt and swerved along. I cannot recommend this novel enough, and I am gladly placing Elle Cosimano on my must read list!
Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for the digital ARC!

This was so much fun. Finlay Donovan ends up in some hot water after someone mistakenly overhears a conversation. The ending to this book is *chef's kiss*! I hope this become a series, because I would definitely continue to read these books!!

A fun, fast-paced, mystery with a little romance!

Nothing is going right for Finlay Donovan. She’s a 31 year old single mother, involved in a custody battle with her cheating ex-husband. She has no money, and the bills keep piling up. She’s a mystery writer, yet uninspired, and way behind on her next book. Just when things can’t get any worse, a woman makes Finlay a mysterious offer she can’t refuse. With the help of her nanny, and a fun cast of characters, Finlay’s luck begins to change.

If you like the Netflix series Dead to Me you’ll love this!

A special thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for sending me an ARC!

Really enjoyed this book. It was a quick, easy, intriguing read that kept me turning the virtual pages. There was definitely that internal battle of “is vigilante justice okay?” When you’re rooting for a murder for hire character- which made it all the more interesting, for sure!

It has been YEARS since I finished a book in one day but I polished this one off in a matter of hours! I was laughing out loud before the end of page one, and the rest of the book absolutely lived up to the start! This book was EXACTLY what I needed in this year of ... well, whatever 2020 is! Funny, without resorting to slapstick tricks, this book managed to put a realistic, authentic character into some absolutely wild circumstances that still felt believable, heartfelt and entertaining. A stressed-out writer/mom of young kids thrust into the world of organized crime and contract killers, but it totally works AND feels like something that could actually happen?! SO fun! I LOVED IT! I can't wait for more!

I really enjoyed Finlay Donovan is Killing It! It is lighthearted, while also writing about and solving murders!

Finlay Donovan is trying to make it as a mystery romance writer while keeping her family afloat. With bills piling up, an ex husband fighting for custody and a book deadline long past Finlay has a lot to figure out. The book's tone reminded me a little of Lisa Lutz's the Spellman files and the plot is like a modern Murder She Wrote.

I love how the first book ended, pretty self contained, leaving itself open for more to come! I can't wait to read more of these characters. This is going to make for the perfect summer read.

One of the funniest books I've read in a while. First in the author's new, darkly comic mystery series, her debut in the adult market.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story of an inadvertent hit woman/suburban mom/struggling romance novelist. I kept reading, and laughing, even while my brain kept interrupting with issues of tone, characterization, and illogic. (Shut up, Brain! I'm having fun!)

This book is fun. It also hits some chords that many readers may find relatable: Finlay's shame and anger after her divorce, her struggles to care for her children without making her ex the bad guy, the way her work is dismissed until it is highly remunerated, and even her inability to say no, which lands her in terrible trouble.

As for those issues that kept niggling at me as I was reading, frankly, you won't care about them while you are enjoying the book, so I'll be concise on the constructive feedback. I had difficulties with Finlay's character. One moment she was savvy and smart from her years of researching body disposal methods; the next she was doing something foolish. The tone was inconsistent and sometimes jarring - jumping from farcical to serious. Most of the male characters were one-dimensional. I didn't enjoy the meta novel-within-a-novel, especially the elbow in the ribs self-congratulations about the plot. And I had to look up what a "wig-scarf" was. It sounded dreadful.

But so what? I had a great time reading this book, and I eagerly await the next in the series.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Elle Cosimano killed it with Finlay Donovan Is Killing It! This is an incredible book! I was expecting a novel maybe something along the lines of Elinor Oliphant is Fine or Evie Drake Starts Over, but I was so pleasantly surprised by the mystery feel and book within a book. Finlay is a divorced mom of two dealing with a cad of an ex-husband and a looming book deadline. When someone overhears her discussing her book plot with her agent in a suburban Panera her whole life goes off the rails. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would love a sequel! I can't wait for all of my friends to read it because it so throughly quotable and would make an excellent movie! Someone scoop up the rights quick!

Finlay Donovan, single mom and struggling writer, has a book idea after being mistaken for someone she isn’t. She and her nanny, Vero, end up getting into some crazy messes, keeping the reader laughing all while trying to solve a mystery. This book was so unlike anything I’ve read lately and I loved it! Put this on your to-read list for when it is published in 2021. I’m happy that this is going to be the first in a series - can’t wait to see what happens next.