I loved Elle Cosimano's YA mysteries, and her adult debut is no exception. This book is hilarious and fast-paced and will appeal to fans of Janet Evanovich. There are a dearth of single mothers in crime fiction, and Cosimano deftly portrays domestic disasters alongside murder and conspiracy. The ending is rife for a sequel and I can't wait to read more of Finlay's adventures.

A light murder mystery with likeable characters and a fun plot. This book really reminded me of the Netflix series “Dead To Me” (which i love). The way the author tied everything together was clever and different! Really enjoyed this one.

Once I started I spent the afternoon and evening devouring this book. Dishes still in the sink, dogs weren’t walked, tv stayed off until I finished. And what a fun ride!
Finlay Donovan is months behind on her new book with the meager advance spent. There’s no money to pay bills, her cheating louse of an ex-husband loves to throw her failures in her face and threatens to sue for full custody of their children, he’s fired the babysitter behind her back but balks at watching the children. Her life is a mess of a train wreck. Meeting her editor at Panera’s to discuss her murder mystery she sets her open diaper bag on the floor which for odd reasons has a roll of duct and a knife in full view of the woman at the next table. Finlay finds a strange note under her cup from the woman that gives her husbands name, where he’ll be that night, and a $50,000 figure. Finlay realizes this woman is asking her to kill her husband. A preposterous idea, yes, but then there’s the $50,000 which would go a long way to easing her burden. It wouldn’t hurt Finlay to stake out where he’s going to be that night so she can see what he looks like, would it?
Great premise, great writing that maintains a level of fun the whole way through. Elle Cosimano reminds me of the wonderful writer Susan Isaacs. A fun read you really shouldn’t miss. #Netgalley #St.MartinsPress

Thanks to St.Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book early. Findlay is an author who’s books aren’t exactly on the best seller list. Crazy events lead her to being asked to kill a man. Finn is going through a messy divorce, her nanny has quit, and she can’t get over her writer’s block. Now that she is a reluctant hit woman, things get even crazier in her life. This is a fast read. The ending was great and I hope to see more of Finn and her great sidekick, Vero.

For someone who reads alot of mysteries, it is often hard to find something that feels really original, but Finlay Donovan does that and more! With a lovable, sarcastic protagonist, and an offbeat, fearless babysitter/accountant sidekick, this is one thoroughly enjoyable read. And one of the best epilogues I've read lately. I only hope this is the start of a series as I want to spend more time with Finlay and Vero.

Voicey, fun, and fast-paced. A recommended purchase for collections where female-driven mysteries are popular.

From the first sentence of Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano, I could tell this book was witty and wry. Finlay is a recently divorced single mom with a book contract hanging in the balance. She's struggling to write her next romantic suspense novel when she gets mistaken for a hitman and seriously considers the job and the $50,000 that goes with it.

This is Cosimano's first book for adults, which is a departure from her previous young adult novels. I think this is why the book comes across so youthful and light in places. It definitely doesn't have that dark sinisterness of other thrillers and mysteries, which is a nice break. However, the plausibility of the plot is a little questionable. What starts out as a funny mistake turns into something much more involved and I wonder how realistic the story seems. That being said, it is very entertaining.

The characters are well developed and I felt invested in what happens to them, but the plot was a bit slow at points, especially towards the middle. It also seemed like the romantic element could have been more detailed. I think it would have been better if there was one love interest instead of two, or really three. We had Nick, the cop, Julian, the bartender, and Steven, the ex-husband. I liked the romantic element, but didn't really like that there were multiple guys Finlay vacillated between.

I did really enjoy that the main character is a strong female and not one that needed rescuing. Often in thrillers, the main character is trapped or kidnapped and needs rescuing by a man in the story. In this one, it turned that trope on its head as we followed a fully capable female character. I'm assuming that this may be the first in a series, although I can't be sure, but it seemed like there were loose threads at the end that could easily translate into another book. All in all, I enjoyed this book for the suspense, strong female characters, and romantic element.

What when you accidentally agree to murder someone? Finlay Donovan is Killing It was a funny, easy mystery. If you like the Stephanie Plum series by Evanovich, you'll love this one. I liked the strong female friendship and the high-jinx throughout the story. Definitely recommended.

“Edgar-nominated author Elle Cosimano’s adult debut has everything I love—a plucky protagonist, perfect plot twists and Panera! Finlay Donovan is not only killing it—she just may be my new favorite character. You won’t be disappointed.”

Completely unexpected! I loved the different take on the story of a struggling writer turned "hit woman." All through a simple misunderstanding. It was funny and relatable! I'll definitely recommend to the library!

This was so much fun. It was dark and thrilling but also very funny. I thought this book was extremely clever. I can't wait for it to come out and for everyone to read it!

I stayed up WAY too late to finish this book. I just had to find out what happened and what better time than when everyone else in my house is asleep. I loved this! The mystery is so good and I found myself laughing and on the edge of my seat, trying to figure out how Finlay and Vero were going to get out of their spiraling “situation” And the ending! The second book needs to come out in Feb too!

This book was such a fun mystery/thriller that was very unlike others I have read. It was laugh-out-loud funny and featured a cast of characters you would never expect to be involved in a murder investigation. Finlay was such a fun character. She was quirky, funny, and smart and, overall, extremely relatable. It was admirable how much she was juggling and working to keep her kids happy. Vero was Finlay's former nanny that turned out to be her right-hand-woman. There relationship was really fun and it was cool to see how much they were able to help each other. You should read this if you love thrillers, but do not want a dark and scary book. This is light-hearted, but keeps you guessing throughout. This book is also the first in a series and wow the ending made me so excited for the second book!

Finlay Donovan is a not-so-successful writer that is juggling her wild children and recovering from a recent divorce that left her without much money. When a woman in a local restaurant overhears a conversation between Finlay and her publisher about an upcoming novel, she thinks Finlay is plotting a murder and does not realize it is fictional. When this woman offers Finlay money to take care of her husband, it becomes very hard to pass up since she is so desperate for money to keep herself afloat and to keep her husband from getting custody of her kids.

I did not care for the romance aspects in the book, but I am very interested to see if/how they are pursued in the next book.

This is the first book I’ve ever read from Elle Cosimano. For whatever reason, I didn’t expect it to be as good as it was. The story kept me hooked the entire time and I never lost interest. I definitely recommend this book, and will check out her other novels.

Starting the book I found it to be extremely fast paced and I didn't realize how fast I was reading it. From about 40%-60% I found myself getting bored and then the end of the book rushed by.

Finlay a divorced mom of 2 young kids who is a struggling author finds herself in an interesting...predicament while eating lunch at a Panera. After over-hearing Finlay's conversation with her agent, a woman mistakes Finaly's conversation for one of her being a "hit woman" and gives her a proposition that is hard for a mother in need of money to resist.

This book was funny, witty, fun, and quick but a little bit outlandish for me.

The epilogue was a MUST and now I am extremely excited for the next book!!

I started Finlay Donovan is Killing It with high hopes. I very nearly gave it up after the first couple of chapters, thinking it was going to be too much, too unbelievable, too far-fetched. For anyone else feeling the same, I say: Stick with it! I am so glad I continued because I soon found that the drama became less perilous and more humorous. There are real deaths, yes, but it all feels a bit like an episode of "I Love Lucy", which turned out to be just what I needed it to be. My only frustration was with Finlay, who needed to grow up and get it together much sooner than she did.

All in all, this was a great read and I will be recommending it for purchase by my library.

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.