Finlay Donovan Knocks Em Dead was a great sequel to Finlay Donovan is Killing It! Finlay finds herself in hot water again when her husband Steven is the next target. Alongside Vero, Finlay tries to solve who is trying to take out her husband before it is too late..

I had a little difficulty getting into the sequel because it started off kind of slow, but about halfway through I found myself trying to figure out who was FedUp and EasyClean. Throw in a good romance subplot and I really started to get into this book. I just wished I got some closure at the end of the book because she left it on another cliffhanger!! Even though I struggled to get through some parts of the book, I definitely will pick up her next one!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for a gifted copy of Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead by Elle Cosimano.

I really enjoyed this one (and the first book too). There is so much I want to share but this is a spoiler free review. I can promise if you enjoyed Finlay Donovan is Killing It then you will also enjoy this one.

Finlay is back and still hilarious. How does one single mom get herself into so much trouble? She is still writing books and trying to make big life choices all while trying to keep herself out of trouble.

Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead takes place one month after the first book in the series, Finlay Donovan is Killing It. I absolutely loved both books and look forward to book three in the series.

Mystery & Thrillers
Release Date: February 1, 2022

Finlay Donovan is back at her shenanigans again. I love this character and all the escapades she has. Her sidekick Vero is right by her side again this go round. While I liked this second book in the series a lot, it felt a little forced and too neatly wrapped up. I would like to thank the publishers and net galley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Well, they did it again! All of the things we loved about Finlay and her supporting cast of characters the first time around is back again. They are authentic, messy, genuine, quick thinking, and most of all fun. I fell in love with Finlay and jumping back into her world was just as enjoyable in the sequel.

Finlay has just taken her first deep breath after the trouble she got herself into in book one when she notices that someone wants her ex-husband dead in a chat group for moms. Not ideal since she was under the impression that she had wrapped up her last *misunderstanding* and could go back to her normal life. At the same time, Vero (her live in nanny/accomplice/friend) is being a little sketchy, she's dating a guy in law school at least a decade her junior, and Nick, the hot cop, is still trying to take her out to dinner any chance he gets. There's a lot going on, as usual, in the life of Finlay Donovan and this book is all about how she balances it all while trying to keep Steven alive and her kids out of harms way.

This book was the perfect light read with just enough shenanigans to keep you laughing and on the edge of your seat. The author does a great job of weaving all of the details together throughout. This is an adventure I highly recommend!

Thank You to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book. Pub date is Feb 1, 2022.

Elle Casimano does it again. Finlay is at it again.... writing a book about crime and finding herself in the midst of crimes at the same time. Finlay and Vero find out that someone has put out a hit on Finlay's ex-husband Steven. He is a good dad, so Finlay gets sucked in to save him. They encounter crazy adventures which involve handsome detective Nick and hot law student Julian while Finlay is dating both. As they try to figure out who put ordered the hit on Steven, they race against the clock to save lives which keeps the pace moving. The reveal of who ordered the hit is quite the shock. Some antics are a little far-fetched, but Casimano gives us a fun, quick read to allow us to escape. And begs the question-- what will Finlay get into next?

Another fun story! Love the character development, story line, and all of the hijinks! I hope this series goes on and on.

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead
Elle Cosimano
Mystery
Nancy
4

After having gotten the credit for the accidental deaths of two truly bad men and after having been paid for those deaths by the mob wives who had hired her to kill them, Finlay Donovan vowed never again to visit the women’s forum online where women gathered not only to kvetch about their husbands but where someone has just posted an offer of a hundred thousand dollars for a hitman (woman?) to murder Finlay’s ex-husband Steven. Regardless of how much she loathes Steven, Finlay refuses to consider killing the father of their two children. In fact, terrified that some other Steven-hater isn’t taking the kids’ feelings into account and has no compunction about wiping him out, Finlay is determined to find the potential killer and stop him or her before they get to Steven. This in spite of having two kids to raise, a sexy (young) law student to sleep with, sample pages of her new book to write and submit, and an enthusiastic nanny with murderous impulses to control.

This second in the Finlay Donovan series is just as much fun to read as the first; I thoroughly enjoyed it!

My thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

Nancy

NancysBookNook on Facebook

Finlay is back and perhaps better than ever! This book picks up right where we left off so we jump right into the action here. It is a lot more fast paced, less character build, in the sequel. I love the dark humor and unexpected hijinks you get from these books.
Finlay is still a bit of a hot mess and her nanny Vero is as dark and sarcastic as ever. This dynamic duo is very Dead to Me esque. But the stakes are even higher in this book as there is a threat on Finlay's ex husband's life. Even though he's a lying cheater, he is still the father of her children and needs to be protected.
Her professional and personal life is more complicated than ever featuring a: deadly mommy forum, body parts in washing machines, fake murders, and a sexy cop/lawyer love triangle. (oh yes, this plot is jam packed). This quirky mystery is such a quick read that I already need more! I also would recommend re-reading the first book in case you forgot any original plot details.
Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review, (PUB DATE: 2/1/22).

Another enjoyable and fast read. I was introduced to Finlay last month on an audiobook and I loved it. I also loved the plot twist and turns in this story. I wish I had it on an audiobook because I absolutely loved the narration. I hope they use the same one for this book!

Elle Cosimano does it again!

The hijinks and hilarity of the Finlay Donovan books are matched only by Cosimano’s ability to write a true page-turning mystery. This sequel has all the twisty-turning action of the first, but dialed up a notch.

I’m ready for book 3!

So I did really enjoy this book (and the first one). It's a solid read that hooked me quickly and kept my attention throughout. There were a lot of things I liked. A random highlight for me was the hilarious phone conversation between Finlay's mom and Steven. I appreciate when a book can make me laugh out loud because it's hard to do, so all the props to Elle on such great writing! I also appreciated that I felt all over the place trying to guess who was trying to kill her ex-husband and felt like I could trust basically no one! This is something I enjoy because often when you read a lot of thrillers or mysteries it gets easier to see what's coming next. When it comes to a thriller though, I always am hoping for a big twist or reveal. I think because it's a series book that ends, as many do, in a cliffhanger, I didn't feel fully satisfied at the end. I wanted more of an exciting conclusion. I think that's why I wasn't as blown away as I hoped. Still, it's a very enjoyable series and I'm ready to see what comes next. I think once I do, and a big reveal happens, I'll find a five star in the next book!

BOOK REVIEW- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My thoughts- Elle Cosimano does it again with the second book in Finlay Donovan series. Thank you to @netgalley, @ellecosimano, and @stmartinspress for this E-arc in exchange for an honest review! This will be the perfect winter cozy book for all you mystery lovers out there! We are treated to another fun and engaging mystery that is filled with personality and laugh out loud moments. I loved watching so many of Finlays relationships deepen and grow and I felt like we got to know the characters a lot more in this book. This one comes out 02/01/2022- be sure to add it to your TBR or preorder it today!! ✨

I am so happy that Finlay is back! I really enjoyed this sequel to Finlay Donovan is Killing It. All of the characters I loved from the first book returned for this one. Even some of the ones I wasn’t too fond of returned, but they are all part of the story so I was happy to have them back. This book once again did a good job of mixing suspense with comedy. I was frequently wondering how Finlay was going to get herself out of the situations she found herself in. There were lots of twists and turns right up until the end which definitely kept me guessing and leave an opening for a third book.

Overall this was a really fun read! I wish there was a little bit more of a recap from the first book though because I did find myself forgetting how certain things played out. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who was a fan of the first one.

I’m giving this one 3.5 stars, but rounding up to 4 because I love the characters. There were a couple plot points that felt unfinished and the ending felt rushed. I also really wonder about Finlay and Vero. I feel like they make some pretty wild assumptions and jump to crazy conclusions that don’t always make sense. And I question most of their choices, but I suppose that is part of Finlay’s charm.

I do love the whole premise of Finlay being an author herself. I felt like there were some moments where the author was poking fun at authors and readers at times. But it was all in good fun.

This book is clearly leading to a third one, so maybe that is why I got the feeling of being left hanging. We will have to see what trouble is awaiting Finlay and Vero in the next installment.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

Finlay is BACK 💕🔪

If you liked FINLAY DONOVAN IS KILLING IT, you will also enjoy FINLAY DONOVAN KNOCKS EM DEAD, out Feb 1, 2022. Thank you for my copy, Minotaur Books!

The sequel opens a month after the first book ends. Finlay is once again behind on writing her book because she's spending all her time trying to figure out who put a hit out on her ex-husband. It's a race against time as she and Vero try to stop his murder (and figure out if Finlay should date sexy almost-lawyer Julian, or hot cop Nick).

This book is more of the same (in a good way!): disguises, dead bodies, completely unbelievable plots that you just have to go with. I would say it wasn't as "unputdownable" as the first Finlay, but I still really enjoyed it. I also wish I had reread the first book before I read the second, because I forgot a lot of the details, and there isn't much recapping in this one.

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead by Elle Cosimano

Finlay and Vero are back at it! Making mistakes, misunderstandings and a whole lot of entertaining adventures. This is the second one in the series and definitely could not be read as a stand-alone! It takes up right after the last one ended. Although I liked the first one a bit better, these characters make the book easy to love.

My issue with this one was it seemed like there were so many opportunities for twists or exciting plot lines, but a lot of the potential got kind of dropped in my opinion.

But I still liked it. I will continue with Finlay because the characters are just so charming and likeable. These books remind me of Dead to Me and Stephanie Plum! I love watching a mom take charge of her world.

Loved discussing with @what.ang.reads.next! Thanks to @minotaur_books for my advanced copy! This one comes out on Feb 1st!

Early last year I got my hands on FINLAY DONOVAN IS KILLING IT and devoured it. I had such a grand time that I couldn’t wait to get my fingers on the sequel.

But with a sequel I always fear it won’t measure up. Fortunately I didn’t have to worry because Finlay was as hilarious as I remembered – maybe even a bit more so. And her friendship with Vero is still my favorite part of the book.

I love a great female friendship.

And the one between Finlay and Vero is one of my most favorite. Both women are just so ballsy at times. And the situations they get in – MY GOODNESS!!!!! These books are a lot of fun. Although not very realistic, they are incredibly entertaining. And when it comes to entertainment Finlay delivers in spades.

The sequel pretty much picks up where the first book left off. Not much time has gone by since the ending of FDIKI and Finlay is still figuring things out about her Ex, Vero has her own problems, and then there is Nick – oh man, I’m in love with him. And that’s not even all of it. The book is full to the brim with possibilities and action.

A LOT is going on in a short amount of time, which makes for an exciting and fast paced novel.

Also the humor is right up my alley and the writing makes me smile and chuckle along. Something I find incredibly amusing is how Finlay comes up with the plot for her fictional books. Honestly it’s ridiculous the way she does it, and I wonder how many other authors do it the same way – lol.

For me, Finlay is the perfect book to leave reality behind and escape into someone else’s life. Especially if it’s a life that is so over the top unrealistic and so funny that it’s hard to put down. I still haven’t enough of Finlay and Vero and their escapades. I definitely need MORE and I can’t wait to read the next book.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press / Minotaur books for an e-arc of this mystery novel, due for publication in February 2022.

I haven't found a mystery from St. Martin's Press that I didn't like, this was no exception.

I can't wait until the next Finlay Donovan in the series. She gets herself into more messes. This series is such fun. The books are fast-paced, well-written and just plain fun to read.

I have a hard time classifying it, as its fun like a cozy mystery but it doesn't shy away from the details. Not as graphic as some adult mysteries, kind of in-between. Regardless if you like a fun mystery, you'll love Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead.

Elle Cosimano is a new auto-buy author for me.

Finlay is back and better than ever. She's struggling to finish her next novel and keep her head above water as a single mother of two.

On the bright side, the only dead body she's had to deal with recently is her daughter's dead goldfish. On the not-so-bright side, someone has put a hit out on her ex-husband. Finlay may want to kill Stephen sometimes, but she doesn't actually want him dead.

In Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead the gang is back together again and the stakes are higher than ever. Vero's keeping secrets, Finlay can't tell if someone is a soccer mom or a hit mom, and Sylvia, Finlay's agent, wants to make sure that Finlay's next novel includes the hot cop AND the cute bartender. Plus, the Russian mob is back.

I absolutely *loved* this sequel. I did NOT see the big twist coming, and now I am counting down the days until book 3 comes out!

Thank you to @stmartinspress and Netgalley for my advance copy. I screamed like a baby when I opened this bad boy! I could not wait for more Finlay antics!
 
I have anxiously been awaiting this like most of us and it did not disappoint. @ellecosimano you are a genius! You write the most fun mental escape out there! Much like the first, Finlay is back with her usual antics and series of misfortunate incidents that we loved in the beginning. Are they believable scenarios-not at all. Are they any less entertaining-hell no, not in the slightest! All of our old friends are back and getting themselves into tight and scary situations. It is just as witty, hysterical and full of the same sexual tension as the first. I was left longing to see what happens with everyone as we are once again left with a cliffhanger. So, @ellecosimano you better be busy because I don’t know how long I can wait!
 
Bottom line: If you loved the first one, you will absolutely love this too!