I was so beyond excited to get the chance to read an advanced version of this book! The first in this series, Finlay Donovan is Killing It, was so perfectly fun and mysterious. I gave it four stars. This second one was also enjoyable and a nice fast-paced mystery, but a couple of things fell short for me. In this one, the cast of characters is so insanely long that I couldn’t keep up. It seemed to me that everyone was trying to kill everyone! Second, there wasn’t any romance really. I know that’s not technically was this series is about, but after the first one, I was really looking forward to that! Third, Finlay’s all over the place personality that seemed so humorous and endearing in the first book seemed more overdone and spacey in this sequel. Overall I still enjoyed this one and would read a third in the series!

Finlay and Vero are back again with their shenanigans and witty banter. I was laughing out loud so many times through out, especially with the Dino sex comment Vero suggests. I did not at all see the ending coming with the twist of who FedUp was wanting Steven dead. I enjoyed that the sequel takes place around the Holidays, so with all the Holiday stress we are playing detective and chasing cars to keep the kids safe and get down to the bottom of who and why someone would want Steven dead. The relationship between Vero and Finlay gets stronger which I love and we get to find out more about Vero and her back story, creating a better understanding of why Vero is even a part of this crazy plot from the first book. I really enjoyed having hot cop around and not the bachelor lawyer, also how Finlay takes her personal life to make a plot point for her new mystery books that also helps her make decisions in her personal life. I am so hoping there is a third book, even more crazy shenanigans and more spicy hot cop encounters.

OhhhEmmmGeee! Finlay is back and shit is going off the rails from the beginning. Between her constant inability to choose between the hot cop and the bartender/lawyer - she’s also dealing with the fact that someone wants her no good ex husband dead. An awesome sequel and now I must wait for #3!

Finlay and Vero are back and I couldn't be happier! I was nervous going in to this sequel after obsessing over Elle Cosimano's debut but, owe her an apology for those traitorous thoughts. This story delivered again on the mystery, humor, snafus, personal growth, friendships and romance! The ex-husband we love to hate returns, along with the smoking hot cop, and several dubious supporting characters, all swirling around Finlay's chaotic life and a looming book deadline. I laughed, cringed and swooned through this story in a single sitting!

After the ending in Finlay Donovan is Killing It, I couldn't wait to read the second book and I think I enjoyed this one even more than the first! As Finlay and Vero search for who could possibly want Finlay's ex-husband Steven dead, the mystery and hilarious scenes that made the first book so enjoyable are here again in book two. I found the pacing in this book to be even better, it was hard to put down.

The one thing I would say is you have to read these books in order, you would be doing yourself a disservice if you read them out of order. The majority of the books you meet in book one are in this book as well, so it helps to know who everyone is and what happened in book one to lead up to this. The only thing I could've done without was Finlay and Julian's relationship, I felt it didn't add much to the storyline.

If you are looking for a fun mystery series that will keep you laughing, definitely pick these books up. And with that ending, I can't wait to get my hands on book three!

While it felt like a middle book and the plot was a little meandering at times (there is so much going on and we’d drop off the lawyer/cop/book writing for a bit and pick them up again down the road), it was good to be back with Finley Donovan again and was a great book to binge read on a rainy day. This time she plays a more active role in the investigation but always manages to find her way out of a tough spot. Reading mostly romance books these days and appreciating the safety net of at least a guaranteed happy-for-now, these books feel like a bridge between that and traditional suspense. Even when it looks bleak, Finley’s going to knock ‘em dead.

🔫Finlays hijinks continue as she tries to keep her husband alive after someone put a hit on him.

👍🏼This book is a fun quick read.

👎🏼Once again this book gets repetitive and the plot was a little bit all over the place.

✅Despite some of the plot and writing issues this was still a fun little escape of a read and I’ll be waiting for the third one. If you enjoyed the first one pick this one up too.

I had really high hopes for the second Finlay book, and I think that's tough. I loved the first book, and I'm not sure if it's how it was tee'd up or if it was a time of life thing, but everything hit just right. But unfortunately book #2 feels forced. The relationship between Finlay, Vero, Julian, Nick, Steven, and all the side characters came across wooden. I wasn't nearly as invested in the plot or any of the relationships this time around, and I thought there were parts of Vero's story that took a bit of a turn in an odd direction. This also lacked the humor that came about so naturally in the first book.

First of all, Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the ARC of Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead in exchange for an honest review.

Publishing Date: February 1st, 2022.

Finlay Donovan is Killing it was one of my favorite books of 2021 and made me discover that I love the mystery genre, especially when there is humor and romance intertwined. I had high expectations for the second book, Finlay Donovan Knocks em’ Dead and it truly lived up to the hype. I was in a slump before I picked this up and it immediately cured me.

We get to follow the same hilarious characters, Finlay and Vero, in their murderous escapades once again getting themselves tangled up in bad things by accident. It was the perfect sequel to keep the first book of high jinks going especially one that ended on a cliffhanger.

If you haven't picked up the first book you have plenty of time to pick it up before the second one comes out on February 1st, 2022. I was just so excited to read it I truly could not wait.

Another hilariously messy adventure for Finlay and Vero. This time the murder is way close to home then either of them would like. I couldn't get enough of the surprising twists and turns at every corner. Finlay is yet again under a massive deadline for her book and its not coming along like shed hope, but also she as to run around protecting her ex from the hit someone has on him. I liked the more of Veros story is coming out, but just enough for you to start questioning things more. I have grown so attached to these characters and the love and devotion these two women have for each other, they are family now. The messes they seem to get into, you just have to laugh. The way they land into shoot outs, massive online fronts, body parts, and police around every corner.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for my copy for honest review!

I LOVED THIS SEQUEL! Seeing more into the life of Finlay and getting the answers we needed after the cliff-hanger of book one was everything! I can't wait for the next one and this one isn't even published yet.

f you want a light and fast-paced mystery with a lovable heroine, look no further than Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead, the follow-up novel to Finlay Donovan is Killing It. Elle Cosimano delivers an entertaining ride and the novel give readers the thrill without getting into dark matter.

Finlay is back and faces a new mystery after just getting out of her predicament in the first book. Someone posted what seems like an ad in a women’s forum for someone to kill Finlay’s ex-husband Stephen. Finlay, scared for her kids’ safety, especially after someone responds to the ad to take the job, must learn the identity of the poster and the assassin. Besides that, she’s torn between two live interests: Nick, the cop who she always comes to a head with during her adventures and Julian, the law student/bartender whose lifestyle seems to conflict with Finlay’s.

I really enjoyed the first book and found it hilarious. While this second book isn’t as funny, I still liked reading about Finlay again because she’s such a likeable character. Finlay is resourceful and independent and someone that you can’t help root for. Besides Finlay, her sidekick Vero is also likeable and this book compels you to want to learn more about her especially what compelled her to help Finlay and seek money. Their alliance is so unlikely but it’s such a strong bond that is easy to appreciate.

Apart from the characters, the plot was interesting and the reveal at the end was pretty funny and clever. It looks like these books will be part of a series, and I thought the author did a great job of setting up the next novel at the end. I do wish some chapters allowed the reader to breathe and pause. There is so much going on with the plot that other than Finlay and Vero to an extent, the characters in the book feel one-dimensional. Especially the villains who fall into stereotypical tropes.

Despite the drawbacks, I still love this series and look forward to the next book. I recommend people look into these novels for an entertaining read.

This was such a fun read. I fell in love with Finlay and Vero earlier this year when I read Finlay Donovan Is Killing It and was SO excited to get a chance to read the sequel.

I feel like it's so hard for a second book in a series to live up the excitement and enjoyment of the first but I really love spending more time in Finlay's world and revisiting characters from the first book because I just wasn't ready to let them go.

When you're in series-territory it's always hard to talk plot without giving too much of the previous book away, but suffice to say I am so happy to dig deeper into the characters we met in Finlay Donovan Is Killing It. I still have the same Dead To Me vibes and Iove seeing how Finlay gets herself in and out of trouble. There's just something about a "regular" person finding themselves in insane circumstances that I love.

She's relatable. She's funny.. She's smart. She's witty, She's human. She's struggled but succeeding. She's a girl's girl. And I just love her to pieces.

I can't recommend this book enough. Elle Cosimano has really struck a chord with Finlay as a character. The writing style is great and I was for sure hooked from the get go. It definitely walks a line of light and dark and I just cheer these ladies on. Don't sleep on this one. I'm already auto buying it so it can live on my shelf and I can read it again!

Elle Cosimano is such an amazing writer! I loved her first book FINLAY DONOVAN IS KILLING IT. She has such a way of storytelling that sucks you in!

This newest book literally picks right back up hours after the first book ends, which was a great change up to a sequel. All of your favorite (and no so favorite *cough* Stephen) characters are present as Finlay and Vera pop in and out of back to back craziness.

And that big reveal at the end? I can honestly say I did not see that coming!

So while I did absolutely adored this book - and it was a SUPER quick read - it definitely left me wanting, craving, and praying for a book 3. I appreciated this book was very driven by mystery solving and friendship building but I found myself missing more of the romance factor.

If you read and loved Finlay as much as I did, you HAVE to check this one out!

Thank you @netgalley and author @ellecosimano for this #giftedbook

Finlay is the absolute best! This book made me laugh out loud and kept me on the edge of my seat. Highly recommend for the second book of this series!

I just love these characters so so much and I loved being back in their world. I definitely forgot some of the details and was a little confused trying to remember who was who. I liked the mystery and how fast paced it was, but it just got a little confusing with so many different people and the different screen names and everything. The love triangle with Finlay felt better in this book than the last for me. I did want a little more information on Vero since it really felt like there was a lot about her we didn’t know. I think the author set the book up well for another book in the series so fingers crossed! This was such a fast read and I would definitely recommend this series to anyone!

If you have a Stephanie Plum shaped hole in your heart, this series is for you. And I'm not embarrassed to say that early Stephanie Plum books were my go to feel good mystery read. Theres differences ofcourse (Stephanie had a hamster and a crazy gun toting grandmother, Finlay has two kids and her sister legally totes a gun as a cop) but similar set up and antics and chemistry between the leads. Definitely a fun series to keep an eye out for as the mystery just is getting started.

What I liked: The sequel is just as fun, ridiculous and silly as the first. Vero and Finlay make insane decision after insane decision, but they’ll have you laughing each step of the way. This is a delightful read that lets you escape reality for a bit. So many *ludicrous* things happen, but it’s all in good fun. The love triangle adds just a hint of spice that will leave you wanting more!

What I didn’t like: Sometimes the many subplots were all over the place and hard to track. But if you can turn your brain off and just enjoy the ride, it’s a fun one. I went into this knowing how outlandish it would be, so I think I was able to appreciate the sequel more than the first.

I was absolutely hooked on Finlay Donovan after book one, so I was so excited Cosimano was continuing her story. Book two did not disappoint! I had so much fun reading the continued misadventures of Finlay with Vero by her side. Hopefully we'll get even more in the future!

Another great tale of Finlay Donovan and her assistant/side kick Vero. These books are so well-written with great characters, plot, and humor. This was just as sharp as the original and sets up a third one perfectly! You can't help but cheer on Finlay Donovan!