Flinlay Donovan and her babysitter sidekick is back. I’ve been waiting for this book, since I read I read the page of the first book. I am a huge fan of Elle Comimano and I can’t wait to read more from her. Thanks so much for this early copy!!

Thank you so much for this ARC. Did I like this one even more than the original? I think I did. Finley is adorable and I can’t wait to continue reading about her and Vero’s adventures in the next one!

Finlay and Vero are back again in this fun follow-up to one of my favorites from last year. Not too much has changed in Finlay’s life. She’s struggling to keep up with her writing deadlines, juggling shared-custody, and continuing to try to figure out her dating life. Oh, and she’s pretty sure that someone has organized a hit on her ex-husband.

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘em Dead is definitely a continuation in the series. I wouldn’t pick this one up without reading Finlay Donovan is Killing It first. The self-contained story here might make sense, but it’s going to fall flat if you don’t already understand the relationship dynamics between the characters.

I typically only read standalones. It’s no secret that I don’t enjoy series. But if Cosimano gives us 5 or 15 or 25 Finlay books, I WILL read every last one of them. I had SO MUCH fun with this one, and stayed late at work to finish it because I didn’t want to take the time to walk to my car before I put it back on. There are a lot of ways that Cosimano improves on the first book here: the characters (even Finlay’s ex) have more depth, the love triangle is juicier, and the relationship between Finlay and Vero is friendship goals. The humor in this one didn’t hit quite as much for me as it did in the first book, but I was willing to make the sacrifice for all the character development we got instead.

I listened to this fully on audio, and highly recommend you do the same. I can’t recommend Angela Dawe’s narration enough. She makes it feel like you’re watching a movie, her voices are distinct and spot on, and she’s able to portray Finlay in a way that allows her to be messy while still being smart.

And honestly, I think that’s my favorite thing about this whole series. Finlay is a disaster. She was in the first book, and she honestly still is here. She’s a little impulsive, a little distracted, and has way too much on her plate (honestly it would take Cosimano only minor details to give us some excellent ADHD rep here), but Cosimano never falls victim to the trap of making her ditzy, shortsighted, or unintelligent.

Much like the first book, this reads like a miniseries. Think a campier Dead to Me, or a smartened-up Good Girls.

If you haven’t picked up this series yet, please do. If you already read the first Finlay book, this one is probably already on your TBR for good reason.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and MacMillan Audio for advance copies of this book and audiobook to review. All opinions are my own.

The second in the series, this book had a lot to live up to. I listened to Finlay Donovan is Killing It last year and was surprised how much I enjoyed it, so I was nervous about whether or not this one would be just as fun. Thankfully, it is! The same quirk and snark and feistiness is back, this time as Finlay tries to find out who has put out a bounty on her ex-husband. I thoroughly enjoyed being reunited with Finlay and Vero as they resume their hijinks and get in all sorts of trouble. If you haven’t yet read the first one, make sure you do that before diving into its sequel. Tip: These are excellent on audio. For fans of Dial A for Aunties or Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building.

4.5 stars! Finlay and Vero are back and just as funny as ever! I want to also just be best friends with them. I love how chaotic they are and their mishaps and adventures. In addition to a laugh-out-loud plot, to me the strongest aspect of this novel is the theme of strong female friendship which we see strengthen and play out in this novel.

I love how the way the story unfolds, and I can picture exactly what is happening and how it is done in all the details. I think this would be such a fun adaptation if it was ever made into a series! I preferred the first to the second, but this was such a strong follow up to the first installment of the series.

A must read for those that those a dash of romance,. humor, chaos, and a whole lot of cozy mystery!

The 1st book - Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, I read the Kindle version.. Elle Cosimano's second book - Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead., I listened to the audiobook. I enjoyed listening to the audiobook. It flowed smoothly and I enjoyed listening to the characters of Delia (Finlay's little girl) and Zach. I would say that Vero is my favorite character. She added flare to the novel by being a sidekick to Finlay. Other than just helping out with the kids.

I would love to have physical copies of both books. I loved the series that much!

I hope to see (or listen t0) more of Elle Cosmino's books.

Thank you, Minotaur Books for allowing me to listen to this audiobook.

I loved the first Finlay Donovan audiobook and really loved this one! Angela Dawe did an amazing job again! I just wanted to crawl inside the book and be friends with Finlay and Vero.
If you’ve listened to the first Finlay Donovan book, then you must listen to this one! Finlay and Vero have some crazy twists thrown at them. Finlay is plotting her next big novel and needs some exciting motivation to keep her going. Maybe Julian the hot bartender or Nick the hot detective? She also has another problem on her hands —someone is trying to take out her ex-husband Steven. Once again this is such a brilliant, fun book!

This is a MUST READ for all Finlay Donovan fans!! Can’t wait to see what Elle Cosimano has in store for Finlay in book #3!

Thank you Macmillan Audio for this advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I have posted my review on my Instagram handle: @thrillersandcoffer

Finlay is back with a new set of problems...

I read the first book Finlay Donovan is Killin' it just a few weeks ago so I was so excited that I didn't have to wait to find out what Finlay was going to get herself into for this new book.

I very quickly became a fan of Finlays, she is charming and witty. I love her and her sidekick Vero- they make such a fun team. I loved that this book picked right up where the first book left off. We already know all the characters so we can jump right into the action. Reading both books so close together, made them run together into one long story but I enjoyed that.

The audio was great. The female narrator really brought this story to life. She did a great job changing the voices so we knew who was speaking. It felt like a full cast of characters but it was just one narrator.

My only issue with this book was that the story became a little far fetched as it went. it just seems impossible that Finlay keeps falling backwards in murder plots but it was fun for what it was.

I would definitely read more Finlay.

I went into this book not realizing it was part of a series so I’m not sure if some of the characters were more established in the previous story to help keep them sorted in the beginning, but it was still able to be a stand alone story. That said, I rather enjoyed the story. It was not one that had so much foreshadowing that you knew everything coming. There were a lot of twists and it kept you guessing.

Is the pandemic bringing you down?
Want some laughs? READ THIS!!

Elle Cosimano's FINLAY DONOVAN KNOCKS 'EM DEAD #2 is highly recommended! A laugh-out-loud comedy featuring protagonist Finlay Donovan, mom and novelist of romance/mystery turned hit-mom and partner in crime with her babysitter, Vero.

In this installment, someone wants Steven (Finlay's ex-husband) dead. Even though Finlay wished this sometimes (because he is a scum bag), he is the father of her children, and appears someone has a hit out on him; she has to make sure the children are not in his care.

Surprise, Surprise. SURPRISE! Many twists and turns and another jaw-dropper at the end, providing hope there will be a #3 and many more.

I am all "IN" for the long haul!

Keep them coming—what a wild cast of characters for murder and mayhem. A huge fan of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, I would not miss a book. So hopefully, Elle Cosimano can pull out many more to come. I am already a FAN.

Like the Stephanie Plum series narrated by Lorelei King, it is always a pre-order. The same here because Angela Dawe is a perfect voice for the Donovan cast. As long as these two are narrating, an auto pre-order and assured highly entertaining experience.

FINLAY DONOVAN KNOCKS 'EM DEAD is the perfect book to read to make you laugh out loud. I went in a bit blind, having not read the first book in the series. You can easily read this without reading the first one, but I wanted to make sure I had not missed anything. So about halfway through #2, I purchased #1 Finlay Donovan Is Killing It and am glad I did. Finished it quickly and went back to #2.

FUN, FUN, FUN! I believe I like #2 better than #1, even though both are five stars. I LOVE these characters and got to hand it to the author; she receives an award for pulling this comedy out in the middle of a pandemic. At the end of the book, I enjoyed her notes about how difficult it was to get this inspiration during such a lousy year. Some readers may not think about everything the authors go through when they sit in front of the computer to crank out these masterpieces. They are human and have crap to deal with too. So thank you, Elle Cosimano—BRAVO!

CHARACTER COMPARISON: I wanted to take a minute and provide my take on Finlay Donovan's characters compared to the Stephanie Plum series. I would love to hear your take. Both have a love triangle, mobsters, murder, family, humor, and rollicking adventures with hilarious scenes and characters.

I love Sylvia's character and constantly talking about the "hot cop" and the mom talking about Nick's biscuits (butt). Who knows, Finlay might need to plan a murder for hire to get Sylvia off her case. Both Plum and Donovan's moms of course want them to settle down with the hot cops and both moms like cooking and meddling. I also love Delia so much and her one-liners are priceless. Finlay's mom might be a closer match to Plum's Grandma Mazur's personality than Plum's mom.

Finlay Donovan | Stephanie Plum
Finlay | Stephanie
Vero | Lula
Georgia | Valeria
Nick | Joe Morelli
Julian | Ranger
Steven | Vinnie
Sylvia | Connie
Delia | Grandma Mazur
Parents | Parents
Theresa Hall (realtor) | Joyce Barnhardt (nemesis) or Grandma Bella
Zack | Bob (golden retriever) Sorry, Zack (no human for comparison here).

I like Lulu's (former hooker) love of food (chicken and donuts) and tight clothes and sass, whereby Vero is more dry, serious, and mysterious. I enjoy Finlay's crime/romance writing and the banters with her agent. I adore Grandma Mazur and the funeral homes, but Finlay has lots of action, and am pairing Grandma Mazur with Delia (love her sass and spunk). Both have steamy hot cops and side guys with fun sex, so I think they both are well rounded even though Stephanie is single and Finlay is a mom.

You can view my #AuthorElevatorSeries Interview with Janet Evanovich and the Plum anniversary edition here where we go behind the scenes. I am hoping I can snag an #AuthorElevatorSeries Interview with Elle, for the next installment! I would love to know the inspiration behind this highly entertaining series. If you are a fan of Janet's Stephanie Plum series, you are going to love this one.

I have the audio ARC of The Recovery Agent Janet's new Gabriella Rose series (Plum spin-off) coming (3/22/22) and am excited. I can see spin-offs and many more Finlay Donovan books to come.

THANK YOU. A very special thank you for this introduction into the Donovan world to #MinotaurBooks #StMartinsPress #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for a beautiful hardcover copy, an ARC e-book, and audiobook. I love all of them, and especially the audiobook narrated by Angela Dawe for an award-winning performance!

BLOG REVIEW POSTED:
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Top Books of 2022
Pub Date: Feb 1, 2022

A huge thank you to @macmillan.audio for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Finlay Donovan is back to her chaotic sleuthing ways in this sequel to #finlaydonovaniskillingit ! This installment picks up where the epilogue of the first book left off - someone wants her ex husband dead and is offering a big price to off him. With a lot of help from her nanny, Finlay navigates the maze of keeping her kids safe (and hopefully her ex alive!), her writing deadlines, her complicated and blooming love life, and solving an ever-changing mystery of the mob-based hit site.

This was every bit as delightful as the first installment! I love listening to Finlay’s scheming and wondering how she’s going to get herself out of these crazy situations. These books are a perfect balance of mystery, comedy, and a perfect dose of romance. I highly recommend for everyone but especially mystery and romance fans!

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ - 4.5/5

4.5 stars! This was another fun book featuring all your favourite characters from the previous book in this series. I really enjoyed it but I still think book one was better (& will be hard to beat)! I switched from ebook & audiobook and gravitated more towards the audio for this one. The narration was really well done. I recommend checking this one out!

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for providing a free advanced copy of this ebook and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Do you need me to tell you how amazing Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead is? Or how great Angela Dawe is? Probably not but I will anyways ✌🏻

I spent the last two weeks with Finlay and company and now that I’m caught up it feels as if something is missing 😩 I adored this book. The relationship between Finlay and Vero is what true friendship dreams are made of. Sure, being down to tackle the underworld of hit men and mobs is the mark of a good friend, but I loved all the other ways they were there for each other. It’s such a pure, fun relationship. Not to mention all the banter. 😂

The mystery was a bit lighter but equally entertaining as the first book. I kept guessing at who would be behind it all but never got close until .0001 seconds before it was revealed. It was a great twist to go along with an already wild ride. Coupled with all the romantic tension, there’s a lethal mix within these pages 👀.

I’m still baffled as to why this isn’t being made into a tv show or movie. Unless I just missed that optioning news 😂 who do we have to write to to make it happen?

Stopping Crimes in Darth Vader’s Bathroom: Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead

Whenever there is a murder in Northern Virginia, Finlay Donovan will be there. Will she need to be there? No, absolutely not. But she will anyway. On the off chance that she’s busy with her kids that night, she will certainly find the body later.

Finlay Donovan is a divorced mother of two, a novelist, and on occasion gets hired as a contract killer. The first book, Finlay Donovan is Killing It, is a lighthearted, funny murder mystery with a criminally likable protagonist. The second book is more of the same, for better and for worse.

The second book takes place just about a month after the events of the first one. The Russian Mob is at it again (they always are) and someone is trying hire a hitman to kill her dirtbag ex-husband. Despite my protestations of “oh, just let them,” Finlay is intent on stopping the contract killer and writing a followup to her next book before her agent contract kills her.

Vero is still helping with the kids as a live-in babysitter, is still getting into constant car trouble, usually involving dead bodies and still is the funniest character in these books.

If you liked the first one you will probably also like this one; it’s more of the same. The sense of humor is the same, the plot is very similar and there are some absolutely hilarious one liners (my favorite involves the interior of a sports car being compared to Darth Vader’s bathroom). That said, I found myself thinking that she really did not need to be involved in most of the stuff she gets into. She keeps justifying her involvement by trying to cover up what happened in book one. But in doing so, she gets herself involved in all new crimes and makes it much more likely that she’ll be found out.

The sheer number of dumb choices just absolutely skyrockets. I spent way more time screaming at Finlay in this book than I did in the first one and her likability suffered a little. The most egregious doesn’t even have to do with murder. Very early on in the book, Vero, ostensibly her accountant, says they don’t have money repeatedly when they should. Its blindingly obvious that something happened and Vero lost at least a chunk of their money. Finlay completely ignores these warnings multiple times and just doesn’t seem to care for most of the book? Which is wild since money problems were what got her into this mess in the last book. You think she’d ask some follow up questions sooner than 80% into the novel.

Now, I did read these back to back so this might not be a problem for you if you’ve had more time in between. I think this is not a series you binge; it benefits from time between books.

I do have a couple of annoyances that reading them farther apart would not solve. I think I’m supposed to be rooting for Finlay to end up with Nick the cop. Nick the cop strikes me as a creep. I think I am supposed to think he’s sweet and stable and good for her, but he also has some really piss poor judgement (Finlay has enough of that on her own) and the book makes it clear he’s constantly looking at her boobs. There’s one point where the cops get called for a break in at Finlay’s house. She just stepped out of the shower and is wearing only a towel. Nick responds to the break in call and is roaming around her house with his gun drawn and finds Finlay, who is completely unaware of the potential break-in. He looks her up and down in the towel before going “oh right, I have my gun out and am supposed to be figuring out if there’s a murderer in here.” She got out of the bathroom and was confronted by police in her apartment with weapons drawn. Is this really the time? It just doesn’t sit right with me.

Also with the sheer number of murders and police matters she inserts herself into, it’s hard not to think of Finlay as the epitome of white privilege, something I’m certain this series does not want to tackle.

I also should warn people (no spoilers, don’t worry) that the ending of this book does not tie up neatly: they’re really gunning to set up book three. You don’t find out everything about the mystery of who’s trying to kill her ex-husband and what we do find out is…underwhelming. If that annoys you, maybe wait for book 3.

I got this as an audiobook and I think that’s a great format for this story. The narrator is great (the kids voices are so realistic I wondered if they used actual children) and it’s the kind of story where if you miss a little, you’ll catch up really quickly.

Note: I got this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Who is this for: Stressed out moms, cozy mystery enthusiasts people who want a little murder with their romance.

Pairs well with: A glass of cheap Chardonnay and a true crime documentary.

Not only do I absolutely love the Finlay Donovan series, but Angela Dawe takes what is already fabulous and makes it even better. Her inflection is perfect every single time, and her ability to change her voice to reflect all the different characters is nothing short of amazing! I'm so happy that the same narrator was used for Finlay Donovan Knocks "Em Dead as Finlay Donovan is Killing It, because I now can't imagine these series being voiced by anyone else!

Finlay writes murder mysteries and is behind on her next book. She tends to create her stories with what is going on in her own life. Someone has put out a hit on her ex - husband and she hates to think that her children might lose their father. While discovering who put out the hit, we have the Russian mob, a sexy detective and a law student Finlay dates, adorable children, and a chopped up frozen body in our story. Finlay needs to manage her love life, save her husband, take care of her children, and write her book. Great characters, exciting adventures and plenty of humor!

My first audiobook from Netgalley! Yay!!!

I'd loved the first book of the Finlay Donovan series on audio, and I am so glad that I get to listen to the second part on audio as well, courtesy of Macmillan USA and Minotaur books along with Netgalley.

There is nothing that hasn't been said about this book or series that I'd like to add except that I love Finlay Donovan not only because she is smart, perhaps because she is the magnet to attract all the troubles. It is such a hilarious experience to read a mystery mixed with laughter, anxiety and full of emotions.

Finlay's camaraderie with Vero is only second to Sherley Holmes and Watson for me, but the former duo is way funnier in their adventures.

Without giving too much away about the suspense, I want to say is that I love both the book in this series so far. They are enjoyable and fast-paced. The audiobook narrator has been so brilliant. It is definitely in my top books of this year!

Highly recommended

Oh wow, where to start. Love, Love, this series so much ❤️. This sequel is everything and more than I could have asked for. Finlay and Vero pick up shortly after we left them in Finlay Donovan is Killing It and they’re still a hot mess!

Just like the first, Elle Cosimano packs in not just a fun mystery to keep us guessing but soooo much comedy and a healthy dose of romance. I seriously had so many laugh-out-loud moments!

A huge shout out to Angela Dawe the narrator👏. The narrator really makes the difference for me when listening to audiobooks and I really enjoyed listening to this one. I feel like Finlay’s voice matched exactly what I imagined in my head! And Nick and Julien’s voices were on point.

I highly recommend the audio version!!!!

Keeping up with Findlay and Vero is a energizing delight! Fasten your seat belts readers, Finlay Knocks “Em Dead is going to be a bumpy ride! Finlay Knocks “Em Dead is a good choice for women’s book club. There is lots to discuss about the unshakable, and true to the end friendship, of the two main characters, Finlay and Vero, This story is an exhilarating women’s contemporary fiction, mystery story.

Have you ever heard about Murphy’s Law?
It states that anything that can go wrong will go wrong and that is true in Finlay’s life. She gets herself in so much trouble and it is so much fun to keep up with all her adventures.

In Cosimano’s sequel, Finlay finds herself surfing an online forum and reads a message posted by an anonymous person requesting for a “hit” on her ex-husband and father of her children, Steven Donovan. So she and her nanny/accountant/friend/partner Vero will together try to figure out who wants Steven dead and consequently avoid his execution. The story is full of twists and turns, things get out of control and it is an absolutely delight to read.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Angela Dawe, who does an amazing job bringing all these characters to life. Fabulous pacing, easy to understand, I believe I would not have enjoyed this story as much as I did if I had read a printed copy of this book. The book is well written, the characters are flawed and you start caring about them, wanting them to overcome all kinds of crazy obstacles so everything ends up working out at the end of the story.

Finlay Donovan Knocks’ Em Out has mystery, romance, involvement with the Russian mafia, comic humor, a dismembered body and a lot of entertainment. If you have not read the first one in the series you will probably have some difficulty in keeping up with the story. And I highly recommend you listen to this one on audio. The first book was great, this one is too. Is there a book 3 coming? Because I am ready for it.