I just love this series, it cracks me up and makes me smile! Finlay Donovan books are like a modern, gender swapped version of campy detective stories. In the second book in the series, Finlay tries to balance writing her second novel, being a single mother and deciding which of the 2 men pursuing her she should date. When she finds out through a hilarious but confidential source that someone has a hit out on her ex husband Steven, she drops everything and hatches a cunning plan to save him. Her clever nanny/accountant/sidekick Vero is right there by her side with solutions to every problem, even wardrobe ones! But she also has a few secrets of her own. In this book we really get to know Vero and uncover her past, and she really is the best - I need a friend like her in my life!

Angela Dawe’s narration of the audiobook is right on point. She has the perfect voice of Finlay and kept me on the edge of my seat until the last word.

Well, that was a whole lot of fun! Finlay Donovan is back, and up to her usual antics of trying to juggle motherhood, a writing career, ex-husband, two new love interests and the occasional dead body. Vero is back too, and don’t we all wish we had a ride-or-die bestie like her…someone who would not only babysit the kids, but quite literally bury a dead body for you?

If you haven’t read the first book Finlay Donovan is Killing It I recommend you start there. You’ll want to get a feel for the characters and how this drama all started before diving into book two.

While you definitely have to suspend reality while you’re in Elle Cosimano’s world, she’ll take you on a ride you won’t soon forget. Dare I say Cosimano is the new Janet Evanovich and Finlay Donovan is our generation’s Stephanie Plum?

In this book Finlay is trying (not very successfully) to finish her next novel and keep their household finances in the black. She discovers that someone has put a hit out on her ex-husband, and while he may not be her favorite person she doesn’t want her children’s father to end up sleeping with the fishes. Her ex thinks it’s all in her head and refuses to take the threat seriously, even after a series of ‘accidents’ keep befalling him. So it’s up to Finlay to work out who wants him dead, before it’s too late.

I really enjoyed Angela Dawe’s performance of the audiobook. It comes in at 9 hours and 20 minutes which seemed to fly by much faster than that because I was so sucked into the story. Angela Dawe also narrated the first book, so you might recognize her voice.

If you’re in need of some completely bananas escapist entertainment, you can’t go past this one.

LIKES:
📝 relatable, funny, fast, exciting writing
🧭 super plot driven!
👱🏻‍♀️ Finlay (single pov) is messy & fun!
🔪 murder, threats, & ex-husbands - OH MY!
🕵️‍♀️ + an investigation (official & unofficial)
🇷🇺 + russian mob vibes
👭 strong female friendship (Finlay & Vero)
❤️‍🔥 a more intense love triangle than book 1!
😂 alllll the LOL-inducing chaotic antics
📖 + some meta bookish vibes
🧗‍♀️ + a cliffhanger ending (w/ enough resolution to keep you satisfied for now)
•
DISCLAIMERS:
⚠️ DM me for TW!
🔗 didn’t connect to this mystery as much as book 1
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VERDICT: Finlay & Vero are back for more chaos as they race to prevent a murder - an exciting yet relatable & funny cozy mystery w/ enough Russian mob involvement & love triangle romance to keep things interesting! Already ready for book 3!

Finlay Donovan is Killing It was one of my top 3 reads for 2021 so when I found out there was going to be a second installment in early 2022, sign me up! Even better to be lucky enough to receive an advanced reader copy, which I was grateful to read and have the opportunity to review.

🌟 Thank you to @ellecosimano and @minotaur_books for the advance readers copy and to @netgalley for the audio as well.

💄 Finlay is back with her trusty sidekick Vero, and repeat readers will be glad to see the familiar cast of characters, as well as a few new introductions. And Cosimano set it up nicely for a sequel…or dare I say…maybe a Vero spinoff? Time will tell but I think that would be fun to see!
This picks up pretty much where the first installment left off, so if for some reason you haven’t read Finlay Donovan is Killing it, I urge you to read that first, because while this might work as a standalone, like any good sequel, this one rewards the return reader with lots of familiar references.

🎧 When I saw NetGalley was offering the audio, I requested it as well just so I could see how it was—I didn’t experience the audio for the first book and I was really pleased with it so I did a combination of reading and listening this time around. You can’t go wrong either way with this one.

♥️ Thank you again to the author, publisher and netgalley for the entertaining read.

I'm not quite sure why I read this book. I had remembered reading the first one in the series and must have thought I liked it more than I did. I did both the audio and ebook versions and can say that I had a hard time paying attention to this. The characters just got into one silly mess after another. The author is obviously channeling Janet Evanovich unsuccessfully. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher though for the opportunity to read this book.

If you loved Finlay and Vero’s antics in the first book, you’ll likely love this too, although it didn’t live up to the hype in my opinion. Things get more unbelievable and I was kind of bummed by Vero’s portrayal in this installment. She’s just the best and I feel like she should be the main character or at least have as much attention as Finlay.

I was also hoping for more resolution in one area as the portion of the story that had closure was obvious from the beginning. It felt like an afterthought to put this book together after the success of the first rather than a planned series.

The book was still highly entertaining and a quick, fun read but overall missed the mark for me on being great. I’ll have to read the last installment and will most likely enjoy it more with the bar set a little lower. I’m also sure the TV show will be a blast!

Also didn’t love the narrator on audio. Gave me Jenna Maroney vibes on the accent and made it hard for me to take it seriously.

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead is a laugh-out-loud mystery full of crazy twists and believable relationships. The first installment of this series charmed its way into my top ten list last year, and I loved this follow-up even more than the original. These books are so much fun with their wacky, over-the-top hijinks. This time I thought I had the mystery figured out halfway through, only to realize I was mostly wrong. I appreciate how Cosimano leaves her endings open enough that I’m left anxious for the next installment, but still satisfied with the closing of the current story. This series would be great for fans of Stephanie Plum, The Dresden Files (minus the supernatural elements), and the show Good Girls.

Thank you so much to the author for this next installment and to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for access to an audio ARC to tide me over until the hardcover I ordered arrives.

Finlay Donovan is back! She’s still a writer, struggling to crank out her next novel while juggling life as a single mom. In this book she’s no longer suffering from mistaken (hitman) identity, but now finds herself trying to figure out who has put a hit out on her ex-husband. (And keep him safe in the process!)

As with the first book, this is a wild ride – full of laughs as Finlay does her best to investigate (but continues to get herself into trouble) and a little romance as she tries to navigate her feelings for law student Julian and Nick the (hot) detective. I enjoyed this sequel just as much as the original – the story propels forward, the characters continue to develop, and it’s just as funny as the first outing with Finlay.

As a side note: this is the second book in the Finlay Donovan series. I do recommend starting with the first book. You can start here, but it does have spoilers for the first mystery.

This is once again narrated by Angela Dawe, who is a great voice for Finlay. I especially enjoyed listening to the interactions between Finlay and her best friend/nanny Vero. Highly recommend listening to both Finlay Donovan books, they are just so much fun!

The second I finished reading Findlay Donovan is Killing It I added Elle Cosimano to my list of authors to watch. I’ve been looking forward to the second book and I read it in one sitting (thanks to Covid and all of those parents who send their kids to school sick!). At least I’m getting a lot of reading done.

The second book picks up very soon after the first. Fin is still living with and becoming closer to Vero while getting her like in order and trying to get her next book.. Her ex-husband is still a jerk. Her sister is still trying to set her up. Her lawyer friend is still too young and her cop friend is still coming on too strong. Finlay and Vero are still masquerading as hired killers.

When someone puts a hit out on her ex, she wants to stop it. Hey, not everyone would. And a lot of old friends and loved ones are involved in all kinds of increasingly chaotic ways.

The best part of Finlay Donovan is the sarcastic voice and the sense of absurdity that runs through every increasingly complicated turn. It’s just fun to read. Fin stumbles through it all, perceived by each person in a completely different way. Of course, there is some closure but enough left open to continue the story. Cannot wait.

Finlay Donovan knocks them dead by Elle Cosimano

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Finlay Donovan strikes again. Elle Cosimano surpasses her first book and comes up with a sequel filled with humor, mystery and action.

I had so much fun with this one. Since I had only recently read the first book in the series, it was all fresh in the mind. I listened to the audio book version of this and the narrator was brilliant. I was laughing so much. Especially the back and forth banter between Fin and Vero was hilarious . Thanks to Macmillan audio for the ARC.

The book starts where the first book ends where somebody has called for a hit on her ex husband Steven on the online women’s forum. Also Finlay struggles with writers block again and she’s trying to meet her deadline with her agent. As Finlay tries to find who would possibly want to kill her ex , another contract killer takes the job and she has to stop the killer before they kill Steven.

The plot itself was brilliant and it had me guessing and kept me on the edge. There were so many sub plots but it was all tied up beautifully at the end. Elle cosimano shines when she makes us laugh even in tense moments . I felt bad laughing about “ carl” throughout. And everyone deserves a partner like Vero. She is my favorite character in the series. I loved the Duo. They are getting better with each book. I found myself cheering for them along the way, especially on the final action scene.

Overall, I recommend Finlay Donovan series to everyone who needs a enjoyable thriller filled with dark humor.

This was another great installment of this series! The characters are great and it's so fast paced you always want to see what Finlay and Vera will do to get themselves into trouble again. The narration was very good for this audio book!

This is the second book in the Finlay Donovan saga. It was just as entertaining and engaging as the first. I’m amazed at the amount of trouble Finlay and Vero can find when trying to avoid trouble. This story finds Finlay at yet another deadline with her publisher as well as a love triangle with the hot cop and steamy young lawyer. It also finds a hit on her ex-husband that she ends up involved in.

I love the humor in the writing and a lot the characters that are involved in the first book are in this one as well. The author did a great job bringing the reader back in to Finlay’s world. I did enjoy this second chapter, but feel it lacks the originality that drew me into the first book. Probably why I don’t read series very often.

I also had the luxury of listening along with the egalley thanks to @macmillionaudio for granting me the audiobook as well. The sarcasm and wit is perfectly captured by Angela Dawes, the narrator.

4 stars

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this book as much as I did the first in the series.  The story is highly engaging and thoroughly entertaining.  Both Finlay and her sidekick Vero can get into more trouble than Lucy and Ethel in I Love Lucy (yes I’m dating myself).  The fact that Finlay has the added pressure of being a single mother with two small children with looming deadlines for the book she’s writing just makes Finlay so relatable to many women.

The book Finlay writes very much resembles the mystery unfolding in her life and I adore this about this series. In her quest to save her ex Steven, she meets a whole gamut of seedy characters.  Indeed, she is so focused on her quest she disguises herself to meet a mob boss currently serving time.

There are many characters in this story and it took a while to remember these from the first book which I read almost a year ago.  The author does a great job of bringing the reader back to Finlay’s world.  The writing is witty and easy to follow but there are a few scenes that may be offensive to more sensitive readers.

I listened to the audiobook version of the book which was narrated by Angela Dawe.  She provides the perfect combination of drama and comedy and I thoroughly enjoyed her performance.  I would not hesitate to recommend this version of the book to those of you who enjoy this format.

A very bingworthy book! It's an addicting mystery with plenty of laughs! I love Finley and can't wait to read about her next adventure!

#FinlayDonovanKnocksEmDead:

Our girl Finlay is back, and is a hotter of a mess, if possible. Hot mess express.

I cracked up, like always, listening to the ridiculousness of her trying to come up with a story for her editor. She actually kind of reminded me of Lucy Ricardo in this instance with her quick wit and the situations she gets herself in.

Angela Dawes is back with the voice of the series, and she again makes it happen. The snark and sarcasm from Dawes hits perfectly in the right moments for a wonderful comedic performance.

Unfortunately, I was a bit distracted, which caused me to feel bored as I felt this story was kind of all over the place. We have a forum, a best friend, Teresa, hot lawyer/bartender, a roommate, don’t forget Felik! Arson, sketchy partner, a hacker, some accelerant, it’s just.. everywhere. While it all came together in the end, I think it was just too much packed into one story.

Cosimano definitely knows how to write a cliffhanger, and I’ll be waiting to see what Finlay and my favorite, Vero, get into next! Thank you so much @minota and @mac for the gifted copy. Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead is out February 1st!

Finlay and Vero are at at it again and I don’t think there’s any stopping them now.

Finlay has a book to write and coming across a contract hit on her husband was the last thing she was expecting on a women’s forum. With Vero as her ride or die, Finlay decides she must find out who wants Steven killed and stop it!

Elle did not disappoint with this fabulous duo! She delivered us the kind of book you can’t put down and want to last forever. I've dubbed it as a 3-in-1; romance, mystery and comedy. We get romance, bartender/law school student Julian vs Detective Nick all while trying to figure out the mystery of who is trying to kill her husband and the laugh out loud shenanigans they seem to be getting caught up in.

Finlay Donovan Knocks Them Dead is an amazing sequel that lives up to the hype of Finlay Donovan is Killing it!It ticked off all the boxes of my expectations for this sequel.

Angela Dawe the narrator did such a great job at bringing the character voices to life. She also narrated the first book and I was happy I was happy to hear her voice in this one as well!

Thank you Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for gifting me with this eARC and audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I’m mildly obsessed with Finlay Donovan. I read Elle Cosimano’s first Finlay book on a whim through NetGalley and it became an instant favorite. I was so thrilled to receive this audiobook!

Finlay and Vero are back again with more drama, humor and twists! (I almost wish I took notes because there were lots of moving pieces!) They can’t seem to resist investigating which always opens up more cans of worms. I love their relationship, it actually makes me want to hire a babysitter.

I love the type of mystery that Cosimano writes! It’s fun but keeps you on your toes- not an easy feat. I was guessing the entire book, and was mostly wrong which I love.

There was a lot going on with each character while the dynamic duo tried to figure out who wanted her ex husband dead! We also had elements of romance, suspicion, and adventure. It’s so fun that Finlay is a (mostly) normal mom who is trying to figure everything out the same way I, the reader, would. It kept me wondering what I would do next.

I enjoyed the narrator although I had a different voice in my head for Vero. I think I may have followed all the names better had I read it, not listened. But I still really enjoyed this audio! As a busy mom this was such a great way to dive into this story.

I’m super excited because I think there might be another book! Or maybe wishful thinking because I can’t get enough Finlay! I’d love someone to make this into a tv series- it would be gold!

Finlay & Vero are back to find out who exactly has placed a hit on Steven, and put a stop to it, even if he really might be the kind of guy who’s earned it.
I love the relationship between Finlay and her family, which includes Vero.
Add in the classic love triangle between Finlay, Julian and Detective Nick and you’re in for an enjoyable read.
I can see even more coming for these characters and I am excited!

Update 1/22: Audiobook literally had me cackling in my kitchen. I adore Vero & Findlay’s antics.

This is the second book in a series. To me, sometimes the second book is so-so but this one was terrific! Finley is an author that gets herself and Vero, her live-in nanny/friend into some seriously dangerous situations. There is always lots of laughs! Finlay is working on the plot of her next book and reality weaves it’s way into it. I highly recommend this book! If you enjoyed Finlay Donovan is Killing it, the first book, you will love your time spent between the pages in this one! Give it a go!
I received an arc audiobook of this from the publisher in return for an honest review. Believe me we Scorpios are truly honest!

I enjoyed this second round of adventures with Finlay and Vero. While in many ways, this novel picks up where the first one left off, reading the first one would not be absolutely necessary. It definitely would help understanding of some of the plot lines, though. Just like in the first book, I did have a hard time occasionally letting go of my skepticism that some of the things these two women do could just be swept under the rug. But a second book does let Cosimano further develop their characters as well as some of the other characters, and I enjoyed watching that development.

The book is a quick read and a fall into pulse-tripping plot twists. If you enjoyed the first book, this sequel will not disappoint!