Alex Finlay does it Again!

What started off as a high stakes political thriller simply turns into a tale about revenge and remembering who your friends are. I went into this knowing absolutely nothing and finished this book completely blown away. This is probably one of the only books that i appreciate the multiple perspectives because it added so much more to the story and who the players were.

Alex Finlay is definitely turning out to be an auto buy author for me.

I was so excited to have received an e-ARC copy of this book from @netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This to say I highly anticipated this book would be an understatement. There was a lot going on in this book with many points of view. It did take me a while to really get how all the points of view crossed, but it was an enjoyable journey!

Three people with traumatic childhoods are brought back together to face something from their past. The doting housewife, Jenna, the rock and roll star who’s probably drunk, Donnie, and the tv producer, Nico. They haven’t seen each other for years and all wish their past would stay buried where they left it, but when their lives are threatened they unite to try to figure out who is trying to blackmail or kill them. Will they be able to find the mastermind behind this before it’s too late?

This thriller really hit the mark for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Put it on your radar for March 7th of next year. I give this 4.5 out of 5 stars. Special thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for giving me this e-ARC in exchange for this honest review - much appreciated!!! Yes, where are they?

4.5 ⭐️. I was very torn if I should round up or down on this one. I really wish Goodreads had 1/2 stars. I have decided to round up because this book was really good. Being that it kept my interest from start to finish with a suspenseful and thrilling storyline, I do think it’s worthy of rounding up. There were a few things that kept it from a solid 5 star for me though. I will try to explain but this is the type of book that you have to be very careful in reviewing because one comment or opinion could easily turn into a spoiler (which I do NOT want to do). So I am going to be basic and just say what I liked and where it slightly fell short for me.

Things I liked:
*I thought this storyline was really good. I enjoyed the creepiness of Savior House Group Home and reading about the childrens’ lives there and then switching to 25 years later.
*I liked the short chapters and how they switched between different characters.
*Characters (this is the tricky part in discussing them without influencing someone’s opinion before reading the book). I’ll just say that I liked Jenna the most. Donnie and Nico, had their issues but were also likable characters in some ways.
*The descriptions were well written and the book kept you guessing throughout. There were no times when I felt bored or like it was dragging.
*The ending! It was really good!!! All the way through to the end of the epilogue…the surprises kept coming!

Things that I didn’t really care for:
*I was able to predict who was the villain pretty early on.
*I also had a couple other predictions that were correct! BUT with that being said, even though I figured out some stuff, there were still plenty of other twists that I didn’t see coming.
*Certain chapters with Casey and Haley really disturbed me. I know that’s what makes it a thriller but some of it was a bit too unrealistic.

Overall I really did enjoy this book. It’s my first read by Alex Finlay but not my last! I have two others sitting on my shelf that I’m now anxious to read. I highly recommend picking up a copy when it’s released in March 2023.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

To see other reviews I’ve left, check out my Goodreads and Instagram pages:
*Goodreads - Cherihy808
*Instagram - bookworm_traveler808

Alex Finlay has earned himself a spot on my “must read” author lists with this book.

What Have We Done is about one secret five kids share during their time at Savior House group home, twenty five years ago. Flipping between Jenna (a former assassin turned housewife), Donnie (a drunk rocker) and Nico (a TV producer with a gambling problem), all three on very different paths in life, all end up in life threatening situations thanks to some killer twins. They must go back to the place where it all started - Chestertown. The twists kept coming until the very last page (literally).

Short chapters flipping between characters, made the book fast paced and easy to follow. Although transitions between present day and the past could get lost with no real transition, other than a new paragraph.

The killer twins were definitely over the top and as a whole not very smart or good at following through with their plans, but I think that’s the point of their whole thing (seeing as though who hired them).

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the twists seriously kept coming and coming. I recommend reading this book if you are a fan of fast paced thrillers that should definitely be made into a movie.

Thank you to Net Galley for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts and review. What Have We Done is our March 2023! #NetGalley #WhatHaveWeDone

Okay I don't know what's going on here, but it didn't feel like an Alex Finlay novel at all.. I've loved everything I've read previously, but this one just felt ridiculous from the very opening salvo. Like so many other reviewers who took issue with the book, my main complaint is that this reads like a cheesy Hollywood action movie - in other words, like a summer blockbuster designed to emphasize melodramatic scene stagings as opposed to plot development or characterization. It felt like one over-the-top element after another, and just didn't appeal to me.

If you like your action to follow Hollywood pacing - and don't mind sacrificing plot and character development along the way - this one might appeal to you. If you enjoy the slower build and more dramatic exposition of the author's previous novels though, you might find yourself at a bit of a loss like I did...

Thank you so much NetGalley for getting me an advanced copy of this. This is the first book I read by Alex Finaly and it will not be my last one. I really enjoyed this book and could not put it down, the different POV and the dual timeline had me hooked the entire time, I devoured it. Thriller, suspense and mystery are some of my favorite genres, so this book had everything that I like in a book. I have to be honest and say that the chapters about Jenna were my favorite ones, but I can't say I did not enjoy all of them. You will not get bored with this book; I highly recommend it and can't wait to read more about this author.

Loved this book! Big fan of Alex Finlay's The Night Shift, so I knew I wanted to get my hands on this if at all possible. The story follows five people who crossed paths as teenagers at group home and experienced some traumatic events together. In present day, one of them is killed, and a pair of assassins quickly tries to kill the rest of them, so they all find themselves back together to sort out the situation. There are multiple points of view, but I felt like the author did a really skillful job of creating sympathetic characters who you really rooted for (aside from the true psychopaths -- the assassin twins). I really loved Jenna; there's just something about a badass woman who can hold her own against even the biggest threats. Overall, highly recommend. I will continue to keep this author on my radar.

Loved the multiple POVs! This novel is filled with action and insane plot twists. This is my first book by Finlay but I can't wait to read his others!

Rating: 3,5/5

After months of procrastinating, I finally set up my NetGalley account and requested my first advanced reader copy m. I was shocked when my request was accepted and couldn’t wait to read What Have We Done by Alex Finlay. I liked The Night Shift last spring and loved Every Last Fear the year before. I’m afraid we’ve reached the portion of the review where the praise ceases.

This novel follows five characters with an interconnected past, they were all residents at the The Savior House when they were adolescents who lost their guardians. At that time, they all participated in an act that went on to haunt them and reconnect them in adulthood.

The premise sounded so good, but this book was not for me. It read like a very bad action movie (to be fair, I don’t really like the good ones either) with one ridiculous plot point occurring after another. This book felt like such a departure from the author’s previous books, I actually checked to make sure I hadn’t downloaded something else by mistake. This is going to be a pass from me, but I am thankful to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review it. This novel is set to publish March 7, 2023.

⭐️⭐️

5 teenagers at a foster home commit a terrible crime while trying to figure out where some missing girls have gone. 25 years later, someone is trying to pick them off, one by one. Who and why? Has someone betrayed them all these years later? Not my favorite book of his, but I have to admit that I did not know "who did it" and the real reason until later in the book. It kept me reading, so I will give it 3 stars. Although the assassins seemed to be of the bumbling kind, they certainly had some original ideas and weapons to off people with.

First off thank you St. Martins Press and NetGalley for approving my request!!!

This was a fantastic book loved it!!! I got “It” vibes. Here me out. The dynamic of the group of kids as they were younger together and older. How they stayed by each other sides. I just got It vibes minus the clown 🤣.

I loved the backstory scenes within the chapters. Sometimes taking a chapter to talk about the past (as a point of view) works but I liked the way the author did it in this book. I loved the different point of views we see. The first chapter grabbed me as soon as we learn Jenna was a sniper/assassin🫢

We follow a group of kids who were at a children’s house after each child lost their parent in someway. They stick together and take on a bully who is just downright nasty snd his father runs the joint.

The present takes place where we see each view of the children and how they have grown and how the house affecting each one.

The opening chapters we find each of the children as an adult that is getting chased by someone who wants them dead. It’s brutal and fast.

As the story develops we find out that nothing is what it seems and who is really out to get them!!!

Loved it!!! Great plot, story, whodunnit, and great writing!!!

This author will be an auto buy for me from now on!!!!

One of the best books ive read in a long time. This was so fast paced, thrilling and mind blowing. Every page brought something new. I loved the switch up of characters perspectives to tell the story. The plot was amazing and the characters were wonderfully written. I could not put this one down. 5 stars for a dark and creepy as heck story that literally had me shout oh my god more than once. This rollercoaster of suspense and terror should top your reading list!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It captured me from the start, and I was drawn in by the premise of the book and the characters. Highly recommend!

Okay, this blew me away. The nonstop action from the very beginning had me hooked and I read this in a little over 24 hours - on a weekend that was one of my busiest yet (I was reading every second I had free!). Such a good book. I would give this 5 stars because it seriously just kept me so engaged, I absolutely loved the characters, and overall the story was easy to follow. I am loving everything Alex Finlay is writing and I hope it stays that way - because I cannot wait for the next one!

I received a copy of What Have We Done via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

HOLY MOLY!!! From beginning to end What Have We Done had my full attention! It’s starts off with a situation which ends with what have we done? And from there you’re kept guessing. The epilogue was unexpected but really put a great ending to a great book. Definitely recommend!

I love Alex Finlay's books, but this one seemed better suited to a movie than a novel. The story was great, but I feel like I'd have connected more to the characters on a screen, given the style. Rating is rounded up for the early ARC.

This is my third Alex Finlay book and I like the fast paced writing style and original plots of all of his books. This one is more spy/intrigue than pure thriller and spy novels are not my favorite but I did like the twists and turns and the then and nov writing as we find out more and more what is happening. The main characters are three people; Jenna, a wife and stepmother who was a former assassin, Nico who works on a TV show and Donnie a former rock and roll superstar now down on his luck. I was a bit confused as to the ages of the trio as Jenna and Nico appear to be in their 30;s but Donnie is often referred to as a grizzled old man, long past his prime etc. and appears more like he is in his 5o's or 60's. The group were once foster children and became friends when they were at a group home together called Savior House. Someone is trying to kill the three and the book is about finding out who wants them dead as well as a crime committed when these characters were teens.

There is a quick pace and a lot of characters including twin sister assassins who love to kill. The novel goes back and forth in time where we find the connections between the main characters and the missing girls from Savior House and the present where Jenna, Nico and Donnie must work together to find out who wants them dead. I liked the then parts the best and it reminded me a bit of the book "IT" with it's group of teens. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

Just love this amazing book. The plot was so clever a different than any murder suspense mystery I have ever read. Just Wow!

The killer(s) /is are true psychopath(s). This book had me on the edge of my seat

Don't read this one a home alone before bedtime.

Five stars! Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Minotaur Books granting me a copy of this amazing book in return for my honest opinion.

Super suspenseful. But a lot going on! No spoilers but the ending was pretty fantastical! But it was definitely a thriller!

Another great book by Alex Finlay. I really liked this book. I love the characters and the plot. The writing was suspenseful and held my interest the entire time. Finlay is a really great thriller author and I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.