•Synopsis•
Secrets
Intertwining lives
Stay at home mom
Has been rock star
TV producer

•Rating•
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 stars
I recommend this book!

•Similar Recommended Reads•
Stone Cold Fox
An Anonymous Girl
The Woman in the Park

This was a page-turning thriller that surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. I loved the multiple points of view and the story kept me guessing until the very end.

I have read several books by Alex Finlay and was thrilled to get an ARC of What Have We Done. Sometimes, books told from multiple perspectives and multiple timelines can be extremely confusing -- it can be hard to tell who is who and what timeframe is being discussed. However, Alex Finlay did an exceptional job of developing each main character (and their backstory) and weaving them together flawlessly. A must read thriller for 2023!!!

Not my favorite Alex Finlay book. I appreciate the change of pace Finlay took in writing What Have We Done however this one definitely not one of my favorites. I can definitely see this transfer to the screen which oddly I feel watching this book come to life on the screen would've been more enjoyable for me personally.
I was able to put this novel down & go back to reading a day or so later unlike Finlay's last two novels which I flew through them pretty quickly & didn't want to put down.
While you can't love everything everyone writes this was an overall good solid read, I'll still continue to read Finlay's books for sure.

This was a very middle of the road thriller for me. It had a promising premise but fell flat throughout most of it for me. The last 30ish percent is when I finally got invested. If you're newer to thrillers and don't love the jump scare types, this one may be for you! I think I would recommend Finlay's previous thriller, The Night Shift, over this one.

Alex Finlay knows how to write a good thriller, and this was one of them! It was action packed, and kept me guessing right to the very end.

The story was fantastic! This is a fast paced thriller and I absolutely loved it. It was a quick read because I couldn’t stop reading it. This book was definitely a page turner and the ending was completely a shock to me! Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC.

Old friendships, a bond forged by endurance and now a murderer out to get them. A fast paced thriller that you wont be able to put down.

Thank you #NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read this!

A crime from the past puts three individuals in the sights of a contract killer.

Jenna, a stepmom of two teenage daughters, Donnie, a B-list rockstar, and Nico, a reality tv producer, come under fire (literally) when a hired killer tries to take them out. Gradually, secrets from their present lives and past align, linking them all to one big, buried secret.

The narrative alternates between the three, with a few additional chapters thrown in from the killer(s)’ point of view. Each character is more than who they seem to be; however, each is one giant cartoonish cliche. I enjoyed Jenna’s chapters the most, but Nico and Donnie have some moments where they shine.

The premise is interesting, but one has to suspend disbelief to enjoy this novel. The best way I can describe this book is a combination of Orphan X and a James Patterson novel. It is big on the action but low on character development and nuance. I would have never guessed that Alex Finlay wrote this book. The tone and the plot are very different from his two most recent novels: The Night Shift and Every Last Fear.

This is a very readable, fast-paced, action-packed novel. There is also some humor woven in. The ending is wild and chaotic, and I found myself liking the contract killers. I had fun trying to figure out what in the world was going to happen; however, it was missing the tension and subtlety I expect from Finlay.

📘Book Review📘

Thank you to @netgalley @stmartinspress and @minotaur_books for the eARC for What Have We Done. I finished this ebook forever ago and am just now getting around to reviewing it. 😜 Life in summer is so crazy, am I right?

Does anyone remember the movie series “I Know What You Did Last Summer?” That’s what this book reminds me of.

I’ve read all of Alex Finlay’s books now. His first two are great and, honestly, The Night Shift is my favorite. This one was…good. Of the three I’m ranking it third. Still a solid 3 stars, but if you haven’t read his previous two, I’d recommend them first.

The story was superb! A fast paced thriller. I absolutely loved it and couldn’t stop reading it. This book was definitely a page turner and the ending was completely a shock to me! It’s perfect for all readers, especially thriller lovers.

I can break it down into what I liked and did not like
What I liked:
-Great story; I think all the character's stories did a great job of meshing together.
-Multi povs also did a good job setting the story's pace.
-A great thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

What I disliked:
- You did not need the female villain's POV or chapters. I tried to get myself to feel bad for them, but I didn't. I always understand why authors do it, but this was unnecessary.
- It took too long for the story's pace to feel steady and not rushed. Again I know in the beginning it's setting up the foundation of each character's story and who they are and what's happening, but it felt chaotic.

A fantastic mystery filled with characters that had me guessing until the very end. I really liked how Finlay weaved together so many characters that had a childhood together but had grown apart in adulthood. However, circumstances brought them all back together and in ways they never imagined. Gripping, challenging and an overall great story!

3 stars

This book was just middle of the road for me. I have read one other book by Alex Finlay which I also felt the same about.

Three people almost die the common denominator is a group home they all lived in when they were kids where bad things happened that they thought were secret but apparently, it's not so secret someone knows.

The writing was good, the story was alright. The plot was compelling. The book kept me reading and entertained but it's not something that I am going to remember long term.

Thanks Netgalley and Minoutaur for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is an ensemble thriller pick. I liked having several POV and thought they ran together smoothly. The beginning took me a bit to really get into but the last 30% was exciting. I did not guess the ending which is always a plus.
Thank you to St Martins' Press for the advanced copy.

BOOK REVIEW

What Have We Done by Alex Finlay

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

I was intrigued by this book because I thought it was just a thriller, and I was wrong. I was incredibly surprised as this is an action filled book, with some mystery (which is SO not my usual thing) and I absolutely loved it. It is a WILD ride, with so much adrenaline laced into it, my heart was literally beating out of my chest.
I enjoyed the male main characters (although they are very stereotypical, and one actually broke my heart), but the main female character had some bad ass female energy. This book has multiple points of views and dual timelines. It is funny, heart breaking, and at times an incredibly dark novel. There are several trigger warnings including drugs, domestic abuse, alcoholism, gambling addictions and crimes against children.

Pro tip: Definitely stick around for the epilogue.

25 years ago, four kids from a group home formed an unlikely bond forged in abuse, neglect, and murder. 25 years later, they've all found their own ways in life - a rockstar, a stay at home mom with a questionable past career, a reality tv producer, and a tech billionaire. Their paths should have never crossed again, but when someone tries to kill three of the four, they're brought back crashing together.

The premise of this novel was promising, but it fell a bit flat for me. The pacing seemed off, it lagged majorly in parts and those lagging parts lacked any kind of tension to keep me engaged as a reader. While the flashbacks did give some new information and give some insight to the characters, they felt more like filler 90% of the time. Along the same lines, I felt that you never spent enough time with each character to really get to know them or their motivations.

Overall, a compelling story idea, but it fell flat for me.

Thank you to SMP and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!! 25 years ago, Jenna, Donnie, and Nico formed a bond at their foster care group home, the Savior House (which was anything but a savior). They endured abuse and neglect during their time there. 25 years later, the three have established their own livelihoods (a stay-at-home mom, a rock star, and a reality TV star). Their lives become connected once again, however - because it seems that someone is trying to kill all three of them.

I really enjoyed the audio for this one. I'm a huge fan of multiple POVs and I love that different narrators played the roles of Jenna, Nico, Donnie, and the twins. I also really enjoyed the past-and-present storylines and the flashbacks interspersed throughout. This one was perfectly twisty and even at the 80% mark I had no idea how the story was going to end. I felt that there was a palpable sense of danger for each of the characters. The twins creeped me the F out and I would have loved more on their backstory (we get a little bit, but otherwise they're kind of just... there? and killing people? for fun?). I liked that the epilogue followed each of the main characters after all this chaos. I did think Jenna's epilogue was a little crazy but that's kind of on par with her whole life.

I'd recommend this one for fans of twisty thrillers, multiple POVs, characters with depth, and creepy/psycho characters.

"What Have We Done" by Alex Finlay attempts to intertwine elements of a gripping thriller with a poignant coming-of-age narrative. While the premise holds promise, the execution falls short, leaving readers with a disjointed and underwhelming experience.

The story revolves around Jenna, Donnie, and Nico, who were once close friends bound by their troubled pasts as residents of Savior House, a group home for parentless teens. Separated after the home's closure due to the disappearance of several children, the trio is unexpectedly reunited years later when someone begins targeting them for death. To survive, they must confront their shared past and unravel the secrets that have haunted them for decades.

Unfortunately, "What Have We Done" fails to deliver on its potential. The pacing of the novel is inconsistent, with slow stretches that lack tension and fail to keep the reader fully engaged. The promised edge-of-your-seat thriller element often feels diluted, as the plot struggles to find its footing and maintain a consistent level of suspense.

The character development is also a letdown. While the protagonists carry the weight of their troubled pasts, their individual journeys and motivations lack depth and fail to evoke a strong emotional connection. The supporting characters suffer a similar fate, often feeling underdeveloped and serving as mere plot devices rather than fully realized individuals.

Additionally, the blending of genres—thriller and coming-of-age—feels forced and awkward. The exploration of the characters' traumatic pasts and their growth as individuals in the face of danger is overshadowed by the disjointed storytelling. The alternating timelines and perspectives disrupt the flow of the narrative, making it challenging to fully invest in either aspect of the story.

Twenty five years after escaping the life at a group home, a group of 30-somethings are brought back together by the death of one of their childhood friends... as well as someone trying to hunt them down, too.

I really was expecting to like What Have We Done after really enjoying Every Last Fear. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case for this one, so much so that it took me two months to finish. I don't really have much more beyond that to say. It just didn't keep my attention, but I didn't want to DNF it, either.

A thank you to St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for the free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review (you get what you ask for, sorry). I hope to continue the partnership with the next Finlay novel bouncing back for me. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Read at your own risk!