Somehow, this book just fell short for me. It's a thriller for sure but I'm not a fan of multiple POV. The three main characters are tied together from there past and this all plays out well... It was just difficult for me. That's ok, they can't all be 5 star books for everyone, right?

4.5/5

“What Have We Done” is by far my favorite Alex Finlay book and that’s saying a lot considering the hits he’s released.

WHWD is definitely a thriller but more than that it’s an exploration of the trauma and bonds of our childhoods. The characters aren’t always the most likable but you can understand why they do the things they do.

There’s really two mysteries to WHWD and it has you speeding through to figure out what exactly happened 25 years ago and why the past has come to haunt them.

Excellent read from Alex Finlay! Thank you to Netgalley and Alex Finlay for the advanced read in exchange for an honest review.

Five kids who lived in a foster home called Savior house grow up to be a judge, a rock star, a secret agent, a billionaire nerd, and a reality tv producer. When one of them is killed and the others' lives are put into jeopardy, they must figure out who is after them and what it has to do with what happened during their time at Savior House.

This action packed but medium paced book was great for pulling me out of a reading slump. The plotline kept it moving and I enjoyed the ticking time bomb feeling in the background. I did not connect with or care about some of the characters and I did find it somewhat predictable, but I still liked this new book by Alex Finlay (as much as I liked his previous book The Night Shift.) This felt like old school John Grisham (think The Pelican Brief minus lawyers.) I would call this a thriller, lite.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

Years ago they were all troubled kids living in the Savior House, a group home ran by a shady man and his son who made their lives miserable.

Years later the kids have grown up to be a recently deceased judge, a tech billionaire rock star, a tv producer and a step mom with a very particular set of skills. All they have in common now is the one night that changed it all when they were kids... and the hired contract killer who seems determined to take them all out.

Determined to figure out who is after them and if they are responsible for Benny's death, they start into their past to figure out if their biggest secret has come to light.

This was 100% a popcorn thriller and I have mixed feelings about it. It was entertaining, fast paced.. but also completely unbelievable. If you're looking for something to just turn off your brain and enjoy the ride, this might be the book for you!

What Have We Done is my first Alex Finlay book and it started off just as described in the synopsis - "an edge of your seat thriller". I thought to myself (many times while reading): "am I reading an action movie right now?" as it really did have elements of that throughout the book, especially during Jenna's storyline. I had to suspend reality at times but it was an overall entertaining book that I couldn't put down and read in two days. 

Jenna, Donnie and Nico knew each other twenty five years ago when they all lived at Savior House, an abusive group home for parentless teens. After the home is shut down, they're split up and go on to lead somewhat successful lives in their own way. How did they all seem to overcome their terrible teen years? They haven't seen each other since that one fateful night where they did that terrible thing and now one of their group is dead and someone is trying to pick them off one by one. 

There's some flashbacks to their time at Savior House and with multiple POVs you see a somewhat full picture of the events which I liked. Jenna's chapters were the most exciting and kept me turning the page trying to find out who hired the contract killers. 

The ending was a bit over the top for my liking and a little bit unbelievable but overall this was a super readable thriller with lots of action packed into the pages. I am a new Alex Finlay fan! -g

I really liked Finlays previous books. This one wasn’t my favorite. I am not sure if it’s because there were soo many different people involved and sometimes hearing from their multiple alternating perspectives got a bit confusing or what. I liked the premise and was excited to listen to it but have def preferred other stuff more.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC

Have you ever had to whisper the words, "What have we done?" I hope it is because you and your
child sent 600 hundred Lego pieces clattering to the floor. Or you and your sister are ripping around the house, and you smash into each other. Not the reason why Jenna, Donnie, Nico, Ben, and Arty whisper it over an open hole in the ground on a dark night. This book sucks you in and leaves you twisting and turning in the wind. This is a book that can be demolished in one glorious sitting. Leaving you dangling from a mind shaft, the wind shifting around you in the treetops, or the salty water closing over your head as you slowly sink.

Twenty-five years since these five people have all been together and their past is coming back to haunt them. They were all sent to the Savior House after their parents passed away unexpectedly, or stopped caring for them when the call of drugs would not stop. This home is wracked with abuse, girls disappearing, and the man in charge has a wandering eye. But what lead these five teenagers to be staring down into the dark abyss that faithful night? As Jenna, Donnie, and Nico all fight for their lives, trying to figure out why there are now targets. Will they be able to unscramble this puzzle and uncover the truth?

I loved the multiple points of view. The high action fast paced adrenaline rush, as you cruised through the pages. Uncovering the truth one step ahead of the reveal and that final last twist that makes it all worth it. Thank you to Alex Finlay, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for my gifted copy.

I'm torn between loving this book and it falling short for me if that's even possible? This was my first book by Alex Finlay and I'll definitely pick up his others to give him another shot, but this somehow kept me flying through reading it and thinking it was super over the top.

This was incredibly fast-paced and had short chapters making for a quick read, but also had both multiple POV's and flashbacks mixed in (sometimes in the same chapter with really no distinction) and if I could have picked one of the characters to follow rather than the multiple POV's, I think the book being told strictly from Jenna's perspective would have had me hooked a little more. Without giving any of the plot away, it just hard to connect to Donnie and Nico's characters and their backstories, while Jenna had a lot more to lose throughout the book. The beginning of the book had me hooked while popcorning between all the stories of how the three of them re-connect, but once they did, things got a little too unbelievable for me and fell a little flat. If you enjoy popcorn thrillers and you want something super fast-paced, you should pick this one up!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What Have We Done is the second Alex Finlay book that I’ve read and it did not disappoint! Finlay has this way of writing books that makes you feel as if you’re watching a movie. This book was an action-packed thriller with multiple points of view that will leave readers racing towards the end.

Five teenagers from the Savior House, a group home with dark secrets, form a decades-long bond when their fierce protection of each other leads to someone’s death. Twenty-five years later, their buried secret comes back to haunt them. When one of their own, a prominent judge, is murdered in the vicinity of Savior House, the rest of their lives are endangered once again.

The reader follows each of these characters as they seek out the truth while evading those intent on silencing them forever: Jenna, the suburban mom with her own hidden past; Nico, a TV producer with a gambling addiction; and Donnie, a famous musician whose career is dwindling. As they race to figure out clues as to why someone is targeting them, old secrets from their past are dredged up…including the disappearance of young girls at the Savior House during their time there. They must figure out what really happened during their time at the Savior House in order to stay alive.

This book was full of action, from the very beginning! The narrative moved quickly from one character’s storyline to the next, which kept me engaged throughout the book. Of all of the characters’ storylines, I liked Jenna’s the most. Finlay does have some darker violence in his novels (Night Shift creeped me out with the 90s slasher vibe). With this novel, he ventures into more of the action thriller realm with some fairly gruesome details, like I would expect to see. One weapon of choice made me shudder (if you’ve read the book, you know), but that added to the overall vibe of suspense.

I do feel like I could have used a little more detail in the ending, but I enjoyed the conclusion overall. It left me with a “What did I just read?” feeling and my heart felt like I just finished a sprint…so that’s definitely a good sign. If you like fast-paced thrillers with multiple perspectives, definitely pick this one up!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for this advanced copy!

A prologue can sometimes make or break a book..........and THIS prologue set the story for an intrigue that lasted until the very last page! Five teenagers who live together in group home, Survivor House, did something to save their lives, and now as adults, their lives are all in danger as their secret comes back to haunt them. Through dual timelines and chapters dedicated to Nico, Donnie and Jenna, we see how the past has shaped their lives into what they have become: a producer with a gambling addiction, an aging struggling rock star with a drinking and drug problem, and an ex-assassin struggling to have a normal family life. One other is dead. Another a multi-billionaire. Who is trying to erase the past? And who killed their friend Ben? The author flawlessly weaves the tale and digs into the character of each person to make the reader cheer for them to survive and to be able to leave their past behind them. From the grave, their friend Ben has left a clue that he hopes will lead them in the right direction.. Lots of action and dastardly deeds keep the pages turning as the characters battle past and present demons to find out who is after them - and to what ends will they go? Who are their friends? And who is setting them up? Will recommend this book to those loving a good thriller. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #WhatHaveWeDone

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and the author for the complimentary advance readers’ edition of WHAT HAVE WE DONE by Alex Finlay.

WHAT HAVE WE DONE follows a group of people who once upon a time were in the same abusive group home. Each of them came to Survivor House from a different background, but they soon bonded with a very close friendship as they realized that it was them against those in charge. In the years since their time together, they have gone on to separate but successful lives with family and careers.

When one of them is killed and threats begin, the group reunites to try to figure out what is going on. Through flashbacks to what happened during their time at Survivor House and the present day action, many secrets come to light as they try to figure out who is out to get them and why.

The premise of this book hooked me in right away, so I was thrilled to get the opportunity to review it. I wound up bingeing the entire audiobook in one afternoon because I needed to know what was going on. We’re getting multiple points of view in this story between the core group of Survivor House survivors and those out to get them and this kept the momentum moving quickly.

This is a book that requires you to suspend your disbelief and there were places where the action felt a bit over the top. It also isn’t a book where there was a particular character that I was pulling for, though to some extent the trauma they have all been to makes it clear that they aren’t supposed to necessarily be overly likable. The fast pace worked well for the story. There were a few times where it slowed down, but those pauses never lasted too long for me. I was left with a few questions in the end that I didn’t necessarily feel like were fully answered.

This was a good time for me overall and a quick binge read. It is one I’d recommend to those who want a quick, action packed read.

"What have we done" are the words spoken by a teenage boy after a group of youths from Savior House, a foster home, find themselves in an unimaginable situation. Fast forward twenty-five years and the group is brought back together because they are trying to be killed by someone who knows what they did over two decades ago.

WHAT HAVE WE DONE is a thriller in which three individuals are being hunted for something they did in their past. It is an unpredictable book with flashbacks to the experiences of each while living in the foster care system. It always makes me sad to hear about the foster care system and how some are failed because of it. I know it is not always the same situation for everyone. The descriptions of the circumstances these teens find themselves in while in the system do not hold them back entirely as they do overcome the hurdles to make their lives a success.

Rating: 5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of What Have We Done by Alex Finlay! This is the second book I've read from the author and definitely my favorite. I was absolutely hooked by the prologue and couldn't put it down. I loved the combination of short chapters, multiple POVs, and dual timelines. It made for a fast-paced, dark, and twisted novel that I just had to fly through. There were so many little, surprising reveals throughout, and just when I thought I had the ending figured out, it totally changed and shocked me. I will definitely continue to read Finlay's new releases, as well as his backlist!

Five people in very different stages of life are all being hunted by someone. They all grew up in an orphanage named Savior House, which it was anything but. Nico is now a Hollywood producer, Donnie is a washed up rockstar, Art is a self-made tech billionaire, Jenna is an ex-assassin turned stepmom trying to live a normal life, and Ben was a well renowned judge who unfortunately didn't make it out of his murder attempt. It turns out they all have a secret about something they collectively did as teens and someone is blackmailing them because of it. This is a faced-paced high action thriller that will keep you thinking and at the edge of your seat.

I enjoyed the short chapters and liked how each character had extremely different but extraordinary lives. I also liked that each of the characters were flawed in some way and that there was also the mystery of the missing girls mixed in with the plot of the problem at hand. The alternating point of view was a good touch but I found it hard to keep up with who's who during the first third of the book. There was definitely a ton of characters. Although I enjoyed this book, Alex Finlay's first two books knocked it out of the park and this one fell a little short. With the first two being 5-star reads for me, I'll definitely being looking out for his next book. Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the eArc in exchange for my honest review.

I've vascillated between 3 and 4 stars on this one while reading and in the end decided I enjoyed it enough to round up to 4. It's pretty exciting escapism with its OTT action scenes. The plot: five teens in a foster home committed a desperate act 25 years ago and now someone seems to be targeting those five, who are now a federal judge; a rock star; a TV producer; a contract killer; and a tech billionaire. Who is behind these attempts?

What I liked best about the book (after the excitement, of course) were the literary references. Since my all-time favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird, I got the reference to Boo Radley immediately!! I also really enjoyed the references to Calvin and Hobbes. That was my stepdad's favorite comic strip and we bought him all the collections. Ironically, my husband and I have been rereading them this winter and fell in love with them ourselves all over again. The final comic strip in the series is quoted here: 'It showed Hobbes carrying a sled on fresh snow and saying, "The world looks brand-new!" and Calvin ending the strip with, "Let's go exploring!"'

I also agree with Donnie's comment about billionaires in Chapter Fifty-One: 'These rich dudes who have more money [than] they'll ever need, but waste it on flying into space or buying more companies or mansions. They could be Batman, like a real-life superhero, going around finding people in need and changing people's lives. I don't get it.'

However, I didn't care for the book's ending which seemed totally unnecessary and too much like a typical action movie script. No, no, no.....no need to go there!

I received an arc of this new thriller from author and publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are totally my own.

I've seen some mixed reviews, but I actually enjoyed this book a lot.

Five parentless kids became found family in a group home years ago. Now, twenty-five years later, they are all adults leading very different lives. Most haven't seen each other in years. They are still connected by a secret from their past. And now someone is trying to kill them all. And they decide it's time to find out who and why.

This book was very fast paced. It was very twisted and I always love that. I loved learning about all the characters and where they are in life after the group home. They were an interesting and diverse cast for sure.

Do you need to suspend belief a bit in this one? Yes. But it wasn't hard to do and you will be invested quickly in this story!

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for both ARC and ALC copies in exchange for my honest review.

Whoa what a ride! This story was so intense and even though it all seemed so far fetched it was so engaging and I couldn’t wait to see what happened. There were some crazy people in this one! I was excited to get to read this one early!

Jenna, Donnie and Nico spent time together in a group home when they were growing up. It’s been years ago, but the three have a dark connection from that time, one that includes two others, but one of the others has just been murdered. Has someone found out about their past? When each of the three have attempts made on their lives, they meet clandestinely at the dilapidated place they despised.The fourth person from their group is now a mega millionaire, but also agrees to meet. Who could possibility want them dead. Each person is not what they seem and Findlay’s newest book is non stop action from start to finish leading us on a merry chase until the very end. Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

BOOK REVIEW- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Thoughts: Thank you to @netgalley, @stmartinspress, and @alexfinlayauthor for an advanced copy of What Have We Done in exchange for an honest review. HOLY SMOKES- what did I just devour?!?! It has been so long (I'm blaming the 1 year old) since I started a book and HAD to finish it the same day. Everything about this thriller kept me on my seat and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. This was told through multiple POVs and for me, it made the story that much better. As soon as I thought I had a twist figured out, Finlay reminded me that he is a master of twists. I don't want to spoil the story so I can only highly encourage you to pick this one up on March 7th!!! This honestly is my current favorite book I have read this year!

Told from the perspective of four characters, we learn that something happened when they were younger in foster care with one another. As the story unfolds we learn more about each character and how one event has brought them together and can tear them apart.

This was my first Alex Finlay book and it definitely will not be my last! The way each characters story came together and all the secrets that’s continue to unfold, it keep me turning the pages so fast!

I could definitely see this being a huge action packed movie!