Very enjoyable book.

5 kids at a children's home were involved in a bad event. Now, one of them is dead, and three of the others are being targeted.
Jenna, a Mom with stepchildren, Nico, a TV producer of a reality series and Donnie, a washed-up (literally!) rock star attempt to find out what is happening. All of them have secrets in their adult lives, as well as in their childhoods. Who wants them dead?

Told from the point of view of each of the main three characters, this was exciting as the tension built and the plot twists were revealed. Jenna, Nico, and Donnie meet up again and confront their past, both the characters involved and the places where the events happened. As they realize contract killers are after them, they are fighting for their lives, and those of their families.

Each of them survives attempts on their lives (and in unusual circumstances), as we build towards the finale. The plot twists were not expected.

You need to suspend belief to follow some of the plot twists, as there are some almost comic moments. But overall this was a very entertaining book and a quick read.

Jaw dropping prologue followed by a faced pace captivating thriller!
Loved the group home friendship bond, secrets and twists.. Sure there were some moments where reality vs imagination came into the play but I was there for it. Would totally watch a movie adaptation!

DNF @ 10%

I did not like the writing style of this and didn't think I would enjoy it based on the content from the beginning.

Thanks to NetGalley & St Martin's Press for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Five young friends brought together by trying to survive an abusive and terrifying group home full of secrets- cut to twenty five years later and someone is trying to eliminate them.

This was my first book from Alex Finlay and it was a fast paced and fun ride. The action doesn’t let up at all, jumping back and forth from past to present, and delving a bit into each character and their lives post Savior House made it a quick read.

Thanks to the author. NetGalley, Minotaur Books for the advanced copy.

Great mystery book. Fast pace, short chapters. Good twist and turns. I liked the story writing throughout.

Nico, Donnie and Jenna were teens in an abusive group home where they forge a bond having to keep a secret regarding multiple girls from the home going missing.

Twenty five years later, they’ve all made lives for themselves, albeit with baggage, but when someone seems to be trying to kill them, they have to reunite back where it all started.

Told through multiple POVs, the beginning feels like different books, as we get to know the characters and where they are now. The flashbacks to what happened in the past are spread throughout, ultimately leading to everything being revealed quickly and explosively at the end.

This is definitely a book that requires you to suspend disbelief, with high action value and I could imagine it as a movie. However, as the story progressed, I found myself not caring about any of the characters. I was most interested in Jenna’s storyline but when everything was tied about so neatly at the end, it just felt so unrealistic.

Overall, I’d recommend if you like fast moving, action heavy plots. For me, I wished we had more of the past in the beginning so I could connect with their characters and believe in their bond.

Thank you St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the digital copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Five kids who were at the same group home 25yrs ago have a secret. What is that secret? Well, we don’t find out until near the end of the book but we do know someone is after them. This book is non-stop action and attempted murder. Some of the attempts are even successful. None of this book is plausible but all of if is pure popcorn thriller fun! 🍿
The audiobook is multi-cast with different narrators for each character, which made it easier and more enjoyable to experience.
*Thanks to Minotaur Books, MacMillan Audio, and NetGalley for the advance review copy

I loved the author’s previous “Night Shift” and was so excited when provided an arc of this one. The writing felt different? The pace felt a little rushed and careless. Right from the beginning, I was rolling my eyes at the silly tropes and simple writing. Felt like the book needed more time and more work. Thanks to Minotaur for the advanced copy. Sorry to say this was a miss for me.

First off thanks to netgalley for providing me an ARC!

This story follows 5 different people who's childhoods were very challenging to say the least. They grew up in a home together due to neglectful, abusive or dead parents. However, 25 yrs later when one of them ends up being killed, and the other 4 nearly escape being killed, a chain of events follows as they're all trying to figure out who is after them, eventually leading them together.
There is a lot of twists and turns. With the chapters changing viewpoints and being short, it was a fast read.

What Have We Done is my second read of Finlay's, and much alike The Night Shift, this one left me a bit bummed. While action packed and adrenaline pumping, What Have We Done's plot & 'twists' kind of felt like it was trying too hard. The multi-POV fell flat, because truth be told, in the end I only really gave a damn what happened to Jenna. (That epilogue though 😳)

All in all, while face paced and a rather quick read, I think Finlay's newest novel was a bit too liner—the plot feeling like it's been done a few hundred times before, and the shocking reveals coming off a little bland. I really think perhaps Finlay catered a bit too much to the action part, and far too little to the plot of the story.

Mystery is a genre I don't generally go for, so my five star (4.5 if you want to get technical) rating is a testament to Finlay's storytelling.
There are plenty of far-fetched elements in What Have We Done, but it works because Finlay doesn't try to sell it as something else. He has fun with the less realistic plot points in a Jason Bourne kind of way.
Despite that, dude does his research to get his facts right and it was cool to read about that in the acknowledgements --whether he was learning about coal mining safety procedures or Ellie Saab's latest collection.
The alternating POVs and short chapters create an exciting fast pace. Even though it wraps up nicely in the end, I would be interested in reading more stories with these characters. They were all fleshed out and distinctive, and I'm a sucker for childhood friends reunited.
Thank you to Finlay, the publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was an action packed thriller that did not take its foot off the gas. It was told from three different perspectives. It also took place over two timelines. A few characters were over the time and a few were bland. The last part of the book was intense and I definitely wanted to find out what was going on. This was the first book I have tried by this author and I will want to check out the other books for sure.

This book just screams "I was written by a man!" lol I'm sorry but it's true. I mostly read female authors and I can always tell when it's a female written by a man and I chuckle a little. It was unfortunate because Jenna was the only character out of 4 POVs that I liked. Well, I did enjoy the mystery narrators but that was few and far between. The male narrators were annoying, kinda boring and with Donny, very cringe. He was more likable than Niko but they went too hard on the Southern gent speak and he was often just an idiot until it was convenient for him not to be.

This was one of my most anticipated books this year and I was disappointed. I just expected a more campy and spooky little tale where everyone meets up years after some youth mystery. We have a stay at home assassin, a washed up rock star that would have fit in with Daisy Jones and the Six, and a reality tv coal mine guy?

It was just so outlandish and it was all separate. You'd think the tragedy would happen and they'd all meet up but they were all doing this their own way through most of the book and it was like reading different stories.

I initially DNF but I hate to do that so I took the weekend and finished the audio and it was better than I initially gave it credit for but nowhere near as good as his other books.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read, listen and review! If you like a little more action than mystery, this is for you. It just wasn't my thing and I wish I'd known.

I’ve enjoyed Finlay’s other books but this one not so much. It was definitely more action-packed adventure than psychological suspense. I could totally picture this being a movie with Tom Cruise and Angelina Jolie. The premise was interesting and the writing wasn’t bad, but I never was really invested in the plot and didn’t care for the non-stop action.

The downsides of going in blind…🤷‍♀️
For the past year/year and a half I’ve chosen to go in blind and not thoroughly read the excerpt of a book as sometimes they give too many details away. I would have read this regardless as it’s Alex Finlay and I was blown away by Every Last Fear and I even semi-enjoyed The Night Shift. This is by far my least favorite of his. I was NOT expecting some James Bond nonsense to unfold with this one. This was so OTT that my eyes hurt from rolling them so much.
I felt a bit deceived as even reading the Goodreads excerpt after finishing the book seemed totally up my alley. And it isn’t wrong. All that stuff happens, but this is not your average mystery/thriller and in my opinion, this instance isn’t a good thing.
I also felt the book was LONG. Probably not much longer than most books, but the story held inside had its dragging moments and unnecessary moments.
I’ll still read more from the author in hopes of finding another golden nugget like Every Last Fear, but considering I wasn’t impressed by his last two books, I think I’ll lower expectations from now on.
A solid 3⭐️
A big thank you to Minotaur Books as well as NetGalley for a complimentary advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This book will be released on March 7th, 2023.

Before I get to any actual reviewing, let me just say that I LOVED the Calvin and Hobbes references in this book. It was such a heartwarming touch.
Alright, to the actual review, First, my favorite character in this story is without a doubt, Jenna. Her concerns, life experiences, and pain are so real and I found myself instantly cheering for her and waiting for the shift back to her POV. But, speaking of shifting perspectives, I did sometimes find it hard to track the narrative with the major time jumps without warning of the leap. A "then" or "now" chapter heading (or "twenty five years ago" or "present") would've helped this story flow better. I did like the shorter chapters, but at times they were so short the story started to feel a little choppy. Overall, this novel is a whirlwind, which I think actually ends up giving increased shock value to the reveals and plot twists, but sometimes I had trouble tracking the flow.
My only other critique is the excessive and repeated use of the phrase "tap eyes" throughout this entire book. I understand there are only a few ways to demonstrate that characters communicate using brief eye contact, but that phrase was so overused.
I absolutely loved Arty and how his character added complexity to the plot (I won't say any more... no spoilers).
Five stars because I couldn't put it down, and the twist really got me. Also, the ending (epilog) was perfect. I like happy endings, sue me. 100% recommending everyone read this book!

**Review will be made public on instagram @leannaslittlelibrary on 2/25/23

BOOK: What Have We Done
AUTHOR: Alex Finlay
RATING: 5/5
GENRE: Fiction/Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

THANK YOUs: Thank you NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Alex Finlay for sending me this gifted ARC to pre-read before it publishes on March 7th!

SYNOPSIS:
YOU THINK YOU KNOW.....BUT YOU HAVE NO IDEA!!
Twenty-five years ago on a stormy evening, five teens stood around a shallow grave, and each took turns firing a bullet into the hole in the ground. Each of them held on to a sacred secret and as well as shared trauma. Fast forward into the future, and Jenna, Nico, Donnie, Benny and Arty are each targeted and theirs and their families’ lives are in jeopardy. Someone’s trying to kill them off one by one. But who’s behind the attempts?! Could it be someone from their past? Someone who tormented them when they all shared living quarters at Savior House, the foster home they grew up in which was anything but a “Savior”? Each chapter focuses on of those (now) adults that remain. Can they come together, put their painful past behind them, and piece together this twisted puzzle before their demise?

REVIEW: YOU. WON’T. SEE. WHAT’S. COMING! I PROMISE YOU.
This was my first book to read by Alex Finlay, and what an enigmatic mystery it is, chocked full of suspense! The very beginning starts with a cliffhanger, leaving you wanting more, and it continues the story with much action and intrigue. This book completely held my attention throughout. Towards the end I was literally on the edge of my seat! And the author kept BRINGING IT!!!! I appreciate Finlay’s writing style, as the story is vivid, dark and mystifying. This was FULL for twists and turn from beginning to the very end! An incredible thriller! You think you have it figured out, but you have NO idea!
I highly recommend purchasing this book on March 7th or adding it to your TBR today! I highly recommend purchasing this book on March 7th or adding it to your TBR today!

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What Have We Done is a action packed twisty revenge story full of interesting characters. Having met at Savior House, and orphanage for older children, the five friends have gone on to lead productive lives. But the five share a past that someone wants to kill them over. The story is told from Jenna, Donnie and Nico's points of view with a lot of flashbacks into all of their pasts. As the three rush to stay safe and figure out who is trying to kill them the story throws out several good twists. Our pasts are part of us and stay with us forever. I was quickly drawn into the action of the story. I felt the tension grow as the story progress to an thrilling ending.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced reader copy of the book!

I really liked Night Shift, which was the first book I read by Finlay. Naturally I was over the moon when I was approved for What Have We Done. I had high expectations and unfortunately, this book didn’t meet my expectations. I felt the writing was different than this past work. A writing style that I didn’t love. I couldn’t connect to the story nor was I interested in finding out how it ends. It felt like something was missing. I will read more by Finlay in the future. Hopefully this was is just an outlier. .

What Have We Done
by Alex Finlay
Pub Date: 07 Mar 2023

Synopsis: Twenty five years ago, Jenna, Donnie, and Nico were the best of friends, having forged a bond through the abuse and neglect they endured as residents of Savior House, a group home for parentless teens. When the home was shut down—after the disappearance of several kids—the three were split up.

Though the trauma of their childhood has never left them, each went on to live accomplished—if troubled—lives. They haven’t seen one another since they were teens but now are reunited for a single haunting reason: someone is trying to kill them.

To survive, the group will have to revisit the nightmares of their childhoods and confront their shared past—a past that holds the secret to why someone wants them dead.

My Opinion: A heart pounding, exciting action packed read. The characters fit the plot very well. If you like mystery/thrillers you're sure to like this one!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Minotaur Books for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.