I would like to thank St. Martins Press and Net Gallery for the DAC OF What Have We Done
The opinions I’ve expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first Alex Finlay book I have read. It was full of twist and turns that kept me up until the sun rose. It truly was an excellent read that kept me guessing. The ending was a surprise for me I didn’t see it coming. I Loved it. This book has truly made me a fan for life..

Told by three POV Jenna at stay at home mom with secrets Donnie a washed up Rock Star with addiction issues and Nico a reality tv producer with a gambling addiction. 25 years ago they became inseparable through the abuse and neglect that they suffered at Saviour House a group home for parentless teens. The home was shut down due to several teens disappearing….. Under suspicious conditions.

None of them have seen each other in 25 years until someone who is trying to kill everyone of them. Forces them to come together to solve the mystery of who and why their being hunted down before someone else is killed. Is it someone from their present lives or someone from their past from Saviour House.
Book to be released on March 7, 2023 I highly recommend this book.

This was my least favorite book that I have read by Alex Finlay. All of the characters seemed to run together to me. I didn't really think the dual timelines worked in this book. It was hard to know if we were reading about things that happened in the past or in the present sometimes. I didn't really see a plot twist like I usually do with mystery/thriller books. I also felt like this book had to much going on. I really wanted to like this book because this author is from Washington DC which is where I live. But this one just did not do it for me. I did like his other books thought so I would suggest those. This book was just a let down compared to those.

I really enjoyed Alex Finlay's last 2 books, but this one missed the mark for me. It is told from the POV of 3 people, all of whom met in a group home when they were teenagers. Jenna, Donnie, and Nico are all living separate lives, and someone is trying to kill them. Each of them has a troubling background, but they have also found themselves successful in their current lives.

I found each person to be a little bit OTT, so you definitely need to go into this book with an open mind. There was something about the characters that didn't appeal to me, and I felt disconnected from them emotionally. Overall, this was a past-paced thriller with a lot of action to keep you reading.

I loved this book, finished this book, and went straight to my library to get another book by this new-to-me author! This is a mystery told by several voices, each one being solidly developed and distinct in their presentation, so there is no mixing them up, as can happen with multiple narrators. As it begins, you know the what of the mystery, but not the who or the why, and neither do the main characters. This makes for a great mystery, that I “solved” several times along the way, all erroneously. obviously, I would highly recommend this book and will soon be enjoying another tale by this author. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance read copy.

Thank you to the publisher for a Netgalley of this book.

This one was fine. It was not bad, but it definitely was not a page turner. The 3 characters we followed were very flat. I did not care about any of them to be quite honest. Which is fine, but even at the end I did not care what happened to any of them.

The plot overall had potential, but it dragged at times. The epilogue was 1000% unnecessary as well.

I am giving this 3 stars because the writing is good and the plot has potential, but this was definitely a let down for me. If this was probably an author I had not loved previously this would be a 2 star.

The stories of Jenna, Nico and Donnie intersect in a bizarre way when the former residents of an abusive group home are all targeted to be eliminated. In order to survive, they have to put their heads together and figure out who would kill them and why. The plot is mesmerizing but I found it confusing at first until I got accustomed to the changes in POV as well as the dual timeline. Once I got used to the duality and got to know the characters better, the story flowed more clearly for me. This is a thriller with a lot of action, much of which happened in the past and has influenced the present. I found that I had to pay attention to small details if I really wanted to try to figure out who the assassin was and follow along with the plans of the trio to safeguard each other. The characters are realistic if not all likable. Of the three friends, I liked Jenna the best and found her to be the most relatable for me. There are some definite plot twists that kept things interesting and moving along. I consider this a satisfactory read but I feel as though I need to read it again to look for clues and to see if I understand the whole situation better the second time around. It is definitely a convoluted tale of the past messing with the present and making it difficult to move on to any kind of future. Survival seems to be the name of the game in this enjoyable and entertaining novel. My advice to readers is to do what I ended up doing and keeping notes in different colors of highlighters so that I could keep track of who was doing what and where they were when they did it. That helped me because each time I put the book down, I was somewhat befuddled when I picked it up again and had to figure out the events that had led up to where I was then. Again, I had to get accustomed to dual timelines and using different colored highlighters helped me to quickly find the knots that tied the story together.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Readers are right! This is a fast paced, edge of your seat thriller and it's really good! While I see some people are comparing it to his previous novel, I haven't had a chance to read it now so I can only go off of this one and it was good! I definitely recommend it!

This books is perfect for anyone who likes a fast-paced, action packed read. It started running right out of the gate and I knew I was in for a ride. I liked the multiple POVs and the story that slipped between past and present day. I definitely did not see the ending coming and it was creepy and evil. The only thing stopping me from loving this book was that in some places it was very over the top and not very realistic- but I was entertained. A little bit different than what readers are used to from Finlay. Overall a solid 4 star book.

I loved this. It should adapted into a show because it as so wildly entertaining and unrealistic. Perfect for TV.

The last few thrillers I’ve read have been well written but pretty dull. But THIS was full of personality and satisfied my need for wit and flavor that I’ve been missing.

I liked that it is fast paced and packed with tons of action as it flicks thorough multiple POVs.

The books begins with a group of teen committing a mysterious act. Then, 25 years later, someone is trying to assassinate each of the 5 friends and pick them off one by one. But why? Who?

It was fun to watch all the puzzle pieces slot into place.

Twenty five years ago there were four young people that met in a group home and became friends. Ben, Nico,
Jenna and Donnie. Little did they know they would all meet up again over Ben's funeral. Ben was murdered and the other's had attempts made on their lives.
This is a real action thriller that keeps changing and keeps you guessing till the end.
I personally do not like action thrillers but I'm rating it on the writing not on my preference. I felt the writing was engaging and pulled you in. I give it 4 stars.

What Have We Done?

Like all of Alex Finlay’s books, this one grabbed your interest from the very beginning.

The mystery gets ahold of you and he usually has interesting characters that leave you not wanting to put down the book.

What Have We Done was no different. While Nightshift still remains my favorite of his books, this is a strong second. The plot kept me guessing and it was a quick read for me.

Definitely a book I’ll be adding to my shelves!

3.5 stars
It maybe way way OTT, but I liked it. I guess I needed a lot of ott in my life!
I do like stories about old friends reuniting and sharing memories even if they are bad memories, and this group held a whopper. Jenna, Donnie, and Nico were besties twenty-five years ago meeting at a Savior House, (a misname is ever there was one!)a place for homeless teens to reside in. It seemed to be an ok existence but, several teens had disappeared and the three attempt to get to the bottom of this. As grown ups, they have gone their separate ways, each of them somewhat successful but oftentimes leading a troubled life shadowed by their past. When someone seems to want them dead, they all reunite to stop whatever has been set in motion against them.

They, all in one way or another, relive their past, the troubling times, the secrets, the big secret, that they seem to think is the cause of their possible demise. There are some crazy people involved in this tale, including a bunch of assassins who once again are over the top. As mentioned above this is an ott book with ott as it secondary theme, but I liked it. Every so often, I enjoy the bizarre, the unreal, the no that can't possibly true books, that allow me to really escape into a place that just can't ever be.

If you enjoy a silly thriller with a plethora of the improbable, you will probably like this one. I have read Alex Findlay's books and liked them all and although this one was definitely a step in another direction, it did hold my interest as I and the unlikely team of successful adults made their way back to that hole in the ground.

Thank you to Alex Findlay, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for a copy of this story due out March 7, 2023

Unfortunately, this one was not for me. I am writing out my thoughts below on this book:
-I was not a fan of the structure of this book. It had way too many perspectives. At my count, it has 5 narrators (Nico, Donnie, Jenna, Artie, & Twins), and it is alternating chapters. This structure did not work for me.
-The characters come off cartoonish, and no one feels realistic or relatable. In fact, there are even sexy evil twin sisters, who seemingly use the weapon Javier Bardem uses in “No Country for Old Man” (yikes).
-Aside from the characters, the plot also is not realistic.
-The entire plot feels haphazardly thrown together. Even after making it to the ending, there is no relief, or light at the end of the tunnel. The author seemed to not have a clear idea or direction of where the novel was heading.
-The book is boring. I have read so many books in this genre, and this is one of the few that I actually felt bored reading.

With that being said, many people LOVE books that others dislike. I hope others enjoy this more than I did. I wanted to like it, but sadly, it didn’t pan out that way.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance digital review copy in exchange for an honest review. This title will be released on March 7, 2023.

DNF @28%

This book isn't what I was expecting it to be. I thought it'd be more of a mysyery/thriller, but it's more an action.

Alex Finlay’s “What Have We Done” opens with a prologue from twenty-five years ago. Five teenagers looking down into a shallow grave. From that point on the chapters alternate between Jenna, Donnie, and Nico in the present day as they fight for their lives without revealing their past.

This book was nonstop action and intrigue! I finished it in one sitting. Great twists and turns, though some were implausible. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it from start to finish.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for this ARC.

3.5 stars

I am a huge Alex Finlay fan and have loved his previous books. While this one was definitely action packed and thrilling at times, it just did not hold my interest as much as I’d hoped.

I’ll still read anything this author writes and looking forward to his next one.

My thanks to @minotaur_books and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book before its publication date.

I think I’m still digesting this one! It was hard for me to really get into. I think it picked up more towards the end but it was so hectic with the multiple characters and the going back and forth in timelines while I did enjoy it I think I enjoyed others by this author more!

Once upon a time, five kids did something capital-B Bad, then they grew up and went their separate ways. Buuuuut someone's trying to "correct" the bad thing they did by killing them in creative ways. Who? Why? What happened? Huh?

Alright, so we've got a rock star, a tv celeb, a big-deal judge, a Bezos, and an assassin. Very normal, believable career paths. Okay, so it's a little far-fetched. A lot far-fetched. But who cares? We're here to have fun, run for our lives, and figure out what the heck is going on.

What the heck goes on ends up getting tangly, twisty, and unexpected. It's kind of weird with the time shifts (or lack thereof) but it moves so fast, it doesn't matter all that much because there's always a lot going on. Also, the Calvin and Hobbes parts made me well up. Worth putting your disbelief on the shelf for a few hours.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Alex Finlay for an arc of this book.
What a book. Four friends killed a man and the death of one of them leads them back home to figure out who is trying to kill them. Jenna, Donnie, Nico, Ben, and Artemis killed the man in charge of the foster home that they all lived in and 25 years later it comes back to haunt them. After killing Mr.Brood Jenna is a former contract killer with a family and step kids, Donnie is in a band, Nico is a gambler and is involved in a tv show, Ben is a judge, and Artemis is a tech mogul. Ben ends up dead after returning to their shared hometown, Jenna is pulled back in to do a job and ends up getting shot at, Donnie is forced at gun point to jump off a cruise ship, and Nico ends up trapped in a mine that is a set on “The Miners”. They are all attacked by a women and they have no idea why. The women is actually two twin sisters and they are murders who get off from violence. Jenna believes the person who hired the twins is a former employer and ends up heading back to her hometown. Donnie learns that his best friend Ben is dead and goes to his hometown after a writer wants to tell his story. Artemis tells Jenna that the person responsible for hiring the twins is Mr. Brood’s son who bullied them all as teens. It turns out that Artemis is behind the twins trying to kill them. He was being blackmailed by Nico because he needed the cash to pay off huge gambling debts. Artemis made the other teens believe that Mr. Brood was behind the missing girls from the home and was going to take Jenna next. Peter Jones was behind the girls that went missing and made Artemis help them. The other adults kill Artemis and the twins and they move on and live their lives for the others who are not able to. This is the second book that I have read by Alex Finlay and I cannot wait to see what he writes next. It only took me a day and a half to read and luckily even with the multiple povs and past and present timelines it was easy to understand and not complicated at all.

This was such a fast read, and I really enjoyed the first half. However, I found the twist predictable and was never truly blown away by what was happening. There is an event in the epilogue that seems thrown in for little reason. The characters didn't feel fully fleshed out, but I did enjoy Jenna's POV the most. Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a quick, fun thriller.

Thank you @netgalley for the advanced copy