I’m a huge Alex Finlay fan, however this book just didn’t impress me at all. Way too many characters with all having something going on then trying to connect them all together was just way to much.

Thank you Alex Finlay, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my review of this book.

Wow! Alex Finlay has done it again. This is for sure going to be a top selling book. This book had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. I could not put it down; I read it in two days. It is an amazing suspense thriller.

Pros:
-Several storylines gives you a full perspective of the overall story
-Short intense chapters that leave off on cliffhangers
-Likeable and well developed characters
-Tons of action
-Great plot and writing style

Cons
-I do not have any and I think if you are a fan of suspense and thriller novels then you will not want to miss out on this one!!

Alex Finlay is quickly becoming a must read author for me.

The Night Shift was one of my favorite books I read last year, and while What Have We Done presents a much more straightforward mystery the thrill of this book lies in the complexity of it's characters.

What Have We Done follows four POVs that weave together to tell a tale of survival, perseverance and the danger of keeping secrets. Each character in this novel is unique and contributes to the narrative in a way that tells their own stories but also the way they've impacted those around them. Donnie is a struggling borderline alcoholic dealing with the grief and trauma of his best friend's murder, Jenna is an ex-assassin who just wants to leave her monstrous past behind her while protecting her family and Nico is a troubled tv producer whose vices threaten everything he struggled to build. Then you have the twins that add a spicy and often murderous twist. Each character is fleshed out through alternating POVs that build to a rather fruitful climax.

While this was not as complex a mystery as you might think, and some parts were rather predictable the ending still packs a punch, and the journey to get there was pure fast-paced entertainment. Something that I love about Finlay's books is just how bingeable they are. This is the second time I've picked one up and finished it in one sitting. What have we done was a perfect, quick and really enjoyable read, and I can't wait to see what Finlay comes up with next.

Oh how I love this book. It might be 3 separate characters, but their lives are certainly not separate. They are linked by their past and learning about it is chilling and filled with suspense. A true you-can-run-but-you-can't-hide type book... and what is their secret exactly?? Well, let's just say it involves murder.

This book seemed to drag at times, but my curiosity kept me turning the page and I loved the twists. Anytime I don't see them coming, it's a win. This book is a winner!

(2 1/2). Talk about moving all over the place. Talk about unresolved issues. Talk about almost non stop action. You will talk a lot about this book as it almost never stops to give us a minute to figure out just what in the hell is going on, but I sure had a good time trying. Our main character, Jenna, is serious fun, and the others around her have interesting and not so interesting moments. A couple of fun bad girls and a plot that we sort of think is possible. A pretty wild ride. Decent stuff.

Rating: 3 / 5 Stars

Thank you too NetGalley and Alex Finlay for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was the first of Alex Finlay’s books I’ve read so super intrigued because I heard great things. I was a tad disappointed, because I felt like it was pretty straightforward for a mystery. I did, however, enjoy reading about the characters and thought it was well written. I would definitely be interested in reading Alex’s other books in the future.

What have we done starts off with a literal blast - a gun being passed from person to person, each shooting into a body dumped into a freshly dug hole. No one is innocent. No one is unscathed.
Jennie is newly married and a stepmother, She is also a former assassin. That is until she received a threat to her family if she did not kill a billionaire target, The target happened to be Artemis, a tech entrepreneur who she knows well.
Donnie is a washed up, rock star who cannot seem to get a grip on sobriety. He is grieving the death of his best friend, Ben, who was a federal judge. While performing on cruise ship, a woman he thinks to be a fan instead makes him jump from the ship to what should be his death,
Nico is a reality television producer. His current hit is set in a mine. He is told to meet someone at the mine when it is deserted. An explosion is set and he is buried deep.
What do all these people have in common? They lived in foster home, Savior House, which was anything but a safe haven for children, Someone was after them now, after all these years. But who and why now?
Told from multiple viewpoints and timelines, this is an extremely fast paced thriller which will keep you engrossed until the last page.
My thanks to NetGalley for ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I will officially never trust an epilogue again.. I plan to sue Alex Finlay for the emotional distress and my future trust issues.

25 years ago 5 orphans buried something outside the grounds of saviour house, flash forward 25 years and one by one each of those people have had attacks on their lives, leaving one dead.

Once I got into the book it was a rollercoaster of emotions. However the first half seemed to drag with inconsistent transitions that left me having to go back and reread where the time jumps started and end.
As the story goes on I became more invested in everyone’s stories and what had happened when they were young.

I will say as I reader I enjoy a peaceful happy epilogue conclusion and this was not that. The suspense had me hanging on until the very last paragraph jaw dropped and concerned for my favourite assassin.

QUICK TAKE: Finlay's NIGHT SHIFT was one of my favorite thrillers of the year, but this one fell flat for me. A bit of an exaggerated mess, and the assassin storyline made zero sense to me.

I always enjoy Alex Finlay’s twisted thrillers… What Have We Done didn’t let me down! ⁣
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⁣This book tells the story of three former foster kids and the ways their stories are intertwined. It features a ton of characters and a lot of jumping around which made it a little choppy at first, but I soon caught on and was able to follow the story. Plus- it had short chapters that kept me hooked! ⁣
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⁣Just a warning- this one is pretty far fetched and unbelievable. It’s definitely an action packed and exciting! Much like Finlay’s other books, I think What Have We Done would make a wonderful movie! ⁣
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⁣Anyway- read this one if you want a wild ride! Never dull! Four stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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⁣Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book!

I’ve become a pretty avid reader of Alex Finlay novels lately, and I really loved the multiple perspectives and action in this novel. It was giving me Stand By Me vibes with the childhood packs and traumas. I did not figure out the twists in the end and lived still being surprised. Overall, I give it 4 stars!

For those that enjoyed "Night Shift" and "Every Last Fear", you are in for a treat with Alex Finlay's latest who-dun-it. Narrated by three point of views, I felt a connection with all three of the narrators.

Ben, Donnie, Nico, Jenna and Art are unfortunately placed into a tumultuous and violent group home known as Savior House. The older and bigger kids are constantly abusing these 5 "outcasts" at home, in the playground, and at school. This unlikely band of misfits ends up sharing a horrible secret. that catapulted them out of the group home and into safe environments.

Fast forward 25 years, and this group has not spoken since that fateful night.. When one of the 5 is tragically murdered, and the others are receiving death threats... They must come together once again. Who would want all five of them dead? Without giving anything else away, I must stop here and encourage everyone to read this book!

This was one of the better Alex Finlay novels I read. I did figure out the climax before it hit, but it was satisfying none-the-less.

This booked grabbed me from the first page and held me until the end. Great characters and superb story line. I enjoyed every minute of it and would love a novel that is a spin-off of Jenna’s life. A great 5 star read. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC.

FIrst, thanks NetGalley for the advance copy of What Have We Done. Mr. Finlay succeeds again in offering a compelling story with diverse characters in a well-crafted thriller. The stage is set 25 years ago when 5 teenagers, residents of Savior House, a home for orphaned kids, kill someone. Fast forward to the present when each of the 5 becomes targets of assassins. Determining the source of the threat and how to escape or eliminate it takes you on a real thrill ride. The five haven’t been in touch in years and each has an interesting back story. With fast pacing and good twists, What Have We Done is a very good read. As noted, “…the more difficult it became to tell the bad guys from the good. Wealth and power can hide monsters in plain sight.” The book is scheduled for release March 7, 2023.

This is a story about a group of kids who were all for whatever reasons, in a group home. Savior House is anything but a safe space. Kids disappeared and bad things happened.

Jenna, Donnie, and Nico were residents of the home. Good friends and as tends to happen, they formed a strong bond with one another. When people finally caught on to the abuse, the home is closed and the friends are separated.

Now, twenty-five years later, someone is trying to kill them all. But, why? So many secrets here and one of them is deadly!

To save themselves, they must return to the place of nightmares, Savior House. To the past, the past that will finally show who wants them dead and why.

I have read quite a few reviews of this book. If you are a regular reader of Alex Finlay, then you know this isn’t the best of his work. I am a big fan of his work, but hyping this as his best work is just not my take on it. But I will be first in line for the next one!


NetGalley/ March 7th, 2023 by Minotaur Books

Another fantastic story from Alex Finlay!!

Something awful happened 25 years ago. Five kids from an abusive group home called Savior House were somehow involved. It’s now 25 years later and someone is trying to kill them.

We get to know three of the five as main characters: Jenna, Nico and Donnie. We hear their back stories, as well as what is happening in their present-day lives. Finlay slowly and masterfully reveals just enough to keep you on the edge of your seat, He tells the story of Savior House, and the sinister events that caused it to shut down over two decades ago. This book is filled with multiple plot twists and nonstop action. It was riveting and hard to put down!

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jenna, Donnie, and Nico were best friends as children at Savior House. This picks up 25 years later when they are all adults and living their own trauma-filled lives when someone is stalking each of them, forcing them to reunite.

I was not a fan of this one and felt like it was not easy to connect to any of the characters. Jenna and the new husband who was just cool with her past? Willow? None of them were likable and I found it hard to get into the book to see how they were all connected. I rarely do this, but I skimmed the last 100 pages just to see how it would end so I could finish it, but I just did not care for it

What Have We Done by Alex Finlay has a great premise- three friends from childhood must confronts their past deeds. I found this book to border on unbelievable in that everyone is fairly successful from the tv producer to an aging rock star. All of the characters are flawed as their pasts come back to haunt them. That there is an assassin among them too who is just your every day Mom is pretty implausible too, even though her new husband just goes along with her past. Definitely a fast pace, with many changing points of view and timeframes, it's kind of hard to keep track of what's going on. Not the best for me, so I have to say I gave up reading about two-thirds of the way through.

This book had me right from the start. It is a fast read and great character development. I was on the edge of my seat and did not figure out what the ending was. I love Alex Finlay's books and this one is another best seller. If you are interested in mystery and want to be sucked in from page one, than this is the read for you.

I really love Alex Finlay books. I don't think the central mysteries of their books are particularly hard to solve (can usually accurately predict the killer(s) to my husband by 40% in). That said, I think Finlay lays out the reveal and mystery incredibly well; I enjoy the journey even if I know the destination. This particular book, What Have We Done, stretched my disbelief a bit - seriously, a Black Widow-like assassin training academy for orphans? A sociopathic set of separated-at-birth twins who go freelance as shitty assassins? A little too fantastical for my tastes but the characters did pull me in, especially Jenna, and I love a storyline that unfolds past and present together. I had to suspend my disbelief at so. many. hitmen. and the fact that our characters never seemed to recognize the real name of the pedophile neighbor who is connected to our killer even if it was dropped numerous times. Still a 4 star book, highly enjoyed.