The pace of this book is what drew me in from the first page -- it's quick! We know something very bad happened 20 years ago at the group home, and we know that there are very real ramifications in the present day for the four main characters. Who is trying to kill them, and what are they being punished for?

I would have enjoyed more depth and back story on all of the characters -- I didn't attach to them the way I do normally, but that was made up for by the thrill of the read. The one exception is Donnie, the Rock Star -- I was rooting for him the whole way and enjoyed his character arc quite a bit.

Would certainly recommend this book and this author to anyone looking for a thrilling read! 3.5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy.

This is was so good. It was a thriller and a coming of age story. I enjoyed Alex Finaly’s past books and knew this one wouldn’t be any different.

Five kids from foster care sure can go far, and in different directions. This book was wildly implausible but that’s part of the fun. The different POVs really keep the story moving along. So chock full of psychos, you’ll have a hard time guessing who’s the real baddie… or baddies.

I’ve read all of Alex Finlay’s novels and this was just okay. I liked the alternating perspectives. I didn’t really feel any thing was surprising in the story. The epilogue for Jenna felt super rushed and random. There were also a handful of punctuation/grammar/plot errors (referring to one character when it was clear it was supposed to be another) towards the end of the book which felt a little sloppy. The first had was definitely more interesting so maybe the whole story was rushed at the end?

I think this book was a great idea, but the execution could have been slightly better. I really enjoyed that we got to see the dynamic of Jenna, Nico and Donnie from their early years, and how even though they weren’t a close group of friends, that experience alone bonded them for life.

Watching how they all developed differently from that shared experience was really fascinating. I love that Donnie was a true rockstar stereotype with the alcohol and I think he was maybe the most relatable of all the characters. I found both Jenna and Nico difficult to relate to purely for the fact that I don’t think we got to see a lot of their personality shine through.

The twins were absolutely terrifying and I really appreciated that they both had different and specialised weapons that lined up with their personalities (gun, knife, etc.). I wish we had gotten more backstory on Casey and Haley and why they were separated, why they were both so violent, more on their reuniting in college, etc.. Again, I think they were both fantastic characters that needed to be flushed out a little more.

Overall, I wish there was more conversation throughout the entire book. I felt like at times I was reading a long essay rather than a story and it would take me out of the world that was being created. I appreciated the addition of Reeves to get Donnie to open up and speak more, but again in total the first ⅔ of the book was lacking in dialogue with me. I also wish that the flashbacks had been more clear as sometimes it would be paragraph to paragraph and it would take me a few beats to realize I was reading about a memory of one of the characters rather than the present day.

Finally, the epilogue left me wanting for more. I feel like Nico deserved a sad ending and he got one, but I think at the same time, it would have been nice to show that people are redeemable even from their addictions and bad decisions. I was so glad Donnie was able to get back out there and draw a huge crowd again. As for Jenna, I was very unsatisfied with how short her portion of the epilogue was considering it had the most action involved. I wish that had been a chapter of its own before the epilogue and we got something else for her ending.

*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy via NetGalley.*

This was an action packed, fantastic story. It kept me reading non stop, from beginning to end. Very entertaining.

Alex Finlay has quickly become one of my favorite writers and What Have We Done did not disappoint. I love me a good who done it and this one kept my guessing.

I also really love an underdog, wrong side of the tracks character with a redemption story. This book had that and had me cheering until the very end.

Savior House definitely didn’t live up to its name. What was supposed to be a safe haven for these homeless children, turned out to be more of a nightmare. Jenna, Donnie, and Nico all knew first hand what Savior House was like and while the once were all best friends, when they were all split up all the shared was the secret they left behind at the abusive home.

They all went their separate ways in life, but when their pasts come back to haunt them in the form of someone trying to kill them, it’s time for a reunion.

This book was intriguing, and the way these characters are written pulled you into the story, having you searching for answers to what has happened. I didn’t love these characters, but I do have to say I particularly enjoyed Jenna’s chapters.

This is definitely an action thriller and action books or movies aren’t really my style, but I can’t deny this was still a fun read.

It did get a bit confusing sometimes with the switches between the past and the present, but overall I did enjoy Alex’s writing.

While this wasn’t a favorite for me, I can definitely see this being a favorite for those who gravitate to this type of action packed thriller.

3.5⭐️

Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Alex Finlay keeps you on your toes with this dark and gripping mystery that’s highly addictive. It’s a series of wild twists one after another and you can’t pull yourself away from the captivating dialogues and grounded nature of the characters. I

Full review to be posted on https://www.bestthrillerbooks.com/Kashif-hussain

2 "I'm sorry for the poor review" stars

Twenty five years ago, five teens—Jenna, Donnie, Nico, Ben, and Artemis– forged a bond through the abuse and neglect they endured at a group home for orphaned teens. Now adults with successful lives, the group is reunited when it becomes clear that someone wants them all dead. They must confront their shared past, which holds the secret to why someone is after them.

I really, really liked Alex Finlay’s previous two books (both five star reads!!), so I feel bad for writing this review, buuuut….. I did not like this one at all. What Have We Done jumps the shark a little IMO. I could not connect with any of the characters and I found a lot of it boring and unbelievable to the point of not enjoying it. I’m sorry!

I would skip this one and head straight to The Night Shift and Every Last Fear.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Jenna, Donnie, and Nico were residents of a group home where several teens disappeared, and a horrible incident happened. 25 years later, one of them is a reality show producer, one is a tired rock star, and one is an ex-assassin. They've all gone their separate ways but are reunited after someone attempts to kill them. What Have We Done is very fast-paced and feels like a movie at times. I found some of the dialogue a little corny, but overall enjoyed this book and would recommend. Thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books/St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Alex Finlay has quickly become one of my favorite thriller authors! This one was yet another chilling and suspenseful book! Twists and turns kept me guess and surprises left my jaw practically on the floor. Highly, highly recommend this!

A great 4 star read from Alex Finlay! I have thoroughly enjoyed his other books I have read and this one was no different. What Have We Done is action packed and I really enjoyed reading from each characters POV. I didn’t figure out the twist and I liked how the story came to together in the end. I highly recommend to any thriller lover!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

For fans of Alex Finlay's debut novel, Every Last Fear, this is for you. This thriller returns to the twisty, fast-paced storyline that Finlay had great success with. I've read all three of Finlay's books, and though Every Last Fear is still my favorite, this one is a close second. It redeemed The Night Shift for me and priced Finlay wasn't a one hit wonder.
Arty, Jenna, Donnie, Nico, and Ben are childhood friends who group up in a derelict group home in the desperate, economically depressed town of Chesterton, Pennsylvania. One night, the group commits a grisly act that binds them together.
Twenty five years later, each group member has found some measure of success despite their tragic beginning at Savior House. When Ben, now a federal judge is murdered and found dead not far from the location of the house that defined their adolescence, the group is brought together again.
Each member finds themselves targeted by a hit woman who will stop at nothing to kill them all — unless they can discover the hit woman's identity and her motive for murder. It's a story about overcoming the odds, loyalty, friendship, and how the people from our past influence the people we become. The characters are well-developed and I enjoyed their individual storylines and the way the stories intertwined.
This one sucked me in and I read it in a day. I recommend this one to any fan of Finlay's first novel.

I wanted to love this but it kinda fell flat and I don't know why. The beginning was fun and got me hooked but then they took so long for the three of them to realize that they were all being targeted? Like idk if I had the same trauma bonding event and then 25 years later someone tries to kill me, I'm going to contact the others and be like "hey, you too?" I didn't like the plot twist, and the ending didn't get wrapped up nicely? Tell me why the bad guy comes back in the epilogue? Epilogues are supposed to be happy go lucky, happily ever after.

Part of it was still enjoyable and I did finish it but I think I over hyped myself, I've been craving a really good thriller, mystery, and murder kind of story but I just haven't picked up one that's satisfied it yet and I think that's what is making me over critical of books.

A next-level thriller that brims with dark surprises and unforgettable characters inextricably connected by their pasts, loyalties, and an unspeakable secret. Inventive, immersive, and downright addictive, What Have We Done had me flying through the pages. Put this one on the top of your to-be-read list.

What Have We Done follows the lives of five foster children, now grown, who share an immense secret from their past... so immense is the secret, that one of them ends up dead and someone is after the remaining four. They band together to solve the mystery and to try to save themselves, and each other. It is an action-packed thriller with exciting twists and turns. The narrative is told from the perspectives of Jenna, Donnie and Nico, and even occasionally the hired assasin!
The story switches between past and present quite frequently, and it is not always quite clear when that tie switch is happening, but you get used to it. It is pretty good, some parts and some characters better than others; some of it you can guess and figure out, some if it comes as a bit of a surprise.
This book was a little heavier on the murder than most psychological thrillers I read, and I wasn't totally digging that. The ending was pretty good, but a few far-fetched moments that had me scratching my head and thinking, nope that wouldn't have happened that way.
All in all, a good quick and easy read and entertaining.

I always enjoy Alex Finlay's work, and this was no exception. This book is filled with dimensional characters who all have a fatal flaw, but you can't help rooting for them. The plot is a bit scattered but it is a fast-paced read that ultimately kept me entertained for the duration of the novel.

I’ll start by saying The Night Shift has been one of my favorite thriller reads of the year, so I was really excited when my NetGalley request for What Have We Done got approved.

I was intrigued from the beginning and ready to dive into unraveling the mystery of the opening pages. Things took a turn I was not expecting with the introduction of Jenna and her background since her teen years. Her character was one of a couple that required a willingness to suspend some belief, and she gave the book an action movie-ready vibe. As more of the other characters backstories and current struggles were revealed, I found myself rooting for redemption and a better path forward out of their various traumas.

I really appreciate the short chapters in this book because it made it easier for me to squeeze bits and pieces into my work day when I had some spare moments. It kept me guessing the whole way through. I could feel thoughts and theories buzzing in my periphery, but never quite connected all the dots to solve it before the moments of revelation.

There were some characters that either felt a little too over the top in how extreme they were and some that didn’t seem to serve much purpose other than to add another layer to an already complex web. There were a lot of outside forces playing into the core characters lives, and at times if felt like they needed more depth or nothing would be lost from the story if they weren’t there at all.

Regardless of trying to keep all the players straight, the twists and turns kept coming, kept the pace of the story moving quickly, and, as I said before, kept me guessing until the end. While I liked The Night Shift better, What Have We Done was still a great read. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC.

I have read both of the authors previous works. I thought Every Last Fear was good, but I loved the Night Shift. Interestingly, I felt this book was very different from both of those. The good: it was fast-paced, action-packed, short easy chapters, with a good twist at the end. The not-so-good: it switched back and forth from past to present without always making it very clear, so it was confusing at times. I was also expecting a suspense type thriller, whereas this was more assassin/spy action type thriller, which isn't typically a genre I love. If you're into action and fast pace, I think you would love this one!