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!

Thanks for the ARC! I greatly enjoyed this book and devoured it in a matter of two days. I did not love how abruptly the flashbacks happened. There was no distinction between the two and was jarring each time it happened. Overall, a great read!

As orphaned teenagers, Jenna, Ben, Donnie, Nico and Artemis become fast friends amidst the abuse and bullying they endure in the group home where they are all live. A tragic shared event ends their horrible tenure at the home but also separates the friends until decades later....when someone is trying to kill all of them. The estranged friends must open up old wounds and uncover their long buried secrets in order to survive.

Told from the viewpoints of three of the five friends and skipping back and forth in time between past and present, I found myself often a bit lost in the weeds of the plot details. That aside, I did very much like all the characters and found Finley did a great job developing each storyline. In many points from the past plotline, I got major Stephen King vibes. Although it ended a bit abruptly for me, it still tied up the story nicely while offering some last minute twists. While not my favorite of this author, it's still a fantastic read. Finley devotees will not be disappointed!

Thanks so much to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for the opportunity to read in exchange for my honest review.

I love this author. This book was spooky and it was such a good read. I can't wait for the next book from this author.

𝐁 𝐎 𝐎 𝐊 𝐑 𝐄 𝐕 𝐈 𝐄 𝐖

4.1/5⭐️ What Have We Done- Alex Finlay (pub date 3/7/23)

𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒:

Twenty five years ago, Jenna, Donnie, and Nico were the best of friends, a bond forged as residents of Savior House, an abusive 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 successful, 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 save their lives, the group will have to revisit the nightmares of their childhoods and confront their past—a past that holds the secret to why someone wants them dead.

It’s a reunion none of them asked for... or wanted. But it may be the only way to save all their lives.


𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒:

A massive thanks to Minotaur Books, St. Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the drama of the present plot (which was less of a who-dun-it) and found myself equally invested in all character’s storylines (usually rushing through one to get to the other)-overall a pretty straightforward mystery/thriller.

Fast/steady paced with a very interesting set of main characters (who I wish would have been better developed). These characters all came from controversial backgrounds and seemed to have quite the development that we never really heard about, I feel like that was a missed opportunity and I would have enjoyed more about their past/progression to where they ended up in the present.

Finlay is up there with the likes of my other auto-buy thriller authors, and so far Night Shift is my favorite by him (every last fear was good too). Keep your eye out for this one, the publish date is March 7, 2023.


Food for thought: Who are your auto-read thriller authors?

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The Past Comes Back To Haunt Them

They hated the man, he made their life at the orphanage miserable, so they took matters into their own hands. 25 years later they all leading successful lives and have put the long-ago past behind them. Until…one of them is dead. Jenna, Donnie, and Rico realize they, too, are in danger when they are each put in a life-threatening situation and the pieces begin to fall together. The story is told through short chapters written about each of the three individuals as you learn what happened to them in the past and what is happening now.

I found the story a bit confusing and somewhat uninteresting in the beginning. As the plot became more clear it held my interest but I would still hesitate to call it a “thriller.” It was well written, as you would expect, but just not up to previous Alex Finley books.

Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of What Have We Done?

What Have We Done was the first book I’ve read by Alex Finlay. This is the story about five people who were in an abusive group home (called the Saviour House) as children. It was there that something terrible happened and, twenty-five years later, it has come back to haunt them.

Each chapter alternates between 3 of these people telling their stories as we try to discover why someone wants them dead. I thought this flowed well and it was very clear what was happening.

Personally, I didn’t find the twists and turns to be all that surprising. There was only one surprise that I didn’t guess ahead of time. The characters were a bit boring…. a producer who owes a lot of money, a band member who is an alcoholic, etc. I found that I was interested in the story till about 25% and then I really had to push myself to finish.

Although, this book was not a favorite of mine, I am definitely going to give one of his other books a try. It’s obvious that Finlay is an excellent writer.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book to me for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A great third book from Alex Finlay. I think this book is his best yet. Twists and turns galore. This book is told from multiple perspectives, which I do not normally like, but this was very easy to follow as each character is vastly different. My favorite is Jenna who is an ex special ops mercenary turn soccer mom. She carried the story for me.
In this book to get to see multiple timelines going from society's rejected foster kids all the way up to current time. All intertwined with a whodunit mystery.

✨BOOK REVIEW✨
What Have We Done
By Alex Finlay

This was unlike either of Finlay’s other two books, and I had high hopes. It started out strong and then lost me about 35% in to it.

This book has 5 main characters, and is told through their POV’s during a now and then style storyline. I found this transition to be foggy at times.

It made it hard to connect to the characters, and when that happens to me, I personally just cannot enjoy the story.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

QOTD: What is your dream job?
One of the characters in this book is an assassin….which would be super cool!

Thanks to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.
This one is out March 2023 so be sure to check it out for yourself.
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