Thank you Mr. Finlay for this riveting, adrenaline-fueled thriller; you did not disappoint! Five teens living in a group home commit a crime, and 25 years latter, it seems someone is out for revenge. One is killed and someone is trying to kill each of the others.

The story follows 3 of the teens in their present day life, and the attempts being made on their lives. Are the attempts connected? Will they be able to figure out who is trying to kill them and escape before anyone else is harmed? While reading what is happening in the present, readers are given details about the characters' past, as they reflect on memories.. I really liked this format rather than having alternate chapters devoted to the past and present. The twists and turns were thrilling, especially at the end! One of my favorite parts of the book are the literary references used as clues! To elaborate further would provide spoilers, and that's not my style!

Congratulations, Mr. Finlay, I feel you have a best seller on your hands! My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader copy. This review is my honest opinion.

Twenty-five years ago, Jenna, Donnie, Benny and Nico lived together in an abusive group home, sharing a terrifying secret. Now, three of them are reunited under the worst possible circumstances: someone is trying to kill them - and Benny is already dead.

Alternating between points of view, the action in this book doesn't stop for a moment - in fact, I would have enjoyed more character development and a slower pace. But for fans of fast-moving action drama, this book delivers two mysteries - one in the past, one in present day - that these characters must solve in order to escape their traumatic past and come out alive.

A solid, action-packed read.

Thank you #netgalley for a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

What Have We Done is the latest story from Alex Finlay. Years ago circumstances brought the five teens together as friends. Twenty-Five years later circumstances bring them back together. Be prepared for lots of edge of your seat reading and wanting "one more chapter" before putting down the book.  Finlay never disappoints. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an early copy to review.

First off Thank you Netgalley for this Arc
What Have We Done by Alex Finlay was my 1st read by this author & an easy 4 ⭐
Now I need to read everything by this man !

I loved reading from all the characters POVs & although the plot itself may not be super original Mr Finlay threw in some storylines to make it his own . It was a fun easy read that I very much enjoyed.
You kinda know where this book is leading you .. secrets never do anyone any good but I don't think you'll guess everything & that's the fun part. 🖤

Alex Finlay's suspense/psychological thrillers are fantastic and this one does not disappoint!!! From page one to the end, readers will not want to put this book down. Kudos and thanks for the advanced copy.

3.5 rounded to 4

Told from multiple POVs with frequent flashbacks, What Have We Done centers around three characters with a shared past and a huge secret that now threatens all of their lives.

Though the plot didn’t feel overly unique, I was drawn in by the characters and as always Finley’s impressive writing style. It was well paced and the palpable tension kept the pages turning.

I devoured Alex Finley’s previous two novels (Every Last Fear and The Night Shift) and was thrilled to be chosen to read the ARC for his third. Although I didn’t enjoy this one as much, I’m still an avid fan and will continue to look forward to future works.

Having really enjoyed Alex Finlay's last two books, I was very excited when What Have We Done landed in my hands. This one started out really strong for me but ultimately fell kind of flat and unmemorable. I will still be looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Thank you to St, Martins Press for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

This kept me interested, but who's behind it all becomes really obvious, and it's hard to believe that Jenna, who's supposed to be this master of espionage, doesn't piece it together until it's literally beating her over the head.

This is a thriller about a group of kids from a group home who have a huge secret that could ruin them all. One of them is killed, and then suddenly they all have threats on their lives. They end up working together to figure out who wants them dead, before it's too late.

Interesting premise but not that well executed. 3.5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books & Netgalley for an eARC of What Have We Done by Alex Finlay!

This book follows 3 individuals who were, twenty-five years ago, the best of friends in their abusive group home for parentless teens. Jenna, Donnie and Nico were split up after the disappearance of several kids, leaving the home to be shut down. Each leads a different life now, but the trauma of their childhoods has followed them. When they find themselves reunited because someone is trying to kill them, the group is forced to revisit their childhood nightmares and confront their secrets from the past.

This was my first Finlay book (I know, I know, what have I been doing with my life?) and I really enjoyed it! I love multiple POVs, especially when done expertly as it is here. Each character has their own voice, personality and lives that makes this group so different yet similar in many ways. I loved solving two mysteries while reading - What happened at the group home when they were growing up, and also who is trying to kill the group - And why? I look forward to reading all of Finlay’s back list and whatever is to come next!

3.5 rounded up
Loved Mr. Finlay's other books and was super excited for this one. It is good, but IMHO it is not up to par compared to them. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

📚Book Review! 📚

First off, thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for my advanced readers copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving my review.

Overall, this was a pretty good book, but compared to his other two books that I read which I really enjoyed, this one wasn’t my favorite. The book centers around these individuals that as kids were together in this group home for orphaned teenagers and have all grown up to take their certain paths in life. All of these years later, their lives take a turn when all of them are almost killed and they discover that one of their friends and former group home member has been murdered. This one shifts quite a bit between different perspectives and backstories which I wasn’t too fond of and overall I was just a little disappointed with the plot and ending. I wouldn’t discourage anyone from checking out this book, just wasn’t as big of a fan of this one as his other two I read.

What an amazing book! This fast paced thriller about how one wrong decision teenagers make can affect them for the rest of their lives

I didn’t love The Night Shift, but when I saw this on netgalley I figured I’d give it a try. I’m glad I did! It was very different than TNS - think trained assassins - but I was here for it. It definitely got absurd at parts, but it worked for me.

I have enjoyed several of Alex Finlay’s books in the past, so I was excited to see this new one. However it fell short for me. It was more murder mystery than psychological thriller. And the ending was not satisfying. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I love Alex Finlay books and although I did enjoy this one. I didn't like it quite as much as the others. It centers on a group of now adults who were friends at a poorly run orphanage when they were teens. They are harboring a secret from that time that seems like it has come back to get them all of these years later. The story is narrated primarily through the POVs of Jenna, Donnie, and Nico, with some flashbacks to previous times and some chapters focused on those who are chasing them down.

On the good side, the book is extremely action-packed at moves at a very fast clip. There is always a lot going on and it's easy to race through the chapters. On the less good side, though I liked the characters, there was something that felt vaguely unrealistic about the lives they were currently leading. I had an inkling of who the villain was but wasn't fully sure until it was revealed, and I wasn't sure I fully understood all the various events that led that character to make the decisions that were made.

All in all, good book that I probably would have liked better if I didn't have Finlay's previous 2 books to which to compare it. I'd recommend it for those who like thrillers. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review. This review is wholly my own.

Let me first start by saying that I am a big fan of Alex Finlay. Night Shift was the first book that I read and LOVED it. Every Last Fear was only slightly less for me. With that said, What Have We Done would have to be my least favorite of those three books, but I didn't hate it.

It was fast paced and kept you wanting to turn the pages, but I just didn't feel satisfied with how it all came together at the end. I was a little disappointed, but not fully. I feel it could have been better, but that is just my opinion. I would still recommend it because I feel like the things I didn't like are not things that everyone will dislike - just my personal preferences.

The story is fast-paced, the writing style is on point and the characters are likable and relatable, for the most part.

What Have We Done
Alex Finlay
St Martin’s Press
March 7, 2023

What Have We Done is presented in three parts: 1) The Targets; 2) The Reunion; and 3) The Truth. It opens with a gloomy scene from twenty-five years ago. Five orphans from the Savior House (a run-down disgrace of an orphanage)stand in the rain taking turns shooting into a shallow grave.

The five children—now adults—are the targets: Jenna, Ben, Donnie, Nico, and Artemis. Each has survived Savior House and have gone on to careers: Ben, a judge; Donnie, a fading rock star; Nico, a reality show executive producer named The Miners; Artemis, a tech billionaire; and Jenna, an assassin for The Corporation.

But, Ben has been murdered and the others have escaped attempts on their lives? Who is behind the murder and attempts and why?

Mr. Finlay has written an exciting thriller that was hard to put down. His clever twists are seamlessly woven through each of the characters’ experiences, culminating in a satisfying, twisty ending.

I highly recommend this book to thriller-lovers. The chapters are short and the action keeps you turning the pages.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is one of the greatest action packed books I’ve ever read. Holy moly, just when you think the drama/fighting/twists are over, BAM! There’s so much more!
Even the epilogue had me on my toes hahaha!

This book has Bourne Identity mixed with IT vibes. Four friends with a secret from 25 years earlier all all being targeted by female assassins. The main character, “Jenna” is the female version of Jason Bourne which is IMO is one of the better action packed thrillers out there.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Normally I’m into psychological thrillers but this one got me good!

Highly recommend! And I will definitely be reading more of Alex Findlay’s work!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Confession: I have been loving what Alex Finlay has been doing with his last couple books and am totally on the bandwagon for anything he puts out. I was excited to see that he was ready to drop another book and the description sounded like another great ride.

What Have We Done is a story about a group of friends who all spent time in the same group home. We know that something bad happened during their time there, and now 25 years later three of them are paying the price and running for their lives. Overall, it was a typical roller coaster ride with non-stop action. However, this one ended up being slightly predictable. I could tell who the person was behind everything by the middle of the book, so I lost momentum and patience with the back half just to find out if I was correct (hint: I was).

Overall, another good yarn and a good weekend read, but not on the same level as his two previous endeavors.

If you are looking for a suspenseful, edge of your seat thriller, look no more. This book captures your interest immediately, and is hard to put down. The perspectives from the different characters gives the book a well rounded view of the story….and you come to know each character very well. It is an eclectic cast of characters, but they fit well into the storyline. Jenna is a strong female protagonist that you can’t help but route for. The story is full of twists and turns and just when you think you have it figured out, you run into a plot twist you never saw coming.