I was super excited to get an arc copy of this book as I was a big fan of The Night Shift. This book to me would be 3.5 stars rounding up to four as it didn’t keep me guessing in the way The Night Shift did. Still a fun thriller with a few twists that had you guessing.

This was my first foray into Alex Finlay's writing, so I was excited to give "What Have We Done" a try! The novel unravels the story behind a group of children who grew up at Saviour House, a group home for orphaned teenagers, all of whom have grown up and taken their own paths in life. There's Jenna, currently a stay-at-home mom to two children has worked a career at "The Corporation" as an assassin; Nico, a successful television producer of the hit reality show "The Miners" with a gambling addiction; Donnie, a rock star still clinging on to his successful past and his drinking habit; and Artemis, a self-made tech billionaire. Their separate lives take a startling turn, however, when all of them are almost killed and they discover that the death of their friend and fellow Savior House resident, Benjamin, has been murdered.

The novel moves between their different perspectives and histories, laying out their pasts and presents. We get a chance to delve into Jenna's current family and her struggles to become close to her two stepdaughters; we watch Nico address his past and the debts he worked to pay off; and we see Donnie come to terms with his present state and battle the ghosts of his pasts. There are flashbacks to their time at Savior House as children as well, and a secret they all worked to hide.

I thought the plot of this novel was intriguing and Finlay's writing was strong enough to keep be interested throughout. What I struggled with, however, were the constant shifts between perspectives and timelines; perhaps the ARC version of this novel missed some formatting updates, but it was hard to tell when it made these skips between past and present. The overall pacing wasn't consistent either; the ending felt a little too rushed, and the last few pages a little too clean in tying up the loose ends.

While an overall enjoyable read, "What Have We Done" wasn't a favorite of mine.

Alex Finlay is back with another quick paced book, this time about five people forever linked by a secret they thought they long ago buried. When each of their lives are threatened and one of them now dead, they’re forced to confront their last and find out who is behind it before they all get taken down.

Short chapters and changing perspectives kept this book moving along nicely and again I appreciate how Finlay features a smart, brave female lead character.

If you’ve enjoyed his other books you’re sure to enjoy this one. Thanks to NerGalley and the publisher for an e-book version of this book.

I was given this book by NetGalley for my unbiased review.

Very good story. Bunch of kids living in a group home doing what they have to do to survive.

Years later the past comes back to haunt them.

It took me a little bit of reading to get the main characters straight. A lot of twists and turns and a surprise at the end. Well written and kept a high level of interest. The only thing that was a bit incredulous is that all the main folks end up being very successful in their chosen fields. Quite an accomplishment coming from the early struggles.

Looking forward to read more from Alex Finlay!

3 foster home root stars

This one features the overused trope of childhood tragedy and secrets coming back to haunt the adults. We have a set of characters who lived in a group home as teens but are now successful adults. There’s Jenna, now a stay-at-home mom, but with a secretive past career. Donnie is a rock star who was recently kicked out of his band and, Nico is a TV star hiding gambling debt. And Artemis is the nerdy teen who has become a billionaire tech genius.

We learn bits and pieces of their lives and slowly begin to learn about the tragedy from 25 years ago. What really happened back then and what has changed to push the truth out in the open? And who is trying to kill them, one by one?

It feels like this one was written as a screenplay because I could picture things happening like a summer blockbuster movie. I’ve really grown to like this author, but this one was a departure and is not my favorite. It was a struggle for me to believe that all these kids would grow up to be wildly successful adults. I didn’t grow to love these characters and root for them to survive.

I’m hoping this author brings back Sarah Keller, FBI agent, now there’s a character I grew to love and root for in past books!

I'm a little disappointed. I've read the author's two great previous books. I don't know what happened here, but reading this was entirely out of emotion. The characters were not as well developed as in the previous books, and the plot was quite predictable.

What do a gambling tv producer, a stay at home mom, a has-been rock star, a tech billionaire, and a federal judge have in common? They all were former residents of Savior House, a home for orphaned children, and they are all in danger now. Events from the past have come to light, as something happened many years ago at the group home, and someone is desperate to have their secrets stay buried. Told through multiple narrators and alternating timelines, the reader learns about the secrets of the past and the present.

I loved this dark, twisty, suspenseful thriller. I have enjoyed the author’s previous work, and this book is different but also excellent. The narrators were all likable but flawed and revealed bits of the past as the story unfolded. The plot was fast paced and the final third of the book had me turning the pages as fast as I could to uncover more and more secrets. I didn’t guess any twists in this one, which always makes a thriller more fun! I loved the references to Calvin and Hobbes comic strips, To Kill a Mockingbird, and “that’s what she said” jokes. There are a number of characters to keep track of, and by the end I felt like I finally could keep everyone straight. However, that didn’t keep me from enjoying the book. Overall, it is a wonderfully suspenseful, wild ride that will keep you guessing!

Thank you to Minotaur books, Netgalley, and Alex Finlay for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬. 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐞'𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.

Jenna, Donnie, and Nico were the best of friends as kids, brought together through their residency at Savior House, a group home for teens. Despite the pious name, the home was anything but a safe oasis. After several girls went missing, the home was shut down, and the group was separated. Defying the odds, each went on to live a successful life, although their trauma was never fully healed. Twenty-five years later, the group is reuniting, but it's not a happy occasion...they're coming together because someone is trying to kill them. To find out who, they must relive a nightmarish night from their past, one that will forever bond them.

I loved everything about this book. It was part thriller, part action-adventure, and part deeply nostalgic coming-of-age story. Each character was uniquely crafted, but Donnie was my favorite. I'm a sucker for a washed-up rocker from the 80s, and his mannerisms reminded me so much of some of my favorite front men from a bygone era. It wasn't until I read the author's notes that I found out who he was modeled after. Well done!

Although the plot had a lot of details and moving parts, it never meandered, and every detail was important. I was invested in the outcome from the very first page, and the ending was just so gratifying. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my early copy. WHAT HAVE WE DONE will publish March 7, 2023.

What a rollercoaster of a ride! Alex Finlay does it again with a twisted and enjoyable read! The past never stays hidden as the friends from Savior House begin to realize. The story jumps from the past to the present and it all ties together at the end. 4.5 stars

BookReview 📚📚

⭐⭐⭐
A big thank you to @netgalley for this highly anticipated ARC !

This is the 2nd book I've read by Alex Finlay and I really enjoy his style of writing. This book had me hooked with suspense from the 1st chapter. Completely action packed. Honestly this gave me IT vibes by a Stephen King because of the characters. 5 teenagers with a troubled past meet up in the future and have to deal with the problem.
One thing that i wasn't a fan of is the switching between the past and present.. With the mix of characters, this was quite confusing at time and had A lot going on 🤷‍♀️
This Is definitely worth the read and I would have finished it a lot sooner but I'm having a rough reading month. 🤷‍♀️ #lifehappens

Publication date March 7,2023

#Bookstagram #bookrecommendations #booksofinstagram #booksta #Netgalley #arc #readsonreads

*Publish date 3/23. Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced e-copy of this book*

Alex Finley's best yet! What Have We Done is the story of 5 residents of a group home, Savior House, when they were younger to the current day where it appears someone is trying to kill them all. One is a stay at home mom. One is a reality TV star. One is a rock star who is now on the cruise ship circuit. One is a judge. One is a media mogul. And they all share a secret. The twists and turns kept me guessing - and turning pages. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Trigger warning - the root of the story revolves around some disturbing abuses in the group home.

When you get an advanced copy of an Alex Finlay book, you immediately have to read that book. This is my third book by this author, and y'all, talk about consistently bringing thrills. This story focuses on three individuals - a mom, a reality television producer, and an aging rock start. Their lives seem quite different, but they share a past, and that past is about to bring them back together. While they all think they've moved on, someone is out to bring them back to what they thought they left behind. This one had some good suspense as there were twists in the past and the present as you tried to figure out what they did back when and also what was happening in the now. I will say this isn't my favorite Finlay (but that's only because The Night Shift and Every Last Fear were so, so, so good, but this still definitely brings all the pageturning excitement and suspense! Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this March 2023 release!

Alex Finlay offers a tightly woven eclectic thriller with diverse characters. Definitely a page-turner, Finlay's novel is exciting on multiple levels, with protagonist Jenna displaying both ethos and high level espionage expertise. Highly recommended.

Thanks for this ARC. I’ve never read a book by this author, but I’ve heard great things. This story hooked me quickly and kept me invested the whole time. But the ending was just kind of meh to me. Anticlimactic.

Thank you for my review copy. All opinions are my own.

This was a good novel. I personally did not enjoy it to where I was like....you have got to read this! Enjoyable...but no rush to read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press.

"What Have We Done is a tale about the lives we leave behind and the secrets we carry with us forever."

Four teens meet at a group home with mysterious goings on - girls are going missing. The teens believe they know who's responsible and take action before they all escape from the home. Their futures take divergent paths. Twenty-five years later, with their lives in danger, they reunite.

Overall, I enjoyed What Have We Done. Each character is unique and reasonably well developed, with some more likable than others. The plot alternates between POV of the characters - and past vs present for that character. The plot line kept me engaged and wondering at the outcome. Recommended reading.

This was a great thriller. It definitely kept me engaged however various times I had to re read sections because I struggled with following the various points of view through different characters and time periods. I love this author and have enjoyed many of their books in the past. I def would recommend this to others.

25 years ago, 3 best friends forged a bond as residents of Savior House, an abusive group home for parentless teens. When the home was shut down, 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.

This book had all of the elements of a 5 star thriller but it wasnt quite executed. The switching from past to present was rather abrupt. It also dragged in parts and wasn't as gripping as thrillers should be. I liked Jennas story of orphan to assassin and could have used more back story on her.

All in all i enjoyed it but didnt love it

3/5

This book did some things I was not happy with but I’d say that’s about normal for a thriller. When you liked 94% of it and learned to like the thing you didn’t initially by the end of the book I’d say that made this a really fun reading experience.
Twenty five years ago a group of best friends, Jenna, currently a stay at home mom with a past, Donnie, a rockstar of late who has a terrible habit, and Nico, a reality TV producer with a large debt, were all part of a group home called Savior House. It was an abusive home for parentless teens.The home was shut down after the disappearance of several kids and the friends were split up.
The trauma they experienced in their childhoods has never left them but they all went on to have successful though often troubled lives. They haven’t seen each other since they were separated but now they are finding that an unplanned reunion is a foot. Why? Because it would seem that someone is trying to kill them.
Now, in order to save their lives they have to revisit all that happened in their childhoods and also confront their past. It’s not a reunion any of them wanted but it may just be what’s needed in order for them to live.
I really don’t want to give everything away that happens. There were things I didn’t like at first that had to do with Jenna and her past but it’s because I don’t normally read the type of stories with characters like hers or I intentionally avoid them but she really grows on you and the improbability of a certain aspect of her sort of is actually very interesting. I know that’s a strange bit of information for you there but it’ll all make sense when you read the book.
There are a few things like that that I would normally avoid but now I’m questioning my choices since I really enjoyed this book. It’s very well written and just sucks you right in so you just don’t want to stop reading until you have the answer to every single little thing that could possibly be answered and you do get those answers.
Definitely a book worth checking out.

This book kept me both engaged and guessing the whole time! The twists, the turns, the action. Loved every minute. The multiple POVs going between past and present really drew you into the story. A fun fast paced mystery that you’ll absolutely love.

4/5 stars from me

Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review!