I have to admit, I’ve a few Alex Finlay books in my to be read pile, so I was rather pleased to be able to read “What Have We Done.” Between the dramatic things happening to folks and trying to puzzle how everything was connected, it was a bit of a roller coaster ride. I could see this book as a TV movie as many of the scenes were busy and action-packed. The one character I liked was Jenna - with her unexpected skills and quick thinking, she was “that Mom,” but in a great way. I liked trying to figure out all the connections and enjoyed the information flow. But what I did have an issue with was the whiplash from present-past in the middle of chapters - I would’ve preferred different spacing or a different font to note the time switching. I felt the epilogue was a bit flat, though surprises did keep coming even then.

This was a highly anticipated one for me because I strongly enjoyed Night Shift. While it was action packed and kept it moving, there were too many POVs and not enough twists. They felt a little predictable to me and the ending just didn’t wow like I wanted it to. Overall it was a fun read and I’d be willing to give more of this authors books a try!

What Have We Done tells the story of a group of people who spent time together in a group home as children. They are now adults with separate lives, but a secret from their past has come back to haunt them.

This book was fine. I wasn't overly impressed by it, but the story was decent. I liked being able to go inside the mind of each character. I got a little bogged down by the exposition dump at the end, but at least everything was explained and all the ends were tied up.

I was given this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

I really wanted to love this one! But I just didn’t. Night Shift was such a fun read for me, but this book was not. I kind of found it boring and ridiculous. It felt unorganized and too far fetched. Too much going on in this one. I will continue to read more by Alex Finlay because I really enjoyed his other books. This one just didn’t do it for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

OUTLIER ALERT!

2.5 stars rounded up

If you are like me, and you loved “Every Last Fear” 5 ⭐️ And “The Night Shift” 4 ⭐️, you probably auto-requested this book, like I did, without even reading the synopsis.

Both of those books were realistic, suspenseful crime stories, where the hints, like breadcrumbs, and a smart female lead, FBI agent Sarah Keller, led you to a satisfying conclusion.

And, this book is nothing like those two.

In fact, if you concealed the cover and author name from me, and had me read it and venture a guess as to who the author was-I would NEVER have guessed Alex Finlay.

Instead, of mystery/suspense we have an ADRENALINE THRILLER, with a tired premise, and an OTT storyline filled with crazy ASSASSINS.

Twenty Five years ago, Jenna, Donnie and Nico became the best of friends, when all were residents of an abusive group home, called “The Savior House. When several teens disappeared, probably sold off to human trafficking and the like, the home was shut down.

But, despite the fact that they haven’t seen each other for years, they are bonded by the night, when they all committed a crime-sworn to secrecy, to protect themselves and the others. (Sound familiar?)

Despite this horrific situation, they grew up to lead successful lives, with occupations such as Judge, Tech Millionaire, Reality TV Producer, Rock Star, and female Assassin.
Yeah, right.

I am sure that this book will find its audience, but I don’t personally enjoy Action movies, 🍿or books with this type of plot-so this was a MISS for me.

Will I read Alex Finlay’s next?

I am sure I will, but next time I will read the synopsis before requesting, to make sure it’s more in line with the first two books-and not this one!

Available March 7, 2023 for those of you who love Adrenaline Thrillers.

First off, thank you for selecting me to have a copy of this book in exchange for my review/opinion. I give this book a solid 4 stars. I loved most of the characters in this book as well as the plot. One thing I would have liked to see is more emphasis, explanation, and involvement with the "actual " killer. I feel as if he was skimmed over and too little time was spent on him. The story overall was very entertaining and I loved all of the twists and turns throughout. I could feel all the love/friendships between all the character.

Loved it! Alex Finlay did not disappoint! Five friends survived the Savior House, a group home for kids and twenty-five years later they are trying to figure out who’s trying to kill them. One friend is already dead, but he left the group of friends a clue. Great characters and the plot was excellent. The chapters were short and fast paced and very easy to get through. I couldn’t read fast enough. I highly recommend What Have We Done, by Alex Finlay!

Alex Finlay did it again! This was an absolutely bonkers ride. I went into this fairly blind and didn’t know what to expect and boy was this a real treat! I def recommend!

Well, that was quite the wild ride. Definitely wasn't going where I thought it would, which is what I've come to expect from Alex Finlay's writing. Love the multiple POVs between several of characters and the flashbacks into the main characters' childhoods / time at Savior House as foster kids. Arty, Bennie, Jenna, Nico, and Donnie all become successful in their own ways despite their beginnings - and a traumatic event binds their pasts and their present together. Also, Jenna is a BAMF.

(7.86/10 = 4.25 stars)

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.)

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC of this title.

Although I have seen a lot of buzz about Alex Finlay, I hadn't picked up any books yet. So imagine my excitement when I got approved to read an ARC of What Have We Done. I absolutely love a book with short chapters and that immediately drew me to this story. The switch between characters kept me engaged from the very start. There were so many twists and turns that even my shoulders were tense as I read. The ending was a little underwhelming but the process was incredible enough that it still was a solid 3 star book for me. I look forward to reading more of this author in the future. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a thriller with a deep plot but not a lot of fluff.

I have heard all good things about Alex Finlay and this book did not disappoint. What Have We Done was filled with non stop action and had my anxiety at an all time high at points. It follows three main people who are all connect by a murder committed 25 years ago and brings us to present day. From the very beginning I was drawn in and the short chapters and fast paced story kept me interested. I wasn’t big on this genre BUT I am now. I highly recommend this book and can’t wait to pick up another by Finlay. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this ARC in exchange for my review.

I've heard good things about Alex Finlay's books so I wanted to read one and see for myself. What Have We Done is a suspense-filled story with a twist. I enjoy well-drawn characters and multiple points of view so love how this was paced. Recommended for those who love suspense. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Loved it! Alex Finlay does not disappoint! Five friends survived he group home Savior House, 25 years later they are trying to survive a killer. One friend is already dead, but he left a clue. now it’s up to the remaining friends to save themselves. Rich, complex characters drive this action packed thriller. Multiple points of view and short chapters held my attention.(just one more chapter…) Fast paced with twist galore and an ending that’s just so satisfying! I highly recommend What Have We Done, by Alex Finlay!

After recently discovering Alex Finlay and reading two of his books in a row (The Night Shift and Every Last Fear) and absolutely loving both, I was super excited to receive the ARC of this book.

What Have We Done follows three friends, Jenna, Donnie and Nico, in their present day as they try and avoid being killed. Why is someone out to kill them? Well 25 years ago, they did something bad, and they're trying to keep that secret.

As I stated, I was excited to read this book, however, this one didn't quite do it for me. I enjoyed the thriller style of books from Finlay in the past, and this one felt much more action-themed than thriller. I can definitely see how some people may enjoy it, and maybe it was the fact that I had just read two great reads from him, but this one didn't quite live up to the other plot lines.

I did, however, enjoy the multiple plot lines and was quite surprised by the twists in the end! Alex Finlay continues to be one of my new favorite authors.

Savior House was supposed to be a safe haven for teens who had lost their parents. Instead, it was a house of horrors. Now, 25 years later and Savior House long closed, someone is targeting a group of those teenagers who were close friends at the home. What Have We Done is the aptly named title of this thriller, as past deeds come back to haunt the teens of Savior House. The teens are now all adults with vastly different lives, and they have secrets of their own which all connect as the author pulls the reader in as their separate stories unfold. The plot can seem a little campy at times with some of the scenarios the characters are thrust in, but it doesn’t lessen the suspense of the story, which continues to build in a whodunnit style until the payoff. Loved the way the story was told, with then/now chapters on each of the teens as the book progresses, definitely holding your interest throughout. Well done! I received an arc of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Three childhood friends come back together after realizing someone is trying to kill them. To figure out why, they must revisit the past.

Another great Finlay thriller! I loved all the characters and how different they were. The story had “I know what you did last summer” vibes to it. The author used the past to tease us along and it definitely helped build the suspense. There were some action intense scenes that bring the heart rate up too. My suggestion is to go into this one blind

“But he’s spent more than half his life trying to escape what they did that night, and he’ll be darned if he’s going to do it again.”

What Have we Done comes out 3/7.

𝙈𝙮 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 stars)

𝙈𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨:

Wow. This was such an excellent, fast-paced thriller, so the last thing I expected was for it to make me cry. And yet… here we are.

Multiple POV’s, at least two timelines… and yet the character development and writing was done so well that I never found myself confused. It’s one of those books that leaves you feeling like you actually know the characters, like they might be your friends. Even the characters on the periphery were well developed.

And then the end… prepare for tears, though mine were the happy kind. It’s not often that I read a thriller with such a happy ending.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and Alex Finlay for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

What Have We Done will be available in the US on March 7th, 2023.

Absolutely phenomenal. I loved every minute of this book. My shoulders are so stiff because I have been hunched in tension for the last 50 pages. Loved the characters, loved the plot, loved the pace. The end was great, especially because right when you think it is over, it isn't lol. Really really engrossing.

"What Have We Done" focuses on the present-day lives of a group of adults that all spent time together in a group home as teenagers. While at this home, multiple girls went missing and they all sought out to find out what was going on. Now 25 years later, there's someone trying to kill them and threatening their families. This thriller is two-fold: who is trying to kill them? And what happened to those girls all those years ago? I think many readers would enjoy this book, but it isn't going to be one of my favorites of the year.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am sure this book is for somebody but it was not for me. I was hoping for a gripping thriller but this played out like an action movie. I thought the plot was ok but it came off a bit cheesy with the twin assassin's and “The Cooperation”. Donnies chapters in particular were hard to read because the dialogue was just so cringy. Minor Spoiler: The real “bad guy” who was responsible for the disappearing girls was completely brushed over and it just felt like the whole story was drawn out for nothing

If you are into action movies you may really like this book but it definitely did not satisfy my need for a thriller that would keep me on the edge of my seat.

In the end-This was just not for me.