Jenna, Donnie, and Nico had a troubled childhood growing up in Savior House, a group home for orphans. They formed a strong bond due to the abuse they endured, but when Savior House is shut down because girls start to go missing, they lose touch for decades... until someone shows up and tries to kill them all 25 years later. Jenna, Donnie, and Nico all reunite in order to fight the monsters that have arisen from their past in action-packed and, at times, humorous thriller.

Unfortunately, it was just a bit too action-packed for me. I was hooked at the beginning, but then I slowly began to lose interest. I felt that the character development was lacking and I'm not huge on action/assassin thrillers. I was much more interested in the backstory of Savior House and what happened to them as children. (In fact, I would most certainly read a prequel!) From reading other reviews, this seems to be an outlier for Alex Finlay, so I do plan to give his other works a read.

I listened to the audiobook, which was a wonderful experience because Jenna, Donnie, and Nico were all voiced by different narrators and it worked really well. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced listener's copy in exchange for my honest review.

I wasn’t amazed by this story but I definitely enjoyed it. This was the first book I read by this author. Perhaps this wasn’t the best book to start with.
There wasn’t much character development. I liked Jenna’s character and Donnie’s character but not until I was about halfway into the book. It also seemed strange that all of these group foster home children became successful in their respective careers. In reality, that is a bit unusual.
I felt like this was more of an action thriller than a mystery thriller. There were a lot of action scenes. This felt more like a movie script than an actual book. I could easily figure out who the main bad guy was. Still, I was very entertained throughout the story. I finished the book pretty quickly.
I’d still like to read another book by this author. I’ve read many positive reviews about The Night Shift. Maybe I’ll be more impressed by that book than this one.

Review of What Have We Done by Alex Finlay

Another winner from one of my favorite authors. I really loved this fast paced thriller with multiple POVs and timelines and I flew through it. I really enjoyed discussing it as a part of #2023NetGalleyChallenge buddy read. I will say that it is probably my least fave of the three by this author but it was still a very solid read for me without major complaints. I thought the ending was missing something snd it didn’t blow me away but I loved all of the characters.

Quick synopsis: Jenna, Donnie, and Nico are three old friends with a common past that is catching up to them. They all have secrets and vices in their current adult lives when they are reunited when it becomes clear someone is trying to kill them. A fourth friend was actually killed. They were teenagers together in a group home from which several girls disappeared. Now they have to figure out how wants to hurt them and put an end to it once and for all.

Thank you to @netgalley and @minotaur_books for the advanced copy. It’s out now! I really enjoyed the audio

𝘈 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺-𝘢𝘵-𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵. 𝘈 𝘩𝘢𝘴-𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘵. 𝘈 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘛𝘝 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘣𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴. 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵.

Jenna, Donnie, and Nico all grew up at Savior House, a group home for parentless teens. After the disappearance of several children, the home was shut down, and these friends were separated. When one of their other friends ends up murdered and strange things keep happening to them, the realize that someone is trying to kill then. But who wants to keep the secrets of their past buried?

I enjoyed this cat-and-mouse thriller. The book is told from all three characters’ points of view, and we get a glimpse of their past along with the craziness of the present. I found the parts told in the present to be fast-paced and exciting. I was so intrigued to see where this story was going. I would have liked more of a backstory in the past to understand the motivations of the killer better, and I felt like the ending was a bit disappointing.

I listened to the audiobook which held my interest and kept the story moving. I loved that it was a full cast and definitely recommend listening to this one if you can.

Although this wasn’t my favorite book by Finlay, I still enjoyed it and think that others will too.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for advanced copies in exchange for my honest review.

Quirky characters, a solid mystery and a flashback coming of age story while battling an unknown entity. A very entertaining book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan audio for sending me an audiobook arc for this book.

Someone is trying to kill Jenna, Donnie and Nico. These three were best friends and they share a terrible past at the Savior House children’s home. They were separated when the home closed because of missing kids. Now, they are thrown together out of necessity to save each other. This is a reunion no one wanted.

This story started strong and intense. The only reason for the 4 star review is I hated the villains. Yes, yes I know that is the plan. But, I found these villains just a bit stupid and their past a bit too coincidental. Now, this is a minor issue because the main characters make up for it! I loved Jenna! She is a force of nature!

This story has quite a few characters. I usually don’t enjoy books with so many characters. But this book kept each and every one unique, they all had a rough past, but they all are different. And I totally related to all of them.

I loved all the narrators. I really believe this is the reason I had no trouble with all the characters. This is a an audio production at its finest.

Need a good thriller with a big secret…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

This was action-packed from the very beginning! I have heard so many great things about Alex Finlay’s writing and was eager to give this book a try. This book follows 3 individuals that all resided at the same children’s home during their youth. They are all finding themselves in danger now and I was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what was really going on.

This story is told from three main points of view. Jenna is a wife and stepmother who worked as an assassin in the past. Donnie is a down on his luck rock star. Nico works as a television producer. All three of these individuals lived in a children’s home, Savior House, and it appears that they are now in danger because of the things that happened all those years ago since one of their friends from that time is already dead. The story comes together both in the present and in flashbacks to the past from each of the characters.

I loved the cast of narrators that came together to tell this exciting story. With so many different points of view, I really am happy that several narrators were used since that made it so much easier to determine which character was the focus. I thought that each of the narrators did a great job of bringing the characters to life and that their voices worked well together. I am certain that their performance added to my overall enjoyment of the story.

I would recommend this book to others. This was an entertaining and exciting thriller that kept me guessing until the very end. I look forward to reading more of this author’s work in the future.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio.

I listened to this on audio and it was excellent. Narrated by Brittany Pressley, James Patrick Cronin, Jon Lindstrom and Maggie, Thompson. The reading was done we'll, you could follow it easily and inflection was perfect done by them all. The pace was very easy to follow and you can easily get caught up in the action. I read the book also and I think I enjoyed the audio more.
Alex Findlay delivers again. What Have We Done is captivating and so well written. This author is the only one who can describe an action scene where I can actually visualize it perfectly. Jenna, Nico, and Donnie we buddies in the group home for orphans. Banning together to survive the torment and bullying. Girls keep disappearing and when the head of the home disappears the place is shut down. Twenty-five years later, Jenna, Nico, and Donnie have something in common again - someone wants them dead. The story is told by all three as they find their way back to where it all started to find out who and why. If they work together can they stop whoever is after them? Will their past secrets be revealed? Can Jenna keep her new family safe? It will take all of her skills and more to survive.
I adore Jenna, I can tell she is modeled after Orphan X and Jason Bourne. She’s someone you don’t want after you. She just wants to be a wife and mother but she can kill.
Definitely recommend this one. The pace is good, easy to understand, and keeps you reading past bedtime. Thank you NetGalley, and Macmillan audio for this audio recording, this is my honest opinion.

If you're in the mood for a dark, twisty murder mystery with a side of assassins, then you can't go past this one. Seriously, I couldn't put it down once I started—I had to find out what a stay-at-home mom, a washed-up rock star, a federal judge, a reality TV producer, and one of the richest men in the world had in common, and what was happening to all those kids who were going missing.

Jenna, Donnie, and Nico forged a bond while at Savior House, a group home for parentless teens. When kids started going missing they decided they needed to take action. Cut to 25 years later and someone is trying to kill them. Can they figure out who before it's too late?

This was split timeline, and I thought the pacing was spot on. I loved the way pieces of information were revealed to us over the course of the book, as well as watching the characters piece it all together.

The audio was fantastic too. It came in at 8 hours and 46 minutes and was narrated by a full cast of Brittany Pressley, James Patrick Cronin, Jon Lindstrom and Maggie Thompson! If you like audiobooks I can't recommend this one enough.

This was not my favorite Alex Finlay.

I’ve read all three of his most recent novels.

They all have been just okay thrillers.

I love the way he writes them. They’re extremely fast paced and addicting. But the reveals always seem to fall short. I don’t know if he’s making his mysteries too obvious or the way he gets to them is not as twisty.

There is just something about his books that are very entertaining but they’re nothing mind blowing.

They’re great quick reads. This one had fun and interesting characters. I loved Jenna. She was super bad ass. I can't wait for you guys to meet her. She's sick! I just want a series about her, Sabine and Michael kicking cheek.

It just fell flat for me. There were a lot of details that were added that I felt were so random. O’Leary’s chapter could have easily been taken away from the book and would have been just fine. It was really random and it felt like Finlay emphasized the man at the bar yelling about cancel culture for no reason. It didn’t relate to the story and he rambled about it for three pages. It felt so random. On top of that, I thought it took WAY too long for the characters to figure out that they were being duped. They all seemed like intelligent characters yet it took them all about 25 chapters to figure out all of their attacks were connected because of their past. I was baffled.

I liked the audiobook. It was fine. I really did not like the narrator for Nico’s character. His voice was very flat and monotone. His chapters were never fun to listen to. It didn’t seem like the narrator was interested in producing it at all.

I wouldn't go out of your way to seek the audiobook. I would maybe even skip it.

I feel bad but I just feel like I need something different from him. I want brain melting twists. I want cool characters. I want constant action. I want reveals that will shock me.

I haven't seen that from him yet and it bums me out.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and St. Martin's Press for the advanced audiobook and copy of the e-book. Finlay's latest book is out now! Visit your favorite book store to get yourself a copy. Follow him on Goodreads. Don't forget to support your favorite authors on all platforms!

What have we done
3.5 ⭐️

Is it entertaining? Yes! A lot of characters to keep up with so it was better for when when I did long stretches of reading. I couldn’t read a chapter and stop because it’s complex and has a lot to keep up with.
Action Thriller & suspense done very well! Doing long stretches of reading was easy since it’s a very fast read! I wanted to know the truth so bad! Very action packed multiple POV frequent flashbacks. Great if you want a action book with a bit of thrill.

While I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for a review, all opinions remain my own. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen!

Boy was this one a ride. Just when I thought the book was over, there was one more punch left. It really was one that just kept me listening. The cast of characters is diverse, each comes from a different background, but the same group home. They are all brought back together because of a shared past. No spoilers, but it will just keep you going. I had no idea what the ending what going to be. While I did make a few guesses, none were even close to correct. Finlay is definitely going on my list of authors to follow. This was a great one to get me listening to her books

What Have We Done by Alex Finlay was a fast paced and suspenseful read. It is multiple POV and the audiobook features full cast narration. It is also a dual timeline with flashbacks interspersed with current timeline.
I was immediately drawn into the story but found myself losing interest during certain character’s storylines. While they were all connected, I simply couldn’t become invested.
I enjoyed the full cast narration. Each narrator made their character come to life in my mind. I could picture each one like I was watching a movie.
There is a twist at the end but it wasn’t entirely shocking or memorable unfortunately.

I will be posting my review on Instagram, Goodreads and Amazon.

This was a wild and crazy ride - and I enjoyed it a lot! A real thriller full of suspense and twists and turns. There are three main characters with their own points of view to follow around. They haven't seen each other in 25 years but they have a shared history of living in a group home called Saviour House.
Something happened there and this deadly secret from 25 years ago has come back to haunt them. But who has a reason to drag it all back up? Who even knows?
This book is fast paced, with short chapters and twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat bingeing this book. There are issues with plausibility but as long as you are in it for the compelling thriller this is the ticket! My favorite character was Jenna, a now stay at home mom of two with a very different skillset her family doesn't know much about. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a page turner - a book to take your mind of things.
I had a great time reading this book!
I had access to the audio as well and loved the narration and the added atmosphere audio offered for this one plus being able to continue the story while putting in the next load of laundry was a definite plus!

4.5/5 stars

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy!

Jenna, Donnie and Nico have deep-rooted history from their time at the ill-named Savior House, a group home for parentless teens. While there, they were each tormented in their own way, leaving behind an abundance of shared secrets and traumas that they have teach carried into adulthood. Suddenly, the past is pulled to the surface when each of them is nearly killed in their own tragic ways. They're each forced to confront their shared and individual pasts if they have any hope of surviving...

My first Alex Finlay, and I loved it! The multicast audio narration was so fun and made the book easy to follow. I loved Jenna's character and always love Brittany Pressley's narration. This was a super complex, atmospheric thriller that kept me guessing throughout the entire book. The ending wrapped up leaving a few questions unanswered for me, which is the reason for 4.5 instead of 5 stars. Overall, though, this was fast-paced and dynamic. The characters were well-developed throughout and intertwined in unexpected ways. This was great on audio with the dual points of view and shifts back to the past. Can't wait to read more Alex Finlay!

Loved the multiple POV it was easy to follow along with the different narrative voices. I was surprised with how much I enjoyed this book! It had me addicted needing to know more to the story! It was one of those books where it starts out with the secret and you spend the whole book trying to figure it out! I definitely didn't see the ending coming. It had so much going on all the way up to the epilogue! I think I'll check out his other books as well now, like The Night Shift.

Audiobook review copy obtained by Netgalley, approved by publisher Minotaur/Macmillan Audio. Thank you!
Well... that... was... terrible?
This is likely my last Alex Finlay book. I enjoyed EVERY LAST FEAR and didn't finish THE NIGHT SHIFT. I really should have quit WHAT HAVE WE DONE as well but I made it too far in to quit and I also requested it from Netgalley for review, so between those two, I figured I may as well finish it. Long story short, I didn't really like anything about it.

Firstly, this is MAJORLY a popcorn thriller. It is over the top in basically every way, and sometimes I'm here for the entertainment, but this wasn't one of those times. If you enjoy those types of thrillers and are ready for this to be over the top on everything, then this one might be for you! It definitely wasn't for me.

I also felt like there was zero character development. The characters were stereotypes, each one a special snowflake with ridiculously high profile jobs and along with the one thing that bound them all together as kids, those are the two things that define them. They never came alive, didn't develop much at all, and were pretty boring. There's some action to keep the pacing moving but the whole plot was all over the place, picking at random threads to connect them eventually down the way... But again, so over the top that it was just stupid and I didn't like any part of it.

I basically felt like this was trying too hard in every possible way. Too many POVs (at least four, maybe five or six with some random ones in there) that also switched back and forth between the present and the past. The writing felt amateur, sloppy, and absolutely horrible female characters. I really think this would have been WAY better if it was only from Jenna's POV and we got to know her more, played up the former assassin concept, let her to most of the leg work for the book (since she really did anyway), and let her part of the book be the one over the top concept.

The more I think about this book, the more I'm hating it, so I'll leave you with all those thoughts and move on here.

I have been really disappointed in the thrillers I have read recently, maybe it is time to switch up the genre for a while, and maybe it is I am just getting a bit more picky, but I am struggling with them. I know this when I read What Have We Done by Alex Finlay. I have LOVED all the Finlay books I have read, and I believe I have read them all, but this book didn't do it for me and I DNF'd it around 45 percent. Is this going to change my mind about reading an Alex Finlay book? Absolutely not. Their writing has always entertained me and I am sure it will in the future, everyone is allowed a story that doesn't hit right

Keeps you guessing to the end. Who is pulling all the strings? Who is safe? Why has the past come back to haunt them? Greed, gambling, lies, child abuse, this title has a lot going on throughout the book. Good story.

Twenty-five years ago, when Ben, Art, Jenna, Donny and Nico, were kids, they all lived together in a group home called Savior House. As is sometimes the case, their time there was fraught with abuse and neglect. Unsurprisingly, through the hardship, they bonded. They were best friends. Their bond took on an even more ominous tone, however, after a particularly traumatic incident occurred in which they all played a part.

In spite of their early traumas, they all grew up to lead fairly successful lives. Forging their own paths, in a variety of different fields, far away from one another. As our story begins, these kids are now adults. We follow Jenna, Donny and Nico as crazy things start happening to them. Someone is trying to take them out, but why? Could this be linked to their shared past?

We follow them as they start to reconnect and put together what is happening to them, all while on the run, trying to stay two steps ahead from their would-be killers.

In addition to the current action, we also get a past timeline that reveals a lot of the truth behind their time at Savior House, and the event that would ultimately lead to the pickle they find themselves in today. From the beginning, I was fascinated by this group of characters. Each of them felt unique and compelling. I particularly enjoyed Jenna's and Donny's perspectives. They really got this story off on the right foot for me.

I totally understand that this might not work for everyone, but it was so different from other Thrillers I've read lately, it honestly felt like a breath of fresh air.

Admittedly, I'm a huge fan of the trope that is like a group of individuals who grew up together, who had something happen many years ago, who reunite as adults to investigate, or put to bed some sort of issue that has plagued them since they were kids.

So, out of the box, this was most likely going to work for me. I just love that vibe. It was giving me It, or even Black Mouth by Ronald Malfi, except for instead of supernatural forces we're tackling, we have a full-fledged Action Thriller. Is this OTT? Absolutely, it is, but I didn't mind at all. I felt like the characters and the backstory were so well done that the OTT-narrative didn't make me flinch for even a moment.

I listened to the audiobook and would recommend that format. The narration was fabulous and kept me 100%-focused the whole way through. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes action-packed Thrillers. If you enjoyed things like Adrian McKinty's, The Island, or Falling by T.J. Newman, you should absolutely check this one out.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I was really looking forward to this and it didn't disappoint. I feel like all of Finlay's books have been so different. I'm really looking forward to seeing what he serves us next!