What Have We Done by Alex Finlay is a multi-point of view, dual timeline thriller about a group of people who were at a group home together as teenagers and are now brought back together by a terrible secret from their time there.

I loved Finlay’s Night Shift and this had some similarities. I enjoyed the full cast narration of the audiobook, but I think it would have benefited from more obvious delineation of the past timeline. I really enjoyed Jenna’s perspective the most. She’s an assassin who has retired and when bad things start happening, she attributes it to her work past- not her teenage years. I found the other characters less compelling.

Overall, this was a middle of the road thriller for me with a twist that I have read many times. Finlay’s writing is concise and moves at a steady clip, which improved my experience, but this one didn’t hit all the spots for my taste.

A group of teens who live in a group home for kids without parents form a special bond and become the best of friends. Years later they’re living separate lives, all with their own issues. They will forever have the bond of that group home, but also that of a deep dark secret they swore to never reveal to anyone but themselves.
When one of the group winds up dead, the others realize that their lives are in danger too. It’s up to them to figure out why, who is behind it, and ultimately to try and stay alive.

This book had me captivated from start to finish. It sort of jumped right in and I loved it!
It keep me intrigued until the very end.
The plot twist was one I did NOT see coming. This book is well worth the read and I strongly recommend it to a fellow thriller lover.

This was such a good action packed thriller, I think most everyone can enjoy!

Jenna, Nico, Ben, Donnie and Artemis all end up in the same terrible group home as kids, and they leave with a secret.
Now that they are into their adulthood, that secret has come back to haunt them, or more specifically, kill them.

I really enjoyed the way this jumped from POV to POV, it really kept me on my toes, and it made the story fly by. None of the 5 characters ended up doing the same thing in life, but there's no doubt that what brings them together is beyond any time they had apart. The audio is so well done, and that can truly make or break a good thriller book for me.

Highly recommend and think this is going to make top thriller charts in 2023!

Thank you Net Galley and Macmillian Audio for the audio ARC of this and for allowing me to give my honest review!

The beginning of the book was extremely slow, and with the audio version I had a hard time keeping up with the past and present. It would flip without a warning. However when the plot finally took off, it took off and I couldn't put it down. The ending caught me completely off guard and was such a good twist. My only complaint is I wish we found out what the producers decided to do with Nico. The meeting was a tease.

A group of foster kids with a dark past are brought back together decades later because they’re being targeted by a hired killer.

We have Jenna who appears to be a stay at home mom, but there is more than what meets the eye, Donnie the rock star, and Nico the reality tv producer in crippling debt.

There are many different POVs throughout the book, but it is primarily Jenna’s and Nico’s and Donnie’s that you’ll read about. Not only are they being targeted by an hired killer, but their dark history is being threatened to come to light and ruin their adult lives.

This book had a lot going on, and to be honest… it was too much. Young girls went missing, the kids had a secret that we slowly unraveled, and their other childhood friend was murdered which was also a catalyst to bring them back together.

I liked that the chapters were short and it was a fast read. I also enjoyed Jenna’s POV for most of the book, but by the end I was rolling my eyes.

My issues are that it had too many details, too many side characters and plots, the way the past was told was very confusing (the transition was very clunky and hard to follow) and the ending was overly dramatic and reminded me of a slasher film. It was too villain focused and it wasn’t my style. The action became a focal point and reading the fighting scenes bored me and took away from the overall plot.

I didn’t like the ending, the entire book felt like a lousy action movie, and this felt like a serious departure to what Alex Finlay usually writes. While I loved his other two books Every Last Fear and The Nightshift, this was a slog to get through. 2 stars, maybe 2.5 at best. This just felt like such a tired, uninspired story. I feel like I have seen so many movies/read so many books that have already had the same kinds of “twists”. I’m sad to say I didn’t like this one and I wouldn’t recommend it to others

I also listened to the audiobook which had a great cast of narrators, but again, with so many POVs and the very unclear transitions from past to present I couldn’t listen to much of it without getting confused.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martins Press Minotaur Books, and MacMillan Audio for the advanced readers copy, and advanced listeners copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

📆 This book publishes on March 7, 2023!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
What Have We Done
Alex Finlay

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the Early listen! What an amazing thriller/mystery. Loved the story and the mystery surrounding the characters. Great character development. A story you don't want to stop listening to. It grabs hold of you from the very beginning. Author is a fabulous story teller and the narrator did a great job telling the story and giving the characters life.
Highly recommend!

A secret from the past threatens the lives of three former foster care friends in the present in this new thriller from Alex Finlay. Told in a dual timeline and multiple POV style, this one was twisty, entertaining and deeply emotional. I connected with the characters a lot and loved the full cast narration (which included my fav, Brittany Pressley!). While I didn't love it more than last year's The night shift, this was still a propulsive thriller with a great twist ending. Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

4.5 stars. This book kept me interested all the way through. I liked the character developments while having the sinister feeling of something not being 'quite right' with several of the main figures. As always reading about how adults mistreating the kids they were supposed to protect, made my blood boil. The ending felt a little flat, which is why we ended up with 4.5 stars instead of a full 5.

This thriller reads like a cross between 'criminal minds' and a 'law and order SVU' episode. You meet several grown adults who seem to be being 'hunted' by a contracted killer. The stories of each of these individuals being hunted is explained to the reader in alternating chapters, including flashbacks from their childhoods. What do this suburban mom of two, an aging famous rock star, a reality show producer and a wealthy successful lawyer have in common? The intensity, at times, gets your blood pumping and your heart rate up for sure. The audio was well narrated and an excellent story to listen to while exercising.

“What Have We Done” was a rollercoaster ride! I love the way the author keeps the chapters short and to the point. It makes for a fast pace thriller.

This is my second book by this author and I’m thinking that the problem is just me. I haven’t been a fan of either book I have read. I’m sure people will love this book, but it just wasn’t for me.

I really enjoyed the audio narrators

“Survival favors the cautious.”

This is my 1st Alex Finlay book. It was really fast paced. I loved Jenna’s character and how her relationship progressed with her step daughter, Willow (this isn’t a major factor in the story but I just enjoyed it).

The whole vibe of the book is…icky when it comes to all that is Savior House. The author really conveys that well when the girls are hiding.

After the kids from Savior House are split up they start their own lives, some more troubled than other and are brought together again when someone starts trying to kill them. They are reconnected with one purpose…survival.

There are a couple of characters that come into play (in addition to the Savior House kids) and honestly I don’t know where they came from but they were pretty great villains. I think maybe I was so into the action packed story that I didn’t pay enough attention to that detail.

There is a scene at this like truck stop involving a lipstick stun gun. At first it wasn’t used in the way that I would use it buuuut then the character redeemed the scene. It was lovely…well not for everyone. What a cool and terrifying scene.

So if you’re looking for a neat thriller…this isn’t it. If you’re looking for an assassin-y, action packed, suspend reality kinda book then you should totally check this one out.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and MacMillan Audio for gifting me a digital and audio ARC of the new thriller by Alex Finlay and narrated by Brittany Pressley; James Patrick Cronin; Jon Lindstrom; Maggie Thompson - 4 stars!

A group of teens meet at Savior House, a group home for those who have lost their parents. But it definitely isn't a savior for them - there is rampant bullying and abuse along with several girls who go missing. One night in the woods changes everything for the group. Decades later, the group reunites because someone is trying to kill them.

I'm a big fan of Alex Finlay and loved his first two novels. This one gets 4 stars instead of 5 for those because it seemed a bit over the top and I couldn't quite get into the characters as much. But it's non-stop action with plenty of twists to keep you turning the pages. I was lucky enough to be able to switch between the digital and audio versions and the narration of the different characters was great. The book is told from the POVs of three of the now-grown teens. Definitely escapism reading and I'll be anxiously awaiting the next book from Finlay!

I have read Finlay's previous works, and unfortunately, this was not my favorite. While the experiences of the multiple characters were intriguing, each character felt like they needed to be fleshed out more. Additionally, I did not feel invested in the experiences of end results of any of the characters, making this text fall flat for me overall.

What Have We Done is not my typical type of read but it was a well done work. Adults with shared trauma from their time in a childhood group home are under attack. Attempts on their lives draw them all back to the group home- the last one they ever wanted to return to.

The character development and multiple viewpoints are well done. The story is fast paced in a true thriller nature. There are many plot twists and turns to keep it interesting.

Thanks to Netgalley, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for the gifted eARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review!

I was expecting something a little different from this one, but I still ended up liking it. It reads like a nonstop action movie. From the very beginning, each character is in life-threatening danger and the intensity never lets up after that. I listened to this one on audio because @britpressley is one of the narrators and I love her performances! She voices Jenna, the bad ass hit woman, and brings her character to life, as usual.

My only complaint was the way the author switched back and forth between past and present without making it clear to the reader beforehand. It led to some confusion for me at times. However, I was entertained throughout and would definitely recommend this to thriller fans who like John Wick or Jason Bourne.

This thriller filled with action and suspense. But for me, I had a lot of difficulty following the multiple POV and timelines. There were a lot of characters to follow, and I had a lot of trouble keeping their stories straight. I felt like there were characters from the past that just came out of nowhere and I had difficulty connecting the characters. Otherwise, the storyline was solid, and the action would be addicting for someone who likes action thrillers. There was only one character that I liked, Jenna, mostly because she was a serious bada**. Overall, this story missed its mark with me but would surely be enjoyed by someone who enjoys an action-packed read and can follow the multiple POV and timelines. I listened to this as an audiobook and did really like the narrator’s performance. Brittany Pressley especially, since I’ve enjoyed her narration with other books.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, St Martin’s Press, and Alex Finlay for providing me with this gifted ARC and audio in exchange for my honest review.

The premise of this action-packed book was interesting but there was just too much going on with too many characters. I usually love multiple POV, but it was just confusing and caused me to lose interest in this book. I wanted to enjoy this book, I found myself just telling myself to push through and find out how it ends. The cat-and-mouse chase/mystery was rather far fetched and if you are into that type of thing it would likely be entertaining. BUT if you like action-packed themes such as Jason Bourne movies, this book might be something you would enjoy.

I listened to this as an audiobook and I really enjoyed the narrators. There was a full cast of narrators and that always creates a great listening experience. I have read/listened to all of Finlay’s books and this is by far my least favorite of his books.

*****Many thanks to Macmillan Audio, Minotaur Books, Alex Finlay, and NetGalley for the #gifted copy as it was provided to me in turn for an honest opinion.

4 out of 5 stars



I would like to thank Netgalley and Macmillan Audio in exchange for an honest review.

This is my third Alex Finlay novel and I have to say that I am now a fan. I did like this more than The Night Shift which was also a really good book but I really enjoyed how action packed this was. Not every character was likable but I actually really liked that. Each character had very different voice.

I listen to a lot of audio books so I know a good narrator and Brittany Pressley, James Patrick Cronin, Jon Lindstrom and Maggie Thompson are all great narrators. I have a real fondness for Jon Lindstrom as I grew up watching him on TV.

What Have We Done is a fast moving thriller that features 3 POV characters and two timelines. Overall I found the story interesting and enjoyed some of the twists and turns. In the present, the three main characters realize someone is trying to kill each of them, but in order to understand why they must reckon with the secret of something they did as children.

I always have mixed feelings about multiple POV thrillers. When it is done well, it can be an excellent device to keep the reader in a constant state of evaluating and reconfiguring what we know as the story progresses. But, far too often this device can come across as confusing and frustrating, especially when we are taken from storylines we are invested in to ones where we do not particularly like or care about the character. Finlay's pacing and short chapters avoids this issue and helps us stay invested in each story as she weaves them together. Even so, at times when characters move from the present to a scene from the past in their thoughts, some of the time line shifts get a little murky. I found myself having to backtrack to realize we had made another shrift, but this was easily rectified with a quick 30 second rewind as I went "wait a minute, where are we now?"

The plot also gets a little over the top by the end as things come together and we start getting answers- but even though I didn't fully buy into some of the details, I did start to care about the characters, shady as they are.

What Have We Done turned out to be a great afternoon 1 sitting read that kept me guessing and caring about what happens.

The audiobook is well done and does include narrator's for each point of view, which I always enjoy and find helpful in following the story and capturing the individuality of each character.

Thanks to Netgalley and MacMillian Audio for access to an audiobook in exchange for this fair review.