Gripping and thrilling and had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. What a page turner!

We follow three main characters: Jenna, Nico and Donnie. Each of them have their own lives, but they also used to live together at a foster home called Saviour House when they were teens. Something 25 years ago happened between them that is now causing problems in the present. They must figure out who is trying to kill them before it’s too late.

I really enjoyed this book from the first chapter. All the action was great too. I didn’t find anything to be too superfluous. I did kind of see the twist coming, but it was still a surprise. I wanted to know what had happened to them that caused this reaping. Even the last chapter was gripping. I definitely recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the copy of What Have We Done by Alex Finlay. I love Finlay’s writing and it grabbed me from the beginning and never let go! I actually had no idea where the story was headed at first and I’m glad I trusted the author and allowed it to unfold at its own pace. I liked how Jenna, Donnie, and Nico each had their own storylines until they all merged together. Jenna is a great character and her exploits completely overshadowed Donnie and Nico, though. If you’re looking for an action-packed book, this is for you!
4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is definitely my least favourite of the three Alex Finlay novels I have read. It is told from the perspectives of three of the survivors of Savior House children's home, Jenna, Donnie, and Nico, and focusses on retribution seemingly being sought for something they, together with Ben and Artemis, did while at the home. I enjoyed the chapters from Jenna's perspective, (although her backstory seemed unlikely to me,) since she was totally kick-ass, but Nico and Donnie's chapters just slowed things down every time. The novel seemed to take a very long time to get to the point, and then the last few chapters were full of twists and surprises. The final twist was, in my opinion, completely unnecessary and I wish it had been omitted.

This is my first-time reading Alex Finlay’s work; I am very impressed. This book was non-stop action and thrills the entire way through. I devoured this book and this has truly encouraged me to read more from him. I liked all the characters, I loved that it was a dual timeline (past and present) and multiple POVs. I love it when you get multiple sides of the story from other people’s perspectives. The plot was incredible and there were some twists and turns that I did not see coming which is a breath of fresh air because normally those are easy to catch on to. The story as a whole was written very well. I have never been a big thriller reader but this book has opened my eyes. I loved Jenna from the very beginning and I loved Donnie from the very beginning it took me a while to warm up to Nico just simply because I don’t think we got as much about him in this book which is fine because of the way the author handled every part of writing this book was incredible, that I don’t feel like we needed it or missed out on anything. I was genuinely captivated by this story the entire time and I could not put it down. I audibly gasped at some moments and cursed at others. This book was AMAZING!! Highly recommend!

This had everything that I enjoy about the thriller genre, I was invested in the story and the atmosphere of it. The characters did what I would have done in the situation. Alex Finlay has a great writing style and it works so well as a thriller. This was so well done and it left me wanting more.

“It’s all gonna leak soon,” Nico says. “The sheriff says he’ll give me time to duck out of town to avoid the circus, but he can’t wait too long. NIOSH and the other government agencies will figure out this wasn’t methane buildup, that the explosion was intentional.”

This book is nonstop action from the beginning. I love that the chapters are short and each one gives you more pieces to the puzzle. I devoured this book in less than 24 hours. Another 5 star review for Alex Finlay!

Thank you for the a-ARC!

I loved this book from the very first page! I liked getting to know the characters and came to care about them. The twists in the plot kept me guessing and turning pages way past my bedtime. I have read the other books by this author and will continue to read any and all books they write. I highly recommend this book!

If Stephen King’s IT were an action movie, it would be What Have We Done. I’ve said it before, but it needs to be said again: Alex Finlay writes movies. Every single one of his books gets better and more action-packed. I am always riveted, endlessly surprised, gnawing my nails to a nub. This book got me out of my reading slump. I loved it so hard. That’s what she said. Please read this to appreciate the duality of that joke lol.

A fantastic edge-of-your-seat mystery/thriller that kept me engaged until the very end. The twists and turns had me gasping!

4.5 stars rounded up

I’m beginning to think that Alex Finlay does t know how to write a bad book 😄

He certainly knows how to weave a great mystery and keep the pacing just right. The action never stops, and his characters are all very genuine and unique. His has quickly become a must read for me.


My only critique is that he uses the phrase “tap eyes” quite often (in this and precious books) and though I have deduced what it means, it’s not a common phrase and even google didn’t have an explanation.

What Have We Done is a book full of fright and chills.

As children a quartet of children, Jenna, Donnie, and Nico, meet in Savior House, a home for children abandoned by their parents. They clung to each other to survive the brutal life they shared. It was rather a dark, brooding place which is closed after three children become missing.

Many years later they meet up once again after a paid assassin shows up. They have all lived interesting, "successful," lives but are currently in tough places. Now, they are being hunted and the only way that they can save their lives is to work together.

This means dredging up the horrors of their past, but it is the only way to survive.

A good thriller

I purposefully made this book last. I could have read it in one sitting. Now I am here, painfully aware I will have to wait awhile for Alex Finlay’s next book.
What Have We Done is so fast paced and unexpected, never leading where you thought it might. I was rooting for the main characters the whole time. Jenna, Nico, and Donnie ended up right where I had imagined.
Well done!

Great Thriller, just what you would expect from the author of The Night Shift!

Years ago, 4 kids were the best of friends in the Savior House - a group home where children who weren't adopted or foster lived. Savior Home was a bit like the jungle and the kids banded together to survive. All four became successful in their chosen fields and rarely kept in touch until now...

When a young woman appears as a hired killer, the four know that something is amiss. They are forced to reconnect and return to their traumatic childhood to deal with impending danger. The problem is that they are not sure who to trust, including each other.

I really enjoyed this story, I love the characters, I loved the plot and the writing keeps you invested and interested. I thought the ending could've used a bit more Umph, but I hold Alex Finlay to a higher standard then some other thriller authors. If you want a 5 star thriller, a unique and interesting plot. a small town/childhood trauma story with a twist, What Have We Done is for you!
=. #StMartinsPress #WhatHaveWeDone #AlexFinlay

The first half of this book was amazing! It had every thriller element I love, but it went downhill in the second half which is why I rated it four stars. Still another great book from Alex Finlay. Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for the ARC!

What do a rock star, a federal judge, an assassin, a TV producer and a tech wunderkind have in common? They all spent time at Savior House, a group foster home in their teens. And they also have a 25 year old secret that threatens to be exposed.
Thank you Netgalley, Minotaur, and St. Martin's Press for early access to Alex Finlay's latest thriller! A big fan of the Night Shift, this one does not disappoint. This book has everything: blackmail, murder, spies, government conspiracies, multiple character viewpoints, and a plot that unfolds at breakneck speed to keep you on the edge of your seat. Mr. Finlay's ability to create a complex plot structure, with multiple timelines serves him well in this story. Each character has a unique voice and story and their involvement in the secret unfolds slowly, until 3/4 into the book. If you think you know who the killer is, think again as this one will surely keep you on your toes until the very end.

Highly recommended!!

Jenna, Nico and Donnie were in a group home called Savior House when they were children. They were the bullied, threatened and scared for their lives. Then one night they decide to fight back and it ends with the words "what have we done?". Now twenty-five years later, each one is in danger and running for their lives from a sadistic killer. As they fight to survive, they try to find out who knows what and which one of them is next.

From beginning to end, this was a wild, action packed ride. This was not what I was expecting from this author but it was such a good surprise. It was one of those stories that I pictured it as a movie as I read it, and an amazing movie at that. Each character had their flaws but they also had more likeable, good traits to go along with it. The only thing I didn't care for was the amount of times the characters would "tap eyes", it was stated a bit too much for me. Otherwise, I absolutely loved yet another one from this author and cannot wait for the next one.
Four Solid Stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for this ARC.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
What Have We Done releases March 7, 2023.

Alex Finlay’s newest thriller is about a group of five individuals that all spent time at the same group home, called Savior House. 25 years have passed, and suddenly someone has been targeting all five characters, putting hired hits on each of them. But who is orchestrating this? And why?
This is told through 4 main POV’s (+1 additional towards the end of the book), and split into 3 parts.

This was so good. The story is so gripping, and you get sucked into it immediately. It’s fast paced, the chapters are short and leave on the slightest of cliffhangers every time — you’ll find yourself saying “just one more chapter”, until you reach the end of the book. It’s easily a one-sitting read.
I love how the epilogue included pov’s from each of the main characters. It truly had me on the edge of my seat until the very last page, yet still managed to wrap up nicely even with the extra dramatic flair thrown in.

Jenna was easily my favourite character. I love how Finlay took inspo from popular hit show “Nikita”, which is also one of my favourites. It translated well.
I was super skeptical of Nico, but in the end, I do believe each of the pov’s were necessary to the story, even if it took longer for some of the characters to develop.

There’s a few references to well known tv shows, movies, and books, so if you like that type of thing, you’ll enjoy this.

What Have We Done stood out to me from Finlay’s other books, I think because while this was still your typical mystery/thriller, it also had more action and suspense added with the FBI/assassins/hired hitmen and hitwomen/having a contingency plan set in place.
There were flashbacks to a few events that happened at the group home in the past, but they never lasted long or dragged out the story, which I liked. It also made a lot of sense to write it this way since it was clear that none of the characters were too fond of revisiting their past times there.
I will say that in regards to the past timeline, there are instances of teenage bullying, a dropped f-slur, and implications of child death/child molestation that are off-page. There is also an on-page panic attack.


“They sit in silence for a while. Like they’re all wondering when life will take a turn for them. When they won’t be the outcasts, when they won’t have to face the indignities of the lunchroom, when they won’t have to go to bed worried about closing their eyes, when they’ll have families again.”

“You ever watch the Spider-Man movie where three Spideys from different multiverses meet? Yeah, well… here’s the bad news: Both versions of us are evil.”

“We’re all capable of the unthinkable when it means protecting our families.”

“He didn’t deserve what happened to him, but such is the curse of Savior House.”

Well okay, this is another highly anticipated, riveting, capturing, action packed, heart throbbing Alex Finlay novel! I just somersaulted three times to celebrate to get the digital arc!

I actually enjoyed this fast pacing, mystery/ thriller which narrated by 3 different POVs!
Five kids did something bad 25 years ago! And now a sociopathic, young female assassin tries to hunt each of them. Correction: Siamese sociopath twins try to kill them!

Five kids fighting against a monster storyline reminded me of Stephen King’s “IT” ! Their reunion after two decades later after one of them dies also the similar storyline!

But those kids are not gang of LOSERS! Of course they lost their loved ones and sent to Savior House: an abusive group home for parentless kids. Just like IT’s losers’ gang: these five kids get bullied by the other troubled members of the home! But there was a monster in that place haunting young girls: most of them vanished into thin air!

Nico, Donnie, Ben, Art and Jenna ( four guys and a girl just like loser team) decide to fight against the monster and….

I’m cutting right here not to give spoilers! We mostly read about the characters’ present: dangerous twins already killed Ben: powerful district judge, father of a little girl, righteous and smartest one of their circle!

Jenna: recruited as assassin of a secret corporation, luckily getting out of the job to live a peaceful life as stay- at-home mom of two girls ( one of them is her problematic step teenage daughter ) but she finds herself to work for last job for saving her family! The target is a tech mogul and she has a history with him. When she tries to run away from crime scene, she gets chased by one of the twins!

Nico: a successful reality show producer with gambling problem and with dangerous connections to Irish mob, finds himself at mine explosion ( another creative attempt of twins to get rid of him)

And Donnie: famous rock star with addiction problem, grieving Ben’s death, is forced to jump from a ship! ( again sociopath twist is on board)

Three of them survive and they realize somebody is after them! Somebody is out there to avenge! But who? Why!

Well: I have to say, I didn’t get connected with these three main characters! The back story about Savior House and its dark secrets were great plot line but those parts cut short and when we read those parts, we abruptly continue to read the present time adventures of the characters. Transitions between past and present were so fast and confusing!

Sociopath twins could only kill one of their targets so the powerful enemy who paid them to cut the loose ends might be stupid to hire the worst kind of assassins! And I actually found the girls not scary but so annoying! They were like cartoonish villanelles!

Overall: pacing and progression of the story kept my attention intact! I liked the main mystery and I enjoyed how the author successfully wrapped things up!

Only thing I didn’t enjoy was character development!

I liked the author’s previous books more but this is still heart pounding, exciting reading keeping you on your toes. I’m giving four action packed, revenge, captivating stars!

I’m always happy to read and review Alex Finlay’a brilliant works!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Minotaur Books for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

Sadly, I did not finish this book and I really tried. There was very little introduction as to what happened in the past to the three characters and the chapters jumping between the characters in modern day was too hard to follow and I wasn’t even sure what the book was about.