Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano is the first in a series of books about Finley and Vero, mother and nanny, who become taken for hitmen through not fault of their own. As the bodies pile up Finley's life is exploding and it all snowballs. These are fun books (there are four in the series so far) and all the characters are crazy enough to enjoy as we wait to see what can happen next.

BOOK REPORT
I’m gonna cheat just a little here with my Book Reports on the Finlay Donovan series by Ellie Cosimano, which I received complimentary copies of from St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books/NetGalley.

Instead of providing a title and description for—as well as a reaction to—each book, I’m doing one review for all and putting a publisher-provided summary of the series here first: "Edgar-Award nominee Elle Cosimano’s witty, fast-paced adult mystery series follows struggling suspense novelist and single mom turned-amateur-sleuth Finlay Donovan, whose fiction begins to tread dangerously close to the truth."

The reason for this approach is because I took advantage of the opportunity to download all of the books in the series to date all at once, including the newest one scheduled for publication in March 2025 (Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave), which was the reason NetGalley made everything available—to promote the latest. And then I basically binged my way through it, partly while doing things like folding clothes and watching TV at the same time.

This was a fun little series, as I expected it to be. Nothing very challenging, some predictability, some romance, some silliness. I got a little aggravated that Our Finlay never seems to learn from her mistakes. And the agent character gets to be more and more like a caricature as the series progresses. My favorite installment was the novella about nanny/accountant Veronia Ruiz; it was written a lot tighter and was more believable. Looks like the next book to be written will flesh out her back story even more, so I’m looking forward to reading it.

In short: This is the kind of series you will like, if you like this kind of series.

PS
I realized yesterday during a discussion with some friends at lunch that I’ve been ingesting an awfully not of non-serious fiction here lately. I decided that, you know what? That’s perfectly OK, given not only the state of the world in general right now, but also because at least seven people I know have died this year (two by intentionally self-inflicted gunshot wounds). I’ve been seeking both escape and comfort, and I very much appreciate all the authors who have brought me both.

It's been almost 4 years since Finlay Donovan Is Killing It was released, and I'm kicking myself that it took me this long to pick it up. Finlay and her nanny Vero are so relatable and so funny. It's the feel good murder series of the 2020s!

I read a ton of mysteries, hardboiled, cozy, and in between. This fresh take of the main character being a murderer-for-hire and also an amateur detective was a nice change, and even more nuanced in that Finlay herself is an author using these escapades as inspiration for her own book.

There's some romance in there too, but not overwhelming. Finlay starts to figure out who she is and who she wants to be as a newish divorcee.

The murders add even more depth. These aren't murders of passion but to free women from their terrible (mob-based, not just won't-take-out-the-garbage) husbands.

So many layers to this lighthearted book! I'm diving right in to book #2!

"Finlay Donovan is Killing It" is just plain fun. It is over the top, borderline to actually being unbelievable, and was a great way to escape some of the stress of the holiday season we are in at the time of this review. Finlay is a recently divorced mom of two who is struggling financially. She is a writer who is currently not able to write, and her jerk of an ex-husband seems to glory in her struggles and wants to take advantage of them. And then she goes to Panera Bread. And is mistaken for a contract killer. And somehow ends up kind of helping the target get dead. And the money is so needed. And the real-life happenings also make an excellent plot for her book. And...she is soon in way over her head. Luckily(?), Finn has a friend/nanny/partner-in-crime, Vero, to help Finn in all of her shenanigans. Of which there are many, all of them some level of funny.

This book does not take itself too seriously and I would argue that it doesn't expect to be taken too seriously, either. I identified a bit with Finn (seriously, ex-husbands, UGH) and found the various side characters entertaining and well-developed. There is a touch of romance, but it is not primary to the story, which I was (surprisingly) okay with. Finlay is in the vein of Stephanie Plum and Riley Thorn, both of whom are also characters I very much enjoy. I definitely think this one is worth a read.

4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book. These opinions are my own.

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano is a captivating read. If you enjoy thrillers but crave a lighter tone in the genre, then this book is a must-read.

Finlay is a divorced mother of two and a struggling author. Meeting her agent at a restaurant, Finlay discusses the
plot of the book she's working on. Another patron overhears and mistakes Finlay for a hit woman and wants
to hire her for a job. One thing leads to another, and Finlay ends up dodging the police and trying to discover what
really happened. Story keeps one turning the pages to find out what happens next.
First book in the series -looking forward to the next one.
#FinlayDonovanisKillingIt #StMartinsPress #Minotaur #NetGalley

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to re-read the Finlay series in anticipation for the next book to come out in 2025. If you haven't read the Finlay Donovan series, I highly recommend you pick up these books ASAP!

A fun entertaining read and lives up to the hype. Will have you laughing and feeling a kinship as a mom at wits end and in dire financial trouble. Finlay is willing to do anything to keep her kids. A fun, yet morally questionable, caper and unlikely heroine.

A good, solid, fun read. It reminded me soooo much of the Stephanie Plum series, which I haven’t thought about in ages, but truly loved. Excited to read the next few.



Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!

Wow, lol. I loved this book. It reminds me a lot of Lucy Score’s books, without the paranormal element. It’s funny yet the characters are strong, resilient women who power through although there’s also a hot cop & a sexy bartender. Definitely reading the next. #aFinlayDonovanisKillingIt #NetGalley

I never got into this series when it first came out so I'm so glad I got a chance to read via Netgalley! Thank you to the publisher & Elle Cosimano for offering them all as Read Now, what a wonderful treat!

I liked this a lot. It's a cozy style mystery, you're going to have to deal with a regular degular person doing some investigating on their own outside of an official police investigation (and sometimes alongside the police). I thought Finlay was a fun character! At the beginning I wasn't sure if I would feel for her or find her to be a hot mess in a life of her own making. I leaned more towards the former, as it seemed like her ex-husband really screwed her over.

The relationship between Finlay and Vero was one of my favorite aspects of this story. They truly have each other's backs and they also have fun together.

The mystery in this gets a tad convoluted in the middle, like was having, "where did that character come from and how do they relate to this story" kind of thoughts. But it all gets resolved in the end. This leads right into book 2.

I listened to the audio as well and thought the narrator was one of the best I've heard in a while. She did sound effects such as laughs, her different character voices were great and she packed this with the perfect emotions. Well done!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I adore Finlay! She is a mystery write who is newly divorce with children. She's trying to navigate this new life and what fun it is.

I originally borrowed the Finlay Donovan series from the library, but I loved it so much that I just had to get my own copies—thanks to NetGalley for making that possible! Finlay's adventures are such a perfect mix of humor, suspense, and charm, and I can't get enough of her. We absolutely adore Finlay and her chaotic, crime-solving life!

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged and it only took a few days to read. I think this is going to be a good book club option for several clubs. I plan recommending to my book friends and I look forward to reading more by this author.

Finley Donovan is my new favorite heroine. She has a terrible knack for finding herself in situations that no one wants to be in, but she also manages to find creative ways to get out of them. I wish I had a Vero in my life - she's a hoot! Overall, this is a great read for those days when you want something with a little bite but not dark and twisty. In Finley's words, neat!! I regret not picking up all of the books in this series when they were available as Read Now.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

This was a fun read that kept me entertained! I haven’t read anything like this and some parts actually had me laughing out loud. It was a page turner and there were a lot of twists so that kept my interest!
It took me a bit to like Finlay but I loved Vero!

I thought the author’s writing was great and the cliffhanger makes me excited to read the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press as well as Minotaur Books for the ebook.

I have always wanted to start this series and now I am mad that I waited so long to start. I loved the interactions between Vero and Finlay. The plot was fun, twisty and kept my guessing and laughing the whole time. I am so happy that I was able to read this and look forward to reading more books in the series.

When I heard about this, I was so excited, and it's even better than I thought. Finlay Donovan is a writer with a lot of stresses in her life, even before she's mistaken for a contract killer. Her ex is annoying, and he's already fired her babysitter, the woman who helped hold the pieces of her life together.
The mystery is interesting and clever enough. The children are messy and hilarious. And Finlay is a wonderfully sympathetic character.
Thanks to NetGalley for making this available

There’s nothing I don’t love about this series - it reminds me a bit like an updated Stephanie Plum series. I love how relatable the characters are - especially Finlay. She’s not perfect — in fact, more often than not she’s struggling through something with her ex, her kids or her conscience - but going through her tribulations with her makes us root for her more. I’ve enjoyed each entry in this series and can’t wait for more.

This was the perfect way to break up my romance book reading! Finlay is the perfect blend of a hot mess but still functioning lol
I absolutely adored this novel and could relate more times than I could count as an overstimulated mom. She was determined to make it work at all costs. This novel has some of the best humor, angst and relatable that I’ve come across in awhile.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this work of art. Cannot wait to dive into the rest of this series.