Finlay Donovan is Killing It, is the first installment in author Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan Series. 31-year-old Finlay Donovan is a down-on-her-luck wanna-be author who has written two books, but they weren't exactly best sellers. She's a divorced mom of two, Delia and Zachary, and her ex-husband Steven left her for another woman. To make matters worse, Finlay's nanny Veronica, aka Vero, has been fired by the ex, she's way behind on her bills, and she's already been paid 1/2 up front by her agent for her next novel.

Her previous books haven't sold well, and now she's late with her next book and has a massive writer's block. Her ex-husband has hired an attorney to get full custody of their children, and if Finlay doesn't get something to her agent immediately, she's going to have to pay back her advance, which was spent long ago. Finlay, an author of romantic suspense novels, is meeting with her editor at Panera to talk about her story plot when the woman (Patricia Mickler) sitting next to her mistakenly thinks Finlay is actually a hitwoman and tries to hire her.

Finlay is given an opportunity to make $50,000 in cash if she murders a man named Harris Mickler, who, by all accounts, isn't a nice man. Oh, and he's Patricia's husband, who just happens to work for the Russian Mafia. What happens next is pure ridiculousness and comedic all at once. First, Finlay hires Veronica back as her nanny, turned accountant, turned sidekick, turned best friend to help manage the kids and her screwed-up life. Then Finlay leaves Harris in her car while it's running, and she and Vero need a place to bury the body.

Then Finlay meets not one, but two different attractive men. One is Julian Baker, a bartender who is going to school to become a lawyer, and the other is Detective Nicholas Anthony, who thinks that Finlay's husband's new fiancé may be in bed with the Russian Mafia and since Finlay is writing a book, she may have some ideas on how to prove it. Oh, and let's not forget about the fact that another woman offers Finlay $150,000 to do yet another job for her, this time another husband who also isn't a nice guy.

Did I mention the fact that Finlay's ex-husband also seems to be regretting his cheating on her and wants to start over again? Finlay, known for her poor decision-making skills, finds herself digging a deeper hole as she tries to escape her job. The pay is attractive, and she has already received a substantial advance. One bad decision leads to another, and Finlay quickly realizes she's way over her head. Fortunately, her nanny, Vero, comes to her aid, enabling her to continue making questionable choices.

This book was offered by NetGalley, the Author, and the Publisher to read. I am happy they did because this story had me laughing, and holding on to see what next catastrophe Finlay and Vero would find themselves in. The relationship between Finlay and Vero was awesome. They played off each other's personalities so well. There were great side characters, red herrings, action, and drama, and full of over-the-top hijinks.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily. I had always wanted to read the Finlay Donovan series but had other priorities. When Netgalley reached out last week and offered the whole back catalog AND the forthcoming novel to me to read, I couldn't pass up the chance.

Finlay is a murder mystery writer whose husband left her and their two small kids for their real estate agent. She's discussing her next suspense novel with her agent when someone overhears her and thinks she's a professional killer. She's approached to put a hit on a horrible husband, and she's so dead ass broke, she actually contemplates it!

What ensues is a raucous and interesting tale. What a wonderful introduction to a literary character. I can't wait to catch up on the rest of Finlay's adventures.

What a unique plot. It’s filled with humor, mystery, and intrigue. This is a fun book that is so different from other mysteries. Finlay is a likable character any mom can relate to. It’s a fast read. Very cleverly written.

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is book one in the Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano.
I loved this book. Finlay's voice is so relatable. From her chaotic mornings to her genuinely-believable problems, I could see so much of the average mother in her.
I seriously couldn’t put this book down. Poor Finlay and her struggles with writing, raising two babies, and dealing with an ex and his new fiancé. You can’t help but root for Finlay.
This series has been one phenomenal time and I’ve been here for it!

I grabbed this when the whole series was available as Read Now recently on Goodreads. My one regret? Not grabbing the whole series!! So much fun! I am a huge mystery and thriller reader and 99% of them are dark and humorless so Finlay, Vero, and the kids were a nice change of pace for me. It’s rare that I laugh out loud while reading. The mystery portion was good too and I can’t wait to start book 2 in the series.

**Thanks to the author and publisher for the e-arc I received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.**

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free first book of this series. This was a fun read. I love Finlay and I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. The whole cast of characters are interesting and fun. It was a fast read for me as I wanted to know how it went and how it would end. I can't wait to read the next book and I hope the series continues to be just as fun.

The urge to drop my entire TBR to binge this series..... no further questions

I read a good bit of thrillers but I've been wanting something a bit different than the typical gloomy and dark reads that are majority of the genre. I've had Finlay Donovan is Killing It on my radar for a while now & I'm so glad I finally decided to pick it up.

Finlay Donovan is Killing It is a hilarious murder mystery that continuously keeps you guessing. Finlay Donovan is a struggling author and single mother who has to navigate life after being mistaken for a hit woman.

The writing is incredibly fast-paced & keeps the story moving while keeping you constantly on your toes. Nothing in this book felt unnecessary or just like "filler pages" which was very nice. Especially since I feel like books are starting to be longer and longer.

THE EPILOGUE!?!?! HELLO?? I will be reading Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead very very very soon.

If you're looking for a cozy murder mystery to keep you company this winter season, this is definitely the choice!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title! All opinions are my own.

Necessity is the mother of … becoming a contract killer? Finley is reaching rock bottom: a faulty car, a crummy ex-husband, a book plot going nowhere, a her electricity is shut off. Again. In a question for gainful employment to provide for her two young children, Finley needs to find work.

Through a series of hijinks and dumb luck, Finley and Veronica form a Lucy and Ethel duo to out maneuver both the mob and the police and maybe get a little back on Theresa, her ex’s new woman. This story is fantastic. It creates a new Every Woman for the masses to cheer on as she lives her not-so-best but getting better life.

Finlay Donovan is Killing It

by Elle Cosimano

Normally a cozy mystery/Agatha Christie reader, I decided to see what all the buzz is about with Finlay Donovan is Killing It and the other books Elle Cosimano has written in this series. The author has created a protagonist that many women can related to. Finlay finds herself in a morally shaky and sticky situation. Her happily ever after has disintegrated under her feet. She is divorced from her ex-husband who is a philanderer and a manipulator. She is deeply in debt to so many people including her ex who has become her landlord.

When a private conversation at Panera is overheard and misunderstood, Finlay becomes entangled in a scheme to murder a serial date-rapist who drugs and then blackmails his victims. He also works for the mob.

I don’t want to give away more of the plot. I can share that despite the dark nature of the predicaments, the author includes many humorous situations and twists and turns that are truly unpredictable. Characters are a big part of this book. Finlay is motivated to keep her two preschool age children safe and retain custody of them. To do that she needs reliable childcare and financial independence from her ex-husband. She is a writer and her profession plays a large role as fiction and non-fiction intertwine. There are two romantic interests, a detective and a law student. She is supported in many ways by her sister Georgia, a cop, and by Vero, her babysitter and partner in crime.

I did enjoy this book. It has lots of women-focused themes and ethical issues. It addresses practical concerns—nosy neighbors, malfunctioning alternators, and inoperative garage doors—and issues that we hope we will never encounter like hitmen, affairs, and date rape drugs.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 4/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: 1. very insightful discussion questions
2. a fair amount of swearing

Publication: February 2, 2021—St. Martin’s Press (Minotaur Books)

Memorable Lines:

If you’ve never had to wrestle a two-year-old slathered in maple syrup into a diaper while your four-year-old decides to give herself a haircut in time for preschool, all while trying to track down the whereabouts of your missing nanny as you sop up coffee grounds from an overflowing pot because in your sleep-deprived fog you forgot to put in the filter, let me spell it out for you.

Patricia withered, clearly mistaking my mom face for something else…some callous expression worn by contract killers and hit men. Maybe they’re similar. I wouldn’t know.

Theresa was all about social cachet and prestige. If there was a chance to flaunt a high-profile client like Feliks by sticking her head out of the roof of his slick black limousine and shouting it to the moon, she wouldn’t miss a chance to do it.

'Finlay Donovan Is Killing It' is a tale of mistaken identity, which leads an author to be mistaken for a contract killer, and wackiness ensures. I enjoyed the humor throughout this book, but the most delightful part of this story was how the author orchestrated (admittedly a little bit ridiculous) chaos to create some very far fetched scenarios. I think that there was a risk of this book becoming a caracture of itself, however, Elle Cosimano crafted the story in such a way that it's just a rollicking good time.

Thank you to Elle Cosimano and Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for a honest review of 'Finlay Donovan Is Killing It.'

LOVED!!! Such a fun read! Finlay is so relatable with her messy and chaotic life. The situations she gets herself into are laugh out loud funny. Throw in lots of suspense and mystery, and you've got the start of a great series. Cannot wait to read the rest!

I am so glad Netgalley offered these books as read now! I have found a great new series to read. I throughly enjoyed the first book! The characters were amazing and I caught myself laughing out loud so many times at all the craziness Finlay and crew got themselves into! I love a good start of a love triangle also!

I love Finlay Donovan- she reminds me of Stephanie Plum in the novels by Janet Evanovich but she is conveniently more like me with a messy personal life and with relatable friends and family included. I think this is a fun action packed and funny mystery series that doesn’t take itself too seriously. I love a good madcap, cute, somewhat romantic and relatable female main character!

This was my introduction to Elle Cosimano and her Finlay Donovan series.
What a fun book and clever group of characters!
The dialogue between Finlay and her friend/babysitter/accountant/nanny/roommate, Vero,
had me laughing out loud.
Who needs to find their own trouble to get into when you have a sidekick like Vero?
So many eye-rolling, smack your head moments.
The “ex-husband with a new fiancé” drama.
The newly divorced mother of small children sticking her toe into the fresh waters of the dating pool, while trying to please an agent and publisher by producing a book she is completely clueless about writing.
This story is the perfect light read with a lot going on.
In a good way.

I can’t wait to move on to book 2, to find out what Finlay and her people do next to entertain the nosy neighbor.

This was so much fun to read. Laugh out loud funny and well paced. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series. I can’t get enough!!

Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
This is the beginning of something special! I loved it and I went so far as to order the whole series so I could have physical copies. Finally is my hero! I love quirky characters and she fits the whole bill!

Finlay is killing it by not killing outside the pages of her new novel. After a heated discussion with her publishing agent in Panera, she is mistaken for a contract killer for hire.
She gets drawn into a murder investigation that is complicated in many ways. This was delightfully funny and witty. The antics that Finlay shares with her babysitter will keep you glued to the pages. The characters are authentic and easily relatable. It was suspenseful with a touch of humor. This is the beginning of a brilliant series from Elle Cosimano. I can wait to read more! I loved it! 5/5⭐️
I would like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to review this one!

Okay I definitely get the hype. I flew through this one and am immediately starting the next one. Finlay’s whole situation is a cluster f**k and then she finds herself in the midst of a murder investigation. I really enjoyed the humor!

This is such a fun book to read. Funny characters and hijinks throughout. I look forward to reading more from this series.

This was a cozy murder-mystery that reminded me of Hallmark mystery movies but funnier. The beginning was slow to get into the mystery but I kept reading because the writing was humorous. Don't expect this to read like a procedural, as so much is far fetched for actually happening, but it is a great escape for those wanting a mystery they don't have to think too hard about. Excited to keep going in the series.

4.25 stars - I finally picked up *Finlay Donovan Is Killing It* upon receiving the newest in the series for review, and I can’t believe I waited this long! The book is a perfect mix of light, funny moments and more serious, logistical storytelling. Finlay, a struggling writer who somehow gets caught up in a murder-for-hire scheme, is both relatable and totally entertaining. The tone is witty and quippy, which makes the more serious parts of the plot feel lighter without losing their impact.

That said, I do wish we had gotten more background on Finlay, especially when it comes to everything pre-dating her marriage. We get a lot of information about her interactions with her ex-husband’s new fiancée, but I wanted more details on how she ended up in this situation (and the relationship with here ex) in the first place. It would’ve been nice to dive deeper into her backstory, and I’m hoping future books will give us more of that.

Overall, it’s a fun, fast-paced read that had me hooked from start to finish. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book(s) in the series!