Thank you @netgalley and @minotaur_books for my ARC.

Who doesn’t love a good whodunit?

But what happens when you thought you dun it but maybe you didn’t dun it?

Finlay’s life is spiraling out of control. Piles of bills, no money, lying to everyone to hold it together so she doesn’t potentially lose her kids. But it seems she bit off more than she can chew.

This one made me LOL on more than one occasion. It also made me mouth “oh snap” on even more occasions. I loved the friendships that formed that you didn’t expect. I love how fiercely protective Vero was. I wanted to slap the sh*t out of her future ex husband. But overall, I cheered for Finlay every single step of the way.

Definitely check this one out! You won’t be disappointed!

Finlay Donovan is not killing it. In fact, not to mince words, her life is a mess. As she tries to juggle single parenting after her husband abandons her for a younger, blonder real-estate agent, she has a hard time keeping up with the demands of two toddlers, a writing career that’s going nowhere, and an ex who is more and more impatient with his requirements to pay her expenses. A custody battle is looming, he has fired her nanny, and her daughter just cut off all her hair and gave herself a nasty head wound. Finlay is late to meet her agent. She shoves the knife and rag into her diaper bag, drops the kids off at day care, and shows up late to Panera.

As she and her agent discuss the plot and missed deadlines of her latest murder mystery, she notices a woman at the neighboring table can’t seem to drag her attention away from them. The woman passes Finn her phone number. Turns out she’d noticed the bloody rag and knife in her diaper bag, overhead the conversation, and assumed Finn is some kind of assassin for hire. She wants to get rid of her husband. To the tune of $50,000! Of course Finn isn’t going to do anything about it. Of course not, although the money would solve so many of her issues. To complicate things, the woman has paid half in advance. It wouldn’t hurt to investigate the husband a bit, right? Right? Before she knows it, Finlay ends up with a real-life mystery on her hands.

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is actually a really fun read. From its madcap premise to some seriously heart-racing chase scenes, it’s a fast-moving ride that manages to hit all the right notes of justice. It also manages, just barely, to stay (mostly) within the realm of the realistic, and ends with a little twist that had me curious about a sequel. I recommend it as a fantastic way to escape your humdrum life for an afternoon.

Finlay Donovan is overwhelmed. She has two children, is trying to finish a novel, has issues with her ex…and so it goes. Not easy!

One day someone overhears a conversation and the next thing Finlay knows, she is involved in a potential contract killing. How will our heroine manage to survive? Find out in this engaging, witty and entertaining novel. Many have given it excellent reviews including the New York Times, Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, Library Journal and more. Try it for a different read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher .. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to the publisher for a free copy of this book.
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What I loved: The story was fun. Finlay was quite the character. The story was fast paced, which I really enjoyed.

What I didn't: I would not say there was much I didn't like and this was an overall fun read. I really enjoyed it, but did not love it.

Overall this was a fun read and gave me something lighter, which is never a bad thing!

Finlay Donovan is a recently divorced romance novelist and exhausted mother of two young children. Her ex is threatening legal action to take the kids, she can't pay her bills, and her literary agent is breathing down her neck for her next completed book (which she hasn't even started yet). She's at her wits' end until the weirdest thing happens during lunch at a Panera. She is mistaken for a paid hitman...

This book was a sheer joy to read. Fast paced. Funny. Relatable characters. A quick, feel good escape from reality. It feels like a thriller but...is there such a thing as a cozy thriller? That's what this felt like. I've already recommended it to a couple friends.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

$50,000 could change you're life. But is it worth killing for?

Finlay Donovan is far from "killing it." She a super stressed single mom struggling to write a book, wrangle her two children, and stay sane. After a misheard conversation with her agent regarding Finlay's work in (somewhat) progress leads Finlay into being contacted for a murder for hire, things get wild real fast.

The novel was smart and fast past, while still being hilariously relatable. The characters are funny and well-developed. It would be a fun break from more serious thrillers, while still holding an avid suspense read's interest. The ending sets up for a sequel of what will sure to become a beloved series. Perfect for fans of Janet Evanovich and Carl Hiaasen.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Get ready to fall in love with Finlay Donovan! You will be cheering for this likeable heroine from the first page. The plot was not predictable and will have you staying up way to late! Once you start this wild ride, you won't want to get off! We can only hope that this book becomes a movie so we can enjoy the story again!

This book was incredibly funny!

When Finlay’s overheard discussing the plot of her new novel with her agent over lunch, she’s mistaken for a contract killer and inadvertently accepts an offer to dispose of a problem husband in order to make ends meet . . . and she soon discovers that crime in real life is a lot more difficult than its fictional counterpart.

This was light and humorous mystery. We really enjoyed reading along to see what was going to happen next. It was a really innovative premise and the story was absolutely delightful. If you need a light pick-me-up, this is a good one!

Thank you to @netgalley for providing us with a copy of this for review.

I loved this book! It started off a little slow, it felt more like "woe is me" and Finlay seemed to be playing the blame game on how she was the victim of her own life. Once she met with her publisher things picked up and took off; I had a hard time putting the book down. Did some of the plot feel a little far fetched, absolutely, but I think that's what made it so much fun to read! I can't wait for the next book and see what shenanigans Finlay and Vero find themselves in. This should be added to your TBR and picked up sooner rather than later.

This book was such a fun read with a bit of whodunit meets Strangers on a Train. A string of unfortunate situations strung together have leading lady Finlay just trying to stay in control of her life. While it’s a lot of coincidences and at no point does it seem super likely to happen, the characters are so likeable and the pace of the book is so quick that I didn’t even care.

I think the premise of this novel is very fun and quirky, it would be a great crossover to the mystery genre from a chick-lit fan. I found the characters likeable and the storyline was interesting and moved quickly. I think the that pieces fell into place a little too easily, and the book seemed poised to be a series. I did enjoy reading it though and would recommend for a light read.

I adored this book! I cannot wait to read more from Elle Cosimano. I couldn't put this book down and have recommended it to several friends!

Fun fact: the idea for this book came to @ellecosimano at a Panera, as she was having a meeting discussing plot points in a book she was working on, and overheard by fellow diners. Panera is mentioned A LOT in this book, and I was totally craving it by the time I was done.

This one has been everywhere and for good reasons! So I’ll keep this brief. This wasn’t on my radar, I’m generally not drawn to cartoony covers, but I’m so glad I gave this a shot! I didn’t realize I needed a fun thriller, but I totally did.

I love how this one takes place about 30 miles away from me in Northern Virginia. It’s always fun to recognize places in a book, especially when it’s a book you are loving. This one reminded me of Dead to Her so if you liked that show I’m sure you will like this one. I thought the ending was perfection, and can not wait for a sequel. I would love to see this made into a @netflix show.

Thanks so much @minotaur_books this one is available now!

I have seen so many five star reviews of this book, but it just wasn’t for me. I like my thrillers grittier and this was more like a dark comedy. Finlay was not relatable to me at all but I did feel sorry for her, although I’m still not sure why she would let her ex-husband treat her as he did and still be nice to him. Also, most of the plot points were super unrealistic and while I know you have to suspend some disbelief with fiction, I tended to just roll my eyes every chapter. The book did end up growing on me towards the end and I loved the “twist,” which is obviously a lead-in to the second book. I don’t generally read series and thought this was a standalone so I doubt I will continue on when it is released.

This book was so much fun. Fast paced and unpredictable, just like the title character. I loved this writing style for a weekend easy-read, a great mixture of affable and sincere. The story grips you and keeps hold through the middle, and when you don't think it's possible, pulls you even further in towards the end. I've seen other reviewers mention that they would not make the same choices as Finlay, but that is what makes this book work. While they are not choices I think I would make, I can also see where a normal writer with a curiosity streak could get pulled into this mess. There are no huge leaps of faith, only laughter and head shaking at the brilliant, craziness of it all.

Finlay is relatable for anyone who has had to run through their day dressing themselves and the tiny people invading their home. She is funny, vindictive, lovable, and I would NOT want her life.

This book was a joy to read. The main character reminded me of Stephanie Plum in that regular gal finding herself in crazy situations surrounded by a terrific cast of supporting characters kind of way. There was even a hot cop! I will recommend this book to many of my patrons who enjoyed My Lovely Wife by Downing.

I had a really fun time with this one! As a thriller reader, my policy is usually ‘the darker the better’ but every now and then it’s nice to read a lighter, more fun mystery like this one. That’s not to say it doesn’t have its dark parts though!

I really liked the character of Finlay, a mystery writer who is overheard discussing the plot of her new book, and is mistaken for a hitman. She is hired to murder the woman’s husband in exchange for a large chunk of cash, so Finlay thinks why not give it a try! However, this all happens within the first 80 or so pages of the book and the rest of the story focuses on Finlay’s involvement in the murder case and watching the people close to her become suspects. She links up with a literal partner in crime, her kids’ babysitter Vero, who ended up being my favorite character in the book.

I’m not much of a series reader but I’m looking forward to continuing with Finlay.

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It begins with one of those mornings, Finlay is in a frenzied rush trying to make an appointment while her nanny is late and her kids are not cooperating, to say the least. She is in extremis, behind on her book deadlines, broke with unpaid bills piling up, and her ex-husband threatening to file for custody of the kids. She finally makes it to her appointment where she discusses her upcoming mystery with her agent. Their conversation is overheard and she finds a note with a phone number and an offer of $50,000. The woman who listened to their conversation thinks she is a contract killer.

Well, it is tempting…

Finlay decides to check it out, not that she seriously intends to kill someone, but events conspire against her. And by conspire, she meets a man who appeals to her six ways to Sunday while she is in disguise and, it seems, the key suspect in the disappearance of that man on the slip of paper.

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is a fun thriller with a dash of romance, though I would argue that the more important relationship is Finlay’s friendship with Vero, her nanny. Vero becomes her “partner in crime,” so to speak. The story hangs together despite its unlikely premise. Even though Finlay and Vero are doing things most people would not do, they are appealing characters a reader can’t help but root for. I like them, I look forward to more stories with them and if this does not become a series, someone is missing out on a great opportunity.

I received an e-galley of Finlay Donovan Is Killing It from the publishers through NetGalley

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It at St. Martin’s Press | Macmillan
Elle Cosimano author site

What would you do if you were a frazzled mom of two young children, low on cash? Your philandering ex-husband is now married to the real estate agent. He is stingy on the money. You are afraid he is trying to take your children. You are very late on your book deadline. You meet to discuss your murder mystery with your agent at Panera's. How are you to know that the woman sitting next to you, eating her delicious warm Panera bread (I haven't had it in ages!), is mistaking your storyline for your own life? How was she to know you were not a hit woman? So again, what would you do?

Finlay is a wonderful character. She finds herself in some weird situations and somehow survives. With the help of her babysitter, she will take down and take on quite a few characters. You will root for her. You will enjoy yourself immensely. This is a fun read with a fast pace.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book.