Oh, my goodness! What an amusing comedy of errors. This book had me in stitches throughout the entire read.

Finlay Donovan is a recently divorced single mom and struggling suspenseful romance writer. She meets up with her agent at the local Panera to discuss her book's progress. A woman at a nearby table eavesdrops on the conversation and assumes that Finlay is a contract killer. She slips a note into Finlay's diaper bag cum purse offering a sizable sum to carry out a kill. Of course Finlay is no killer but she is curious about the person targeted and starts a bit of an investigation on her own. Perhaps it will provide inspiration for her book and get her writing juices flowing. What she hadn't planned on was an accidental death and need for body disposal. Oh what a mess she's gotten herself into.

I had been looking for a palate cleanser after some heavy history reading and this book (along with its entire series) really hit it out of the park. Author Elle Cosimano is brilliant in her writing of this series. The characters are hilarious in their dialogue and cutting remarks. The women are strong and clever while many of the men are rather morally challenged. Finlay Donavan and her nanny, Vero, make for a dubious duo in this series and their antics keep the reader chuckling. It's a wild ride for sure and nowhere near believable, yet oh so fun!

I am grateful to Minotaur Books for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Publisher: Minotaur Books; First Edition
Publication Date: February 2, 2021
Number of pages: 368
ISBN: 978-1250241702

This book was just OK for me. I absolutely love the cover art. I thought the premise sounded interesting. However, I had a hard time spending my disbelief over Finlay’s outrageous choices. I just couldn’t seem to buy into her motivations or logic. Vero, on the other hand, was my favorite part of this book. The interaction and friendship between her and Finlay was so funny, and that’s what kept me reading.

*Finlay Donovan Is Killing It* by Elle Cosimano was my first introduction to the series, and I absolutely loved it. This fast-paced, laugh-out-loud mystery brilliantly blends crime, chaos, and comedy. Struggling novelist and single mom Finlay accidentally gets mistaken for a contract killer, launching her into a whirlwind of absurd yet suspenseful misadventures. With sharp wit, unexpected twists, and a charmingly messy protagonist, this book had me hooked from the start. It was the perfect mix of humor and suspense, and I can't wait to read more in the series!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC. I cannot wait to read the other books in this series.

Disaster, disappointment, and desperate.

I want to thank NetGalley for offering me THE WHOLE SERIES, including the new one!! 🤩
This is the first , and I have to tell you that I laughed out loud several times during the book. Finlay is a hot mess, trying to navigate raising toddlers, and desperately needing money (because of her no good cheating husband). I will not quote from the book because I don’t want to take a minute of your laughter from this story. The phrases that the author uses are absolutely hilarious. I downloaded it from NetGalley and then listened to it while driving (with a huge smile on my face trying not to forget to turn on my signals).
If you are needing a disastrous murder mystery, this one is for you. I can’t wait to continue this series!! This character is one I didn’t realize I needed in my life.

Think thriller/mystery but one satirical and relatable? This was such a fun read! Newly divorced, Finlay is struggling with juggling it all…bills and money, solo parenting, stymied author career. A cryptic note leads to potential wealth and a solution to all her issues. The shenanigans that ensue are hilarious, the plot well done and kept my interest, and the satire of the absurdity of the situation not lost with me. Looking forward to continuing this series.

This is the first book in the series. Finlay Donovan is a struggling author and mother of two busy children. When her ex-husband fires her nanny, she is beside herself on what to do. When she is mistakenly taken as a hitman, she decides to see who the mark is. One thing leads to another and all of a sudden she is dealing with a true crime unlike the ones she writes about. Luckily Vero, her nanny comes to the rescue to help her, but Vero has secrets of her own.

This is a great introduction to this fun series!

this was exactly the sort of silly murder mayhem i had been hoping it would be, and i'm so excited to keep reading this series, especially after that ending! i do think it might be even more entertaining for readers who can relate more to Finlay's life than i did, but even her two bratty kids weren't enough to stop me from enjoying this, and i think that says a lot since i am Not a Fan of kids. also, Vero was such a fun character, and i'm really looking forward to her book/novella now.

I didn't know what to expect going into this, but knew it had rave reviews so I was excited for it.

More than halfway through the book I still didn't know how to categorize it but I knew I was completely entertained. If you look at this book from a purely entertaining wild, unrealistic murder-mystery comedy then you will find it just as enjoyable!

Absolutely love Finlay Donovan is Killing It. There's adventure, mystery, slapstick comedy, sassy sidekick, and adorable kids. Without a doubt I could see this being a Netflix show. Thankful to receive the entire series from Netgalley. The audiobooks are on Libby and I just want to say I loved the narrator selection for the audiobook as well. This book was great fun.

Very cute. I did not see the ending happening. I didn't like the detective character, but I was happy with the romantic storylines.

Finlay Donovan is a stressed-out single-mom of two adorable children. She is struggling to write a novel and struggling financially to keep up with bills. One day, Finlay meets with her literary agent for lunch to discuss the plot of her new suspense novel. After her agent leaves, she finds out that someone was listening to her conversation and she ends up being mistaken for a contract killer. Finlay inadvertently accepts an offer to dispose of a “problem husband” in order to make ends meet and takes her nanny, Vero, along the way!

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is the start of a fantastic mystery/thriller series that I can’t get enough of! This book is so fun and humorous that you’ll fly through the pages and wish you had the next book already. Elle Cosimano does a wonderful job writing such relatable characters and doesn’t forget to include how Finlay is feeling toward her ex-husband, about being a single mom, and accidentally accepting a job as a hitwoman. If you haven’t read this, what are you waiting for?!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press | Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader’s Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest opinion. Please note that I have read this book twice before receiving an ARC and have loved it just as much the second time around.

This is the best beach read since “Dial A for Aunties” which I read last summer (though I enjoyed this one more.) Definitely brain candy, this story follows a hot-mess mom/procrastinating author (relatable) into an accidental mob hit and the subsequent fallout and cover-up. I laughed out loud in parts, appreciated the just-steamy-enough romance, and loved the girl gang Finlay and her nanny Vero were establishing. Not to mention the tantalizing ending which sets up a very exciting book #2. I’m embarrassed by how much I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one.

I had never heard of this book series before, but it had a promo to read now so I picked it up. I am so glad I did. I loved it! It was a great mix of suspense and light hearted fun.

We meet Finley at her worst. While I haven’t been exactly where she is, I can relate. I love a character who is down on her luck but likable. It helps me when I’m having a hard time to see someone else come through it. I can commiserate with Finley when her whole life feels like it’s falling apart.

I wasn’t sure going in how the author would basically turn her into a hitman but still keep her likable. And I must say following Finley as she accidentally falls into a life of crime was delightful. My favorite moments are seeing how she’s basically setting up her husband and his mistress and wondering how that will all end up. I was on the edge of my seat for the ending in the field. I will definitely be picking up the next one!

Can’t believe it took me so long to pick up this book! Some moments had me literally laughing out loud, and I could easily envision this as a tv series. Looking forward to more Finlay!

This is the first book in the Finlay Donovan series and it doesn't disappoint! I always enjoy Finlay Donovan books! They are lighthearted, quick reads. They remind me of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series in the way that the main character is always getting into sticky situations where she and her sidekick Vero don't always toe the line. There's also a police detective boyfriend and ex-husband in the picture, as well as other fun side characters.

I haven't found a story I enjoyed this much in a long time. I've moved to the fantasy genre because it kept my attention, but I decided to read Finlay Donovan as I had the arc provided and the new one is releasing. Oh my goodness. Finlay is so much fun. Such a mess. And Vero becoming her partner in crime is just icing on the cake. They have made me laugh out loud, and also gasp in shock with some of their antics. I sped through book 1 and immediately moved to book 2. I didn't even take time for this review until afterwards. So very good. I'm so excited to continue the story of these quirky ladies and all of their antics.

Thank you to St Martins Press and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this fantastic series in return for my honest review. I couldn't recommend these enough!

This was a hilariously fun ride! I devoured it in a day! I ended up borrowing the audio from the library and the narrator was amazing! Can’t wait to jump right in to the next one!

How fun was this?! Why did it take me so long to start this series?! And the cliffhanger at the end of this one! 👀 Thankfully I don't have to wait at all lol. Except I do, to listen to my audiobooks in date due back order lol but that's okay, that'll just be a week or so. Loved Finlay. Loved Vero. Loved how things escalated when they were trying to de-escalate lol. And TWO love interests, yes please. I'm ready to binge the all of the published ones including Digs Her Own Grave! Hopefully that's not the last one!

Finlay’s adventures began with this book and it was such a way to kick off what’s becoming a truly addictive series! Love the quirkiness. So much fun. Thank you so much Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for the advanced e-Arc in exchange for my honest review.

I received this book and others in the series as a “Read Now for 24 Hours.” I had never heard of the series and it sounded good, so I downloaded all of them. I am very happy that I did! I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Finlay is divorced with two young children. Her ex wants custody of their children and he has just fired her nanny. She is having trouble paying the bills. She is an author with a deadline that she keeps extending. She is totally overwhelmed. Her life is a hot mess! While discussing the plot of her book with her agent in a coffee shop, a woman at a nearby table mistakes her for a contract killer and wants to hire her to kill her husband. And it goes on from there! Just when I thought the story couldn’t get crazier, it does!

This is one of the funniest mysteries that I have ever read. It reminds me of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. I cannot wait to read the others in this series!

I highly recommend this series to mystery readers who also want some romance and a lot of humor thrown in. This page-turner is a fun read from start to finish.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.