I enjoyed book 2 in the series, but I didn't love the romance triangle. I'm not a fan of them in general while reading. This book definitely had a different feel to it. It was one thing after another with more comedy mixed in. I liked the fast pace of the story.

I read two of this series (read # 3 a little out of order). This is a great addition to the series. I have to love a female protagonist who is a harried divorced mom who has problems with her ex who is a writer who gets pulled by her own curiosity into solving mysteries. Here we have the added complication of her ex being a target for the murderer which does great things for revealing how messy things can be when you are angry at your ex spouse but recognize that they are still your child's parents. All is is done with Consimano's trademark humor. Now I will be ready for the last in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for providing me with the opportunity to read this and prepare for the last in the series in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book, "Finlay Donovan Knocks Em Dead," is the second book about Finlay Donovan. The first book is "Finlay Donovan Is Killing It." The characters in the first book carry over to the second book. "Knocks 'Em Dead" is solving the mystery of who is trying to kill Finlay's ex-husband. The book continues with the same quirky humor as the first book. However, the reader does not have to read the first book prior to "Knock Em Dead." Each character is summarized and explained well. If you liked the first book, you'll like the second. It is a lighthearted murder mystery. If you enjoy books written by authors like Frederik Backman or Graeme Simsion, I think you'd enjoy this book too. I look forward to reading the next Finlay book!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Thanks to the publisher, Minotaur Books, and the author, Elle Cosimano, for the privilege to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead is the second in the Finlay Donovan cozy mystery series, picking up not long after the events of the first book. This one has Finlay and her nanny Vero trying to figure out who put a hit out on Finlay’s ex-husband Steven, as well as who the person trying to kill him is. And, of course, the local Russian mafia is involved even if the guy in charge is currently imprisoned. This was a fun mystery with some great characterizations, but Finlay drives me a little nuts, which sometimes made this agonizing to read through.

With a hit out on her ex-husband, Finlay has been at odds with him because she won’t let the kids stay with him. He, of course, doesn’t believe her even when he’s attacked while the kids are in his care. Unfortunately, her attempts, with Vero in tow, to figure out who put out the hit and who has, apparently, taken it upon herself to kill Steven, only seem to incriminate her. Vero’s also keeping secrets, and Finlay discovers there’s a tangled web of women around Steven. Throw in the fact that the guy she’s kind of seeing, the bartender Julian, is out of town for a week with a bunch of other guys and doing possible questionable things because now he’s not really communicating with her, and Finlay finds her holiday season not quite as merry. Even if Detective Nick Anthony seems very, very interested.

Just like with the first book, I really enjoyed the mystery and I loved how nutty it made Finlay. Her life is already kind of a mess. Throw in someone trying to kill the father of her children, a father her children absolutely love and adore, and things get complicated. Honestly, though, I found it difficult to really get into this one. All the murder attempts were scary, but I found it hard to become really invested until a body turned up. Prior to that, it kind of felt like everyone was spinning their wheels. Sure, dangerous and scary things were happening, people were hurt, things were destroyed, but it mostly just made Finlay feel like she was chasing something instead of investigating something.

Ultimately, though, the mystery was my favorite part. I liked how much trouble Finlay always got herself into, the web she’d attached herself to growing and growing. I’m always tickled by how much deeper she digs her hole with the Russian mafia. The cast of players there just seems to grow, and I love how this suburban mom who struggles to even pay her own bills winds up mingling with some very wealthy characters. Her life is in the process of turning inside out, and it’s kind of fun to see, especially since one of her love interests is a police detective, not to mention her own sister is a cop.

There are two major gripes I have with this book, and the series so far, though. One is the romance. On their own, Julian and Nick seem like pretty ordinary, decent guys. But something happens when Finlay ends up in their mix. It feels like a love triangle, but also kind of not really. Finlay and Julian are, more or less, just hooking up and Julian feels like he both wants to be the guy Finlay turns to while also keeping things casual and locking her out of his life. Nick, on the other hand, wants a real, true relationship, and doesn’t care that she’s seeing someone else. I hate these dynamics, and they all feel like juveniles playing at love. I’m hoping Finlay picks one soon and sticks with it, because it just feels like it’s taking something away from the story for me.

Even worse, Finlay feels more like an absent mom than the dad the kids hardly ever get to see. She’s always rushing out to solve a case, or locking herself in her office to finish a manuscript she doesn’t even spend a lot of time writing and yet manages to churn something fantastic out at the end of a night. She clearly loves her kids and wants to protect them, but she always seems to be foisting their care off on someone else, from their real Aunt Georgia to their “Aunt” Amy to their grandmother. Vero’s their nanny, so I get why she’s taking care of the kids so much, but, as a mom myself, I love putting my kids to bed and it often annoyed me how often Finlay got home late, well after Vero put the kids to bed. It feels like she wants the kids, but not always the trouble of taking care of them. The times Finlay herself raised a hand to actually care for her children seemed few and far between.

Honestly, though, Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead just wasn’t a strong installment in the series to me. It’s fun, and I liked how nutty Finlay and Vero are, and I especially love Vero’s character, but other things muddied this one for me. I found the whole story mostly lackluster until the very end, when a very interesting and funny reveal is made. But these characters have just wrapped themselves up in their own webs that just keep getting latched together. The really fun part is the part the Russian mafia plays. Everything else just kind of felt agonizing to get through.

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead is probably not going to be one of my favorite books in the series, but it’s lighthearted and fun with some scary things thrown in. It didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat, but it was amusing to follow her as she followed the clues, and sometimes her reactions to things were kind of worth it. Otherwise I’m completely over the romantic entanglements, and I would love to see Finlay be more hands on with her kids. But it is also kind of fun to watch her dig her hole deeper.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Rating: 3.75
Mode of Reading: Kindle
How did I pick this up: @NetGalley Read Now Promotion by Elle Cosimano and her publisher (Minotaur Books) in preparation for the latest Finlay Donovan book (releasing March 18 2025)
Short Yet Sweet Review: I believe that Ms. Donovan may be one of my new favorite reads - it's easy to consume, fun to read, and keeps your interest! The only reason my rating doesn't reflect that same sentiment is that 'it's a fun read' is all I keep thinking - not "It's groundbreaking, I'm in love, this is phenomenal, etc." but don't let this fool you; I've enjoyed my time with Finlay and Vero. This time, the twist was fun and comical and I did NOT see it coming. I found that this book made me want to know more about Vero and her back story and I feel like we only got a little introduction to it this time - maybe more in the next books. I love the connection that Finlay writes her new books based on the drama they are going through and I'm intrigued to know if we'll ever find out more in a romance sense: lawyer or cop.... I absolutely will be picking up the next book to find out more - the Epilogue has me ready to pick it up next!

(Short Review as not a true ARC - book was published in 2022!)

In this second installment Finlay and her cast of crazies attempt to keep her ex alive and discover who put a hit on him.

Fast paced, goofy, light hearted who dun it

Finlay 2.0 did not disappoint! I love that the book is funny, and the characters are all perfectly written, but it’s also legit a mystery, I had no idea who the culprit was until the end. Over all the series is so fun to read and also, team Nick for sure. 🥵👮‍♀️. Bring on book #3

This series is getting better and better, I love the mystery surrounding it all, and I’m always shocked by the cliffhanger and the who did it of the whole book, but I also love the love triangle, the relationship between Vero and Finlay and the other drama.

This book is super entertaining and keeps me hooked from start to finish, it’s so easy to fall back into the world post the cliffhanger and the characters all stay pretty much from book 1 so it’s really easy to get hooked on all the side plots and characters as well! Can’t wait to read book 3!

Finished Reading

Pre-Read notes

KNOCKS 'EM DEAD is the second book in Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan series. I decided to read the whole series when NetGalley offered downloads of all 5 published books if I read and reviewed the new one coming out March 4th. I also meant to read these! So I didn't pass up the opportunity! I liked the first one, so feeling pretty good going in!

Final Review

...I'm not the luckiest person in the world, and I know better than to assume the dead don't come back to life. (0:08:52)

Review summary and recommendations

I really really love when I give a series a chance (a rare thing for me) and I end up loving the second book more than the first. It makes me excited for the rest of the series!

Never go back to the scene of a crime. It's simple common sense if you want to get away with murder. Right up there with "Don't wrap a corpse in your shower curtain", "Don't buy four gallons of bleach and a shovel with your credit card", and "Don't keep a chest freezer in your garage". (1:56:10)

Reading Notes

Three (or more) things I loved:

1. I actually like the plot of this one much better than the first! It's funny, mysterious, suspenseful-- everything I want from my fun Friday night read.

2. The three capable women rallying around the incapable philandering guy to keep themselves out of prison formula is really working in this book!

3. "I've got it all in my head, I just haven't typed it up yet! I'll do it right now, I swear. I can have something to you before you meet with her at nine." I didnt know what that something would be, but it would buy me an hour to figure it out. (1:16:51) The writer fmc thing is growing on me because it's at least realistic!


Three (or less) things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. OMG it's the same addicted-to-inflection audiobook narrator as the first book in the series. I did *not* enjoy her read. And I am *not* enjoying this one. I think Casimano used her for every book 🤦‍♀️

Rating: 📚📚📚📚 /5 book series
Recommend? yes!
Finished: Feb 16 '25
Format: digital arc, NetGalley; accessible (audiobook) copy, Libby
Read this book if you like:
👮‍♀️ crime capers
🤥 unreliable narrator
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 family drama
🎭 mistaken identity

Thank you to the author Elle Cosimano, publishers St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of Finley Donovan Knocks Them Dead. I found an accessible (audiobook) copy on Libby. All views are mine.
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Book 2 of 6

The sequel to Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is just as wild and chaotic, but it didn’t quite hit the same high notes as the first book. Let’s start with the love triangle: I wasn’t sure who to root for, but not in the fun "I-can’t-choose" kind of way—more like, "Can we add some better options to the mix?" Neither Nick nor Julian really won me over, though Nick playing with Delia was a small "aww" moment that gave him a slight edge. But honestly? I’m way more invested in the Finlay-Veronica dynamic, which continues to shine. Their friendship is the true heart of this series, and I’d happily read a book that’s just the two of them solving crimes and roasting each other.

Steven, on the other hand, is officially on my "ugh, please" list. His spiral into crazy-town toward Finlay felt like overkill. Yes, he had his reasons, but I already disliked the guy—I didn’t need more reasons to roll my eyes at him. Here’s hoping he either redeems himself by the end of the series or just quietly fades into the background.

While this installment didn’t quite capture the magic of the first book, it was still a fun, fast-paced ride that left me wanting more. Finlay and Veronica are too good to quit, so I’m sticking around for the next one. Let’s hope things get even wilder (and maybe we get a romance I can actually care about).

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead is a fast-paced mystery/thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end. Picking up not long after the events of the first book, Finlay and Vero are desperate to find out who wants Finlay’s ex husband Stephen dead, and is willing to pay big time for someone to do it. Thank you to NetGalley, Elle Cosimano, and At. Martin’s Press for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m very quickly falling in love with the Finlay Donovan series. I’m only two books in, but I’m hooked already. Knocks ‘Em Dead had even more mystery and intrigue than the first book. I can’t decide if my favorite part of this book was Finlay’s bumbling, most of the time goofy way of getting herself into some truly crazy predicaments, her back and forth romances with Julian and Nick, Vero’s mysterious secret she is keeping for most of the book, or Stephen’s total and complete lack of self-preservation.

All I know is I will immediately be starting Finlay Donovan book #3 because I HAVE to know where this story is going!

I really don’t get the hype..

I’ve tried reading this one but I got bored and quit about 20% into the book.

This is a continuation of Finlay Donovan is Killing it. The story continues as Finlay finds out someone has a hit out on her ex-husband, and she is trying to find out who it is before they can accomplish the kill of her children's father. The situations Finlay gets into is just hilarious. She tries so hard to stay out of trouble, stay out of the way of the police, but it seems no matter what she does, she still ends up in hot water. This was a great continuation on the first book and I look forward to the rest of the series.

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔾𝕚𝕤𝕥:
Finlay Donovan is once again struggling to complete her next novel while managing the chaos of being a single mother of two, relying on her live-in nanny and confidant, Vero. However, trouble brews when someone targets her ex-husband, Steven, with deadly intentions, despite him being a good father. To save him, Finlay finds herself entangled in a web of hit-women posing as soccer moms and unwittingly involved with the Russian mob. Meanwhile, Vero is hiding secrets, and Detective Nick Anthony, a handsome cop, is eager to rekindle their relationship. With a looming book deadline and the urgent need to protect her family, Finlay must navigate this dangerous situation, even if it means bending a few laws, all while hoping her efforts don’t lead to disastrous consequences.

𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕤:
😂 𝘓𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘰𝘶𝘵-𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘰𝘳
🔎 𝘊𝘰𝘻𝘺 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺
💞 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘮
📚 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳

𝕊𝕚𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕒𝕣 𝕍𝕚𝕓𝕖𝕤:
📚 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗮 𝗪𝗼𝗻𝗴'𝘀 𝗨𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗿𝘀 ʙʏ ᴊᴇssᴇ ǫ sᴜᴛᴀɴᴏ
🎥 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗼 𝗠𝗲

𝕄𝕪 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:
𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘀 '𝗘𝗺 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗱 had me laughing out-loud again right from the start. I found nook two to be a little bit more predictable than the first book, but it was still super entertaining. Finlay brings so much chaotic energy to the page and I always have so much fun in her world.

The stakes were a little higher in book two- causing Finlay to have to clean up even bigger messes and finding her in more nail-biting scenarios. I was skeptical about how Cosimano would be able to create a series based on these characters without it being to repetitive, but this book was a great continuation of book one!

Fans of 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗼 𝗠𝗲 will love this series. I can’t wait to read more of Finlay’s adventures!

𝕄𝕪 ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (𝟺/𝟻)

Book #2 in the Finlay Donovan series. I love the Finlay Donovan character, single mom of two, and an author. This book reminds me so much of a Janet Evanovich novel. Be warned this one ends in a cliffhanger, so be prepared with the next book because you will not be able to help yourself.

Another fun book in the serious. Easy to read and Finlay’s antics are humorous. Her friendship with Vero is the backbone of the book. Definitely recommend to cozy mystery readers. Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this e-galley!

Finlay Donovan needs inspiration for her next novel. So when she uncovers an online plot to murder her ex-husband Steven, Finlay jumps into the fray. Unfotunately, her attempts to rescue him are nearly thwarted, and he pushes back. Toss in side characters (Vero, the nanny who keeps secrets; Nick, the hot cop; Julian, a boyfriend with secrets; and the Russian mob), and this story becomes even more dramatic, exciting and spicy.
I like the relationship between Finlay and Vero. It's friendly and protective with boundaries.
At points, I found myself thinking, "This can't get any worse for Finlay!" And then it got worse!
I did laugh out loud a few times. I wasn't a fan of the sexual innuendo or occasional profanity.
While I did read the first book in this series a few years ago, I don't remember it. Thankfully, the author includes enough backstory to help readers catch up with Finlay's life.

What a fun read! Elle Cosimano has done it again! I absolutely loved the newest adventure of Finlay Donovan and Vero her nanny/accountant. This second book does not disappoint it has all the suspense and humor of the first book and all the great characters we have come to love and a few new ones! I couldn’t put this one down as Finlay and Vero seek out the person offering a reward on the dark web to kill her ex-husband Steven. All while juggling 2 kids under 5 and writing her new novel. Will they save Steven and protect her kids? Read and find out you will not be disappointed.

I really enjoyed our FMC character development in this follow-up to our favorite cozy murder mystery! Finlay is so endearing but yet so unpredictable, which makes for a great story and allows us to feel like she is still relatable. As with the first book in the series, this book was the perfect mix of humor and mystery!

This book was an absolute riot! Finlay Donovan is back, and her life is just as hilariously messy and action-packed as ever. The mix of mystery, humor, and unexpected twists kept me hooked from start to finish. The banter is top-notch, the stakes are high, and the chaos is pure entertainment. If you love fast-paced thrillers with a side of laugh-out-loud moments and great characters, this one is a must-read!