This was fine. The audiobook narrator did a good job; however, since I only physically read the last two installments I had a harder time connecting with the characters in this one because how the narrator portrayed the characters wasn’t exactly cohesive with how I had imagined them previously. Obviously no fault of anyone, they were just different takes. The book is a good time though. For me it wasn’t quite as gripping as the others. It lacked something, maybe suspense or just the fun of Finlay being mistaken for a hitman the others had? But the story leaves enough unanswered questions that there’s potential for the next one, and I will pick it up.

Elle set the bar really high for herself with the first two books. This one didn't quite reach the level of laugh-out-loud funniness that we've come to expect. There was a major lack of Finlay and Vero shenanigans in companions to the other two books. The ending clearly means there will be a 4th installment in this series and I am very excited to watch the author give us the comedy we have come to expect from her genius brain! Will still be purchasing for my personal library! 3.5 stars!

This was the third Finlay Donovan book I have read. I loved the first one for its originality and humor. The second was almost as good. This one had trouble holding my attention. I think, perhaps, there is just so much that can be written about two amateur assassins and Elle Cosimano should move on to some new characters and situations. I thank Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC. 2.5 stars rounded to 3.

3.5 stars (rounded up to 4)

I’m not quite sure how she does it, but Elle Cosimano somehow manages to write a mystery-thriller that is lighthearted and funny at the same time as there are a lot of rather tense moments.

Finlay Donovan, a struggling writer with two small children, is separated from her (cheating) husband and Vero is her live-in nanny who is studying accounting. Together they are quite the team! Without giving away too much of the plot, the troubles they’ve had in the previous books, with a Russian mobster and other misadventures, continue in this volume. And Finlay is still trying to figure out what her relationship should/could be with Nick, a local detective. Finlay and Vero wind up attending a week-long Citizens Police Academy in the hope of figuring out who the “dirty cop” is (details in previous books in the series) while gaining some useful skills, and the situations they find themselves in are sometimes scary and sometimes really funny.

I’ve read all three books in this series (so far) and this one is possibly my favorite. It can be read as a standalone if you’re willing to just “go with the flow” and enjoy the madcap adventure (but of course you will lose all the back story details). I was kind of hoping this would be the last in the series, wrapping things up, but nope - from the way the book ended, there will surely be a book 4!

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. The audiobook is beautifully narrated by Angela Dawe.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook and to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Finlay (and Vero) are back at it again with some of their crazy antics in this third installment of the Finlay Donovan series!

So far they’ve gotten themselves mixed up in murders, police investigations, Russian mafias, near death experiences, and more, but it’s still not over. This book, there are essentially two plot lines: 1) trying to figure out the identity of EasyClean, a hit person from the dark web and 2) paying off debts.

The setting was fun because it primarily takes place at a police academy/ bootcamp except it’s one for the community to partake in to get a taste of what the police life is like! And yes... our very own Finlay and Vero find themselves stuck here and are simultaneously trying to get the answers to their own questions while also making sure to steer clear of any potential killers.

It felt a bit like a locked room mystery because you’re presented with a cast of characters and just know that one of them is up to something shady, but you don’t know who or why. So I did enjoy that! However, where things got a murky for me was just the crossover of the two aforementioned plots. There were a few times where I got a bit confused trying to keep track of what info was relevant to what. Or even trying to understand how it all tied together.

Also, maybe it was the mood I was in while reading, but for some reason Vero’s character just seemed like a LOT. It was the same person from the previous books, but almost… amped up way more to where her actions just seemed too much for me at times. But again, could just be me being picky!

Regardless though, this book still has the same humor, laughable moments, and one liners that I enjoyed so much in the first two. Plus, we do get to see so much more of Detective Nick Anthony and that’s always a positive!

As you would expect too, this books leaves off with yet another cliffhanger so you can bet there will be more to come and I can’t wait to see how that pans out!

This is the third book in the Finlay Donovan series and as expected, she and her sidekick Vero, have a knack for being in the wrong place at the right time to take down the bag guys.
I gave the previous two books both 5 stars; however, this one didn’t hold the same spark as the other ones did for me. I found myself smiling a couple times, but there was no chortling on my end with this adventure.
I’m still a fan of the series but this one fell flat for me and I will still look forward to the next book.
3.5 stars

I love the Finlay Donovan series. This is the third book in the cozy mystery/thriller series following Finlay and her nanny Vero. I love following along with their crazy antics and how they move about their lives. Elle Cosimano's writing is easy to follow, funny and more importantly entertaining.

I highly suggest this series for anybody who is trying to get into cozy mystery stories. This book picks up from when the Russian mob boss is behind bars and they are trying to identify a killer to protect themselves and their family. We also get to learn some of vero's backstory and a little more about her love interest Javi.

This babe is out in the world making up laugh one ridiculous moment at a time! I LOVE this series and it is the perfect escape. While I liked the other two better, this one was still completely unhinged and hooked me!

If you’re looking for a fun series that isn’t all about romance, this was is for you! But there is a still some swoon worthy moments.

This is a really cute series, one that I’m happy to keep up with. I felt this book was stronger than the second one and I’m really excited to learn more about Vero in future books.

This is the most underrated series! By book 3 I am wholly invested in this story and these characters. It had most of what I have come to expect, lots of drama, mystery and tons of funny on-liners. I found that the romantic tension was lacking a little in this book though and the pacing seemed off compared to the others. I would still highly reccomend!

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun (Finlay Donovan #3) by Elle Cosimano

Finlay Donovan is back!

I hadn’t read the previous books, so I decided to binge-read the whole series and I loved it!

Finlay Donovan is an author and a single mom whose husband left her for a another woman and who is now struggling to write her next novel. When she’s explaining her book’s murderous plot to her literary agent, a woman overhears their conversation and mistakes her for a contract killer, so she hires her to get rid of her shady husband. Of course, Finlay is not a killer, but while trying to do some research for her book she ends up getting into a messy situation that involves a real life murder investigation, the Russian mob, a hot law student and an attractive detective.

Throughout the series, Finlay and Vero (her nanny/accountant/bff) are going to do whatever it takes to protect their family while trying, again and again, to get away with murder.

In the third installment of the Finlay Donovan’s series, Fin and Vero find themselves at the center of a dangerous situation. Vero’s past and Finlay’s ties with the Russian mob forces them to enroll in a citizen’s police academy lead by detective Nick. Everyone is lying, everyone has secrets of their own and they know that they can’t trust anyone, not even the police.

This series has a little bit of everything; it’s a suspenseful cozy mystery full of humor and friendship. My favorite thing about this series is Vero and her relationship with Finlay. They truly are ride or die and Vero’s constant involvement in Fin’s romantic life is hilarious! Can’t wait to read more about this amazing duo and their very entertaining shenanigans.

Angela Dawe narrates the audio version of Finlay Donovan and she does a fantastic job at bringing the characters to life. I particularly enjoy listening to Finlay’s interactions with her kids.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for gifting me review copies of this great book.

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano is just delightful! I really liked books 1 and 2 but this latest installment is my favorite. Finlay and Vero are up to their old tricks again as accidental amateur sleuths and it's hilarious to watch the trouble they manage to get into where hilarious dialogue and situations abound at every turn. I'm in love with these characters and hope this series never ends.

“I wanted dessert, to hell with the consequences.”

NGL, these are like a sickly sweet read for me, I know I won’t love them and yet…I just can’t help but come back time and again for a stomachache.

“The cop is hot, but the romance is not, and your publisher’s not paying you for fifty shades of boring.”

The romance subplot is…meh, because honestly team hot cop is clearly the only winner and it’s been 3 books of dangling this will they won’t they thread, it’s tired.

The best parts are truly the friendship between Finlay and Vero yet even that, honestly I couldn’t stand Vero for most of this. She literally fucks up everythingggg and Finlay never holds her to account for any of it. I’m all for besties over everything but there’s zero accounting for Vero and it’s just treated so comically like it’s cute, I just…man idk. I get there’s a lot of suspension needed for these but this really tests one’s patience.

Will I still read book 4? Probably, just so I can finish the series. Alas…

Rating: 2.75/3, rounding up to 3. Thank you Minotaur for my galley!

"'We're all liars,' he said, taking the gun and reloading the magazine with a snap. 'Some of us are just better at hiding it.'"

In FINLAY DONOVAN JUMPS THE GUN by Elle Cosimano, book three in the Finlay Donovan series, our accidental hit-mom heroine continues her unintentinal (and unwanted) business with the Russian mob. With a mob boss forcing her to identify a contract killer, who might be a dirty cop, Finlay winds up at a citizen's police academy, where she and Vero have to sniff out which officer is a criminal.

The good: I LOVE Finlay + Vero. Easily one of my favorite sleuth duos of all time. They're hilarious together, and very clever, and I was so happy that their camraderie continues in this installment. I also love Elle Cosimano's writing style—easy to read yet packs a punch when it needs to.

The less good: A muddled plot with a touch too much coincidence. Books one and two were crazy yet felt *slightly* more plausable—book three loses a lot of that plausibility, and a lot was left up to chance. I know that reading fiction requires, by nature, a certain level of suspending disbelief, but this plot was particularly far-fetched.

HOWEVER, I had a great time anyways. The characters are what make this series fantastic, and I'll continue recommending it to anyone looking for a fresh, fun, and heartwarming mystery series. (Just be sure to read the books in order, since they won't work as standalones.)

Big thanks to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Finlay Donovan is at it again... coming off of saving her ex-husband's life and ruining an incredibly expensive car, Finlay has the attention of Russian mob. The Russian mob paid for the luxury car that Finlay and Vero borrowed, but now, they're indebted to them. Russian mob boss, Feliks has one job for her to do for them to be even. Find the contract killer that wanted her ex-husband dead before the police do.

Finlay is no stranger to the police in her county. She has a previous relationship with a hot detective. Said hot detective finds himself running a "citizens" police academy where individuals can come for a week and see what police training is like. This includes shoot at the range, driving a cruiser and multiple other class options. Thinking that the contract killer just might be a dirty cop, Finlay and Vero decide to attend the academy and spin it as recon for Fin's newest novel... and man, what a story they find.

I absolutely LOVE this series. Finlay is such a relatable character if you're a mom with young children. I am constantly laughing at her with her kids and the things they do. I really enjoy the mystery elements of these novels and the lighthearted, comedic touch that Elle Cosimano approaches them with. I was definitely kept guessing during Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun! I can't wait for book 4.

Cosimano does it again! I love finding the gems of humor in thrillers and at book 3, she’s still keeping pace.

Finlay and her friend Vero are just about the dumbest criminals of all time. One, because they’re trying to not be criminals, and two, because they think it’ll get them out of whatever mess they’re in. But it just makes it worse. I’m still laughing through this series.

Finlay’s love interest is in charge of a citizen’s police academy. This is the perfect cover to get in and be able to search out a killer but also get content for her next book deadline. The scenes are ridiculous and sometimes over-the-top but we read to be entertained. In my opinion, Cosimano is still accomplishing that. It may not be as good as book one but it still has me looking forward to each installment.

It’s even somewhat predictable but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying it. It’s full of laugh-out-loud moments, criminal ridiculousness from Finlay and Vero, and single parenting in-between.

AUDIO REVIEW: Well done! Angela Dawe is perfect at making their antics sound hilarious. There is great inflection in her voice and she emphasizes hilarity when needed. She is great for this series!

Thank you to Minotaur Books for the digital copy and MacMillan Audio for the ALC!

The book releases January 31, 2023.

Finlay and Vero, accidental contract killers, are at it again in Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun. This time the pair are looking for a corrupt policeman, who in turn turned on his mob boss, for the same mob boss who in turn is blackmailing them, while paying to attend a citizen police academy camp. That’s a lot of turns but I promise it will make sense when you are reading it.

Did I forget to mention this is a laugh-out-loud mystery similar to the Stephanie Plum series? Finlay is a single mom with two small kids and a cheating ex. Her secret weapon is her nanny/accountant/accomplice Vero and all of Vero’s questionably legal friends and relatives. I never thought I would say this but I like this series slightly better than the Plum one right now. At least Finn seemingly picks one of her hot boyfriend prospects rather than dragging it out over thirty books.

If you like zany comic mysteries or even buddy movies, don’t miss Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun. 5 stars and a favorite!

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

Happy publishing day to Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun. Finlay Donovan may be one of the only series I’ve ever stuck with. I’m not a fan of series books, but I am a fan of books that can keep me laughing and also keep me guessing. The Finlay Donovan series always does that.

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun takes place almost entirely at a police academy “camp” for concerned citizens. Finlay and Vero attempt to solve a mystery, while also trying to absolve themselves of various crimes. The police academy aspect of this one kept me intrigued. As always, I loved the trouble that Vero and Finlay managed to create. I laughed out loud at various parts. Part three in the series was similar to part one and two in that the plot followed the same trope of seeking out the bad guy with no clue how to begin.

When reading Finlay Donovan it’s so imperative to suspend disbelief. It’s what I love about Cosimano’s quirky storylines. Admittedly, I missed the outlandishness of being a mom and a contract killer that was so characteristic of book one and parts of book two. Needless to say, I look forward to seeing how Elle Cosimano changes it up in book four. Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

Finlay has saved her ex-husband, Stephen, from the hitman EasyClean, but it required a save from the Russian mafia who demands she and Vero serve up the assassin—or else. At the same time, Vero finds herself running from bad decisions in her past.

Where better to ensconce themselves in safety than a citizen police academy run by Nick who is recovering from a gunshot wound? But mob boss Feliks won’t rest until Finlay and Vero have completed their job for him. Complicating things is that all evidence points to EasyClean being a cop, maybe even Nick’s partner.

Though Finlay plans to keep a low profile, research the identity of the contract killer, and maybe even make progress on her next manuscript, Vero goes all in on the activities, including things uncomfortably familiar, like moving a body, and some new skills like self-defense and target shooting.

Even while surrounded by police, including Nick and Finlay’s sister, Georgia, Finlay and Vero are vulnerable not only to Feliks but to a new, dangerous threat… even as they juggle childcare and romance.

The Finlay Donovan Series is a reliably good time, full of zaniness, female friendship, and outrageous situations grounded with relatable problems and humor. (LOL when podcasters attending the academy were proud to have read all 24 of the Amazon reviews of Finlay’s published books.) In this volume, Finlay struggled with her feelings for Nick versus her criminal misdeeds, but decided to go with her heart, and I was glad to see the romance move forward, and Vero opens herself up a bit more to Finlay.

Before reading the book, you should know that this is not a stand-alone. You do need to read the series in order to make sense of the ongoing narrative. Though the main mystery is resolved, some questions are unanswered, and the book ends on a cliffhanger that (ostensibly) launches Book 4, a book I will read as soon as it is available!

I was both excited and apprehensive about starting Finlay Donovan Jumps The Gun since I enjoyed the first two books so much but was worried that this funny zany storyline had run its course and it would get repetitive. I am glad to report that the third book in this fun series stayed the course and I loved entering Finlay and Vero‘s world once again - it was fun and fresh over the top of course, but oh so enjoyable! The community police boot camp was such a fun idea and provided a great setting for this third installment.
The book are best read in order so if you have not read the other two yet, I recommend starting with Finlay Donovan Is Killing It. This is a fast read with action on every page and quick chapters
I was hoping for Nick and Finlay‘s romance to finally take off and was happy to see things moving in the right (IMO) direction - if slowly