⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | A Wildly Fun and Fast-Paced Mystery!

Elle Cosimano delivers another hilarious, action-packed installment in the Finlay Donovan series, and Findlay Donovan Jumps the Gun does not disappoint! This time, Finlay’s “research” lands her in a citizen’s police academy, where she’s not just gathering material for her next book—she’s also hunting down a contract killer, keeping secrets from a dangerously charming cop, and trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to stay out of trouble with the Russian mob. Just another day in the life of everyone’s favorite accidental crime solver!

The banter between Finlay and Vero is as sharp as ever, and their friendship remains the highlight of the series. The mystery is engaging, the humor is spot-on, and the romantic tension? Absolutely sizzling. While the story is packed with twists and turns, at times, the chaos felt a bit overwhelming—but that’s part of the charm of Finlay’s world.

If you love witty, fast-paced mysteries with strong female friendships, laugh-out-loud moments, and just the right amount of danger, this book is for you! Cosimano has once again crafted a thrilling, laugh-filled adventure, and I can’t wait to see where Finlay’s next misadventure takes her.

Thank you, NetGalley and Minotaur Books, for the ARC!

I liked the third book just as much as the second one. This is such a fun series, Jumps the Gun has less action compared to the second novel, however it has more suspense, which kept me speeding through the book to see what was going to happen next. I was shocked how quickly I read this book it was so easy to get lost in her story, the characters, and their relationships. This book developed the characters even more, I cannot wait to read to the next book.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the gifted copy of Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano. I didn't enjoy this installment of the Finlay Donovan adventures as much as the first two. I felt like I was wading though a lot of the details and storylines. Finlay and her sidekick Vero are still fun characters to read about but, this one just fell flat for me. I won't give up on the series though!

Another funtastic ready by Elle Cosimano! Finlay and Vero are my forever favorite characters and the third book in the Finlay Donovan series does NOT disappoint!! If you love a good cat and mouse chase sprinkled with some romance and comedy, you will LOVE this book! Finlay and Vero yet again find themselves working for Felix, the Russian Mob Boss, or are they? There's a contract killer on the loose who put a hit on Finlay's ex, Steven. This hitman could be a cop on the same force as Nick, the "hot cop". Nick starts a citizen's police academy and Finlay and Vero join. Can they handle the pressure? The academy gives them access to do some behind the scenes digging into who this Easy Clean is, it's almost too easy. And Vero's past comes back to haunt her. A stolen car, a dead body, a contract killer on the loose, it's hard to see this ending well for Finlay and Vero. Can Nick and Finlay continue to hide their feelings from each other any longer? Will Easy Clean be caught and who is he? You MUST read to find out!

A super fun page-turning read and I can't wait to jump into the next book in the series!

So I’m a bit conflicted for this one. I loved so many elements but Finlay kept making me mad. The twist was twisting and I still don’t like one character. I will keep going because I’m too invested in Finlay, Vero, & especially anything related to the hot cop in her story.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for giving me access to this book in preparation for the newest addition to the series.

This book mostly read as filler and set up for the next book. I think the set up is great. It seems like the next book should be good. This book was still fun and funny, but I’m not sure that it needed to exist. Also, how has Nick not figured everything out. Finlay and Vero almost cover nothing up, and the police force is around them for the entire book.

The third book in the Finlay Donovan series, Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun, is fun, chaotic, and just entertaining as the past Finlay Donovan books. Finlay is definitely my favorite single mom who seems to get wrapped up in mystery, mayhem, and the mob. Finlay finds herself in trouble once again after a failed attempt to help her ex-husband results in a damaged luxury car. Things get even worse when the Russian mob gets involved, leaving her owe them a favor. They then ask her to identify a contract killer who is closer than she could ever imagine. The duo of Finlay and Vero are at it again and try to keep from dying or going to jail. The addition character of Nick and the fact that he is a police officer only adds to the crazinest that is Finlay's life. Elle Cosimano has delivered us such a wonderful series. It's a must-read for cozy friends and those who enjoy strong, relatable female characters!

I was issued these books for my unbiased review.

I really enjoyed these books. I was issued the entire series of Finlay Donovan stories. They are all stand alone, but I think that for the greatest enjoyment they should be read in order. The duo of Finlay and Vero are so much fun. They keep getting into crazy situations--and find their way out of them. Great read, funny and innovative. All the characters are well placed and just a pleasure.

Read them you will have a great ride!

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano--Next up in the Finlay Donovan series. Finlay and Vero are still trying to learn the identity of the internet contract killer while lying low (and avoiding the Russian mob) at a community police academy. Even while surrounded by cops Finlay and Vero still get up to plenty of hijinks. I am enjoying the silliness of these books combined with high stakes for Finlay and Vero. I also like how the books are tied together with overarching plot points. On to book 4! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital copy.

Another wild installment of the Finlay Donovan series. It’s a fun combination of thriller, romance and comedy. I just can’t wait to see where this all goes!

Author and single mom Finlay Donovan is a pro at getting into trouble. But now, she owes a Russian mob boss who wants her to find a suspected contract killer. Finley and her nanny/accountant Vero start the search at a citizen police academy. Finley keeps getting distracted by a hot cop Nick, though. And someone seems to know all her secrets.
The beginning of this book made me laugh out loud! Parenthood is indeed an interesting endeavor.
I really like how the author ties loose ends together. She offers clues that are important later in the book. That's clever!
I didn't care for the soft porn or profanity. But I'll keep reading books in this series because I need to know what happens next!

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun is a perfect continuation of Finlay’s story. While writer’s block consumes her as she attempts to revise her newest novel, she must also contend with her relationship to Detective Nick Anthony. Will she utilize him for research purposes for her book, or will she stick to her New Year’s resolutions and stay far away from him? And will she and Vero be able to figure out who EasyClean is for Feliks Zhirov before his goons take them out?

Thank you to Elle Cosimano, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for a digital copy of Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! Finlay and Vero’s usual antics get them into all sorts of trouble, ending with them at a police training academy event, surrounded by police and other citizens. I loved this aspect of the book - I found the training academy such an intriguing (and perfect) setting for Finlay and Vero’s investigation!

I went back and forth so many times on who I thought EasyClean was, but I was shocked at who it turned out to be! I definitely didn’t see it coming! Same with the twists in the final chapter - every time something else happened I thought to myself “surely this has to be it??” but Elle Cosimano is the queen of last/minute twists in her Finlay Donovan mysteries! I think finding out a little more about Vero and her backstory was one of my favorite parts of this book. I’m dying to read the next book

By the 3rd book I was well invested in the characters and the hilarity of the situations that Finlay and Vero find themselves in. I was happy to get a bit more of Vero's backstory in this one. I still hate Steven haha This installment leaned more heavily on romance than they have in the past which is normally not my taste but I was already invested in Finlay and Nick it felt genuine to the storyline. This series continues to remind me of the TV shows Dead to Me.

The series took a big stumble on this one! I've been reading them one after the other and when I hit this one I was excited to wrap up some of the crazy and unpack some new crazy.
Unfortunately that didn't happen. Kinda slow read.

Well book three definitely took me for a ride. Finlay has been involved some crazy things, but now she's in bed with Russian mobsters. I was happy to see that the love triangle is no more and that Finlay still attracts crazy to her life.

This series is fantastic! I absolutely love the dark humor! It's such a different twist on the cozy mystery genre. I think my favorite book in the series so far is book two, but this one was pretty great also. It had a really fun mystery with enough of a cliffhanger to make me want to read the next book. With each installment the characters get
more and more interesting. Overall this is a very entertaining series!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Unfortunately this was my least favorite Finlay so far. I found it to be kind of out of nowhere (why not immediately go to Atlantic City??) and too long of an extension of the previous 2 books. I love the characters and the silliness, but it’s time to put the characters in a new situation.

Nick and Finlay are great. Will they be this good without the love triangle? Vero was at her worst this book. I really have a hard time tolerating the characters. Zach’s constant running away was hilarious and I want more of the opening scene with the public restroom throughout the books.

Also, Stephen has got to go. EasyClean should’ve been allowed to finish the job.

Thank you to Netgalley for the e-arc of Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun in exchange for an honest review.

I listened to this in one sitting. It was fun. I didn’t like it as much as the first two books. The stakes weren’t quite as high and it was lacking intense action scenes like the other books had. I do like how the romance is blooming and I’m very interested in Vero’s past.

Finished Reading

Pre-Read notes

I've just read the first two books of this series, and I'm having fun with it! But...it gets so ridiculous sometimes. For example, check out the opening scene of this book. I mean, it's just... but I don't have children, so, who am I to say something is complete preposterous where kids are concerned? *edit This installment gets a step too silly for me, and too political.

Final Review

"We're all liars.... Some of us are just better at hiding it." (3:57:52)

Review summary and recommendations

This one is so preposterous that I couldn't enjoy it. Extra star for being entertaining in its badness.

It was one thing to see the good in people. It was entirely another to be ignorant about who they were once they showed you. (6:31:24)

Reading Notes

Three (or more) things I loved:

1. My favorite thing about this book is Vero's "dark secret" from her shadowy past!

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. She stirred the air with her finger. "That whole enemy of my enemy thing makes you and Feliks friends by default. And your mob boss friend has rubles coming out of his piroshki.” (0:13:34) If I hadn't read the last two books and know for myself that they're good books, this absurdity would completely lose me. That's why in my experience, one must always start a series at the *beginning*!

2. I'm kind of shocked that Cosimano waited until the third book to throw in her personal politics. Am I though? Which is fine if that's what she had in mind for this installment, but she and I don't share a worldview. The one in which a murdering housewife is fun but apparently a fat liberal in a short dress is a crime in itself? No, no, no, I'm not in. It's obvious this book and I reside on different planets. And now I am so not into the rest of this book 😴 Probably done for the whole series. I'm not convinced writers always understand or even consider what they're doing when they make fun of potential readers in their books. See, this is why I never devote myself to a series!

3. In the audiobook, Vero sounds like a 2-pack-a-day granny. She's a grad student right? In her 20's? But honestly, the narrator does all of the other voices well, and there are many.

Rating: 👮‍♀️👮🏾‍♂️ /5 citizens academy cadets
Recommend? no, but you should read it if you're going to read the rest of the series
Finished: Feb 17 '25
Format: digital arc, NetGalley; audiobook, Libby
Read this book if you like:
🤡 absurd humor
🫖 cozy mysteries
🚔 crime capers
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 family stories, family drama
💔 divorce and exes

Thank you to the author Elle Cosimano, publishers St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of Finley Donovan Jumps the Gun. I found an accessible (audiobook) copy on Libby. All views are mine.
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Book 3 of 6

As the 3rd Finlay Donovan book in the series, this was also a great book. The action keeps going, theres no time to be bored. Instead of finding her way out of trouble with the mob and police, she just seems to get further into it. This book was packed with so much action, I had a hard time keeping up and remembering some of the new characters that were introduced. While pretending to participate in a civilian police training course, Finlay and Vero are trying to find the person who is bribing the mob head, without getting themselves killed. It ended with Finlay and Vero on the run because they did not achieve what the Russian mobster Feliks requested of them, and is "not happy".

This was a great 3rd book and still look forward to the next one.