Once again, I am a bit disappointed in a Finlay book. I feel like I figured out what was going on only halfway through and, to me, there was no real suspense involved.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy.

I attempted this book several times but could not get into the story or like the characters. It felt rather formulaic and unpleasant.

Alex Finlay’s What Have We Done is a pulse-pounding thriller that reunites three childhood friends bound by a deadly secret. When someone starts hunting them down, their past and present collide in a race for survival.

Finlay’s pacing is relentless, and the alternating POVs keep the tension high. The mix of action, mystery, and emotional backstory makes this a standout in the genre.

Perfect for fans of:

The Chain or The Last House Guest
High-octane thrillers with emotional depth
Found-family dynamics in suspenseful settings

This was a hard one. I was unable to relate or invest an interest in any of the characters. The multiple view points made it difficult for me to follow the story. I felt like it was a bumpy read the entire time.

What Have We Done by Alex Finlay presents a thoughtful, slow-burn family drama with just enough mystery to keep you guessing. The interplay between characters is nuanced and emotionally grounded, though the pacing occasionally drags with extended introspection. Finlay’s prose is sincere and heartfelt, managing to capture familial tension convincingly.

I haven’t met an Alex Finlay book I haven’t liked! I enjoyed the multiple points of view in this one. The many twists keep me on my toes and I flew through this in a weekend. I enjoyed how the former friends from Savior House stuck together even after years apart.

Things that I enjoyed:

-Short Chapters
-past and present timelines
- unique characters
- Multiple povs
- plot was unique with group home aspect

Less enjoyable:

I found that this story was more plot driven and didnt have alot of character development. We got some information about some of the characters' background but not everyone and I was left feeling like I needed more.

I would recommend it.

I loved Alex Finlay's first novel, Every Last Fear, so I get excited every time he releases a new book. Though I didn't love What Have We Done as much as Every Last Fear, it was still a great read. I always have a hard time putting Finlay's books down, and this one had interesting characters and an engrossing plot. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next! : )

This book was not necessarily my favorite but did have some great elements to it. I found the descriptions to be very well done and I loved the setting. The chapters were short, which is incredibly helpful in moving forward a thriller. However, I often found the back and forth between past and present hard to keep track of and it took away a bit of enjoyment from the story for me. Other than that, I don't have a ton to say about this book, it felt very middle of the road for me.

This was a fun story with multi pov that kept me on my toes the entire time. I didn’t see the twist coming and I loveeeed all the different narrators.

Hooked me from the beginning and encouraged me to go on a run so I call that A WIN🥇

Three former residents of Savior House—a troubled group home for teens—are forced back together after 25 years when someone begins hunting them down. Jenna is now a stay-at-home mom with a hidden past, Donnie is a washed-up rock star struggling with addiction, and Nico is a reality TV producer drowning in debt. Their only connection? A terrible secret they all share.

Well, that didn't go as I expected! This was a fast-paced, twisty thriller with three POVs—Jenna, Donnie, and Nico—all of whom have their own mess of problems. I loved the setup with Savior House and its dark secrets, but those flashbacks were too short, and the constant jumping between past and present left me a bit confused. I liked out main characters, but I didn't love them. They're all so damaged and while I feel for them, so much was their own fault, so it was hard to be to show too much sympathy.

And let’s talk about the assassins—a pair of sociopathic twins who were somehow more cartoonish than creepy. I mean, they were meant to be terrifying, but they just didn’t do it for me. They need to give their customer a refund because they just couldn't keep it together.

But despite those quirks, the story itself kept my attention. The mystery was strong, and I did appreciate how everything wrapped up neatly. I just wish the characters were a bit more fleshed out. While not my favorite Alex Finlay book, if you love action-packed thrillers, this is still worth the read.

What Have We Done is out now. Huge thank you to Minotaur Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books.
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Alex Finlay delivers a twisty, high-stakes thriller that mixes a dark, emotional past with explosive, cinematic action in the present. Think found family trauma meets Jason Bourne, and you’re in the right ballpark.

We follow three adults—Jenna, Donnie, and Nico—who share a haunted past from their time in a group home. When someone starts picking them off, one by one, they’re forced to confront what they did as kids…and how it’s come back to haunt them. The alternating POVs work so well here, especially Jenna’s chapters—former assassin and mom? Yes, please.

This was a fast paced thriller full of action. I loved the mis of past secrets and present danger. The multiple POV's kept things interesting and the suspense didn't let up.

A crime from 20 years ago puts the protagonists of this story in the sights of a contract killer.

What Have We Done is a highly anticipated mystery/thriller by Alex Finlay. This follows Jenna, Nico, and Donnie, three seemingly random adults who al. experience a lift threatening event on the same day. Today, Jenna is an ex-assassin and step-mom of two, Donnie is a famous rock star on the outs of his band with a drug addiction, and Nico famous show producer with a known gambling problem. It is revealed that these three all lived in the same orphanage, Savior House, when they were children for a short period of time. The three have to eventually come together to figure out who is trying to kill them and why, revealing dark secrets and crazy twists to uncover the truth.

This story ended up being a slight disappointment for me. I didn't connect with the main characters on any level, granted look at their history and career paths. I wasn't looking for a very realistic plot but this takes the cake for down-right impossible. All the kinds from this orphanage either end up dead or famous??? Not only that, but they didn't mess up anything, it all went perfect for them, finding out why they were being targeted, who put the contract out, etc. Too many things were happening at once. Too many characters with details that were involved which made it all too confusing.

On to the positive items. I thought it was very clever to have identical twin contract killers with a passion for murder and mayhem. I also enjoyed the plot line of the girls going missing from Savior House. I wish the focus was more on that instead of pulling us in all these different directions.

While I didn't love this, I do think others might find it entertaining!

This story combines past and present in a coming-of-age story combined with a reckoning. Trauma brought them together and ultimately led them apart...only to bring them back together once again. They fought to survive as children, but now they fight for their lives.

This was such a riveting, fast-paced thriller that took me deep into each of the character's lives before adding snippets of their past, together and apart, as I tried to piece together what exactly happened to lead them to this point in time.

Others have so aptly summarized the story in their own reviews, so I will just say that I enjoyed this story a lot and felt that the author did a really good job of weaving the multiple perspectives and timelines together to come to a dramatic and satisfying conclusion.

Thank-you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my advanced reader copy.

Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Mystery: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Writing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What Have We Done by Alex Finlay is a high-octane thriller that blends dark secrets, found family, and heart-pounding suspense. The story follows a group of childhood friends, once bound by a tragic event at a group home, who are thrust back together as adults when someone starts hunting them down—forcing them to confront their shared past and the dangerous truths they buried.

Finlay’s sharp pacing and short, punchy chapters make this an addictive, quick read, with action sequences and twists that keep the tension high. The mix of character-driven backstories with a relentless, present-day manhunt adds depth and stakes, though some moments lean more into action-thriller territory than pure mystery.

4 stars — a gripping, adrenaline-fueled ride packed with twists, secrets, and heart. Perfect for fans of fast-paced thrillers that balance emotional depth with edge-of-your-seat suspense.

This is probably my least favorite Alex Finlay book that I have read thus far. I will continue to check out his new releases, but this one was a disappointment for me.

In this book we follow three people who have a lot of secrets from their childhood at a group home. These secrets have put their lives in danger. In this we follow the characters as someone is attempting to kill them. We get a decent back and forth between present time and the past. Overall, I feel as though this book was not as fledged out as I would have liked and it felt very rushed. The ending was very disappointing for me because it just felt like an "oh okay" moment vs an OMG moment!

When we first meet the main characters, they are teens living in a home for teens that has the reputation for abuse. As a group, the question "What have we done?" is not a good thing. The story jumps forward where the MCs are together again because they have all received death threats. If you've not read Alex Finlay's back titles, you are in for an excellent read. The story is told in multiple POVs, the three survivors and the would be killer. This builds the story in layers as we see the picture in layers, each in their own voice tells a different side of the story. Tension filled action moves quickly to bring justice.....but to whom? 5 easy stars.

Told from multiple points of view, Twenty Five years ago several teenagers commit crimes and years later one is murdered. There are four of them left and a killer is out to get them. Who is out to get them? Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

Amazing as always. Love the author. Love the writing. Love the story. Super fun and addictive. Another adventure taken.