What have we done was a dual timeline i think? It wasn’t my favorite of Alex finlay but it was very capturing, the beginning was so good and action packed and towards the end it fell a bit flat. I’d just say the end was disappointing and leave it at that.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review.*

3.25 ⭐️

What Have We Done follows a group of adults who were in the same foster home when they were in their early teens. You know, going into this book that they were all responsible for something really bad in their youth. This book has a lot of twists and turns, but it takes a while to get there.

Jenna, Nico, Donnie, and Artemis all get their own chapters, along with a few others in this book. The chapters were short and quick, but the overall plot kind of dragged up until the last part of this book.

All of these characters have their own skill sets and use them well during the mystery and action that happens in this book. It is apparent that they all have an unspeakable bond with each other. You slowly find out how their time at Savior House was and how they dealt with the trauma into their adult hood.

The premise of this book is that the group from the Savior House is being targeted, and someone is trying to kill all of them after they find out their friend Ben was killed. I can say the twist as to why and who was trying to kill the group surprised me. I liked those chapters a lot.

I did feel that Nico and Donnie's characters slowed the story down for me. I didn't particularly care about either of their POVs, but I understood why they were added. Jenna was by far my favorite character. I ate her chapters up. I even enjoyed the other women's chapters in this book as well. I wanted more background about them!

Overall, this book wasn't a bad action/mystery thriller at all. It just kind of dragged and took me a while to get into the story.

One of the Most Anticipated Books of 2023:• BookPage • BookBub • Go BookMart • The Every Girl • She Reads • Beyond the Bookends

A stay-at-home mom with a past.
A has-been rock star with a habit.
A reality TV producer with a debt.
Three disparate lives.
One deadly secret.

I loved the writing and the way Alex Finlay tells the story of Jenna, Donnie and Nico in the present some twenty five odd years later, who are now being hunted down one by one.

It’s just so thrilling to read an Alex Finlay novel that you feel so giddy when you crack that spine, settle in, take a deep breath, and then off to a wild ride never looking back.

What Have We Done is a great thriller and coming of age read that is exhilarating and oh so fun!

I enjoyed this book! I didn’t know who was going to be the person after all of them. I didn’t expect it to be one of the fellow former foster kids! The twist about him also killing other people when he was younger was interesting too!

I loved the premise and the execution of this book, and it reminded me why I am currently binging the author’s entire catalog.

This book was quite a ride! Someone is out to kill 3 people who used to be at a youth home together. Now as adults (some with very interesting and a wee far fetched) careers Donnie, Nico, and Jenna have to come back together to figure out who is after them and why and how it ties back to their time at Savior House. This is very intense and fast paced and in my head I kept picturing the villain assassins as the Waif from GoT (x2). I can't say I was too surprised by the big reveal of the culprit at the end but I still really enjoyed this one.

•Synopsis•
Secrets
Intertwining lives
Stay at home mom
Has been rock star
TV producer

•Rating•
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 stars
I recommend this book!

•Similar Recommended Reads•
Stone Cold Fox
An Anonymous Girl
The Woman in the Park

This was a page-turning thriller that surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. I loved the multiple points of view and the story kept me guessing until the very end.

I have read several books by Alex Finlay and was thrilled to get an ARC of What Have We Done. Sometimes, books told from multiple perspectives and multiple timelines can be extremely confusing -- it can be hard to tell who is who and what timeframe is being discussed. However, Alex Finlay did an exceptional job of developing each main character (and their backstory) and weaving them together flawlessly. A must read thriller for 2023!!!

Not my favorite Alex Finlay book. I appreciate the change of pace Finlay took in writing What Have We Done however this one definitely not one of my favorites. I can definitely see this transfer to the screen which oddly I feel watching this book come to life on the screen would've been more enjoyable for me personally.
I was able to put this novel down & go back to reading a day or so later unlike Finlay's last two novels which I flew through them pretty quickly & didn't want to put down.
While you can't love everything everyone writes this was an overall good solid read, I'll still continue to read Finlay's books for sure.

This was a very middle of the road thriller for me. It had a promising premise but fell flat throughout most of it for me. The last 30ish percent is when I finally got invested. If you're newer to thrillers and don't love the jump scare types, this one may be for you! I think I would recommend Finlay's previous thriller, The Night Shift, over this one.

Alex Finlay knows how to write a good thriller, and this was one of them! It was action packed, and kept me guessing right to the very end.

The story was fantastic! This is a fast paced thriller and I absolutely loved it. It was a quick read because I couldn’t stop reading it. This book was definitely a page turner and the ending was completely a shock to me! Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC.

Old friendships, a bond forged by endurance and now a murderer out to get them. A fast paced thriller that you wont be able to put down.

Thank you #NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read this!

A crime from the past puts three individuals in the sights of a contract killer.

Jenna, a stepmom of two teenage daughters, Donnie, a B-list rockstar, and Nico, a reality tv producer, come under fire (literally) when a hired killer tries to take them out. Gradually, secrets from their present lives and past align, linking them all to one big, buried secret.

The narrative alternates between the three, with a few additional chapters thrown in from the killer(s)’ point of view. Each character is more than who they seem to be; however, each is one giant cartoonish cliche. I enjoyed Jenna’s chapters the most, but Nico and Donnie have some moments where they shine.

The premise is interesting, but one has to suspend disbelief to enjoy this novel. The best way I can describe this book is a combination of Orphan X and a James Patterson novel. It is big on the action but low on character development and nuance. I would have never guessed that Alex Finlay wrote this book. The tone and the plot are very different from his two most recent novels: The Night Shift and Every Last Fear.

This is a very readable, fast-paced, action-packed novel. There is also some humor woven in. The ending is wild and chaotic, and I found myself liking the contract killers. I had fun trying to figure out what in the world was going to happen; however, it was missing the tension and subtlety I expect from Finlay.

📘Book Review📘

Thank you to @netgalley @stmartinspress and @minotaur_books for the eARC for What Have We Done. I finished this ebook forever ago and am just now getting around to reviewing it. 😜 Life in summer is so crazy, am I right?

Does anyone remember the movie series “I Know What You Did Last Summer?” That’s what this book reminds me of.

I’ve read all of Alex Finlay’s books now. His first two are great and, honestly, The Night Shift is my favorite. This one was…good. Of the three I’m ranking it third. Still a solid 3 stars, but if you haven’t read his previous two, I’d recommend them first.

The story was superb! A fast paced thriller. I absolutely loved it and couldn’t stop reading it. This book was definitely a page turner and the ending was completely a shock to me! It’s perfect for all readers, especially thriller lovers.

I can break it down into what I liked and did not like
What I liked:
-Great story; I think all the character's stories did a great job of meshing together.
-Multi povs also did a good job setting the story's pace.
-A great thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

What I disliked:
- You did not need the female villain's POV or chapters. I tried to get myself to feel bad for them, but I didn't. I always understand why authors do it, but this was unnecessary.
- It took too long for the story's pace to feel steady and not rushed. Again I know in the beginning it's setting up the foundation of each character's story and who they are and what's happening, but it felt chaotic.

A fantastic mystery filled with characters that had me guessing until the very end. I really liked how Finlay weaved together so many characters that had a childhood together but had grown apart in adulthood. However, circumstances brought them all back together and in ways they never imagined. Gripping, challenging and an overall great story!

3 stars

This book was just middle of the road for me. I have read one other book by Alex Finlay which I also felt the same about.

Three people almost die the common denominator is a group home they all lived in when they were kids where bad things happened that they thought were secret but apparently, it's not so secret someone knows.

The writing was good, the story was alright. The plot was compelling. The book kept me reading and entertained but it's not something that I am going to remember long term.

Thanks Netgalley and Minoutaur for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.