Real Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars

Okay, I’m not going to lie: This book is a whole lot of fun and a real page-turner. I found myself swept up in the story right away and kept reading unless something necessary pulled me away.

I’m also going to be honest once again and say: I had to force myself to completely suspend disbelief in order to enjoy this book. If I tried to enjoy it as a regular suspense thriller, I’d just end up laughing. The circumstances of the book, the characters, and the plot are all so close to outlandish–like something out of a graphic novel–that I just couldn’t take the book seriously.

That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it, though! I had to take a beat, let myself come to terms with the fact I wasn’t reading one of the usual books in this genre, and embrace the extravagance before I could dig in first.

Reporting on the plot would reveal a minefield of spoilers, but be reassured it is equally entertaining and ridiculous. The characters are all ridiculous in their makeup but written well. The pacing is well-done and the way the story is constructed you don’t have time to think too hard about what’s going on. Enjoy the thrill ride and all its eccentric glory and try not to think too hard. Just go with it.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, views, and opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Suspense/Suspense Thriller/Thriller/Suspense Mystery/Crime Fiction/Crime Thriller/Murder Thriller

I loved this book. It had so much going on that it took my breath away. The ending I did not see coming at all. Still wondering where the twins came from but it's not relevant to this story. It was just an all around good edge of your seat story.

Children in the system. Living in a group home for foster children. Teens. At the right age for adults to basically take advantage of them. There was five children who you meet in this story. Each one coming from some type of loss to be left here by the state. Under the care of who I saw as a very uncaring man. His son was a bully and he did nothing to stop him.

The story is told from several different characters. Each explains what is happening to them at the time. Someone is out to kill them and it takes them a bit to understand that it has something to do with the house they lived it.

It starts out with someone being shot. Multiple people shoot this person. You know who is pulling the trigger so no surprise there. Five children who live in this group home. Each pulls the trigger. Sealing them together with this secret forever. Thus the title: WHAT HAVE WE DONE!

You'll meet Jenna. She's married to the love of her life. She has two step-children and she once worked for an organization that took out people. She was groomed from the age of fifteen and finally got out. Finally has a good life. Then it all starts to fall apart. Someone is threatening her and her family if she doesn't do what she is told. She has to take out someone or else!

Donnie is a musician. He is also a bit of a drunk. He never truly got over his life. He's been drinking since he was a kid. But one night he falls off a cruise ship. One that he was playing in a band on but was fired from said band. Did he jump or was it something more sinister?

Nico is a tv personality. He is in charge of a reality tv show called The Miners. Someone tricks him and leaves him for dead in the pits of the dark mine. He knows there is not much time and he has no cell signal at all. Very little battery life also. What will become of him?

These three will have to work together to find out who wants them dead and why. Could it be linked to what they did twenty-five years ago. Could it be the son of the man they killed?

Ben was on track to be a federal judge when he was murdered. He was one of the children from the group home also. He worked very hard to pull himself up and do what he did with his life. He left behind a wife and child that he loved dearly. He had no secrets from his wife either.... Who killed him and why.

There is also Artemis. Artemis was the quiet one. The inventor. The one that grew up to be very rich. He was also in the group home. You'll get to know him also.

Then you get the twins. Casey and Haley. Both evil to the core. They love inflicting pain and horrors on people. They seem to get off by tortuous acts. Who are they and where did they come from. What do they have to do with the children, now grown ups, from the group home.

You'll find out everything. You will cringe from some of the things that happen in this book. You'll root for the kids to make it. For the grownups to make it. For some to live. I have to admit that I wanted a couple of these characters to be killed. They really do deserve it.

I loved the three initial story tellers. Jenna, Nico and Donnie. They are solid and very likable in their own ways. I don't think any one of them deserved to go through anything.

This book is very good. It's edge of your seat good. It's not what I thought it was going to be after reading a few other reviews. It wasn't dark. It contained no acrobat actions. Nothing out of the ordinary for a good thriller. Lots of fighting and some bloody parts sure. What did you expect. It's a Finlay book. A good Finlay book.

Thank you #NetGalley, #AlexFinlay, #StMartin'sPress, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

4.25 stars. Grab it. It's that good.

This was not my favorite, and while the premise was intriguing I just don't know that I personally connect with Alex Finlay's writing style.

But for those of you who do and who read mainly thrillers and similar books, you'll probably enjoy this.

Pulse pounding, thrilling, nerve-wracking. I would use all of those to describe Alex Finlay’s newest novel.

This book had me flipping the pages as fast as I could to follow the threads between grownup orphans from the hellhole orphanage of Savior House, and the twin assassins trying to take them down.

My jaw dropped several times, and the final twist? Mind blowing and heartbreaking.

This is phenomenal and I highly suggest everyone read it.

Thank you so very much to NetGalley and Minotaur Books/ St. Martin’s Press for letting me read this absolute gem. My opinions are my own.

I was looking for something different and I sure did get it with What Have We Done. Additionally I have never read anything by Alex Finlay and I'm not a big fan of multiple points of views. What I do enjoy? A good thriller, action and larger than life characters with over the top plots. I got most of that in this book. I would have added another star if there had been more character development of the four central characters and I did have to adjust for the various points of view. It would make a good movie and I would watch it. So, yes, I'm glad I requested the ARC and I will have to check out his other books as I have since been told that his previous books are not to be missed.
My thanks to the publisher Minotaur and to NetHalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Mm, I could not get into this.

What Have We Done has an intriguing premise and starts off at a breakneck pace... but it keeps that pace up for the entire book, leaving barely any time for the reader to catch their breath and process what's happening.

There's also a lot of characters and the chapters rapidly switch between POVs, so I felt like I couldn't get invested in any of the characters other than Jenna. Thankfully, everything was 3rd person- otherwise, I don't think I would have been able to understand anything that happened.

Some might like this, but because of the intense pacing and minimal development, I just couldn't get invested in the story and this was not for me.

Thank you @netgalley and @minotaur_books for my gifted e-arc!

The amount of action in this book would make for a great movie!

The 3 different POVs and short chapters kept the pace fast! The three are connected by their pasts which has them being targeted in the present. We don’t know why or by whom…and that is what kept me reading. I needed answers!

This was definitely suspenseful with the constant pursuits and the main characters barely escaping! Although I didn’t guess the ending, I felt it was a little underwhelming.

At times, I felt like I had a hard time keeping up. It jumped around a lot, and had lots of characters and information. You’re given little snippets of information at a time, so it was hard to piece everything together. I enjoyed Jenna’s POV way more than the other two, and her background intrigued me the most.

It was definitely entertaining, so I would still probably recommend it if it’s on your radar.

~3.25 stars

I read this in one sitting. But, despite its unputdownable-ness, I felt overall 'meh' about it at the end. I've read both of Finlay's other books, and this one is definitely not my favorite.

I will say, this started out pretty strong. The action starts pretty much immediately, and the short chapters kept me engaged and eager to go on. However, I became less interested as the plot continued, and overall the mystery felt pretty lackluster. We were told the who and why of the past mystery pretty early on, and I found the present-day whodunit relatively easy to predict.

We follow three narrators, and in my opinion Jenna was by far the most interesting. I found myself eager to get back to her POV during the other characters' chapters. In fact, I think I might have liked this better if this was just the origin story and adventures of Jenna. If Alex Finlay wants to give her a prequel novel, I'd eat that up.

All in all, I don't think this was bad, but it certainly was a straightforward thriller that had plenty of action but still lacked suspense. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the arc! All thoughts are my own.

This story starts off with a bang! It’s engaging and complex. But the plot is a llittle *too* complex. There are many characters to keep track of and as the pacing intensifies, there are too many things going on.

After reading and loving The Night Shift I had high hopes for this one but it was too much and just didn’t work for me.

There’s a cast of narrators for the audiobook but I wouldn’t recommend reading it that way with the excess numbers of characters; it becomes confusing at times.

Another twisty thriller from Finlay! The characters are fantastic. What a disparate group. This isn't just a thriller, it's also a coming of age/reckoning with your past novel. And it's a fun read.

"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.

Twenty five years ago, Jenna, Donnie, and Nico were the best of friends, having forged a bond through the abuse and neglect they endured as residents of Savior House, a group home for parentless teens. When the home was shut down―after the disappearance of several kids―the three were split up.

Though the trauma of their childhood has never left them, each went on to live accomplished―if troubled―lives. They haven’t seen one another since they were teens but now are reunited for a single haunting reason: someone is trying to kill them.

To survive, the group will have to revisit the nightmares of their childhoods and confront their shared past―a past that holds the secret to why someone wants them dead.

It’s a reunion none of them asked for . . . or wanted. But it may be the only way to save all their lives."

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

What Have We Done Review

In Alex Finlay’s latest novel, we follow the points of view of Jenna, Donnie, and Nico. The trio spent time at Savior House, a foster home, together as children, and are reunited under less than ideal circumstances.

As the reader, we waste no time with background before diving into action. Within the first couple of chapters we’re already alongside Jenna as she reveals her talents as a hired sniper. Similarly, Donnie is pushed off a cruise ship, and Nico is trapped in a mine after an explosion. After the initial drama, we begin to learn a bit about our main characters and their pasts.

While the action is non-stop, the scenarios that unfold are not exactly believable. Prepare to suspend belief in order to enjoy this story. I didn’t particularly like any of the characters, but I thought Jenna had the most interesting story. I wasn’t very invested in the antics of a has-been rockstar or a reality show tv producer.

I give this book 3 stars. It held my attention, but I don’t see myself picking it up again or reaching for any of the author’s other books any time soon. I would recommend this to fans of action and spy novels, rather than thriller readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

This is the book I needed when I needed it.

A tale of victims of circumstance as children are bonded by a secret that they believe they have buried. Alas, we know that sins committed no matter when always come back to haunt you. & boy did it come back to haunt these friends 25 years later.

The book is told by multiple narrators, and at times flips between the past & present. I was really nervous at first due to not usually enjoying the flip-flop of timelines & characters. However, I was pleasantly surprised! Every time a chapter ended on a cliffhanger that left me afraid the narrator would change I was greeted with the continuance of the story. This is most helpful as there have been other stories where the author would leave you in peril with the previous narrator wanting resolution with an entirely new narrator telling their story. I would get lost. That didn’t happen within What Have We Done. You could see the scene even across chapters.

I also had the pleasure of consuming this not only digitally but on audiobooks as well. The performance of the actors was outstanding. The audiobook alone is 4.5/5 stars. I highly highly recommend both versions.

Beyond the mechanics of the story, I enjoyed the wrap-up. As the story progressed I had suspicions of who the antagonist would be and while my initial guess was correct I was thrown by a red herring that had me second-guessing myself & going with another. Very sly Alex Finlay.

Kudos to Alex Finlay for writing two of the most unlikeable, ruthless, and evil villains I’ve ever read. You win at villains.

Overall this was 4 out of 5 stars read for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, Macmillan audio for an ARC & Audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion

After finishing What Have We Done, I have now read all three of Alex Finlay's books, and all I can say is that I love his writing! I adore finding an author that works so well for me, and I think at this point I may be emotionally attached to his books!

With this one, I really noticed just how well Finlay's characters are written and researched. We have Jenna, Donnie, and Nico with a shared past in a group home for teenagers called Savior House. These three characters are as unique as they come, and even Savior House becomes a character, looming in their memories. As I read, I got distinct Lisbeth Salander vibes from Jenna, which is probably why she was my favourite of the three. (I will say that I do miss Special Agent Sarah Keller, however, as she is in both of Finlay's other two thrillers).

The book concept as a whole is well done, although I am not a lover of this specific plot. I'm not sure exactly what I didn't enjoy about it, but I think this may come down to a case of comparison - I just preferred the plot of Finlay's Every Last Fear more! (It's really hard not to compare books by the same author!) The story line all makes sense, it flowed really well and it was explained well., so I know this was a me issue, not a book issue!

Finlay's books are executed masterfully and they're just beautiful works of art. I honestly can't wait to see where he goes from here, and I will be eagerly anticipating his next novel!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the complimentary copy to read and review.

I love this author! Now having said that, I really liked this book. Liked, not loved, as in the previous two. This one was a little harder to get into for me. Jenna, Donnie and Nico grew up in a group home. They are now adults, and someone wants them dead. I appreciated the characterization, especially Jenna, and the short chapters. I'm also a fan of multiple POV's, though there is a lot going on and it got a little difficult to keep straight at times. Great twists and turns and a lot of action. Maybe a bit too much action for me. I prefer more of a psychological-type thriller. Still really enjoyed this and definitely looking forward to the next book!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Alex Finlay and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

An improbable cartoonish plot and paper-thin unlikeable characters makes What Have We Done a miss for me.

Five teenagers meet in a horrendous group home and do something drastic to save themselves from its horrors. Twenty-five years later, all five have achieved various levels of success: a judge, a tech billionaire, an aging rock star, a reality show producer, and (I kid you not) a retired assassin. Now, psychotic female identical twins are killing, or attempting to kill them, using outlandish methods like blowing up a mine and shoving a person from a cruise ship. The twins have a unbelievable backstory of meeting accidentally in college after being separated at birth because…why not?

I enjoyed the complex plots and believable characters of this author’s previous two books, The Night Shift and Every Last Fear. However, What Have We Done is not recommended. It seems almost like a parody of thrillers. 2 disappointed stars.

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

Donnie, Nico, and Jenna became best friends while living in Savior House, a home for parentless teenagers. After several residents went missing, the home was shut down and the friends were split up.

Now, years later, they are reunited in a common goal – who is trying to kill them? Is it because of what happened when they were at Savior House? What did they do?

What Have We Done is a story that is intertwined with multiple points of view, different time lines, and plenty of suspense. It has a well-written and well-executed plot with strong main characters who are almost bigger than life. There is lots of action, it’s fast paced, and the suspense is sustained throughout the story.

Alex Finlay is master at creating a mystery thriller and What Have We Done is a highly entertaining book that his fans will certainly enjoy.

WHAT HAVE WE DONE
Alex Finlay

Alex Finlay does it again. Walking the line between thriller and action, his books are high rev, low thought. This one is perhaps his most outrageous. There’s a cast of characters that will require you to think big and a plot that will require you to suspend disbelief and that’s all part of the fun in WHAT HAVE WE DONE, OUT NOW!

Jenna, Donnie, and Nico all went to the Savoir House group home as kids and twenty-five years later someone wants them all dead. As adults, they have nothing in common except for a traumatic past, a rocky and troubled present, and the secret that bonds them forever.

I noticed while reading how nondeclarative Finlay’s statements are in his writing. A lot of the sentences leave things up for interpretation and you the reader get to play mini detective, deciphering between what is and what might be.

Part of the fun is piecing together a story from the past and present. The other part of the fun is the characters. They are ridiculous in nature and larger than life. Even bigger than the story itself.

The narrators, Brittany Pressley, James Patrick Cronin, Jon Lindstrom, and Maggie Thompson did a fantastic job with this book, and I highly recommend the audiobook. They brought each character to life in an animated way and made my reading experience highly enjoyable.

I don’t know that I would have been as captivated reading on screen or with a physical copy.

I gave WHAT HAVE WE DONE four stars and I recommend it to readers looking to get wrapped up in a fictional story. Aren’t we all?

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copies!

WHAT HAVE WE DONE…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Wealth can hide bad guys in plain sight."

From the first page What Have We Done by thriller author Alex Finlay starts with a bang, 5 gun shot bangs to be exact, and this fast pace thriller is off like horses at the racetrack.

As with most thriller reviews it's hard to give details without giving away the crazy twists and turns and connections that make this a fun often anxiety prone thriller.

At times it's a simple story. Five people are being targeted by an assassin or two; an aging rock star battling addiction, a reality TV producer with a gambling problem, a stay at home step mom, a judge and a tech millionaire. Within a few chapters one will be dead. Why? How are they connected? What did they do?

A full cast of narrators, Britney Pressley Jon Lindstrom (of General Hospital fame), James Patrick Cronin Maggie Thompson make this audiobook like a tense popcorn eating movie. Going between the book and the audiobook I appreciated how the writer took pulse pounding moments, like the Mom (Jenna) trying to out drive a killer, and write them so clear and precise that it felt like watching it happen instead of experiencing it through a novel.

My favorite character was Jenna who probably has the biggest and best badass secret and who gives this story a jaw dropping ending that made my palpitations have palpitations.

Some things were easy to figure out and the back story was a bit stereotypical but what this author does so well is tweak the mundane to make it a bit different, turn it sideways and give it a whole new look.

If you enjoy thrillers, Alex Finlay books, and wild crazy rides what are you waiting for? Don't make me ask what have you done if you not reading/listening to to What Have We Done?!

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #netgalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

What I liked:
✨Bingeable: Suspense and action from the first chapter - very plot-driven
✨Dual Timelines - both timelines offered a mystery. I enjoyed the present-day mystery more than the past.
✨Great audio production: the full cast of narrators made it easy to follow the multi-POVs.

What more I wanted…
✨Character development: a small backstory introduced us to all the players in this mystery, but I longed for more detail, especially Jenna. In fact, please give me a whole book on Jenna’s back story!

Read this if....
✨love Alex Finlay's previous books
✨love female assassins or love a washed-up 80s rocker - both brilliantly represented by the narrators!
✨easy vacation read - short chapters, multiple POVs, lots of action

Although Finalys' last two books were wins for me, sadly this book was not. 

My biggest issue with this was that I was confused about what was going on. THere were 4 storylines going on at the same time and it was hard to keep it all straight. The narrator changing from male to female did help a little bit but over all, I was lost. 

Normally when I am reading something this convoluted, I would go back and reread but I really didn't have any interest in the storylines. The only one that was intriguing was Jenna's story.

This was a miss for me but I would definitely read more by this author, as I have loved his first two books.