The premise of What Have We Done is good but the execution was a miss for me. Despite it being an action-packed, it seemed to drag on in the middle as I found myself waiting to care about any of the characters, making it fall flat.

*Many thanks to St. Martin's Press, Alex Finlay, and Netgalley for my gifted eARC for an honest review. Publication date 3/7/23*

I think this is going to be an either love or dislike it type of book, and unfortunately for me it was dislike. I do not care for action books with assassins, and I definitely was not expecting it to be that type of book from the synopsis. If you do like action packed assassin books you will definitely love this but if you are expecting a thriller like Finlay's previous books you might be disappointed. I did like the layout of the book and the short chapters and luckily for me it was a fast read. The book was told by multiple POV's and some of them just annoyed me, also I did not think the break up between past and present was done well. Sorry to the author this book just was not for me but I look forward to reading your next book.

A very exciting story that follows the life of five characters Ben, Donnie, Nico, Artemis and Jenna. The plot is an intriguing drama that tracks the action of who is trying to kill them and why. The readers will enjoy the detailed descriptions of the characters foibles and all the many reasons why they have become the adults they are. They will enjoy the action and the many twists and turns as the plot will surprise them in many places. It is a well written story with great dialogue and well worth reading and purchasing.

I’ve been meaning to pick up an Alex Finlay book for a while, so I was thrilled when I was given the ARC! What Have We Done is an extremely fast-paced thriller with three alternating POVs.

After an occurrence of a crime, twenty five years later, the three main characters find themselves in danger. Can the secrets from the abusive group home, where they resided when they were teenagers, remain buried? Their lives are at stake as they try to avoid being captured by contract killers. Why are they being targeted?

The fast pace of this book made me unable to connect with the three main characters: Donnie, Jenna and Nico. Although, I did enjoy Jenna’s character the most. Additionally, the quick transitions between the past and present timelines were action packed which made it difficult to follow at points.

Overall, I am rating this book a 4 star. I’m looking forward to picking up The Night Shift and Every Last Fear by the author!

This book is due to be released by March 7th, 2023! Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Alex Finlay’s latest book, “What Have We Done” is an action-packed, high-octane thriller about a group of childhood friends with a buried secret that’s now come back to haunt them. In order to survive, they must confront their painful pasts and stay one step ahead of the person who wants them all dead.

To anyone familiar with Finlay’s other works, you’ll notice a break from his typical plot style. This one still has the nostalgia and heart, still has strong characters (I love how he consistently gives us kick-ass female leads) and still has a level of mystery to it. Where it differs though, is in the intensity. For What Have We Done, he amps up the action with assassins, violence and a breakneck pace. Once you start, you’ll find it nearly impossible to put down.

We get multiple points of view throughout the book and many of the short chapters end on cliffhangers. Finlay also does a nice job of giving context to the past with flashbacks that build some level of depth to the protagonists. He again gives us noteworthy female characters (good and bad) and an anti-hero in the form of a washed up rockstar named Donnie. The book does have a softer side floating beneath all the thrills, chills and action. You’ll see themes of friendship, perseverance and resolve as the characters confront and ultimately release their past versions of themselves. With that being said, in this vein of thriller I think depth and development is sacrificed in places for the sake of the action driven plot and pacing.

Shocking, intense and made for the big screen, What Have We Done is an unexpected divergence from Finlay’s previous thriller style. An entertaining and gripping read, new and current fans of his are in for a treat with this one.

This is a really great thriller. The main character was recruited by a shadow organization at age fifteen. She served her time as an assassin and left the organization to pursue a "normal" life. Now, she is married to the ultimate nerdy guy, a tax lawyer, and a widower with a five-year-old and a teenager. Life isn't easy now either. Suddenly the past comes crashing back into her life with another assignment and her new family is threatened. Is this all about the time from the group home she was in and the secrets there? If so who is behind it? The book has several characters that are involved from those days and leads the reader on an interesting history of past events and present that all collide together in the end. Great plot, the book is fast-paced with lots of action, and the main character is one I would like to hear more about...maybe a sequel? Loved this book. Thanks to #NetGalley#WhatHaveWeDone for the opportunity to read and review this thriller..

What Have We Done is the latest book from Alex Finlay and another winner! His stories are so well-plotted, complex, fast-paced and utterly enthralling. This dark thriller centers around five kids, who for various reasons, found themselves as wards of Savior House. This unsavory home for foster kids is a particularly dangerous place for girls, who have a tendency to go missing.

Fast-forward twenty-five years and each of the five friends, who have gone their separate ways in life, are unexpectedly reunited when each is individually targeted in an assassination attempt. Jenna, the one woman in the group, and most well-trained, is determined, with the assistance of her former friends, to find out the truth, secure their safely and put the past behind them at last.

What Have We Done is a compulsively readable, action-packed thriller filled with creepy, twisty plot points and deeply flawed characters. It’s an edge-of-your seat page-turner that is eerily entertaining and one you won’t want to miss!

This book had a lot of action, but I felt that there were too many characters, and it took a while for me to figure out who was who. I also didn't like that there were flashbacks right in the middle of a chapter. It confused me every single time!

I really liked Jenna and her storyline, even if it was a tad bit far-fetched. The action really ramped up in the last part of the book, so it got to be more of a page turner.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress
for the e-arc of this book!

This was an interesting read. I did like the character development and the flashbacks of this suspense novel. It did seem slightly outlandish but overall kept me on the edge of my seat and very eager to learn more about the mystery both in the characters present and past.

This is a fast-paced and thrilling read that captures your attention and then steals it from any other book. It’s so hard to not think about these well-developed characters after you’ve put the book down. The action never slows, your heart will race with anticipation and then just as quickly with warmth and sympathy for these carefully created characters. What a fantastic read!

REVIEW: What Have We Done

"Did you know that studies show there are six distinct types of screams?"

A group of kids who worked together at a group home have grown up into separate lives. Only years later, when they are adults with their own families and friends, someone is trying to kill them one by one.

The storyline of Jenna was really interesting, I just wasn’t as hooked into Donnie or Nico’s. Ultimately the ending felt rushed and too easy. It was good but not my favorite in this genre.


📚Read this if you like:
- Alternating POV
- Many main character stories

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advance copy.
.
After loving Finlay’s The Night Shift, I was ecstatic to get my hands on this upcoming release. This was a huge departure stylistically, and unfortunately, it didn’t really work for me. It started strong and drew me in at the first chapter, but then character development gave way to action scenes. I don’t enjoy reading action scenes, so my issue with this book was really just due to this personal preference. Even though it wasn’t for me, I have no doubt this book will appeal to readers who love an action packed thrill ride.

I loved Night Shift by this author and I was beyond excited to get this ARC from NetGalley.

Alex Finlay is a thriller/mystery writer who is pushing boundaries in the mystery/thriller genre. What Have We Done is an entertaining, fast-paced read, but for me it just wasn't as great as Finlay's previous novel.

I loved the dual timelines between past and present, but I didn't feel like the two timelines held up equally. I was much more interested in the timeline from the past and I felt like things became wrapped up "too quickly" once the action started happening.

Overall, this is a solid thriller, but I do wish more of the story of them as children had been explored.

3.5 stars

What Have We Done is the newest thriller from Alex Finlay. It's quite a bit different than his last book The Night Shift. What Have We Done starts off with five teenagers in the midst of committing a terrible act. Twenty five years later they have all moved on but someone is now out to get them. Their secret is in danger of being revealed.

The story is told from three different perspectives of the original group and from a villain's point of view a few times. One of thr group has already been killed and we are introduced to the other characters as they are being hunted down.

I really enjoyed the opening chapters and loved how the characters kept surviving. That might be a theme because they also survived their childhood and their experiences at Savior House, a foster home where girls keep going missing. We get some flashbacks which help you root for the characters. I also felt for them in the present, particularly Donnie. I would have liked to get to know some of the characters even more as their individual stories are interesting.

The story is over the top and not believable at all. However, it's truly a thriller and full of action. The chapters are short, making for a quick read. It reads like a movie which is very entertaining. It isn't like a lot of other thrillers out there. Just don't expect to take it seriously and you should enjoy it!

I really enjoyed that the story is different from other thrillers I have read! It is action packed and full of suspense.

It is told through multiple POVs and I would say I found Jenna’s the most interesting!

The short chapters and suspense kept me wanting to read to see how’s it’s going to end.

I gave this book 3.5 stars.

This was a twisty, super fast read. The chapters were short so it felt like the action moved quickly. The characters were fun and each had their own quirks which helped the dual POV so I always could tell who I was reading.
Sometimes the flashbacks would throw me a bit just because they would show up in the middle of a chapter. I thought everything came together and worked together well. All in all, this was a solid thriller that kept me guessing.
3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars on GR.

Thank you to Minotaur books and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a wild ride. If there is one thing I love, it’s a group of adults who are brought back together because of a traumatic event they shared in childhood. And this was done really well.

A trio of childhood friends are brought back together as adults under a strange and deadly circumstances. Having survived their early years in the same group home, forging a bond after devastating events, they go off to live vastly separate, vastly different lives. Now, 25 years later, they are back and that can only mean one thing… someone knows what they did.

I thought the pace of this was great. I really loved the characters, even some of the “bad” ones. This one was explosive, and surely not one to miss.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

Three best friends are split up when their group home gets shut down. Twenty-five years later, they are reunited for one terrible reason - someone is trying to kill them. No one wanted or asked for this reunion, but it may be the only way to survive what’s coming.

Another anticipated thriller by Alex Finley is here. This was an action-packed, fast-paced thriller which I enjoyed. The author kept me on my toes trying to figure out what was going to happen.

Ok, I loved the premise of this book. The story, the development - both characters & plot, and the twists/epilogue. The plot was so different than any other mystery/thriller/suspense book I’ve read before. BUT my one grievance about the book, which rounded it down to 3 stars, is that there was A LOT of moving parts: a lot of characters, multiple timelines and POVs. It was difficult for me to follow and focus on. Sometimes I’d get confused between which character was in which situation, or what timeline we were in. I enjoyed the book generally but that was definitely one of my obstacles.

Ok, this was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed this fast-paced thriller. It is told from multiple POV, and I have to say that I enjoyed Jenna's POV the most. She is bad-ass! Nico was my least favorite POV. All of the main characters met at a group home called Savior House and share a dark secret about something they've covered up for the last 25 years. Now that secret has come back to haunt them and their lives are at stake.

The story goes from past to present to give the reader some background information. Sometimes that bothers me in a book, but not in this case. It was easy to follow and I did not find it confusing. All of the main characters have overcome the odds and have become successful citizens of society with important jobs.

The killers for hire were stupid and annoying and not at all real to me. There were a lot of implausible parts to the story, which is one of the reasons I took off a star, but overall it was still a solid thriller. I had to keep reminding myself that it is a work of fiction. If given the opportunity, I would definitely read another book by this author.

Special thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.