WOW! Just WOW! This is the first book I have ever read by this author. He certainly knows how to set the stage, giving the book amazingly realistic settings that it times are also grim and depressing. The story goes back and forth between the present day and the past when the main characters all lived at a group home with a neglectful, mean father figure and his young son who bullies them all.

In the present, every one has had successful lives,; although; two of them have picked up addictions to help them cope with difficulties in life. When one of them is murdered, and the others have attempts on their lives, they soon realize it has something to do with what they did at the group home.

With no way for the reader to figure out what is going on, you will just have to keep flipping the pages. Hopefully, work and sleep won't get in your way!

I was so excited to find out that Alex Finlay was releasing another novel and even more excited when I got my hands on it!

I was absolutely in love with <i>Every Last Fear</i> but unfortunately couldn't make it through <i>The Night Shift</i>. I was hoping this one would have more of the former's feel, but to me it felt more like the latter.

I felt like this book tried to follow too many narrative paths. Some of them drew me in immediately (Nico and Donnie's stories), but I felt myself groan every time I started a new chapter and Jenna's name was at the top.

Alex Finlay always gets full marks for writing style. I find his female characters lacking in depth sometimes but it's a minor gripe.

Even though this book wasn't my favourite, I will still read every new book Finlay releases.

This was a fun, action-packed thriller about a group of foster teens who did something terrible that came back to haunt them as adults. Told from 3 different POVs (Donnie, Nico, & Jenna), and 2 timelines, then & now, we follow along as someone is trying to kill them. Despite their humble backgrounds, all of them have become successful adults: a judge, a tech mogul, a rockstar, a TV producer, and a wealthy suburban housewife. I enjoyed trying to figure out who was behind the mayhem. Though it required a little suspension of disbelief, it definitely kept me turning the pages.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is my first Alex Finlay book and definitely won’t be my last. What Have We Done is just what I was looking for- a quick thriller! The chapters were short so I flew through the book. I love that the story was told through multiple POVs and we got a lot of flashbacks to the past. I wish there were more flashbacks to the three MCs time at Savior House (an abusive group home for parentless teens) because those were some of the most interesting parts! I will say I was a little confused a few times by the transition between past to present.

I was excited to find out what was happening and why. The book dragged on a little in the middle for me but the ending wrapped up nicely!

Thank you so much to Alex Finlay, Minotaur Books, St Martins and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book!

I was first introduced to Finlay's work after reading The Night Shift last year which I loved! So I was super excited to be able to have this opportunity to read an early copy of this.

"Wealth and power can hide monsters in plain sight."

This book is told from primarily 3 point of views - Jenna, Nico and Donnie but a few others are sprinkled in that would be spoilers. These characters were teen friends from being in a group home together where a crime they all committed took place. They went their separate ways but 25 years later their past catches up to them and someone who knows about what they did blackmails them and one is left dead to kick off this action filled thriller.

I love having the different point of views and learning about each of the character separately before them all coming together in the last quarter of the book. Jenna moved on from her past & was trying to live a normal life with a family. Donnie is an aging rockstar who has let his addictions get the best of him and Nico is a television producer whose vice is gambling. Even with all seemingly having moved on from their traumatic teen years, it still haunts them. Each voice was clearly defined and you got to know their personalities.

I am a fan of when a book takes place within a short time frame. The sequence of events in this all took place within a few days which kept the pace moving quick.

As being a Pennsylvania resident about 2 hours outside of Philly, I love the little tidbits of Philly being thrown in. The Troc reference gave me a fist pump as I saw a few shows there before it closed.

My only critique of this would be I wish there had been more of a distinguish when it was a flashback vs present time. It would just seamless go into it with brief cues or even starting chapters in a flashback. Maybe if it would be all italicized or page breaks to indicate that this section was a flashback. I think had this been audio it could have been easily lost.

I could not stop reading this as we got to the unraveling of truths. I was sucked into the action and there were a few twists including in the epilogue.

3.5 ⭐️ As someone who loved “The Night Shift” I requested this in a hurry! I like Finlay’s writing style, it keeps me glued to the pages for the characters stories. Did I like this one as much? Not quite. It was a good straightforward murder/mystery and while it kept me entertained, it was a bit predictable. I wish there was a little more mystery surrounding the big event at the home when they were kids, and that the characters had more interactions with each other. I did really enjoy the epilogue, a bit of a where are they now that was a nice conclusion for the story. All in all I stayed interested and I’ll keep reading Finlay’s work!

Thanks to netgalley and st. Martins press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Does our past define us? Can our past come back to haunt us?

25 years ago several teens who were at Savior House buried a secret that they thought would stay buried, however it appears someone has uncovered it and will do anything to keep it buried including killing everyone who was there! Fortunately, the people hired to kill them are amateur assassins and didn’t finish the job right (and kill all of them) the first time. Now, the survivors must unite and determine who is trying to unravel their secrets before they are killed.

If you like a good mystery intertwined with action, this book is for you!

If you’re like me, your enjoyment of this book may at least partly depend on two things:

1. How badly you wanted another story featuring Special Agent Sarah Keller from Finlay’s last two books. I’m going to rip that bandaid off … she’s not in it. Sorry.

2. How much you enjoy high adrenaline mystery/thrillers with moments of intense action.

I’m married to an action-thriller movie buff, so even if I prefer my stories a little calmer, the occasional blood-pumping, edge-of-your-seat film can be fun. I think that’s why this book worked for me. It’s a straight-to-screen type of book. It’s got action, chills, thrills, peril, cat-and-mouse chases, threats, violence, corruption, characters overcoming the odds, contract killers, diverse characters, and once again some serious badass female energy!

I’ll keep the synopsis brief: Jenna, Donnie and Nico all lived in a less-than-stellar group home as children called Savior House until girls started disappearing from it. Now, as adults, each of them have moved on to vastly different lives: Jenna, a wife and mom of two stepkids, Donnie, a boozing, past-his-prime rockstar, and Nico, a reality TV producer with a gambling addiction. After the murder of their fellow Savior House friend, Benny - a federal judge - each of them are also targeted by someone who wants them dead. But who … and why?

I liked but didn’t love Donnie and Nico’s characters. They were both so damaged by the past, but their behavior didn’t always elicit my sympathy. Jenna made up for them. When her family is threatened and she dials into the training from her secret past … watch out! Let’s just say, I wouldn’t want to get on her bad side. At least she’s using her talents to help, unlike those who are after her, Donnie and Nico. They’re just straight up scary! It’s a wild story with a heart-pounding ending and an epilogue you’ll want to stick around for.

It’s a change of pace from the last two books, but on its own merits I enjoyed it. I’m hoping it makes it to the big screen so I can watch it with my hubby. I’m pretty sure he’d like it!

★★★★

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and author Alex Finlay for this digital ARC to honestly review. It’s due for publication on March 7, 2023.

Usually Alex Finley’s books immediately captivate me, but something about this book just didn’t quite do it for me. However, it’s a wild ride with a few twists!

I love Alex Finlay’s books for an always absolutely wild ride. This was messy, over the top, and very captivating. The multiple perspectives kept things fresh and the mini cliffhangers when perspectives change kept me wanting to flip the pages. I will be the first to say I prefer a slow build character driven story, but for some reason this action driven story was exactly what I needed!

I feel like this would be a good book to bust a reading slump, there is hardly any downtime. We are always learning something new or in some type of action. The perfect book to devour in just a couple sittings!

Kept me on the edge of me seat the entire book. I gravitated to each character and loved this action packed thriller.

While this may not have been the book for me, it may be for you if you enjoy fast-paced thrillers and can suspend disbelief a bit. Unfortunately, for me, when some very fantastical and extremely unrealistic things happen as main plot lines, it takes me out of the story so much that it makes it not as enjoyable.

It was very fast paced - I read about 2/3 of this in one day and could have knocked it out in one sitting had I had the time. The twists were pretty predictable and I had it mostly theorized by about halfway through.

The story is told in both present and the past but the transitions to the past memories were jarring and a few times, not completely clear that it was a memory at all. It was jarring when all of a sudden a character previously established as deceased is speaking. Some formatting, like italics, to indicate a flashback would have been extremely helpful. If it had happened 1 time, I would have chalked it up to me reading too fast but...it was a repeat offense.

As mentioned previously, this book did not jive with me but if you are looking for a quick airport book, don't mind unrealistic plots, or enjoy action movies this might be one for you!

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

Previous residents of an abusive group home for teens are now being targeted 25 years later, but why?

I’ve liked the past Alex Finlay books I’ve read, but “What Have We Done” has to be my favorite! It kept me on the edge of my seat and made me want to stay up late to finish just one more chapter. It’s a fun and fast paced read that I totally anticipate becoming a movie.

I haven't been disappointed with a book from Alex Finlay yet!! This is fast paced, told from different POV's, and have shorter chapters which I like so i can leave off where a chapter actually ends and pick back up real quick! This was hard to put down but so goes life I couldn't read it all in one sitting but I would've if I could! After one of the five is murdered the past 25 years ago comes back to try and unbury their secret they can't keep hidden forever, which then uncovers even more secrets of the past that they needed to know! Jenna was my favorite of the characters who I feel like grew the most from start to finish, and had the most to lose and fight for. While this was more straightforward than holding much mystery as his others books previously, I still found the back and forth intriguing and I always want to know what Finlay comes up with, I don't think I could be disappointed! Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the review copy to read and review!

I would like to thank St. Martins Press and Net Gallery for the DAC OF What Have We Done
The opinions I’ve expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first Alex Finlay book I have read. It was full of twist and turns that kept me up until the sun rose. It truly was an excellent read that kept me guessing. The ending was a surprise for me I didn’t see it coming. I Loved it. This book has truly made me a fan for life..

Told by three POV Jenna at stay at home mom with secrets Donnie a washed up Rock Star with addiction issues and Nico a reality tv producer with a gambling addiction. 25 years ago they became inseparable through the abuse and neglect that they suffered at Saviour House a group home for parentless teens. The home was shut down due to several teens disappearing….. Under suspicious conditions.

None of them have seen each other in 25 years until someone who is trying to kill everyone of them. Forces them to come together to solve the mystery of who and why their being hunted down before someone else is killed. Is it someone from their present lives or someone from their past from Saviour House.
Book to be released on March 7, 2023 I highly recommend this book.

This was my least favorite book that I have read by Alex Finlay. All of the characters seemed to run together to me. I didn't really think the dual timelines worked in this book. It was hard to know if we were reading about things that happened in the past or in the present sometimes. I didn't really see a plot twist like I usually do with mystery/thriller books. I also felt like this book had to much going on. I really wanted to like this book because this author is from Washington DC which is where I live. But this one just did not do it for me. I did like his other books thought so I would suggest those. This book was just a let down compared to those.

I really enjoyed Alex Finlay's last 2 books, but this one missed the mark for me. It is told from the POV of 3 people, all of whom met in a group home when they were teenagers. Jenna, Donnie, and Nico are all living separate lives, and someone is trying to kill them. Each of them has a troubling background, but they have also found themselves successful in their current lives.

I found each person to be a little bit OTT, so you definitely need to go into this book with an open mind. There was something about the characters that didn't appeal to me, and I felt disconnected from them emotionally. Overall, this was a past-paced thriller with a lot of action to keep you reading.

I loved this book, finished this book, and went straight to my library to get another book by this new-to-me author! This is a mystery told by several voices, each one being solidly developed and distinct in their presentation, so there is no mixing them up, as can happen with multiple narrators. As it begins, you know the what of the mystery, but not the who or the why, and neither do the main characters. This makes for a great mystery, that I “solved” several times along the way, all erroneously. obviously, I would highly recommend this book and will soon be enjoying another tale by this author. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance read copy.

Thank you to the publisher for a Netgalley of this book.

This one was fine. It was not bad, but it definitely was not a page turner. The 3 characters we followed were very flat. I did not care about any of them to be quite honest. Which is fine, but even at the end I did not care what happened to any of them.

The plot overall had potential, but it dragged at times. The epilogue was 1000% unnecessary as well.

I am giving this 3 stars because the writing is good and the plot has potential, but this was definitely a let down for me. If this was probably an author I had not loved previously this would be a 2 star.

The stories of Jenna, Nico and Donnie intersect in a bizarre way when the former residents of an abusive group home are all targeted to be eliminated. In order to survive, they have to put their heads together and figure out who would kill them and why. The plot is mesmerizing but I found it confusing at first until I got accustomed to the changes in POV as well as the dual timeline. Once I got used to the duality and got to know the characters better, the story flowed more clearly for me. This is a thriller with a lot of action, much of which happened in the past and has influenced the present. I found that I had to pay attention to small details if I really wanted to try to figure out who the assassin was and follow along with the plans of the trio to safeguard each other. The characters are realistic if not all likable. Of the three friends, I liked Jenna the best and found her to be the most relatable for me. There are some definite plot twists that kept things interesting and moving along. I consider this a satisfactory read but I feel as though I need to read it again to look for clues and to see if I understand the whole situation better the second time around. It is definitely a convoluted tale of the past messing with the present and making it difficult to move on to any kind of future. Survival seems to be the name of the game in this enjoyable and entertaining novel. My advice to readers is to do what I ended up doing and keeping notes in different colors of highlighters so that I could keep track of who was doing what and where they were when they did it. That helped me because each time I put the book down, I was somewhat befuddled when I picked it up again and had to figure out the events that had led up to where I was then. Again, I had to get accustomed to dual timelines and using different colored highlighters helped me to quickly find the knots that tied the story together.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”