Alex Finlay has made their mark as a dependable thriller writer. What Have We Done features twists, turns and lost of action but took a little too long for the story to come together.

3 stars + 1 because the book takes place in the area where I work which was pretty cool.

This is my third read from this author and while it wasn't my favorite, I did enjoy it. It is a very fast paced story that was hard to put down at times. I did feel that there were certain elements of the story that were unnecessary and felt a little forced. For example, the identity of the hired assassin was odd to me. It was an interesting concept and may have been better as a fully developed story on it's own instead of a side story to this one. The other characters were great and I definitely felt invested in their backstory. I wanted very much for them to come out on top.

Overall a great, quick read!

What makes a good thriller? Fast pacing, concise chapters, expert plotting. You'll find these things and more in Alex Finlay's latest novel, What Have We Done. This would make a great film if you're into action and rapid pacing. Because I enjoy a bit of a slow burn, or more of a mystery (taste is subjective), I was hoping to find more of this in the read. But the many characters are interesting, and the friendships formed are tender. I'll be on the watch for the next Finlay novel.

Actually, readers get the answer to the title question at the very start of the book. From that point on, the story mostly focuses on the lives of the "we" and how what happened a quarter of a century ago impacts what's happening in their lives now.

And what's happening isn't good. In fact, one of them, a judge, is dead - a murder victim. Another, a TV show producer and in-debt gambler, narrowly misses a similar fate. So does a third, a former rock star who can't give up the drugs and alcohol that kept him going during the glory years. The fourth, now a happy wife and mother, is learning that her previous life has come back to haunt her. Besides their shared actions all those years ago, the group shared one other thing: residence in a group home known as Savior House. The home was shut down after several of the resident children went missing; little by little (or chapter by chapter), layers of the past are peeled back to become clues as to what's going on now from the perspective of the remaining friends.

Gradually, they (and readers) realize they're not just paranoid; someone really IS out to get them - most likely someone who somehow found out what they did all those years ago. But who? Aye, there's the rub; can they get the answer to that question before they all get rubbed out? The ending does bring a twist or two, and there's plenty of action in between. Very enjoyable - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy of another book by this very talented author.

Okay, I will admit that this one is totally over the top and it gets there fast. Prepare to suspend some disbelief by chapter two, folks. We've got spies, lies, and murder, with roots going back to a care home for wards of the state. If the plot was just Jenna, I probably would have DNF'd this, but the separate POVs saved this one. The mystery of the assassin and the body they buried and What Happened was compelling, and the writing was overall well done.

What Have We Done is about one secret five kids share during their time at Savior House group home, 25 years ago. Flipping between Jenna (a former assassin turned housewife), Donnie (a drunk rocker) and Nico (a TV producer with a gambling problem), all three on very different paths in life, all end up in life threatening situations thanks to some killer twins. They must go back to the place where it all started - Chestertown. The twists kept coming until the very last page (literally). Short chapters flipping between characters, made the book fast paced and easy to follow. Although transitions between present day and the past could get lost with no real transition, other than a new paragraph. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the twists seriously kept coming and coming. I recommend reading this book if you are a fan of fast paced thrillers that should definitely be made into a movie.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books & NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital ARC

What Have We Done

Alex Finlay

This was an excellent book! I have been eyeing other books by this author for some time but was excited to receive an ARC copy from #netgalley - it was an excellent story with lots of action!

Definitely recommend.

✭ ✭ ✭ ✭/5

This book will publish March 7, 2023

#bookish #bookstagram #booktok #book #readersofinstagram #readthis #goodreads #goodreadschallenge #bookchallenge #3/25#alexfinlay #whathavewedone

How long can the past reach out and potentially harm the present? For Nico, Donnie, and Jenna it took 25 years. They each survived Savior House, a home for teenagers without parents. They each suffered devastating losses then had to live through the system.

The story is told from their three POV‘s. We learn why each of them was sent to this group home and why their time ended abruptly. Many years have passed and though they carry scars, the question now is why are each of them suddenly being targeted. The time that they spent at this group home might provide a clue, and they work together to figure out who wants them dead and why.

Short chapters alternate between the three characters and “The Twins”. I won’t risk spoiling their role in the story, but meeting them in a dark alley is not on my bucket list. The catalyst for their lives being torn apart was a surprise, but in hindsight, I should’ve at least seen part of it coming. A page turner that kept me guessing even though most of my guesses were wrong.

Thanks Minotaur Books and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. When Jenna, Donnie, and Nico were young they did something, something bad. Now years later they are all living their own lives with more secrets. So when someone tries killing them they will have to get back together and figure out what is going on. Can they figure it out before they come to danger? This book was full of twists and turns and thrills! Different than other Alex Finley books but still really good! Highly recommend!

What Have We Done is an over-the-top thriller about a group of foster kids whose past comes back to haunt them twenty-five years later. The story mostly rotates among Jenna (a former contract killer who has put her past behind her to focus on being a wife and stepmom), Nico (a reality TV producer and gambling addict), and Donnie (a washed-up rock star with addiction issues). When one of their former foster brothers is murdered, the three find themselves the target of an insane contract killer, and they desperately have to unravel who is pulling the strings and why. This was certainly entertaining and engaging, but I thought the flashbacks were handled poorly in their placement, and there was absolutely no character development or nuance to the story. It takes a major suspension of disbelief to buy into this plot, and I prefer my thrillers a little more on the possible/realistic scale. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for a digital review copy.

If you’re looking for a page-turning thriller to entertain you, this is it. If you’re looking for a plausible story, nope, this isn’t it. Just roll with it and enjoy the ride!

Decades ago, a small group of teens all come together in a group home for foster care kids that no one else wants (hint: it’s a vile, sketchy, horrible hell hole). Fast forward to today: one of them, a federal judge, has been murdered and the others have near-death experiences. Yep, someone’s hunting them all down, but who?

Here’s what grabbed me and made this thriller more than just silly - the characters. Alex Finlay creates some complex, intriguing, heartfelt people that I could cringe with, awe over, and cheer for: the suburban pampered wife who used to be a hit woman, the drugged out drunken former rock star, the scholarly thoughtful judge, and the reality tv show producer. Give the book enough time and I suspect you’ll fall in love with this motley crew as well:)

This was my first book by Alex Finlay. The characters were well developed and i appreciated the short chapters. The story was easy to read and to follow the characters along from chapter to chapter. The book was engaging until the end. Thank you to Minotaur Books, through the St. Martin's Publishing Group influencer program.and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was my first read by Alex Finlay and I really enjoyed it! It was a great mystery, had a ton of suspense, a page turning twist, and was engaging throughout the whole book. The ending did fall a little bit short for me which is why this isn’t a five star read but overall I really enjoyed the concept and story, 4⭐️

This was my first Finlay novel, and it was not at all what I was expecting. This story didn’t work as a thriller for me. While fans of actions movies may find this book compelling, I struggled to connect with the story and with Amy of the characters. From the moment a main character was introduced as a hired assassin for a secret group, I was skeptical. The story played out I’m a straightforward way, but I never found myself caring how things turned out given how unlikable all of the characters were. I would recommend this to someone who enjoys an action style, conspiracy theory type plot, but typical readers of the thriller genre may feel disconnected from this.

Having read and loved the author’s two previous novels, I was so excited to read his latest offering, What Have We Done. I wasn’t thrilled with it and was somewhat disappointed.

Thrust into a group home, five teens forged a friendship that allowed them to survive the abuse and bullying that regularly occurred. That was twenty-five years ago.

Since that time, Jenna, Donnie, Nico, Ben and Artemis have all become successful adults. Fulfilling their dreams. But they all shared a terrible secret. A secret that would come back to haunt each and everyone of them. Unless they banded together to fight the sinister force.

What Have We Done is not like any of the author’s previous works. But there is still the stable elements of character development. There are quite a few characters but they are distinguishable from one another.

The story unfolds from multiple points of view. Alternating between the main characters, across two timelines. The point of view transitions were clear. But the timelines were a bit blurred.

If there were any plot twists, I missed them. Or it could have been that I expected them.

In any event, What Have We Done isn’t Finlay’s best work and if it weren’t for the assassin gimmick, I would have enjoyed the novel a lot more. Two okay stars.

I received a digital ARC from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

2.5 stars rounded up for Alex Finlay's latest, a fast paced read with an overused premise.

What Have We Done definitely has a different feel than the author's previous two books that I've reviewed. It's heavy on the action but light on character development and utilizes a lot of overused elements of the genre. It reads like less of a suspenseful mystery and more of an action driven thriller filled with over the tops moments and cliched characters and scenarios. This book doesn't showcase the author's talents, and is not one I would recommend.

Full of twists and turns! If you are an Alex Finlay- you will enjoy this suspense thriller! Go ahead and add this book to your TBR list!

ARC REVIEW

What have we done?
by Alex Finlay

Publishing Date: 3/7/2023
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

If you prefer action packed, adventure thrillers...this is the book for you!

The story is told from varying POV - Jenna, Donnie and Nico. As children, they were living in a group home in Pennyslvania due to having no parental figures. While living at this group home, they all committed an act that is now coming back to haunt them as adults....and one of their fellow group home friends is dead.....and someone is trying to kill them.

Jenna is trying to live a normal life as a wife and step mother now that she is no longer apart of a underground secret corporation as a ninja type assasin. ( She is pretty bad ass actually!) Donnie is a famous rock band guitarist and Nico is a professional in reality Tv.

Although they all lead very different lives, it appears as someone is trying to kill each of them. Can they all come together and figure out who is behind these attacks? And who killed their childhood best friend?

And maybe this is all linked to the same reason why girls were constantly vanishing from the group home years ago?

This started out strong for me! Right away its fast paced, action packed adventure. Which I'm a HUGE fan of. It was exciting and defnitley kept my interest.

We were quickly given a LOT of information and it became confusing at a few places. Its definitley a read where you must pay attention. Because of the excess detail, I did bring my rating down a bit.

If I'm being honest, I would LOVE a book, soley from Jenna's POV. She was my favorite character and her sections were full of adventure and adrenaline.

I reccomend this one, for sure-especially if you prefer this style to slow, psychological thrillers.

What a ride! This such an adrenaline inducing page turner! It’s so hard to put down! Moves at lightening speed!

I really loved getting to know these characters and all their secrets. I feel like their stories will stick with me. Even tho they may have some skeletons in the closet… you really root for them. Even tho.. someone clearly wants them dead.

I didn’t anticipate the ending either. Definitely a surprise at the end. Thoroughly enjoyed it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️

-Short Chapters
-Fast paced
-Multiple POVs

This is the first Alex Finlay book that I’ve read and I am looking forward to reading another one. I was hooked just by reading the Prologue. The entire time I kept thinking how this would be a great action movie! With that being said, I was expecting more of a thriller/spooky vibes and I didn’t really get that with this book. There’s a ton of characters and keeping them and their situations straight was a little bit hard. I did enjoy the friendship between the main characters!

I’ve heard his other books are really good, so I will definitely check those out! This was a fast paced and a bingeable read. Definitely recommend if you like action and mystery!

Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley!