Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and Alex Finlay for this ARC copy of What Have We Done! This book was about five kids from a group home for parentless teens. Twenty five years after they were split up, someone is trying to kill them all. Their lives have taken them in different directions, and though most of them have not seen each other since their childhood, they are bound together by their traumatic childhood’s and a deep dark secret. Now they need to find out who wants them dead, and why.

Thoughts: As someone who doesn’t typically enjoy spy/assassin books, this one piqued my interest. I would definitely describe this book as character driven. There’s no wild twist, but there is a ton of action, suspense, and fun details layered into each chapter. Usually a book with so many characters can get confusing, but Finlay does a great job of developing each character to avoid that.

The ending was enjoyable and Finlay left no loose ends. I did find myself skimming at times and the book was quite long. It was my first book by the author and I will absolutely recommend this to my friends who enjoy spy/assassin stories.

Rating: 3 stars

NOTES FOR THE PUBLISHER:
- Chapter 17 3rd sentence “Sher stares” should be “she stares”
- On kindle view - I wish the flashbacks would be introduced or italicized so the transition from present to past was more obvious

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur books and Alex finlay for an advance copy of this book!
‘What have we done?’ It’s a question a group of 5 kids from a foster home ask themselves. Nobody knows but them, and they keep it that way as they become adults. Over 20 years later, it becomes clear that someone does know what they did, and they’re being taken down. Those that remain fight to find out who knows what they did and how they can stay alive.
It’s a fast paced thriller with twists and turns galore. Grips your attention from the beginning and doesn’t let up until the very end. This is my favorite of Finlay’s so far and look forward to more in the future.
Publication day is March 7!

A SECRET literally taken to the grave, an unwanted blast from the past AND an unlikely reunion that will change everything forever … “What Have We Done” by Alex Finlay is FUN, FAST PACED and will give you a RUN for your money!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

25 years ago, 5 teenagers met at a group home called Savior House. All abandoned by their parents, these teens must stick together and learn to survive on their own. When multiple teenage girls from the home start to go missing, the teens decide that SOMETHING has to be done before the next girl disappears. They create a master plan to put a stop to the EVIL acts happening within the walls of the group home. The teens all flee in separate directions afterwards but will FOREVER be bonded by their deep DARK secret.

Flash forward to the present and the 5 teens are now being HUNTED and someone is trying to kill them off one by one. WHO is after them?? AND much does the killer know about their pasts??

Alex Finlay is an auto-buy author for me and I have been anxiously awaiting this book!!!! This one is not as thrilling as his last books, but it is jam packed with adventure and a WILD RIDE and I devoured it in a couple of days!

Thank you kindly to @alexfinlayauthor @minotaur_books @stmartinspress @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! You can get your hands on this book when it releases on March 7, 2023!!!

Not my favorite by this author, but still a good book. It was a slow burner, but that is because there are so many POV, flashbacks to a different timeline when the main characters are young and so many storylines weaving together. I had to push myself to keep reading the first half of the book, but it definitely improved on the second half. I wasn’t super shocked at the major plot twist, and looking back if I read it all closer together rather than sporadically over a month or so it would have been a better read to fit some clues together. Learn from mistakes, fellow bookies.

Spending time in an orphanage is never ideal, but for this group of kids, it was hell. Something happened decades ago that none have them have ever talked about, but now one of them is dead. And it’s the one who became a high profile judge. What happened at that orphanage is coming back to haunt them, because the judge was being blackmailed about it. And now that he is dead, there are FBI agents and someone trying to kill each of them. The past doesn’t always stay in the past, does it?

*rounded up from 3.5 stars*

I thoroughly enjoyed What Have We Done by Alex Finlay. The story started off engaging and fast paced from the beginning. The book was told through multiple point of views and really aid in the characters' development throughout the story. Every character is unique and contributes their part to the plot. I thoroughly enjoyed Finlay's writing -- it was almost like watching an action-packed thriller of misfits trying to save the world; although I would say, don't have realistic expectations of some of these scenarios.

It was not hard to guess the mystery but I did get caught off-guarded with some twists and turns in the end. I will be reading other books from Alex Finlay now -- I'm a fan.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books, and author Alex Finlay for providing me with an advanced review copy in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
This is my third book by Finlay and I’ll pretty much read anything he writes! Overall, I enjoyed this fast paced action thriller. I enjoyed all 3 POV but Jenna’s was my favorite. I really enjoyed the back story about the Savior House and its dark secrets; I wish there would have been more of that interwoven in! However, the pacing and progression of the story kept my attention and I finished it rather quickly.

4/5 ⭐️

Read if you like fast paced, bingeable — action based reads!

Thank you @netgalley & @stmartinspress for my digital ARC of #whathavewedone #netgalley #stmartinspress

Jenna is a stay-at-home mom forced to go on the run after her past job catches up with her. Donnie is an alcoholic rock star kicked out of his band and then kicked off of the cruise he was on. Nico is a producer on a reality mining show, trapped in the mine he made so famous. All three of them found success after escaping from Savior House decades prior, a group home for parentless teens. When they were at Savior House they were bonded by their actions and the secret acts they performed. When one of their fellow teens dies, they must reunite and discover who is putting them in danger and why.

What Have We Done is a fast-paced thriller. I devoured the first act in one sitting. While the middle of the book slows down slightly, Finlay does a great job swapping between the three characters and keeping the tension high. The short chapters and alternating viewpoints make for a very fast read, but it also keeps the characters distant from the reader. But this book is full of twists and action that makes for a very fun read. Each of the three characters have a unique story before they all converge, making it a lot more fun to keep reading. The ending does a great job of resolving the emotional growth of the characters, even if that is kept more in the background for the bulk of the book. Our secrets from the past can always come back to haunt us, and we will be forced to fight for our lives to escape them.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of What Have We Done in exchange for an honest review.

What Have We Done by Alex Finlay is another gripping novel by an amazing author.

The author did an outstanding job of developing his characters and the result is completely captivating and engaging.
The remarkable characterization and well developed, unputdownable story made this to be a mind bending story with some pretty phenomenal twists along the way.
The premise was interesting, the pacing was great, and writing as always was brilliant.
Extremely well written. And definitely a page-turner. Finlay does the best job at creating the scene and bringing the thrill right along with it.
One of the best psychological thriller reads I’ve lately read!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Story grabs you from the jump and the pace is engaging throughout. With that said, the transitions from Jenna’s POV to anyone else felt lackluster because her chapters were so exciting. Nico’s POV was fine but Donnie’s was a bore in comparison. Each POV is only 2-5 mins long and I wish they were longer because the breaks would ruin the suspense for me.

I enjoyed the story, but one or two twists as well as the epilogue felt extra complicated and excessive. Could have used a less is more concept here, but overall a good book.

Trigger warnings: sexual assault, human trafficking, child abuse

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

Im a bit conflicted on how to rate this book. It engaged me from the start, I flew through the book, the writing was good and I loved the premise. The thing that keeps coming back is the implausibly and lots of repetition towards the end. I can deal with the implausibly. I’m having a harder time with my ability to suspend my belief to those lengths at in the last 25%.

Im going with a 3.⭐️

Not quite the packed storyline I’m used to from this author but still a solid novel. Adrenaline packed and more of an action thrill than that of a mystery or thriller. An automatic buy from this author and cannot wait to see what everyone thinks of this one. Lots of interesting characters and a bad ass heroine.

I'm not actually sure what this book was supposed to be because it wasn't a mystery, and it was barely a thriller. The prologue, which normally would set a tone, explains everything right away. And not in the way where you read it again at the end and it makes sense it didn't make at the outset. Nope, it just tells us that <spoiler>this group of kids killed someone.</spoiler> Ah, but the mystery is WHO they killed, right? Nope, that's pretty clear after the first chapter or two, and it isn't very interesting anyway.
In my opinion, this book suffers from underestimating its audience. I don't think a mystery or thriller is necessarily bad because it's predictable. That's not the complaint here. The complaint is that the main characters are all one-dimensional and we know <b>from the opening page</b> why someone is tracking them down.
There <i>is</i> a <s>twist</s> reveal that is probably what the novel is relying on for its big moment, but because I didn't feel invested in any of the characters, I also didn't care about the reveal.

Based on other reviews so far, I seem to be in the minority with my opinion and that's great. I hope others enjoy this book more than I did. I wish <i>I</i> enjoyed it more than I did, especially because I've liked Finlay's previous thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance digital review copy.

If you liked Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn, you will like this suspenseful thriller. Five teenagers at a rundown shady foster home have to take matters in their own hands when girls start going missing and the corrupt system and police ignore and intimidate them. Decades later one of the five becomes a Federal judge and is killed. The other four - an aging rock star, a Hollywood producer of reality shows, a wealthy software mogul, and a retired hired assassin, all have attempted murders. They know it’s because of the group home, but they don’t know who has attempted to kill them. Good structure and good character development, as well as the twists and turns, move the story along quickly.

A secret from the past reunites a bunch of former foster care peers. Lots of twists, turns along the way with a great ending. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more from this author.

This is my 1st book by Finlay, so maybe coming into it with zero bias is a good thing. Not knowing what to expect from him, I really enjoyed this book! Like... HOLY COW! Non-stop action!!
The story is told in multiple points of view. A brief synopsis:
25 years ago, a group on kids at a group home decided to take matters into their own hands. Something awful happened, and the secret was kept between them all. Fast forward to present day - none of them have really kept in touch. They all were led on different paths. Jenna is navigating life as a stepmom, Nico is a reality TV star, Donnie was in an old Rock group, Ben is a prominent and well-respected judge, and Artemis is one of the wealthiest men in the city.... but their past is coming back to haunt them, and someone wants them all dead.
I literally could not put this book down! As I mentioned, constant action, on the egde of your seat thriller, & super fast-paced! It pulled me in at the beginning, and I loved every minute of it. I liked all the characters, Jenna's story was the most exciting and my favorite- but I even enjoyed getting to know the bad guys! This was such a fun story unlike anything I've read, so props for that!
Definitely will recommend it, and I'm excited to read more from Alex Finlay!

Thanks to you #Netgalley and publishers for an early E-release in exchange for my honest opinion!

The book is available on March 7th, 2023!

Good, but I prefer the author’s other works over this.

It was fast paced, but I lacked a connection with the main characters. There’s lot of action and enough mystery to keep people guessing.

“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.”

Personal Review : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book had me on the edge of my seat for mostly the entire book! It was written from 3 alternating point of views, in a non linear timeline that took us from their days at Savior House group home to current. When a book begins with not one, but three attempted murders you know it’s going to be a pulse pounding thriller. This was set predominately in DC and Pennsylvania, which was fun, as I love our nation’s capital. Jenna, the main character, is Jason Bourne in woman form, and I loved her clever, marksman, suburbanite mom persona - such a unique character development that is not overplayed in novels. This is a coming of age murder mystery thriller that visits the lives we leave behind and the secrets we carry forever.

Thank you @alexfinlay @minotaurbooks and @netgalley for the advanced review copy in exchange for my honest opinion, this book publishes on March 7.

Synopsis : 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. 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.

I usually love Alex Finlay’s writing style but this one was difficult to get into from the beginning.Jenna, Donnie and Nico were all characters but I had a hard time following them or being invested in the plot. I will still check out books by this author but this one just did not hit.

Twenty five years ago, a group of five teenage friends commit a crime that they all promise not to ever tell anyone about. However, now one of them is dead and it’s foul play. It’s not long before attempts are made on the other four. Soon they realize their dead friend was being blackmailed about what happened that one night twenty five years ago. It seems that someone knows their secret and is out for revenge.

Night Shift by Alex Finlay was a top read of 2022 for me so I had high hopes for Finlay’s latest novel What Have We Done. I have to say it didn’t disappoint! It was an action packed, fast paced thriller that will keep you up late reading way past your bedtime. I loved that it’s told in multiple POVs and that it time jumps between past and present. Alex Finlay is quickly becoming an auto buy for me and I can’t wait to read more of his work. If you haven’t read anything by this author yet I definitely recommend you do.

I have read Alex Finley's books in the past and have enjoyed them. Unfortunately this is one that I haven't. I look forward to reading other books by this author and I'm thankful for the opportunity.