Finlay Donovan Is Killing It

Everyone is raving about Finlay Donovan! This recently divorced mom/financially strapped mystery author is struggling to find her way when she's mistaken for a contract killer. Naturally. Finlay decides to use this new angle as inspirational fodder for her stalled book that is due at the publisher and a way to get some much needed extra cash.

It is a unique premise with an over-the-top feel. It has a few funny bits, a tease of romance, great female friendship (my fav part!) and a plot that includes a few issues that many readers will relate to (murder for hire hopefully being the exception). But I was surprised that I didn't love this book more and I think a lot of that stems from the fact that Finlay wasn't my favourite character. For me, Vero, the Nanny/accountant clearly outshined Finlay with her personality, sass and funny quips. 

Overall, this is a predictable but fun, escapist kind of read (think Stephanie Plum with kids) that has a memorable female duo and an interesting premise with a few twists that leaves readers with a bit of a view into the next book in the series. 

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Author: Elle Cosimano

Genre: Mystery, Contemporary Fiction

Series: #1 in the Finlay Donovan series

Type and Source: eBook from public library

Publisher: Minotaur Books

First Published: February 2, 2021

Opening Line: It's a widely known fact that most moms are 

ready to kill someone by eight thirty a.m. on any given morning.

Book Description from GoodReads: Finlay Donovan is killing it . . . except, she’s really not. She’s a stressed-out single-mom of two and struggling novelist, Finlay’s life is in chaos: the new book she promised her literary agent isn’t written, her ex-husband fired the nanny without telling her, and this morning she had to send her four-year-old to school with hair duct-taped to her head after an incident with scissors.

When Finlay is overheard discussing the plot of her new suspense novel with her agent over lunch, she’s mistaken for a contract killer, and inadvertently accepts an offer to dispose of a problem husband in order to make ends meet . . . Soon, Finlay discovers that crime in real life is a lot more difficult than its fictional counterpart, as she becomes tangled in a real-life murder investigation.

Fast-paced, deliciously witty, and wholeheartedly authentic in depicting the frustrations and triumphs of motherhood in all its messiness, hilarity, and heartfelt moment, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is the first in a brilliant new series from YA Edgar Award nominee Elle Cosimano.