Author: Elle Cosimano
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Publisher: Minatour Books
Publication Date: February 2, 2021
Book Description: “Getting the job done” for one single mom takes on a whole new meaning in Finlay Donovan is Killing It, a deliciously witty adult debut—the first in a brilliant new series from YA Edgar Award nominee Elle Cosimano.
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 moments, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is the first in a brilliant new series from award-winning author Elle Cosimano.
Rating: 4 Stars
Review: This has been getting a lot of praise early on, and it is well deserved. This is Elle Cosimano’s first novel written for adults and it’s funny, smart, and has a solid mystery.
Finlay Donovan, is a divorced, mother of two. Nothing is going right in her life. She is behind on all her bills, he ex wants to file for custody of their kids. She is a fledgling author, who is behind on due dates with her editor. After a chance encounter at a Panera Bread, Finlay is offered 50K to kill a man, for woman who she just met.
Of course, Finlay does not want to do this, but is intrigued by this woman’s request, what could her husband of done that is worth dying for. When they meet at a bar, she realizes this is not a nice guy, and she drugs him and takes him back to her house, with no intention of actually killing him. Things go array very quickly, and you guess it, he winds up dead.
This is as much as I will go into the plot of the book, but what the author gave us a humorous story of this single mom, just trying to survive. Yes, this is a mystery, and a very good one at that. However this story is so much more. You will love Finlay throughout the entire book. The author gave a very human woman, mistakes and all.
This is a fun ride, and I highly recommend this. While there is no cliffhanger, this is definitely being set up for a brand new series. Enjoy!
Thank you NetGalley and Minatour Books for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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