HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!
Book #2 in the Finlay Donovan series gave me everything I expected and was looking for...except for her beloved wig scarf. 😢
It’s been a month since Finlay Donovan was mistaken as a hit woman, resulting in a big mess and a few dead bodies. Now, she is once again way behind schedule with the writing of her new novel, even though she has nanny/accountant/friend Vero there to help out with the kids.
Finlay finds out that someone wants her ex-husband, Steven, dead. The mysterious person is using an online forum to mask her request for the hit. Even though Steven was a terrible husband, he’s still the father of her children.
With Vero as her sidekick once again, Finlay decides she must find out who wants Steven eliminated...and try to stop it from happening. As one would expect with Finlay and Vero, things don’t go very smoothly. Before they know it, they’re thrust into a complex story involving the Russian Mafia, a chopped up body, molotov cocktails, and a whole lot MORE!
Still in the picture is bartender/law school student Julian, and Detective Nick, who makes it clear he still desires her. Can Finlay do the impossible and figure out her love life, keep her ex safe, and get back on track with her book?
Read it and find out!
I had an absolute blast reading this one, and I’m happy to say as one of my most anticipated reads, it did not disappoint. Finlay and Vero are a fantabulous duo, and there were so many moments I laughed out loud, while also being flabbergasted by the plot twists. Even though the much-loved wig scarf doesn’t make it to this sequel, we do get some fun scenes with a standard wig. I’ll take it. 🙌
Some of the shenanigans that Finlay and co. get into aren’t completely realistic, just like in the first book. Also, some plot points were hard to follow as the book tackles quite a variety of topics, scenarios, and bad guys (and gals). However, I told my brain to stop working so hard and just let myself have fun with it!
If you’re a fan of Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, then I think you will gobble up this juicy addition to the series. Of course, it ends with a cliffhanger...so once again, I am (im)patiently waiting for the next installment.
Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected publication date: 2/1/22.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com English ***HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY***
Just when I needed a light read, Finlay Donovan came to my rescue again!!!!!
Finlay is struggling with writer’s block, again. Pages for her new book are due soon and she has written next to nothing. Not to despair, life will help her out again!!!!
Finn and Vero, her children’s nanny, have gotten their life down to a great routine, the kids love Vero and Finn desperately needs her help so she can have some down time to write. She considers her part of the family now, but how much does she really know about her?
Finn’s husband Steven has divorced Theresa after she was implicated in an investigation involving the discovery of 5 dead bodies on her property!! She’s currently out of jail but being monitored constantly!
Steven is living a solitary life now, having moved out of Theresa’s townhouse. He’is living in a trailer on his farm. He wants to see his kids more but Finlay and Vero have discovered some really disturbing news!!
They stumbled upon an online forum, disguised as a mom’s support group and “SOMEONE HAD POSTED AN AD ON THIS FORUM, OFFERING $100,000 TO ANYONE WILLING TO DISPOSE OF STEVEN DONOVAN!!!!!!”
Finn has no idea who posted this!! While Steven was a lousy husband, he is a good father and the children adore him. So naturally Finn and Vero have to find out who posted this ad, why and what they can do about it AND WE’RE OFF!!!!!!!!
There are more characters in this novel and more secrets to unveil. There is lots of crazy bumbling about as they try to enlist help with “the dark web”, bodies that won’t stay buried and MORE!!
Nick, a detective and sometime love interest who comes across as a little too perfect?
Nick is desperate to win Finn’s love but he will have to out-charm a new love interest in this book. Finn has been seeing Julian, a law student who, during the course of the novel, is MIA on a trip with friends.
The twists really keep coming in this one! This book is a fun read with several mysteries and some wild and crazy characters. You will have to suspend belief and just hang on for this rollercoaster ride.
I listened to the first book on audio and I think that was more enjoyable for me than reading the physical book. I missed the narration which made the story more laugh out loud funny.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher, Minotaur, through Edelweiss English Now available!
There are high jinks*. Then there are higher jinks. But our old pal Finlay Donovan? She gets up to the highest jinks of all.
Finlay is back after romping her way through Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, where she was mistaken as a hit woman after a misconstrued conversation overheard at a Panera Bread. In this second book in the series, cleverly titled Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead, she and her sidekick Vero pick up a month after the first mystery left off. This time they’re trying to figure out who is attempting to whack Finlay’s ex-husband/baby daddy, while Finn is also facing down a fast-approaching deadline for her next “novel of romantic suspense” manuscript.
Do you need to read the first book before this one? Yeah, you really do.
If you loved the first one will you love this one too? Probably. It’s very much more of the same.
Who will adore this series? Readers of Janet Evanovich or Darynda Jones. Mystery + humor = over-the-top shenanigans.
Is there any romance? Yep, Finny’s got herself a little love triangle going on with two potential suitors. Not much steam here though… yet.
Will there be a third book? No doubt, given this one’s cliffhanger ending.
*Where does the term “high jinks” come from anyway? According to my trusty friend The Internet, “High jinks was a popular 18th-century drinking game in Scotland. The game involved throwing a die, and if the caster got a bad score, they had to choose between drinking more alcohol or performing an undignified task” Finlay must be pretty bad at throwing dice.
But I must have better luck than she does, because I fortunately received a copy of this book courtesy of the author and Minotaur Books for review via NetGalley.
Blog: https://www.confettibookshelf.com/ English Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead is the second book in Elle Cosimano's ultra-modern and uber-witty Finlay Donovan Cozy Mystery series.
I fell in love with Finlay and her best friend/nanny, Vero, when I read Finlay Donovan Is Killing It last year.
The humor was spot on for me and the storyline entertaining from beginning-to-end. Going into this installment, I didn't even read the synopsis.
Frankly, I didn't care what they were up to, I just wanted to be back with these characters.
Unsurprisingly, I found this second book to be just as fun as the first. I also feel even more attached to Finlay and Vero now. We've been through so much together.
After the contract killer fiasco of book one, you would think that horrendous and dangerous chapter in Finlay's life would be ancient history. Alas, it is not.
Now she fears someone may have put a hit out on her ex-husband, Steven. Granted, he's pretty terrible, but her children are with him a lot and they love him. She needs to keep him safe.
As if that weren't stressful enough, she also has her literary agent breathing down her neck wanting her next book, as well as two handsome, eligible-men circling her like sharks.
Finlay's life is non-stop chaos and I'm telling you, it is so much fun to go along for the ride!
Reading through Finlay's perspective is hilarious. She has such a dry, matter of fact way of relaying what's on her mind. You can tell she is a Mom who is juggling a lot. She doesn't have time to beat around the bush.
I love her relationship with Vero. Even though they were sort of thrust together, they're committed to one another and I love that type of unconditional friendship.
I have no idea how many books are currently slated to be in this series, but you better believe I will be picking up every single one.
I am personally hoping for maybe ten or twenty...
Thank you so much to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review.
I love this series with my whole heart. If you haven't picked started this series yet, stop procrastinating. This one is too good to miss! English didnt enjoy this quite as much as the first book, but i do think its a great continuation of the story.
which is exactly what this is, surprisingly. i thought this would be a series where each book would have its own self-contained plot, but this sequel is essentially continuing the story right where it left off at the end of book one. and i liked that. it was fun just diving right into the story rather than having to be introduced to a new situation/case.
and this still very heavily leans into the whole over-the-top dramatics. again, it suits the tone of the story and makes for an entertaining read. i did find the pacing of this follow up installment to be a bit on the slower side, but the amusing characters definitely make up for it.
also, the main issue i had with the previous book is sadly still there. i wish this love triangle would just die. i hated it the first time around where guys were just throwing themselves at finaly left and right and it still hasnt gotten any better with this book. ugh.
but overall, a solid sequel. i personally didnt quite love this as much as the first book, but its for sure a strong addition to the series.
↠ 3.5 stars English
Elle Cosimano Î 6 read
Finlay Donovan is―once again―struggling to finish her next novel and keep her head above water as a single mother of two. On the bright side, she has her live-in nanny and confidant Vero to rely on, and the only dead body she's dealt with lately is that of her daughter's pet goldfish.
On the not-so-bright side, someone out there wants her ex-husband, Steven, out of the picture. Permanently. Whatever else Steven may be, he's a good father, but saving him will send her down a rabbit hole of hit-women disguised as soccer moms, and a little bit more involvement with the Russian mob than she'd like.
Meanwhile, Vero's keeping secrets, and Detective Nick Anthony seems determined to get back into her life. He may be a hot cop, but Finlay's first priority is preventing her family from sleeping with the fishes... and if that means bending a few laws then so be it.
With her next book's deadline looming and an ex-husband to keep alive, Finlay is quickly coming to the end of her rope. She can only hope there isn't a noose at the end of it...
From Edgar-Award nominee Elle Cosimano, comes Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead―the hilarious and heart-pounding follow-up to Finlay Donovan is Killing It. Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead (Finlay Donovan, #2)
What did you tell him?
I've been so excited for this follow up to the Finlay Donovan series ever since I read book 1 last year. The dark humor and zaniness really left an impression on me. But unfortunately, I just didn't find Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead to be nearly as good as its predecessor.
I explained that you are a highly skilled assassin.
If you'll remember from book 1, Finlay accidentally got mistaken for an assassin for hire when her conversation with her agent was overheard and misconstrued. The book ended on a twist that perfectly sets up for this one. And so we pick up right where we left off, with Finlay yet again trying to untangle herself from the world of murder and mayhem, with her loyal friend and nanny Vero by her side.
This series has always been a bit over-the-top, and that is part of its charm. Bad things happen, so Finlay has to find a way to fix them, and in the process, more bad things happen. But this book took that formula and just went to town with it, such that it no longer felt like dark humor so much as slapsticks comedy. We follow hijinks after hijinks, and it never ends. After a while, I didn't really see the point anymore.
It doesn't help that there were so many characters in here, each of whom had their own reasons and their own antics. Soon, so much was happening that it all became a bit muddled. It felt like we were just going in circles, and I had trouble keeping straight who was related to who in what way and why they were all doing what they were doing. It felt like a hot mess, honestly.
That's not to say I didn't enjoy it at all (because hot messes can be fun in their own way). But looking back on the first book with its charm, wit, and dark humor, this one just doesn't quite compare.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also, my thoughts on:
1. Finlay Donovan Is Killing It
~~~~~~~~~~~~
English Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead
by Elle Cosimano (Finlay Donovan #2)
This second book in the Finlay Donovan series, where Finlay makes bigger messes trying to clean up a mess, is was even more fun than the first one, for me. Hot on the heels of her last fiasco, Finlay discovers that someone on a women's forum is badmouthing her ex husband Steven. Someone else is offering condolences, of a sort. Actually, if you squint really hard, you could see that the messages are coded to be a request for someone to kill Steven and someone else accepting the hit. Finlay hates her cheating, lying, husband as much as the next woman but he's been a good father to their kids and she doesn't want them to lose their father.
Once again, Finlay, and her friend/business partner, Vero, have their work cut out for them. Finlay never wanted to be entangled with the Russian mob again but a mother will do anything for her kids and she wants them to have a living father. There is also the matter of Vero not acting normally, the hot, young, soon to be a lawyer friend with benefits dilemma, and the hot detective who wants to spend more off duty time with Finlay, all part of her complex and getting very stinky life. Yes, something/someone stinks to high heaven, it's getting ranker, and that something/someone needs a new resting place that is not Finlay's house or vehicle.
Pub February 1, 2022
Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this ARC. English Whoa! My favorite Donovan is back! ( sorry Ray, I’m not talking about you! But as for sure I’ll watch your showtime movie on 2022)
After burying a man, getting rid of Russian mob, publishing her bestseller, sending her scumbag cheat husband’s fiancée to jail, she’s ready to move on her life!
But as it seems like she cannot get out of trouble so easily! Her partner of crime/ babysitter/ best friend, sarcastic queen Vero obsessed with money, making calculations at each second, nervously hiding secrets! Someone also posted an add on an online forum, offering a hundred thousand dollars to anyone willing to dispose of her cheating ex Steven Donovan : actually 100 good reasons the world would be better off without him! ( that’s what ad says)
Even though that man turned her life into hell, she can let her kids grow without important parental figure! But if she tries to inform the authorities about the forum they can connect her with Harris’ murder which will open a can of worms about the incidents she’s already acquitted!
Now somebody threats her ex and she has to work on her new manuscript but Sylvia insists to bring back the hot cop back as she still struggles to maintain a casual relationship with her young and super hot lawyer lover Julian and she’s still resented to charming cop Nick Anthony for not believing in her innocence even though she still barely resists the attraction she feels.
Well, buckle up, this book is freaking unputdownable, addictive, sarcastic, hilarious!
I can get enough of Finlay and Vero’s ultra smart banters, whirlwind action packed plot, engaging, genuine character development and always surprising, WTH cliffhangers full your addiction to crave more series!
I loved this second book so much more and I truly need at least 5 books for this series ( I can also need a brilliant adaptation!
I’m telling you my friends Finlay Donovan series are everything you need! Your heart rate get skyrocketed at action scenes and you laugh so hard till your stomach hurts and you cannot feel your face! It guarantees an amazing, ultra entertaining time!
Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts. English that final act basically had me going into cardiac arrest (pro tip: do not listen while driving) and the fact that i have to wait a whole year for book three is CRIMINAL English Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead is the second book in the Finlay Donovan series. In the first book, we have Finlay Donovan, an author, who was describing her plot to her agent in a crowded Panera. She details the life of a hired contract killer, only to find a message that one of the customers believes that Finlay is a real contract killer. At the very end of Book #1, Finlay receives a message requesting that she off her ex-husband. Book #2 involves Finlay Donovan doing some amateur detective work in a very non-subtle manner. She also has two dashing gentlemen actively pursuing her and constantly trying to get her in her birthday suit.
I’m going to be honest that I wasn’t that big of a fan of the first book. Finlay Donovan is extremely ditzy, and the book is so unrealistic. Everything is very easy with exactly perfect timing. Evidence is always laid out in plain sight. She has two children, but she never does much with them other than drop them off with other people and describing the children as messy, sticky, and dirty. This is definitely a cozy mystery, and I didn’t feel the suspense building. By the end of Book #2, I still have questions about Vero and the identity of one of the characters, and I’m one that likes a pretty clean ending.
All that being said, this book was really easy to read. The sentences and paragraphs are short. The prose is non-pretentious, and it was a nice, light-hearted read. The author also better be paid for product placement because she mentioned Fiat Chrysler Automobile vehicles so many times: a Dodge minivan, a Dodge Charger, a Jeep, and even an Alfa Romeo Spider. By the way, an Alfa Romeo Spider does not cost $100,000. It has an MSRP in the high $60,000’s (Troy is after all in the heart of Metro-Detroit, the Motor City). This book also might be labeled as aspirational fantasy. I mean hot cops are always stopping by my house just to check me out, right?
*Thanks, NetGalley, for a copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest opinion.
2023 Reading Schedule
Jan Alice in Wonderland
Feb Notes from a Small Island
Mar Cloud Atlas
Apr On the Road
May The Color Purple
Jun Bleak House
Jul Bridget Jones’s Diary
Aug Anna Karenina
Sep The Secret History
Oct Brave New World
Nov A Confederacy of Dunces
Dec The Count of Monte Cristo
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