By: Alex Finlay
Narrators: Brittany Pressley, James Patrick Cronin, Jon Lindstrom, Maggie Thompson Macmillan Audio
ISBN: 978-1250863720
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: 03/07/2023
Format: Audiobook, e-book, hardcover
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
In this “top-notch mystery thriller” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) from Alex Finlay, What Have We Done is a tale about the lives we leave behind and the secrets we carry with us forever.
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.
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 but now are reunited for a single haunting reason: someone is trying to kill them.
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.
It’s a reunion none of them asked for . . . or wanted. But it may be the only way to save all their lives.
What Have We Done is both an edge-of-your-seat thriller and a gut-wrenching coming-of-age story. And it cements Alex Finlay as one of the new leading voices in thrillers today.
My Review
Alex Finlay returns following The Night Shift (5 Stars) with his latest twisty psychological thriller, WHAT HAVE WE DONE —four friends with a shared troubled past are reunited when a deadly secret resurfaces, and a killer is on their trail.
Twenty-five years ago, from Savior House group home, five young teenagers did something. It has been a secret, but who knows what they did?
Meet the five, now four.
Art, a wealthy tech mogul
Donnie, a former but recognized rock star
Nico, a reality TV producer
Jenna, a happily married mom to two stepdaughters and a former assassin.
Ben (Benny), a judge—now murdered.
The four have not seen one another in many years; however, things change with Ben's death. When their famous judge friend is murdered and the FBI comes looking, the four must race against the clock to figure out who is targeting them.
Who knows what they did? Who knows their dark secret and why now?
Jenna, a former assassin—was recruited out of foster care in her early teens by The Corporation. She receives a message forcing her back to her old job. I loved Jenna! She is a character that shines. It was fun to see her in action while protecting her family.
With the Epilogue, am wondering if we will get a sequel with Jenna. Hope so.
Told from multiple POVs, past and present. The friends are forced to relive their childhood traumas. They must decide who they can trust.
In this fast-paced action thriller, the friends must fight for their lives and survival. Finlay gives us background on each, with well-developed characters and riveting suspense.
If you enjoy smartly written thrillers, this one is for you. For fans of Harlan Coben and Greg Hurwitz (Orphan x)!
While this one was not like the last book, which was more nostalgic. Difficult to compare, this one was more an action-packed whodunit and a study of friendship. I am looking forward to seeing what is coming next from Finlay.
I was fortunate to read the e-book and listen to the audiobook narrated by a cast of rock stars: Narrated by Brittany Pressley (a fav), James Patrick Cronin, Jon Lindstrom, and Maggie Thompson for an award-winning performance for all voices!
Thanks to #MacmillanAudio #NetGalley #St MartinsPress #MinotaurBooks for a gifted ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review. #SMPInfluencers #MinotaurInfluencers
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: March 7, 2023
My Rating: 5 Stars
Praise
One of the Most Anticipated Books of 2023
• BookPage • BookBub • BuzzFeed • Go BookMart
• Goodreads • The Every Girl • She Reads • Beyond the Bookends
One of Amazon Book Review’s “Buzziest Mysteries and Thrillers of Winter”
One of BuzzFeed’s “Most-Anticipated Thrillers of 2023”
One of BookPage’s “2023 Most-Anticipated Mystery & Suspense”
One of BookBub’s “Most-Anticipated Books of 2023”
One of Goodreads’s “2023 Most Anticipated Mysteries & Thrillers”
One of Go BookMart’s “15 Most Anticipated Books of 2023”
One of Novel Suspects’s “20 Psychological Thrillers We’re Excited to Read this Year”
One of She Reads’s “Most-Anticipated Thrillers Coming in 2023”
One of The Every Girl’s “20 Most Anticipated Books of Winter”
“[A] top-notch mystery thriller . . . . Readers will eagerly follow the maze-like plot, with its many twists and turns, to the exciting conclusion. This isn’t to be missed.”―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Finlay could fashion a white-knuckle cliffhanger out of a trip to the store, so plan to start and finish this on the same day, maybe the same afternoon.”
―Amazon Book Review
"[Finlay's] gripping tale delivers both heart-pounding action and plenty of twists to keep the reader guessing. A thoroughly entertaining "popcorn thriller"―just right for fans of Riley Sager's Final Girls and Stacy Willingham's A Flicker in the Dark."
―Booklist
"Finlay makes skilled use of point of view.. Fast-paced action and a compelling study of friendships power this suspenseful thriller."
―Kirkus
"Explosive, whip-smart, and compulsively readable, What Have We Done sets a new high-water mark as Alex Finlay’s best thriller yet"
―Sarah Pekkanen, New York Times bestselling co-author of The Golden Couple
"A next-level thriller that brims with dark surprises and unforgettable characters inextricably connected by their pasts, loyalties, and an unspeakable secret. Inventive, immersive, and downright addictive, What Have We Done had me flying through the pages. Put this one on the top of your to-be-read list."
―Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author of The Overnight Guest
"Alex Finlay proves once again he’s a master storyteller. What Have We Done has unrelenting action, inspired characters, and an innovative, pulse pounding plot. Alex Finlay has become one of today’s top thriller writers. This is why. Read this book.”
―Robert Dugoni, New York Times bestselling author
“This is the very best kind of thriller: fast, smart, and not a wasted word. Alex Finlay is a master at making the pages fly past.”
―James Kestrel, Edgar-award winning author of Five Decembers
About the Author
ALEX FINLAY lives in Washington, D.C. and is the author of critically-acclaimed novels, including the 2021 breakout, Every Last Fear. His work has appeared on numerous best-of-the-year lists, been published in seventeen languages around the world, and is currently in development for a major television limited series.
The Night Shift
By: Alex Finlay ISBN: 978-1250268884 Publisher: Minotaur Books Publication Date: 03/01/2022 Format: Hardcover My Rating: 5 Stars +++ TOP BOOKS OF 2022 LIST From the author of the breakout thriller Every Last Fear, comes Alex Finlay's electrifying next novel The Night Shift, about a pair of small-town murders fifteen years apart―and the ties that bind them.
