This was a highly entertaining and relaxing read!

Finlay is a freshly divorced writer with two small children who is struggling to make ends meet. Her ex left her for a another woman and he is now trying to win the custody of the children. Finlay is struggling with ideas for her new novel but agrees to meet her agent in a local restaurant. The two of them discuss storylines involving a murder and are overheard by a woman at the next table who mistakes Finlay for an assassin. The woman offers Finlay $50,000 to kill her husband. Finlay is no killer but she desperately needs the money. Can she pull it off or it least use it as an inspiration for her novel?

I loved the wit in this novel and can totally see it made into a comedy movie. It was refreshing to read this lighthearted humorous novel featuring Finlay and her right hand - nanny Veronica who are both fantastic characters and compliment each other brilliantly. The good news is that it seems like there might be a sequel which I'm looking forward to reading.

Many thanks to the publisher for my review copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Finlay is struggling to write her latest suspense/romance novel and is in a deep mess financially. Her ex-husband Steve and his fiancé Theresa are pushing for full custody of four year old Delia and two year old Zach and he takes every opportunity he can to use against her. A meeting in Panera with her agent leads to a chance encounter that could be her way out of her money problems. With the assistance of her babysitter Vero is this the start of a new lucrative ‘business’ for Finlay?

Although I can’t say I find this book funny, I can say that it’s entertaining. There’s a good mix of characters in this lively novel from the ever resourceful Vero to the likeable Finlay though the less we say about Steve and Theresa the better, there’s a hunky cop and a good looking bartender to provide some romance potential and let’s chuck in some dangerous mobsters with the inevitable hitman. Finlay unwittingly unleashes a chain of events with very unexpected results. The pace is fast, there’s an entertaining if far fetched series of misadventures and so many twists and turns it makes your head spin until you’re dizzy. There’s a dash of everything from murder to romance, some eyebrow raising occurrences and a few smiles. It’s light, fizzy and easy to read with a good ending.

Overall, if you’re looking for something that’s not too taxing but with plenty going on then this may fit the bill.

With thanks to NetGalley and Headline Books for the arc for an honest review

This book is phenomenal. By the time I was on chapter 3, I was already recommending it to everyone. They’re all ready to buy it on publishing day!

A single mum, struggling author and banned from Panera, we find Finlay wrapped in a head scarf and big glasses at a table in Panera (what else did you expect). We are privy to a conversation between Finlay and her book agent. A conversation which could be misconstrued and accidentally lands her with a hit request worth 50k. I absolutely adored Finlay and the way she got herself into this situation. Finding out that her eventful morning resulted in a bloody rag and blunt knife in her nappy bag made me laugh out loud. What would she do? Surely she could just do some research for her book? But things are never that easy as Finlay soon finds.

Honestly, I could imagine myself in that situation. It’s mad how words can be misconstrued.

It turned a little more serious as the book continues but I still really enjoyed it. I liked her connection to the other characters and adored her relationship with Vero. I liked Vero’s confidence and belief in Finlay and how the two strong women supported each other throughout.

I laughed and cringed and ghasped many times. I would recommend this to everyone!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. It was a pleasure providing one.

Elle Cosimano displays an assured light touch and deft humour in the first of her Finlay Donovan crime series. 31 year old Finlay is a divorced single mom with 2 young children, 2 year old Zach and 4 year old Delia, and rapidly becoming buried in all the troubles coming at her from every direction. She is a small time crime writer with an advance she can't pay back, she hasn't been able to write a word since her life descended into a fraught chaotic nightmare, the bills have piled up, her poor excuse of a ex-husband, Steven and his fiancee, real estate agent, Therese, are suing for complete custody of the children, her home is under threat, and to top it all, Steven has fired her 22 year old account student and nanny, Veronica (Vero) Ruiz. Disguised in her wig scarf, she sets out to meet her literary agent, Sylvia, at Panera to discuss the state of her non-existent novel, when their conversation leads a nearby woman to mistake what she does for a living.

The unhappily married woman, Patricia Mickler, is under the misapprehension that Finn is a hitwoman, and leaves behind a note for her, she has a job for her, to kill her husband, Harris, for $50 000. The money certainly mesmerises Finn, but no, this is not what she does. She contacts Patricia to decline the offer, but is intrigued by the woman's claim that her husband is a dreadful man that would be no loss to society. This has her visiting, in disguise, and in a stolen dress, The Lush, a bar and club that Harris will be at. Here. she encounters a young cute law student and bartender, Julian Baker, that she just cannot get out of her mind, it's been a long time since she has felt so attracted to a man. The evening ends in a surprising and shocking way that is to change Finn's life for good. Finn gains Vero as a partner in crime, nanny and housemate, gets far too close to the Russian mafia, finds herself and her children in danger, meets a hot cop, and gets other offers to kill for large sums of money in a business she has inadvertently gained a reputation for excellence, and then there is the possibility Finn just might become a more successful crime writer.

Cosimano has kick started with panache what promises to be a stellar comic crime series, with a charismatic central character in Finlay, whose life jumps into the crazy lanes through a series of mishaps and misunderstandings. If you are looking for a healthy dose of realism and grit, then you are going to be doomed to be disappointed, but if your looking for fun, entertainment, bags of humour and laughs, then Finlay Donovan is your woman. Fantastic read, and can't wait for the further adventures of Finlay and Vero. Many thanks to Headline for an ARC.