Reviews

Finlay Donovan vai arrasar by Elle Cosimano

Only show reviews with written explanations

caebrown's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

prettypious's review against another edition

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4.0

A fun, funny and interesting mystery with a very likeable and relatable protagonist. It kinda reminded me of a cozy but of course it ain’t a cozy. It was entertaining and I’d recommend.

mew31's review against another edition

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funny medium-paced

3.75

adrig19's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious fast-paced

4.5

So close to perfect but Finlay was so stupid sometimes

smharps17's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.25

Love the premise! I wasn’t very drawn to Finlay as a character and won’t be reading any more of the series, but it was a fun concept to check out. Ultimately it just got a little silly and I wasn’t really rooting for anyone.

justinkhchen's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5 stars

You wouldn't go to a buffet expecting find dining, you are expecting variety, and that's what Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is — a mediocre blend of comedy, romance, mystery and thriller. Even though I'm slightly underwhelmed by its messy plot, and the very 'beige' overall execution, there are enough joyous chaos and genre-blending elements present to still make it an enjoyable silly romp.

Definitely leave the thinking hat out for this one; while Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is billed as a murder mystery comedy, the emphasis is heavily leaning towards comedy. The mystery gets very convoluted very quickly (almost too ambitious for the story it's serving), and by the end relying on countless convenient coincidences and logistic oversights to keep it somewhat comprehensible.

With all the praise this book has been receiving, I was expecting the comedy to be witty and driven by a specific point of view, but alas, it is just basic, sitcom-y material that's inoffensive at best, and not landing at worst.

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is definitely verging on being over-hyped by the time I picked it up: the characters are stock material (stressed-out mom, handsome detective, Russian mafia...), the romance is lukewarm (left open-ended for book 2), and the mystery is best enjoyed in passing and unscrutinized. I was expecting something extraordinary, but ended up with one that's pretty middle of the road — which is fine, just keep your expectation in check going in!

While I'm not lusting after Book 2 like the rest of the Internet (just me being a pessimist — I don't think the author can actually deliver on the bomb she dropped at the end of Book 1), I'm still semi-intrigued and will settle for the eventual library loan.