Reviews with content warning for Murder - Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead

I read the first book in this series a year ago, and thought it was just okay. I was expecting the same from this one, but I was surprised how nice it was to be jumping back into this storyline. The mystery and side plots got deeper, but the humor from the first book was still maintained and I love the characters even more! Definitely read this if you enjoyed the first one!!

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pamshenanigans's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

While I did enjoy this sequel, it wasn’t as fun to read as the first one. The “twist” didn’t hit as hard and the plot gets convoluted at times, BUT, the big BUT is, you don’t pick this series up for the rationality or sensibility of the characters and the plot. lol

What I loved about the first Finlay Donovan book and this sequel is it stayed true to itself: being over-the-top, convenient, fun, and funny. A cozy mystery/thriller that has pretty brutal action that won’t leave you squeamish. The ending sure does hint at a next book because Finlay Donovan, as it seems, just can’t catch a break and I’d still be here for it.

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alylentz's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Just as fun and funny as the last one!

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mommarex1221's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I love it when sequels are even better than the first book, and this is very much the case here (I did love #1 though!). And I was psyched to discover Cosimano has plans for (at least) 2 more in this series. I can't wait to get my hands on #3 when it's out.

Cosimano has weaved such a fun, tense, and compelling story - as a mother I connected with Finlay instantly in #1 and have only grown to relate to her more (aside from all this murder business, ha). I love the choices Cosimano has made and can't wait to continue on this journey with Finlay, Vero, Georgia, Nick, Julian, and I guess I'm even starting to tolerate Steven (ha).

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off2explore's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

I loved the first book in the series, but this one struggled with the balance of believable disaster and contrived circumstance. I laughed a lot and cheered on Finlay and Vero throughout, but it didn’t quite have the charm of the first.

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