Finlay Donovan Is Killing It

November 30, 2020
This amusing series launch from YA author Cosimano (Seasons of the Storm), her adult debut, has a pleasingly absurd premise. Wronged wife Patricia Mickler overhears Finlay Donovan, a down-and-out romantic suspense novelist, talking about her next book with her agent in a suburban Virginia sandwich shop. Mistaking Finlay for a killer for hire, Patricia offers the author $50,000 to kill her no-good husband, Harris. The money is just what Finlay needs to deal with her ex, who’s trying to renegotiate their custody agreement. Of course, Finlay has no intention of actually killing Harris, but fate intervenes—and when she witnesses Harris attempting to drug a woman in a bar, Finlay is launched into a screwball mystery involving Russian gangsters, more angry wives, and a disturbingly attractive police detective. Finlay’s antics require a suspension of disbelief that some readers may find difficult to sustain, and others may be troubled by seeing issues such as date rape and revenge porn handled with such a light hand. But those willing to enter into the spirit of Finlay’s world should enjoy this romp from a skilled comic writer. Agent: Sarah Davies, Greenhouse Literary.

Angela Dawe's narration makes YA author Elle Cosimano's debut novel for grown-ups a wild and funny romp . Divorced, broke mystery writer Finlay Donovan is overheard in a restaurant plotting her next novel. The eavesdropper mistakes her for a hit man (person?) and offers her big bucks to kill her despicable husband. Dawe is spot-on with self-deprecating humor and uncertainty as Finn's world grows even more chaotic when her ex fires the nanny. With no intention of doing the deed, Finn investigates the proposed victim, and when the man turns up dead in her garage, the game's afoot. Dawe offers Cosimano's laugh-out-loud moments with just the right sparkle. While it may take some suspension of disbelief to accept the improbable events, Dawe makes us believers. S.J.H. � AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine