Group Buddy Read (Series in Progress) - Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead (Finlay Donovan #2) by Elle Cosimano - Starting July 1, 2022

[Dee Dee, Head Nuisance in Charge]

Finlay Donovan is―once again―struggling to finish her next novel and keep her head above water as a single mother of two. On the bright side, she has her live-in nanny and confidant Vero to rely on, and the only dead body she's dealt with lately is that of her daughter's pet goldfish.

On the not-so-bright side, someone out there wants her ex-husband, Steven, out of the picture. Permanently. Whatever else Steven may be, he's a good father, but saving him will send her down a rabbit hole of hit-women disguised as soccer moms, and a little bit more involvement with the Russian mob than she'd like.

Meanwhile, Vero's keeping secrets, and Detective Nick Anthony seems determined to get back into her life. He may be a hot cop, but Finlay's first priority is preventing her family from sleeping with the fishes... and if that means bending a few laws then so be it.

With her next book's deadline looming and an ex-husband to keep alive, Finlay is quickly coming to the end of her rope. She can only hope there isn't a noose at the end of it...

From Edgar-Award nominee Elle Cosimano, comes Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead―the hilarious and heart-pounding follow-up to Finlay Donovan is Killing It.

[Dee Dee, Head Nuisance in Charge]

I started it

[Dee Dee, Head Nuisance in Charge]

More than ready for Stephen to be dead

[Dee Dee, Head Nuisance in Charge]

19 chapters in and we're only now (view spoiler)[starting to dig into who wants to kill the ex...<\spoiler> (hide spoiler)]

[Dee Dee, Head Nuisance in Charge]

Oh. (view spoiler)[there's a head!<\spoiler> (hide spoiler)]

[Dee Dee, Head Nuisance in Charge]

ch 24 (view spoiler)[finally a hint into who Vero is<\spoiler> (hide spoiler)]

[Dee Dee, Head Nuisance in Charge]

ch 32 (view spoiler)[she keeps getting caught and yet, she is never a person of interest<\spoiler> (hide spoiler)]

[Dee Dee, Head Nuisance in Charge]

She has these men wrapped around her pinky finger

[Dee Dee, Head Nuisance in Charge]

ch 42 - (view spoiler)[now here he comes again, trying to be a good husband. So manipulative<\spoiler> (hide spoiler)]

[Dee Dee, Head Nuisance in Charge]

ch 47 - finally asking the right questions and still (view spoiler)[choosing to think with his deek, great. <\spoiler> (hide spoiler)]

[Ellie, Mod]

starting!

[Ellie, Mod]

Chapter 1 - Lol 182k posts on #goldfishofinstagram I checked

[Dee Dee, Head Nuisance in Charge]

Ahaha I didn't think to check that. Good to know

[Ellie, Mod]

Chapter 3- Don't know why Finlay tries to hide her relationship with Julien from Steven. She isn't doing anything wrong and it's none of his business.

[Ellie, Mod]

Chapter 7 - Finlay is always making me anxious with the things she tells her agent. They are just so similar to real life

Also funny quote:
"The girl at the tree lot said it’s better to pick one that’s larger than you need than to get stuck with one that doesn’t fill the space.” Vero’s gaze dropped to Steven’s crotch. “Won’t she be disappointed.” She tucked her elbows close to her sides, curling her hands into dinosaur claws as she passed me on her way to the kitchen."

[Ellie, Mod]

Chapter 8 - (view spoiler)[ Finlay just replied to the forum post on her laptop at the mall. Vero tried to stop her the whole time. I understand characters being dumb, but here she has someone telling her she was being dumb! (hide spoiler)]

[Ellie, Mod]

Dee Dee wrote: "19 chapters in and we're only now [spoilers removed]"

I know, that felt really drawn out. a lot of things I didn't care about in the first half of the book

[Ellie, Mod]

Dee Dee wrote: "Oh. [spoilers removed]"

And she touched it, yuck!

[Dee Dee, Head Nuisance in Charge]

I couldn't understand her thought processes at all

[Ellie, Mod]

Chapter 23 - (view spoiler)[Nick's been rejected so many times I don't know why he keeps trying (hide spoiler)]

[Ellie, Mod]

Chapter 26 - we just left Julien's nasty apartment, it always kind of bothered me that in the first book (view spoiler)[after she literally confesses to burying a body and tells him her whole life story. All they do is go and have sex? (hide spoiler)]

[Ellie, Mod]

Dee Dee wrote: "ch 32 [spoilers removed]"

I know, it makes no sense that they would (view spoiler)[keep things under wraps because the fact that they let her go could get all of them fired not just the front desk lady (hide spoiler)]

[Ellie, Mod]

Chapter 39 - (view spoiler)[it doesn't make sense that Melissa set the fire because Finlay and Vero were there and they heard a man smoke and piss?? (hide spoiler)]

[Ellie, Mod]

Chapter 42 - (view spoiler)[Can't relate with Finlay being completely unbothered by Vero's secrets. They've handled two dead bodies together and girlfriend here is still keeping secrets? (hide spoiler)]

[Ellie, Mod]

Dee Dee wrote: "ch 42 - [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Steven sucks. This book tries to make us feel bad for him but he flirts with every woman he sees (hide spoiler)]

[Ellie, Mod]

Chapter 43 - (view spoiler)[Why would she rule out Joey as a suspect? (hide spoiler)]

[Ellie, Mod]

Chapter 46 - (view spoiler)[I don't understand why Sylvia does so much for Finlay. She half asses everything she writes and misses every deadline. Doesn't even try. Like is this chick really an author? (hide spoiler)]

[Ellie, Mod]

Dee Dee wrote: "ch 47 - finally asking the right questions and still [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I know he's always ignoring all her shady behavior (hide spoiler)]

[Ellie, Mod]

Finished the book and again I'm left wishing to see more of (view spoiler)[Finlay being a mom. She doesn't take care of her kids ever. Vero or Georgia takes them to school and every weekend they are being babysat. (hide spoiler)]

[Dee Dee, Head Nuisance in Charge]

all she focuses on is (view spoiler)[solving cases but she's not even that good at it...<\spoiler> (hide spoiler)]

[Elizabeth]

Elise wrote: "Chapter 39 - [spoilers removed]"

Yes!! This is driving me crazy! Did I miss something? Cause it was def a man that set the fire.

[Dee Dee, Head Nuisance in Charge]

I'm hoping it's an intentional misdirection that is tied up in book 3