Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano

Publication Date: January 31, 2023

Description from the Publisher through Netgalley

From USA Today bestseller and Edgar Award nominee Elle Cosimano, comes Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun—the hilarious and heart-pounding next installment in the beloved Finlay Donovan series.

“Fresh, heartfelt and witty, Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun is a twisty page-turner, and its relatable heroine Finlay Donovan is irresistible!” —Janet Evanovich, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum series

Dating. Diapers. And dodging bullets. Who said single moms can’t have fun?

Finlay Donovan has been in messes before—after all, she’s an author and single mom who’s a pro at getting out bloodstains for rather unexpected reasons—but none quite like this. After she and her nanny/partner-in-crime Vero accidentally destroyed a luxury car that they may have “borrowed” in the process of saving the life of Finlay’s ex-husband, the Russian mob got her out of debt. But now Finlay owes them

Still running the show from behind bars, mob boss Feliks has a task for Finlay: find a contract killer before the cops do. Problem is, the killer might be an officer.

Luckily, hot cop Nick has started up a citizen’s police academy, and combined pressure from Finlay’s looming book deadline and Feliks is enough to convince Finlay and Vero to get involved. Through firearm training and forensic classes (and some hands-on research with the tempting detective), Finlay and Vero have the perfect cover-up to sleuth out the real criminal and free themselves from the mob’s clutches—all the while dodging spies, confronting Vero’s past, and juggling the daily trials of parenthood.

My Review

Book 3 in this series has Finlay participating in some “hands-on” training at a Citizen’s Police Academy. This was another fantastic story in Finlay’s messed-up world and I loved every minute of it. Vero is the best side-kick character and Finlay is so relatable when it comes to a single mom trying to make ends meet in whatever way possible.

I love this series and with the cliff- hanger ending of this one, I can’t wait for the next.

I gave this book 5 crowns.

I received this E-ARC from the publishers through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Den by Cara Reinard

Publication Date: December 13, 2022

Description from the Publishers

When the patriarch of the Fox family suffers from a heart attack, leaving behind a large inheritance, his four children (along with their long-time former housekeeper) can’t help but come together at his deathbed. Valerie, the eldest, hopes for the family reunion to be amicable, but everyone quickly realizes that the fewer of them there are, the bigger their share of the inheritance. Who will inherit the fortune? Who can be trusted? All these questions and more are explored in this can’t-miss domestic suspense. 

My Review

The inheritance angle is a trend in books right now and I am here for it. The only issue with that is that it is very easy to compare one book to another. I have recently read Daisy Darker and the entire Inheritance Games trilogy and was comparing this book to them the entire time.

There was a fairly large cast of characters in The Den and once in a while, I needed to think about who I was reading about. I did enjoy the story but I did see some of the twists coming. It was not my favorite of the inheritance trope but it was still a decent read. I give this book 3 crowns.

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.