Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano
What do I like about this series?
In part, it’s the reader – she does an AMAZING job of
differentiating the voices. I was wondering how she does it so seamlessly. Does
she do different tracks then put them together? I think it’s just plain talent
and hard work. From male voices to female, and child to adult, she changes
voices at the drop of a hat.
It does remind me a little bit of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie
Plum series that started with One for the Money, but that may be because
the main character, Finlay Donovan, regularly hears from her agent, Sylvia, and
her nanny sidekick, Vero, is from New Jersey. However, there’s cops and
mobsters and lots of fun back and forth too.
The characterization by the author is wonderful. I enjoy the
fact that the main character, Finlay Donovan, is a divorced mom of two little
ones under the age of five who writes for a living.
The plots are also quirky, fun, and fast-paced!
The series starts with Finlay Donovan is Killing It, as
Finlay gets drawn into a real-life crime thriller when she is mistaken for a
hit woman while talking about her latest book plot with her agent, Sylvia, in a
Panera. Finlay is approached to dispose of a problem husband. Obviously,
the answer is no. But she gets to wondering what would be bad enough for
someone to pay a hit man, or woman, to take out a husband? She goes to check
things out, not intending to do anything at all, but sees the guy slipping a
woman a roofie.
Finlay can’t stand idly by and let the guy get away with what
he is doing. She soon ends up with him in the back of her minivan, knocked out,
driving home, not knowing what to do. She goes inside for a minute and when she
comes back out to her garage, he’s dead. Her former Nanny, Vero, shows up and helps
her dispose of the body.
Of course, there’s more to this than meets the eye, starting
with what the guy had been up to and his ties to the mob.
The complications ramp up and continue into the next book,
though there is a satisfying conclusion at the end of each book, no worries
there.
The series continues with—
Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘em Dead- Someone puts a hit out on Finlay’s
ex-husband, Steven, and the Russian mob is once again getting too close.
Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun- Finlay and Vero join the citizen's
police academy to sleuth out the real criminal and free themselves from the
mob's influence.
Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice- Finlay Donovan and her
nanny/partner-in-crime Vero plan a trip to Atlantic City to negotiate a deal
with a dangerous loan shark, save Vero’s childhood crush Javi, and hunt down a
stolen car. Finlay’s ex-husband Steven and her mother insist on coming along
too.
I’m looking forward to more in this series but, in the
meantime, I looked up the person who reads the books and chose another series
she voices. It certainly makes the drive go quickly.
