Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun: My Dirty Dishes Were More Fun

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano
Series: Finlay Donovan #3
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery/Thriller
Goodreads

Author and single mom Finlay Donovan has been in messes before―after all, she's a pro at removing bloodstains for various unexpected reasons―but none quite like this. When Finlay and her nanny/partner-in-crime Vero accidentally destroyed a luxury car that they had "borrowed" in the process of saving the life of Finlay's ex-husband, the Russian mob did her a favor and bought the car for her. And now Finlay owes them.

Mob boss Feliks is still running the show from behind bars, and he has a task for Finlay: find and identify a contract killer before the cops do. The problem is, the killer might be an officer themself.

Luckily, hot cop Nick has just been tasked with starting 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 a tempting detective), Finlay and Vero use their time in police academy to sleuth out the real contract killer to free themselves from the mob's clutches―all the while dodging spies, confronting Vero's past, and juggling the daily trials of parenthood.

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

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I’m not trying to write nothing but negative reviews, I’ve just had some really crappy luck this year so far. Or I’ve gotten pickier. Either way, here we are, with yet another negative review.

This one doesn’t surprise me, though. While I adored Finlay Donovan is Killing It, Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead was not a hit for me. So, I went into this one with very low expectations, and it somehow still hit the floor.

I listened to this on audio and I tried to pay attention, but I found my mind wandering…often. I like to listen to audiobooks while I do chores. While I was mindlessly washing the dishes, they were mighty dirty, that one spot on the cookie sheet just really didn’t want to come off, I was scrubbing and it just would NOT. COME. OFF. Eventually I had to get the scraper tool to get that little burnt piece of food off, then I rinsed and it was good as new…oh right, I’m listening to an audiobook. Oops. What was even happening?

That scenario just kept happening. When the chores I’m doing are more entertaining than the audiobook I’m listening to, I would say we have a problem, Houston.

What initially drew me in to the first of the series was the charm and humor of a mom getting herself involved in all sorts of shenanigans. I actually laughed out loud during Finlay Donovan is Killing It. The second one lost some of the charm, this one even more-so. The only line I remember smiling at was when Finlay calls an elderly woman, and the woman says “If this is about my cars extended warranty…“. It got a chuckle out of me, but it’s also a recycled line from online memes. So, I don’t know how much credit it actually deserves. I can’t even say the outlandishness of it really put me off, because even though there were some outlandish events, it really was that it was just such a bore that I don’t even remember what happened (and I only finished it 2 hours ago from writing this).

Despite being the shortest in the series so far, it dragged on forever. Yet, we still don’t have a resolution. I think it’s time I put this series behind me and focus on just how great the first one was.