Though the trauma of their childhood has never left them, each went on to live accomplished–if troubled–lives. They haven’t seen one another since they were teens but now are reunited for a single haunting reason: someone is trying to kill them. Nico stars in a popular television show featuring coal miners. It’s a surprise hit but Nico, who has a desperate gambling problem, is regarded as a liability by the show’s producers. He’s not exactly sure how he ended up in the belly of the beast but somehow he comes to consciousness deep in the bowels of the coal mine. He knows he’s going to die but where there’s life there’s hope. Admittedly, I'm a huge fan of the trope that is like a group of individuals who grew up together, who had something happen many years ago, who reunite as adults to investigate, or put to bed some sort of issue that has plagued them since they were kids. I read Finlay’s book, The Night Shift, and I liked that one too. I critiqued that one for having ‘a lot’ of swearing but it actually had less f-words than this one. The more I read, the more I realize my perspective on ‘a lot’ has somewhat shifted. There is definitely a difference between books with 60+ f-words and ones with 30.

I also felt the book was LONG. Probably not much longer than most books, but the story held inside had its dragging moments and unnecessary moments. Her downcast expression is the worst. One thousand percent pity. He’s been sober for three months, the longest stretch in a decade. But then he got word last night about Ben. The closest thing he had to a brother. Then he ran into that aging groupie—the one with the same bleached hair she probably had when she raised a lighter to their hit power ballad two decades ago.A tasty, if not always tasteful, tale of supernatural mayhem that fans of King and Crichton alike will enjoy. I read and loved both Every Last Fear and The Night Shiftby this author. But this one just didn't do it for me, it didn't even feel like Alex Finlay wrote it. I am used to his books being more on the mystery/suspense side of things and this title was more like an action movie.

The circumstances are mysterious, but it’s no coincidence that Jenna, Donnie, and Nico have been targeted to die. Fortunately, their assassins can’t close the deal: all three survive and eventually find their way to each other. They know the attempts to kill them will continue and they’re desperate to figure out why it’s happening. Does it have anything to do with the murder of their Savior House friend Benny? He was the best of them—kind, a seeker of justice, and intelligent beyond his years. A graduate of Harvard law, at the time of his death, Judge Ben Wood was a leading candidate to be an appellate court judge. Is his death the catalyst that triggered the killing attempts? Who was the fifth teenager at the pit those many years ago? To answer those questions would unfairly unravel a complicated, surprising plot. So the hot blonde psychopath twins are now going to kill everyone and bury them in a field, but then Donnie shows up from the treehouse and distracts them just enough that Jenna can run away, and the twins follow her, and then there is a RIDICULOUS fight scene, and because of Jenna's assassin skillz one of the hot twins accidentally kills the other hot twin with a cattle killer tube weapon that has been mentioned 1000 times, and then Jenna leaves the other twin injured, but still alive, in the woods because she's not a killer anymore. Then she helps Donnie and Nico bury Artie alive like five minutes later, so I guess she is still a killer?

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Explosive, whip-smart, and compulsively readable, What Have We Done sets a new high-water mark as Alex Finlay’s best thriller yet.”— Sarah Pekkanen, #1 New York Times bestselling co-author of The Golden Couple

And a bunch of peripheral characters that I don't feel like typing out. They'll come up eventually. From the beginning, I was fascinated by this group of characters. Each of them felt unique and compelling. I particularly enjoyed Jenna's and Donny's perspectives. They really got this story off on the right foot for me. So, the story starts with a bunch of people all firing a gun into one corpse and thinking, "What have we done?!?"Alex Finlay proves once again he’s a master storyteller. What Have We Done has unrelenting action, inspired characters, and an innovative, pulse pounding plot. Alex Finlay has become one of today’s top thriller writers. This is why. Read this book.”— Robert Dugoni, New York Times bestselling author I also take strong issue with “forgiving” which the author repeatedly refers to. During therapy, or over conversations – some soldiers claimed to have found self-forgiveness. In therapy other participants (soldiers) would “forgive them”. Forgiveness is an act bestowed by the victim (or the victim’s family members) if possible. Having un-related people, in a therapy session for example, grant forgiveness rings hollow. Self-forgiveness seems a psychological coping mechanism – or a form of denial. What right does one have to forgive oneself for outrages against a victim(s); one example given was the beating of a prisoner. What Have We Done? is both invaluable, and a value-added contribution to the dialogue our nation is having about the long-term effects of war, and how best to deal with the men and women who fight on behalf of our nation. Although, US specific, I truly believe this is a universal phenomenon, and is a reflection of the human condition. I can attest I saw the effects of moral injury among the Iraqi soldiers I worked with. AFs previous two books are full of twists and turns, cleverly connected characters, and plots that keep the reader on the edge of their seat. this story has none of those. its honestly the most straightforward mystery/thriller i think i have ever read. the main past event is given away in the prologue and the current present day events are so obvious that im not really sure what the purpose of reading is. with the “whodunnit” and the “whydunnit” given away, i feel like theres really nothing left for the reader to discover.

Since The Nuremberg Trials, however, we know that we cannot give up our moral responsibility for our actions--as much as military officials try to convince us otherwise.The foster children of Savior House never knew the peace of a normal childhood. Three close friends from the children's home – Jenna, Donnie, and Nico – were split up when they left those abusive halls. Many thanks to NetGalley, St.Martin's Press/Minotaur, and Alex Finlay for an ARC of this book! Now available as of 3.7!!** As we are all too aware, people who survive that double bind can be haunted by debilitating cognitive dissonance and subsequent emotional dysregulation. Wood goes on to discuss some of the trauma treatment that some professionals have devised - but these methods need to be taught at a national level, and right now they are only localized. In the suspense/thriller genre, Finlay stands out for a couple of reasons. First, he uses multiple points of view to flesh out his plot and keep the pacing ultra-fast, while still being grounded and accessible. Second, he never shies away from a difficult scene, whether it’s an emotional arc that pushes his characters into totally new realms and opportunities for growth, or a particularly creative murder scene . . . . [ What Have We Done] is a fast-paced and suspenseful thriller with just enough emotional grit to make readers care about the characters along with the mystery.” —Bookreporter