Let me begin by saying that I love the characters of Finlay Donovan & Vero – what a swashbuckling team they make! And add to it the two little monsters Delia & Zach! This is what the Finlay Donovan Series has treated us to till now – a stunning mixture of suspense, thrill and humor! No wonder, expectations were high from this much anticipated read of 2023.
But as soon as you pick this 3rd version, you quite easily can sense something amiss. Something lacking in the book right from the beginning. It has a slower than expected start. Valuable time is squandered in reintroducing characters here and there. Yet, they were not easy to recall. I strongly felt the need of a short “story till now” prologue which would make it easier to understand, especially as a standalone read.
To summarise the plot, in this book, Finlay and Vero are trying to reveal the identity of EasyClean from part 2. For those of us who have not read it, EasyClean is the hitman who had been hired on an Internet Forum to kill Finlay’s husband Steven. So far, so good. I think however, the problems of the book start with a very weak and loose plot which is unable to match the high energy, action packed and extremely funny situations in the previous book. What a riot FedUp and EasyClean had caused, the fear that Feliks evoked, the adventures that Finlay & Vero unwittingly find themselves in, the exceedingly witty & humorous situations. On the exact opposite, Finlay Donovan Jumps The Gun is set in a single setting throughout the book and lacks on most of these accounts.
The entire handling of the plot lacks the typical adventure & fun you relate with this series. The way they go about decoding EasyClean’s identity in itself is very casual and unconvincing. It looks half hearted.
Humor has been the strongest attribute of Finlay Donovan books. This book does have moments that will have you laughing. The part/character of the book I liked the most was Peter Kim – the lab technician awestruck by Finlay. He instantly brightens up the scene. How he starts to believe that he is the hero of Finlay’s next book is funny and endearing. But other than this, certain situations look forced – added just to have the humor quotient going.
The only thing that keeps you reading is the anticipation and curiosity towards EasyClean’s identity. But even this revelation comes as a damp squid after the terrific build up of FedUp and EasyClean in the previous book. It lacks the fizz & shock element. It feels unconvincing.
Amongst other things, the chapter towards the end with that fire simulator emergency felt totally unnecessary and avoidable. And add to it some cheesy romance with a love struck, drooling Nick totally in awe of Finlay.
Conclusion
Finlay Donovan Jumps The Gun is my least favorite book from the series. That doesn’t imply it is a bad book. But is sure found wanting in many aspects if you consider the past books as a benchmark. There was huge anticipation in the identity of EasyClean from the last book itself. And after so much wait, what you get here is not fulfilling. The plot where they set out on this mission should have been adventure & fun filled rather than enclosed in a police academy. The suspense too was not worth it really.
On the good parts, Vero continues to be the unflinching, badass support system of Finlay. I love their bond and wish to see a lot more of them in future. And for all Donovan fans, Elle Cosimano has already announced 3 more books in this series. So time to celebrate. You like some books more than the others. And if this book fell short in comparison, no harm done. It is still a great series which I surely wish to follow. Grab your copy now Finlay Donovan Jumps The Gun