Finlay Donovan Jumps The Gun By Elle Cosimano

Finlay Donovan Jumps The Gun By Elle Cosimano

Closing the book on March…

I’m excited to wrap up another fantastic month of reading with you! I hope you *loved* Finlay Donovan Jumps The Gun by Elle Cosimano as much as I did (here’s why we chose it!). I’m not at all a mystery-thriller-book gal, but I do think Elle’s books are the perfect combination of romance, humor, suspense, and friendship… and I truly can’t get enough. I am keeping my fingers crossed for a book four, and maybe Elle will tell us below! (Hint: Check our Instagram!)

Author Elle Cosimano is here (!) to share more about Finlay and her writing style. This is one of my very favorite series we’ve featured on the Ashley Brooke Book Club, so I was just thrilled for our chat…

Behind The Book (Author Q&A)

About The Author

Elle Cosimano is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Elle’s debut novel for adults, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, kicked off a witty, fast-paced contemporary mystery series, which was a PEOPLE Magazine Pick and was named one of New York Public Library’s Best Books of 2021. Elle lives with her husband and two sons in Virginia.

Follow Elle on Instagram here!

Q: What was the inspiration behind the Finlay Donovan series? We just adore the accidental hitwoman who is surprisingly relatable!

A: Thank you! I think Finlay is so relatable because she was inspired by real women and real events. The idea for the story was actually conceived in a crowded Panera Bread restaurant five years ago, while I was brainstorming with my critique partners over lunch. We were plotting through the details of a fictional murder I was working on when it became obvious that the woman at the table beside us had been eavesdropping. We laughed as we imagined all of the horrible assumptions she must have made about us in the absence of any context, and that’s when I came up with the premise of Finlay’s story.

Q: Is writing this adult series different from the writing space you find yourself in to write your YA novels?

A: For me, the biggest differences I’ve found pertain to genre boundaries and expectations. In the YA space, genre bending and blending isn’t unusual, because all YA books are shelved together. In the adult space, books are shelved by genre, which poses unique challenges for books that straddle genre lines. I love writing stories that appeal to so many kinds of readers, and I like to think that the success of the Finlay series will encourage the adult market to embrace more genre-bending books.

Q: Are there any scene or characters you wrote and loved but didn’t make the cut?

A: I can’t recall any characters that were cut, but it’s not unusual for me to cut entire scenes, or merge chapters, in order to keep the pacing tight. I don’t typically remember many of them as standing out. If they had been important enough to remember, they were probably important enough to keep.

Q: If you found yourself in a “Finlay Donovan” situation, who would be your Vero and would you successfully escape the exploits?

A: I have two partners in crime, and I couldn’t imagine pulling off the impossible (or writing a novel) without them. Megan Miranda and Ashley Elston have been my ride-or-die writing buddies for more than ten years. When we started writing and critiquing together, we didn’t have a single published book between us. Today, we have more than thirty on our collective shelf. I’m pretty confident there’s nothing we can’t accomplish together.

Thank you, Elle! More of our chat will be over on Instagram, so make sure you are following along for more!

And don’t miss Elle’s other titles… the Finlay Donovan series is obviously a favorite!

Discussion Questions

I love diving deeper into these stories! Below are a few questions that were on my mind as I read Finlay Donovan Jumps The Gun. Feel free to answer in the comments below, over on the Ashley Brooke Book Club Instagram or with your IRL bookish friends!

1. The story felt so Finlay, but also super fresh. What did you think of her latest hijinks?

2. Rumor has it there is a television series in the works. Who you would cast?!

3. Who is your Vero? (In other words, someone who keeps all your secrets?)

What To Read Next

Next month’s read is laugh-out-loud, full of heart, and irresistible (and a little bit steamy!)… any guesses?

As for books with a similar Finlay Donovan vibe, may we suggest: The Windsor Knot by SJ Bennett, The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz, or The Maid by Nita Prose. Mystery and intrigue right ahead!

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