An exciting and fast-paced mystery thriller that went in a direction I wasn't anticipating.

Twenty-five years ago, Ben, Jenna, Nico, and Donnie, survived their time as orphans in the horrible Savior House. After several other teens suddenly vanished from the home with no explanation, they made a grave decision and then escaped to go their separate ways. The kids put their abusive pasts behind them and went on to different lives, some more successful than others.

They come back together now because someone is trying to kill them after all these years. Who wants them dead, and why now. No spoilers.

This was action-packed and very entertaining. The narrative shifts in time from then to now and between the main characters in alternating points of view. As I listened to the audiobook while following along in the e-book, the story came alive with the various voices. A fine multicast performance that really enhanced the book. Each character has a strong persona and the details of their lives were interesting -- one an aging rock star, another a reality television show producer, a housewife with a surprising kick butt past, and the other a judge. The twins as described will give you a few chills. In other words, lots of the unusual. The novel has some good twists and is surprisingly also sentimental and heartrending as well.

Thank you to the publisher for the e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. I'd also highly suggest listening to the audiobook as well. ( )

This was a re-read for me and I have to say I feel like I must not have been paying attention when I read this the first time because the story kept me engaged from beginning to end. There were a lot of secrets to unpack in this story and it kept me guessing until the reveal. ( )

What have we done …
Twenty-Five years ago, a group of foster kids forged a bond through their diverse backgrounds and abuse they endured while at Savior House, a group home for parentless teens. As adults they are now living separate lives:
Jenna is a stay-at-home mom with a past.
Donnie is a has-been rock star with a habit.
Nico is a reality TV producer with debt.
Ben a federal judge and Arty a tech mogul.
Now present day their past pulls them back together, black mail, gambling debts, attempted assassinations and mystery that unfolds involving all of them and two sociopaths that their idea of a fun time is asking “Do you know there are six types of screams?”
It will be a reunion none of them will forget.
I began this book with an audiobook but with it having three different points of view it was more than I could pay attention to and not feel lost. I bought the eBook and began reading from the start. It can be a bit confusing as the author snatches us back and forth from the past to the present, leading us to where this is all going. He does not give too much away or develops these characters too much in a way that I would have expected, however it was enough to keep me involved in the story.
There was enough action and mystery to keep me interested, the author outlines all loose ends and answers all the questions without it being predictable and that makes an impressive mystery thriller.
Despite the lack of character development and the confusing moments of back and forth the stories that unravel for each of these characters were tragic and heartbreaking. I love that despite growing up to having separate lives their bond remained, whether it was because of what they all endured or because of the secret they shared does not matter, it made sense.
Overall: Though the character development was not excellent it was enough to keep me engaged due to the tempo and mystery. The author concludes the story very well; however, I would love to see another book unfold involving the Jenna, I feel the author could have done so much more with just her character alone.,

4 out of 5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

🖈“In the dark, the gentle boy utters the words none of them will ever forget: “What have we done?”
🖈“No matter how bad the person, we all cling to the days of innocence we remember from our youth.”
🖈“The world looks brand-new!” and Calvin ending the script with, “Let’s go exploring!”
( )

Twenty-five years ago 5 teenagers buried a secret in the grounds of Saviour House – a foster home for homeless teenagers – a place that was supposed to be a safe haven for children who were orphans or wards of the State but was not quite so. After all these years one of them is murdered and there have been attempts on the lives of the remaining four. It seems that someone knows what they did all those years ago.

In the past twenty-five years, the five have gone their separate ways – Ben, a federal judge; Nico, a television producer with gambling debts; Donnie, a fading rock star whose attempts at sobriety are mostly unsuccessful; Artemis, a successful tech entrepreneur and Jenna, assassin-turned suburban homemaker – and someone is out to get them! Why , after all these years, is someone targeting them? Will this secret from their past upend their present lives? Will they be able to find out who is behind it all before anyone else gets hurt? Add to this the assassins (with an unusual weapon of choice) who are assigned the task of killing them and you’ve got an interesting thriller on your hands!

What Have We Done by Alex Finlay is an action-packed thriller with exciting twists and turns. The narrative is shared from the perspectives of Jenna, Donnie and Nico. The plot has potential and will have the reader trying to figure out the who and the what and the why from the get-go. However, it wasn’t quite as gripping, complex or tight-knit as I hoped it would be. The pace drags in parts and I didn’t really like any of the main characters (though Jenna’s assassin-turned-housewife backstory was interesting) and I felt that their shared history, which is shared in bits and pieces throughout the narrative should have been better developed. Another problem I had with the narrative was the abrupt switching between the past and the present-day events, which took a while to get used to. However, I did like the way the story eventually unfolded (loved the literary references as a major clue toward the end) and my eagerness to know the who and the why kept me interested.

Overall, while I did not dislike Alex Finlay's What Have We Done, I wasn’t quite bowled over by it. But I am eager to read more from Alex Finlay in the future. I really hope he gives us another book featuring FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller (from The Night Shift and Every Last Fear).

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the digital review copy of What Have They Done. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. ( )

5 teens, 25 years ago all agree to a task, but once done, they wonder, "What Have We Done?" Now, 25 years later, the past still haunts them, and worse, 3 of the 5 are being hunted. Jenna, fearful for her family, goes along with demands. Donnie, a drunk band member, is mourning the death of his friend, Ben. Nico, a gambler, has debts. Arty is a tech billionaire.
When they find the truth about who is after them, and why, they fear for their lives.
Quick thriller with awful secrets to a past best left buried. I enjoyed it. ( )