"What did you tell him?"

"I explained that you are a highly skilled assassin."

I've been so excited for this follow up to the Finlay Donovan series ever since I read book 1 last year. The dark humor and zaniness really left an impression on me. But unfortunately, I just didn't find Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead to be nearly as good as its predecessor.

If you'll remember from book 1, Finlay accidentally got mistaken for an assassin for hire when her conversation with her agent was overheard and misconstrued. The book ended on a twist that perfectly sets up for this one. And so we pick up right where we left off, with Finlay yet again trying to untangle herself from the world of murder and mayhem, with her loyal friend and nanny Vero by her side.

This series has always been a bit over-the-top, and that is part of its charm. Bad things happen, so Finlay has to find a way to fix them, and in the process, more bad things happen. But this book took that formula and just went to town with it, such that it no longer felt like dark humor so much as slapsticks comedy. We follow hijinks after hijinks, and it never ends. After a while, I didn't really see the point anymore.

It doesn't help that there were so many characters in here, each of whom had their own reasons and their own antics. Soon, so much was happening that it all became a bit muddled. It felt like we were just going in circles, and I had trouble keeping straight who was related to who in what way and why they were all doing what they were doing. It felt like a hot mess, honestly.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy it at all (because hot messes can be fun in their own way). But looking back on the first book with its charm, wit, and dark humor, this one just doesn't quite compare.

Readaroo Rating: 3 stars

You never want to be the asshole that leaves a message promising to kill someone for being late, only to find out they've already been murdered.

Poor Finlay. She's a struggling author writing books no one's reading. Her two young kids are driving her crazy while her ex-husband fired the nanny. And on top of that, she's completely broke. When a meeting with her literary agent turns into a big misunderstanding about her being an assassin for hire, it seems Finlay's problems have only just begun.

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It has got to have one of the most intriguing setups I've ever seen. And that setup comes to pass in one of the best scenes I've read in a long time. At one point I was howling with laughter, causing my husband to come over and ask if I was all right.

A lot of times, a book's promise of mystery and intrigue and laughs don't really amount to much, and I'm left at the end thinking, "Is that it?" But not this time. In this book, I daresay, we get everything we're promised, and that's such a satisfying feeling.

The tone of this book is darkly humorous. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and the reader shouldn't either. It's not meant to be completely believable, but rather fun and just a bit over the top.

I totally enjoyed this zany story, which delighted and surprised me from beginning to end. It looks like this will be the start of a series, and I couldn't be more excited. With that little bombshell of an ending, I can only hope our wait for the next book isn't too tortuously long.

Readaroo Rating: 4 stars