Title: Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice
Author: Elle Cosimano
Series: Finlay Donovan
Source: Netgalley. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Genre: Mystery, Thriller.
Trigger Warnings: Violence, death, wouldn’t say too graphic but take care of yourself.
Explicit? Low level spice.
Summary: Finlay Donovan and her nanny/partner-in-crime Vero are in sore need of a girls’ weekend away. They plan a trip to Atlantic City, but odds are―seeing as it’s actually a cover story to negotiate a deal with a dangerous loan shark, save Vero’s childhood crush Javi, and hunt down a stolen car―it won’t be all fun and games. When Finlay’s ex-husband Steven and her mother insist on tagging along too, Finlay and Vero suddenly have a few too many meddlesome passengers along for the ride.

Within hours of arriving in their seedy casino hotel, it becomes clear their rescue mission is going to be a bust. Javi’s kidnapper, Marco, refuses to negotiate, demanding payment in full in exchange for Javi’s life. But that’s not all―he insists on knowing the whereabouts of his missing nephew, Ike, who mysteriously disappeared. Unable to confess what really happened to Ike, Finlay and Vero are forced to come up with a new plan: sleuth out the location of Javi and the Aston Martin, then steal them both back.

But when they sneak into the loan shark’s suite to search for clues, they find more than they bargained for―Marco’s already dead. They don’t have a clue who murdered him, only that they themselves have a very convincing motive. Then four members of the police department unexpectedly show up in town, also looking for Ike―and after Finlay’s night with hot cop Nick at the police academy, he’s a little too eager to keep her close to his side.

If Finlay can juggle a jealous ex-husband, two precocious kids, her mother’s marital issues, a decomposing loan shark, and find Vero’s missing boyfriend, she might get out of Atlantic City in one piece. But will she fold under the pressure and come clean about the things she’s done, or be forced to double down?

Vero and Finlay at it again in the 4th book in the Finlay Donovan series, which proves to be just as thrilling, funny and easy to read as the previous books. Actually, if the previous books were a comedy of errors I’m not even sure where to start with this one except to say that it is completely awesome.

We get to know more about Stephen in this book (who I still hate), along with Cam (who I have a soft spot for), as well as Finlay’s mother who is downright hilarious and Nick, who I seriously love so much. Can he join their burgeoning criminal empire? Because I think he should. But that would also compromise so much of who he is.

The conflict is real folks.

The setting in this book is Atlantic City, a place I’ve never been to, or seen much of but can now vividly picture due to Elle Cosimano’s fabulous writing. I felt like I was there.

This road trip is full of twists and turns, casinos and fake wigs along with crooked ex cops and a (I’m picturing) adorable pupper, and a diabolical ex-wife, and for once I’m not talking Finlay.

There’s also some growth in Stephen (god I hate to admit it), where he realizes, guess what? He’s not all that and a bag of chips.

This book will make you laugh, cheer, gasp aloud and in general have a good time while scratching your head and wondering how the hell the team of Finlay and Vero get away with anything.