Finlay Donovan, for those who haven’t yet “met” her, is a novelist who was meeting with her agent and discussing the plot of her latest book at a Panera when a middle-aged woman next to her overheard, believed, and hired Finlay to kill her husband. This was 2 books ago, and Finlay is still in waaay over her head!
Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun opens with Finlay and her nanny/partner (as in crime, not romantic) Vera still deep in debt to the Russian mob. The mob boss has a simple job for the duo: find out the contract killer, who called himself (or herself) “Easyclean” in an online forum, or pay up. Finlay suspects the killer may be a cop, one in the same precinct as her sister, Georgia.
Luckily for Finlay, hot cop Nick (sorry, but that’s what she calls him) is running a week-long class for civilians. Finlay arranges for her ex to watch her two kids, and she and Vera engage in a lot of rule breaking, digging up bodies, “borrowing” cop cars, and more, in one adventure after another. In between they attend seminars and spy on the various police officers running the academy, in an attempt to figure out who is betraying his or her oath.
The Finlay Donovan books are fun. Vera continues to consistently amuse, and the kids are always good for a laugh. The tension between Finlay and Nick continues to ratchet up, and the plot contains enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. You’ll want to read the books in order, but don’t worry–this one ends with enough open ends to ensure that we’ll be reading more about this novelist/crime fighter/single mom in the future.