finlay donovan gets schooled

Finlay Donovan is back, and she’s worried. Her assistant and nanny, Vero, has been arrested and is awaiting her trial in Maryland. She was accused of stealing funds from her college sorority, and when it happened, Vero had felt alone and overwhelmed, so she ran instead of standing up for herself. Now she’s been caught and is on house arrest in her mother’s house. Finlay, a writer with two kids, has been struggling without Vero’s help, and now Vero has gone quiet. No texts, no calls, no emails. Finlay and Vero’s boyfriend Javi, who also hasn’t heard from Vero in a while, are worried about her.

Finlay wants to go to Maryland to check on Vero and on her trial, but her parents have the flu and her ex-husband is out of town, so there would be no one to look after the kids. Until Nick offers. Nick is her boyfriend, a handsome police detective that she met back when she had to deal with a major misunderstanding involving a dead body and the Russian mob. Nick encourages her to go check in with Vero while he stays and watches the kids. Finlay is dubious, but she finally agrees, her concern about Vero that strong.

Javi insists on going to Maryland too, so Finlay and Javi head to Vero’s mother’s house the next day. They find that Vero is just fine, but her mother and attorney had taken away her electronics so she wouldn’t get into any trouble as the trial gets closer. But she doesn’t have much faith in her lawyer. Finlay decides to step in and investigate, to see if she can figure out what happened to the money that went missing.

Back when she was in school. Vero had been the treasurer of her sorority. Most everyone else in the house had come from wealthier neighborhoods than she did, but she was smart and charming, so the other sisters liked her. But they were quick to turn on her when she was accused of stealing, especially since the money had been in her room when it disappeared. The girls had been running some underground poker nights, and there had been some students who lost big, one even losing his entire tuition for the semester. And that money couldn’t go in the usual accounts, because how could they explain that?

Vero and Finlay find her friends from college, and see that many of the people who had also been involved with the underground poker games are doing really well. They all graduated and are working good jobs or in graduate school. But they all seem to have secrets, making them suspicious if not actual suspects in the theft.

Meanwhile, Finlay’s social media is blowing up with rumors about Vero and a poll about Finlay’s relationship with Nick. Her son keeps hiding Nick’s possessions at home, and she’s got writing deadlines to think about. They need to figure out what happened to that money quickly, before Vero is put in jail, Finlay’s kids destroy the house, and her neighbors all put shirtless photos of Nick online. And they need to do it quickly, because Vero keeps staying out too long and setting off her ankle monitor, and if she’s not careful, her bail will be revoked. But the problem with getting close to figuring out who stole the money? It means getting close to danger, and more than anything, Finlay and Vero want to get out of this alive.

Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line is the latest in the warm and witty Finlay Donovan series from Elle Cosimano. I was happy that these women were finally able to get away from the Russian mob (you’ll have to read her previous books to learn about that) and sink their teeth into a different kind of mystery. There were moments that I thought I knew what was going to happen, and Cosimano went in a completely different direction, and I think that’s what I love about all the books in this series. They are smart and unpredictable and just so much fun to read.

I listened to the audio book of Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line, narrated to perfection by Angela Dawe. I have listened to several of these books on audio, so I know the characters immediately, since Dawes has crafted distinctive voices for them all. She knows how to bring the drama with these stories, and I love it.

I had so much fun with this book. I loved the story line, and I am longtime fans of these characters. I was excited to find out more of Vero’s backstory, and to meet her family. But having Nick taking care of Finlay’s kids back at her place while she’s out of town investigating, and seeing how her agent is using their relationship to draw readers to her novels made for some very funny moments. And at the end, there it is—the teaser that leads to the next book. I’m ready for it now. More Finlay Donovan, please!