Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun (The Finlay Donovan Series, 3)

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

From USA Today bestseller and Edgar Award nominee Elle Cosimano, comes Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun—the hilarious and heart-pounding next installment in the beloved Finlay Donovan series.

"Fresh, heartfelt and witty, Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun is a twisty page-turner, and its relatable heroine Finlay Donovan is irresistible!" —Janet Evanovich, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum series

Dating. Diapers. And dodging bullets. Who said single moms can't have fun?

Finlay Donovan has been in messes before—after all, she's an author and single mom who’s a pro at getting out bloodstains for rather unexpected reasons—but none quite like this. She and her nanny/partner-in-crime Vero accidentally destroyed a luxury car that they “borrowed” in the process of saving Finlay’s ex-husband. The Russian mob handled her debt, but that means Finlay now owes them.

Still running the show from behind bars, mob boss Feliks has a task for Finlay: find a contract killer before the cops do. Problem is, the killer might be an officer. Luckily, hot cop Nick has started up a citizen’s police academy, so Finlay has the perfect cover-up to sleuth out the real criminal as she does some “research” for her new novel. Nick is more than happy to get close to Finlay, but he’s also getting dangerously close to the truth.

As Finlay and Vero dodge potential spies and juggle the daily trials of parenting, they can only hope they find the crooked cop before Feliks catches up with them—not to mention revealing Vero’s mysterious past, Nick’s growing interest in Finlay, and the threat of her looming book deadline.

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320 pages

Average rating: 7.73

33 RATINGS

Community Reviews

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Hanlove1192

Mar 17, 2025

6/10 stars

I love the Finlay Donovan series, but this one wasn’t it for me. It was repetitive, didn’t keep my interest, and was rough to finish. Finally got good the last few chapters. I wish Finlay and Nick had more romance also.

bookshelf.at.tiffanys

Dec 19, 2024

8/10 stars

Finlay Donovan is at it again... coming off of saving her ex-husband's life and ruining an incredibly expensive car, Finlay has the attention of Russian mob. The Russian mob paid for the luxury car that Finlay and Vero borrowed, but now, they're indebted to them. Russian mob boss, Feliks has one job for her to do for them to be even. Find the contract killer that wanted her ex-husband dead before the police do.

Finlay is no stranger to the police in her county. She has a previous relationship with a hot detective. Said hot detective finds himself running a "citizens" police academy where individuals can come for a week and see what police training is like. This includes shoot at the range, driving a cruiser and multiple other class options. Thinking that the contract killer just might be a dirty cop, Finlay and Vero decide to attend the academy and spin it as recon for Fin's newest novel... and man, what a story they find.

I absolutely LOVE this series. Finlay is such a relatable character if you're a mom with young children. I am constantly laughing at her with her kids and the things they do. I really enjoy the mystery elements of these novels and the lighthearted, comedic touch that Elle Cosimano approaches them with. I was definitely kept guessing during Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun! I can't wait for book 4.

ljzsreadsandreviews

Oct 22, 2024

8/10 stars

This one has to be my favorite of the series so far. All of them are interconnected and sometimes with series its tough to make the call of which one is better than another but this book brought so much together while still leaving us hanging for the next book. I liked finlay a lot more in this one because she is coming more into herself as a single mom and has become more sure of herself through all of these crazy twists her life has taken on. vero is hilarious and I felt like we got more of her dynamic during this book. We had less Steven which was nice because I can’t stand him. We got more of Nick and finally a connection between him and finlay which made me so happy. I loved the plot of this one and the cliff hanger it left for me had me pre-ordering the next book since now I need to wait until march for its release!

ashleyreadssometimes

Sep 07, 2024

7/10 stars

Wish her choice of words could be less repetitive but overall good story that kept me reading. Also not a fan of the main character's lack of being a mother.

hideTurtle

Aug 23, 2024

7/10 stars

"This week was supposed to be about resolutions and deadlines. Find the killer, eat healthy, don't murder anyone, and fix my book." The clock is ticking as Fin and Vero race to figure out the identity of EasyClean from Book #2, whom they suspect may be a dirty cop. Under the guise of research for Finlay's latest book, they register at the Police Academy for a civilian training week. However, it's no easy feat juggling two love interests, her ex-husband and kids, and Vero's secret past, not to mention an escaped Russian mob boss. And her literary agent is less than impressed the level of spice in her latest draft. This is another fun escapade with high levels of intrigue and humour, sprinkled with a dash of love-triangle. The writing and character development are really good. Vero is a hoot! So far, at the end of each book, I've been invested enough to want to keep reading. I think it's safe now to say I like this author! If you liked The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian, you will probably love this series.