Mr. Finlay, what have you done?
Alex Finlay's The Night Shift was one of my favorite books of 2022. It's everything I love in a thriller. Everyday people with credible lives caught up in a nasty situation. More emphasis on emotion than high octane action. It's the kind of book Bill Pronzini might have written.
I was excited about Finlay's new one. Hopes for another favorite writer danced in my head. I had What Have We Done on Hold at the library months prior to publication date.
It arrived and I wasted no time before diving in.
Right away I was introduced to a nice wife and mom who happens to be an ex-hit woman. Then Finlay revealed another dreary cliched character: A burned out ex-'90s rocker. Then there's a pair of stupid villains straight out of a comic book.
What Have We Done sweeps away into yet another action-packed thrill ride. Obviously Finlay has his eye on the small screen. A streaming series, per chance?
How about another weary cliche? A group of children confront evil and combat it. They harbor a dreadful secret, but it comes back to haunt them later on in life. The narrative jumps back and forth between the time periods.
Did I leave out the big twist? The one supposed to make me gasp in awe, but only induced eye-rolls?
I can see the Hollywood execs planning it now: "We can get Keanu Reaves to play the ex-rock star turned action hero! And how about Scarlett Johansson as the stay-at-home mom assassin?"
Yes, What Have We Done is well-written. Alex Finlay is a real writer and his prose stands heads and shoulders above most of his competition. I enjoyed the book, at least to a point, but I was also sorely disappointed. He's smarter than this material. We deserve a better book than What Have We Done.
As someone who's struggled with finances my entire life, I understand why Finlay is apparently going after the big money. As a reader I feel cheated.
I'm not counting Alex Finlay out. I'll certainly check out his next book. If it's another mindless action thriller, riddled with stereotype characters and ridiculous situations, I'm done.
Written by Mark Sieber
Alex Finlay's The Night Shift was one of my favorite books of 2022. It's everything I love in a thriller. Everyday people with credible lives caught up in a nasty situation. More emphasis on emotion than high octane action. It's the kind of book Bill Pronzini might have written.
I was excited about Finlay's new one. Hopes for another favorite writer danced in my head. I had What Have We Done on Hold at the library months prior to publication date.
It arrived and I wasted no time before diving in.
Right away I was introduced to a nice wife and mom who happens to be an ex-hit woman. Then Finlay revealed another dreary cliched character: A burned out ex-'90s rocker. Then there's a pair of stupid villains straight out of a comic book.What Have We Done sweeps away into yet another action-packed thrill ride. Obviously Finlay has his eye on the small screen. A streaming series, per chance?
How about another weary cliche? A group of children confront evil and combat it. They harbor a dreadful secret, but it comes back to haunt them later on in life. The narrative jumps back and forth between the time periods.
Did I leave out the big twist? The one supposed to make me gasp in awe, but only induced eye-rolls?
I can see the Hollywood execs planning it now: "We can get Keanu Reaves to play the ex-rock star turned action hero! And how about Scarlett Johansson as the stay-at-home mom assassin?"
Yes, What Have We Done is well-written. Alex Finlay is a real writer and his prose stands heads and shoulders above most of his competition. I enjoyed the book, at least to a point, but I was also sorely disappointed. He's smarter than this material. We deserve a better book than What Have We Done.
As someone who's struggled with finances my entire life, I understand why Finlay is apparently going after the big money. As a reader I feel cheated.
I'm not counting Alex Finlay out. I'll certainly check out his next book. If it's another mindless action thriller, riddled with stereotype characters and ridiculous situations, I'm done.
Written by Mark Sieber
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