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From New York Times bestseller Elle Cosimano comes Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice―the fiercely anticipated next installment in the beloved Finlay Donovan series.
“Finlay Donovan is irresistible!”―Janet Evanovich
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?
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Acclaim
USA Today Bestseller
Library Reads Hall of Fall Selection
Bookbub’s “21of This Winter’s Most Anticipated Mysteries and Thrillers”
Novel Suspects “Most Anticipated Crime Fiction Coming in 2023”
SheReads’s “Most Anticipated Thrillers Coming in 2023”
Praise
“Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano is a page-turning, hilarious, suspenseful, number one hit of a book you cannot miss out on. You’ll be laughing and on the edge of your seat in just a few pages and then the roller coaster starts all over again . . . Fans of Janet Evanovich need to read this . . . All the stars for Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice!”
—Fresh Fiction
“Cosimano’s fourth Finlay Donovan novel (Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun, 2022) is brilliantly plotted, bringing the witty humor and thrilling, nail-biting action the series is known for while also tackling emotional family dynamics. Cosimano knocks this one out of the park. Highly
recommended for all fans of the series.”
—Booklist (Starred Review)
“Cosimano nails the tone—breezy but not too fluffy—and maintains a breakneck pace throughout. Readers who prefer their mysteries to lean madcap will eat this up.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Another rollicking round of high-speed felonies for mystery author Finlay Donovan and those unwary enough to get pulled into her orbit… perfect escapist fare.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Fast action and clever wit course through Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice, the fourth installment in a wildly fun mystery series by Elle Cosimano. Cosimano (Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun; Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead) ups the ante, once again keeping readers laughing all the way through a maze of well-plotted danger.”
—Kathleen Gerard, blogger at “Reading Between the Lines” reviewing for Shelf-Awareness.com
“If you prefer your mysteries breezy rather than brutal then this quirky rom-com mystery is for you. Finlay and an unpredictable cast of characters take a road trip to Atlantic City to rescue a friend who’s been kidnapped by a loan shark. Of course, nothing goes as planned and that’s the big delight of this book. Take this trip with Finlay.”
—”The Morning Blend” on TMJ4.com
“The series’ highly anticipated fourth installment—titled Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice—is set to arrive in March of 2024, sending Finlay, Vero, and several other familiar faces on an adventure to Atlantic City, and promising readers another exciting and deeply relatable mystery.”
—Paste Magazine
“The Finlay Donovan series is simply spectacular and always delightful! I adore everything about it—the humor, the screwball plotlines, the mysteries, and above all the cast: the friendship between Vero and Finlay is one for the ages, and Finlay’s love life entertains me to no end. Elle Cosimano’s books are the perfect blend of mystery and romcom, and I’m ready to follow Finlay wherever she goes!”
—Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis
“Finlay Donovan and crew are back in the most outrageously funny, sexy, fast paced story yet in Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice. Get ready to repeatedly laugh out loud while holding your breath in anticipation . . . The story that unfolds is a hysterical runaway train of impossible situations careening off the tracks as the twists and turns keep coming page after page. Plan on reading straight through as there’s no more chance of you pausing reading than there is a prayer of stopping the train wreck happening on page . . . Highly entertaining, hilarious and heartwarming, Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice pushes all the right buttons for fans of the series.”
—Mystery & Suspense Magazine
“With heaps of suspense and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, this audiobook delivers entertainment from start to finish.”
—AudioFile Magazine
“It’s full of emotional plot twists . . . every chapter has pulse-pounding, dangerous events. . . Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano is a very fast-paced, easy, goofy read.”
—Lansing State Journal
Discussion Guide
Whether you’re meeting in person, on Zoom, or via your somewhat-shady online women’s forum, or in the police academy dorms—dust off those wigs, scarves, and sunglasses, grab a Panera pastry and a glass of wine, and enjoy your discussion of Finlay and Vero’s latest hijinks.
The questions are below, however be sure to download the Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice Hit-Moms Book Club Discussion Guide which is filled with playlists, recipes, and loads of fun extras!
We love to see your Finlay Donovan-inspired photos! Please tag us on social media and use #FinlayDonovanRollsTheDice and #HitMomBookClub.
- In this book, Finlay is dealing with impostor syndrome. Her agent, Sylvia, suggests this is normal for writers and her that self-doubts will pass, but not all of Finlay’s insecurities are rooted in doubts over her identity as an author. In what other ways is Finlay feeling like an impostor and why?
- Throughout the story, we see instances of women helping women. Even in the strip club and in Romelda’s shop, women are lending each other a hand. How many examples can you find throughout the story? In what ways does each instance reinforce this theme in the book?
- At the climax of the story, Finlay orchestrates a series of events that rely on the involvement of two powerful women, both of whom she fears, and isn’t sure are trustworthy. Were you surprised by the women Finlay enlists to help her? Why do you think these women, including Finlay, make the choices they do? How much of a gamble is this on Finlay’s part—do you think she expected them to agree to help her?
- In the beginning of the story, Finlay rejects Vero’s suggestion that they resort to violence to rescue Javi. Instead, Finlay insists that she and Vero solve their problems using their words using negotiation. At what point do we see Finlay’s position shift? In what ways does Finlay both take action and use her words to solve her problems?
- Romelda, the psychic, made several predictions before Finlay and Vero left her shop. Do you think Romelda could truly see the future, or do you believe Finlay and Vero interpreted their fortunes based on coincidences as they happened?
- When Vero and Javi finally reunite, he confesses his reasons for walking away from their relationship years ago—that he was ashamed of a mistake he’d made and he feared he wasn’t worthy of her. Which other characters in the story have made similar choices to conceal mistakes from their loved ones? Do you agree with their choices? Why?
- While in Atlantic City, Finlay learns that her mother and father are having marital issues. Do you think the trip was good for Susan? What fears, regrets, or desires did you see Susan projecting onto her own children’s relationships?
- Steven has an eye-opening experience caring for the children in Atlantic City. What do you think he learns during the trip? What do you think of his revelations about partnership and co-parenting?
- Nick presents Finlay with a piece of evidence he found in Charlie’s suitcase, suggesting he knows she was somehow involved. Yet he doesn’t accuse her. Instead, he tells her about the realization he’s had about Charlie and Joey, two other partners who lied to him, both for very different reasons. What was Nick implying by sharing these thoughts with Finlay? If he suspects she might be hiding something, why does he choose to look the other way?
- At the end of the novel, Finlay reflects on her affection for Vero and her fear that one day Vero will inevitably decide to move out and start a family of her own. How has their relationship grown and changed over the course of the series? How do you predict it will change in the future, as the children grow older and both Finlay and Vero each develop romantic partnerships of their own?