'What Have We Done' by Alex Finlay

I enjoyed this one; my first by this author. This book is a great illustration of why this genre is called 'thriller'. I wish I had a less hackneyed phrase to use than "breakneck speed" but that describes perfectly what the pace of this book was like.

Five friends who, while in a group home as kids, did an unspeakable thing are reunited twenty-five years later when one of them dies under mysterious circumstances, and someone seems to be trying to kill all the remaining four. The reasons for the spate of attempts on their lives is revealed interspersed with flashbacks to the group home, a place that helped shape who each of them would later become. This is definite movie-material, but honestly, even without the visuals, the unfolding of the story was so vibrant it jumped off the page.

This is a great read if you want to explore a genre you never thought you would like. I generally don't intuitively pick up a thriller when looking for a new read, because I guess I had the prejudice that it will be like an action film-heavy on the explosive moments, but light on character development. And character development is what I like most about reading. By Alex Finlay gave plenty of both, seeming into intuitively know when to lighten up on the action and give us a little bit of the interiors and motivation of the main characters so that in the end, there is a perfect balance of crazy situations and explanations for why the characters are in those crazy situations to begin with as well as plenty of backstory to explain why they react the way they do to the craziness.

Will definitely read more of this writers work and of this genre. Recommended for seasoned thriller readers, and for those who may want to explore something new.

Audiobook note: Excellent narrator; the kind who doesn't get in the way of the story by being overly dramatic, but lets the drama of the story speak for itself.

Thank you #NetGalley for the free audiobook. #WhatHaveWeDonebook

My rating: ⭑⭑⭑⭑