What Have We Done

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All three of these people were part of Savior’s House foster care when they were younger. But it was not a safe place to be and girls kept going missing. Finlay has mastered the thriller genre with this novel . . . . Finlay superbly creates a character-driven coming-of-age tale that is full of twists." —Library Journal

For me, this book now ranks in my canon of seminal works about the combat experience, and the experience of veteran homecoming. I consider this to rank with Odysseus in America, War and the Soul, and Stoic Warriors. Building on his Pulitzer-prize winning series about moral injury, this book is the most comprehensive and profound exploration of the 21st century recognition of an ancient phenomenon. Thank goodness that David Wood, a long time combat correspondent, based on a career of seeing soldiers in combat, recognized the phenomenon in our post 9/11 veterans. I saw David speak at UConn, and speaking to him afterwards, we realized that he was embedded with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit when I was with them in 1993-1994. He gets it, truly. This is a compelling read elegantly written and presented with great compassion.This book outlines the moral consequences of war on the participating soldiers. It is concerned only with the impact on U.S. soldiers.

The story starts with some of the teens standing over a hole in the ground. Another bad thing has happened but this time who did the bad thing? Next we are meeting some of those teens as adults. And what adults they have become. Hugely successful in their chosen fields. It'd be hard to find a group of teens that could have soared to such heights except in a story such as this one. It’s a reunion none of them asked for or wanted. But one that may be the only way to save all their lives. Jenna understands. The other moms still haven’t taken to Jenna either. Simon always jokes that they’re intimidated by her looks. She doesn’t think it’s that, but she’ll keep trying. She smiles at Karen, the perfectly named queen bee of the neighborhood moms. The gesture goes unrequited. Twenty-five years ago, when Ben, Art, Jenna, Donny and Nico, were kids, they all lived together in a group home called Savior House. As is sometimes the case, their time there was fraught with abuse and neglect. Judge Ben is dead - I can't remember exactly how, but I’m pretty sure one of the sexy blonde lady twins got him? So now the FBI is involved because of Federal Stuff.I will definitely be looking forward to Alex Finlay’s next, but next time I will read the synopsis before requesting, to make sure it’s more in line with the first two books-and not this one! Another lightning bolt to the chest. It’s the young woman from the bus stop. The woman steps gracefully onto the floor and shoves a duffel bag into Jenna’s hands. I felt a bit deceived as even reading the Goodreads excerpt after finishing the book seemed totally up my alley. And it isn’t wrong. All that stuff happens, but this is not your average mystery/thriller and in my opinion, this instance isn’t a good thing.

When a hired killer comes for them, they must figure out who has set this in motion. They have secrets in their shared past. Does someone know their secret? Who wants them dead? How do they survive? In the suspense/thriller genre, Finlay stands out for a couple of reasons. First, he uses multiple points of view to flesh out his plot and keep the pacing ultra-fast, while still being grounded and accessible. Second, he never shies away from a difficult scene, whether it’s an emotional arc that pushes his characters into totally new realms and opportunities for growth, or a particularly creative murder scene . . . . [ What Have We Done] is a fast-paced and suspenseful thriller with just enough emotional grit to make readers care about the characters along with the mystery.” —Bookreporter Since The Nuremberg Trials, however, we know that we cannot give up our moral responsibility for our actions--as much as military officials try to convince us otherwise. In this “top-notch mystery thriller” ( Publishers Weekly, starred review) from Alex Finlay, What Have We Done is a tale about the lives we leave behind and the secrets we carry with us forever.

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She faces the second stall, opens the door slowly, the pulsing beat of the music still vibrating through the walls. The author says that there are many nongovernmental projects underway for civilians to get together with veterans. Alex Finlay proves once again he’s a master storyteller. What Have We Done has unrelenting action, inspired characters, and an innovative, pulse pounding plot. Alex Finlay has become one of today’s top thriller writers. This is why. Read this book.”— Robert Dugoni, New York Times bestselling author The circumstances are mysterious, but it’s no coincidence that Jenna, Donnie, and Nico have been targeted to die. Fortunately, their assassins can’t close the deal: all three survive and eventually find their way to each other. They know the attempts to kill them will continue and they’re desperate to figure out why it’s happening. Does it have anything to do with the murder of their Savior House friend Benny? He was the best of them—kind, a seeker of justice, and intelligent beyond his years. A graduate of Harvard law, at the time of his death, Judge Ben Wood was a leading candidate to be an appellate court judge. Is his death the catalyst that triggered the killing attempts? Who was the fifth teenager at the pit those many years ago? To answer those questions would unfairly unravel a complicated, surprising plot.