Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano

Hello everyone.  I hope you are having a great day.

When I was a kid I went to Atlantic City, NJ.  I was really little, under three.  No, Atlantic City wasn't the party place it is today, well I guess it could have been.  Who knows at three?  My parents took me to something called the Steel Pier.  I had no idea what was about to happen.  Suddenly a horse appeared and walked up this tall ramp.  Now I don't mean tall, like reach the old yellow Tupperware that you never use, in the top of your pantry. Nope.  I'm talking forty feet.  Now let's think about the room you are in right now.  Do you have high ceilings?  Nine or ten feet?  Well, this was four times that!  Yep, four stories high.  So, the horse gets to the top, and a young woman is waiting.  She climbs on his back and they jump.... you heard, well read, that correctly.... the woman and the horse JUMP into a small pool of water.  The pool is not only small, but it is only fourteen feet deep. I have a favorite Bugs Bunny cartoon, where Yosemite Sam is expecting a high dive show.  He wants Bugs to jump from the top of this diving board into a bucket of water.  I can hear him saying "You're-a-jumpin'." right now.  That is how this horse diving was.  It was actually pretty famous.  As an adult, it strikes me as cruel.  Those days were different.

I recently read Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano. Having read and enjoyed the three other Finlay Donovan books, I was very excited to read Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice. I am happy to say, again Elle Cosimano delivers an entertaining story. While this book could be read as a standalone, the reader definitely benefits from knowing all the crazy history of Finn and Vero.

This story wraps up past story lines, of course adding many wrinkles along the way. Finn and Vero are the Lucy and Ethel of the book world. They are endearing, loveable, smart, capable, sassy, sarcastic and hilariously funny. As they head to Atlantic City, NJ to try and clear Vero of past complications, they are joined by an unending cast of characters. Not too many to keep track of, but if you are a fan of the series, characters you will be happy to see and read more about.

This is hijinks at its finest. The dialog is perfection and will have you laughing out loud throughout the book. The plot moves quickly, making for a fast read. This latest Finlay Donovan was day brightening and a joy to read. I was literally teary when it was over, not wanting it to end.

Many thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Publishers for providing an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. It was a pleasure!