Finlay Donovan Is Killing It

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2021

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-9

Chapters 10-19

Chapters 20-27

Chapters 28-36

Chapters 37-44 and Epilogue

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

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Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

The Blonde Wig-Scarf

The blonde wig-scarf makes multiple appearances throughout the book and is an important symbol. Finn’s author photograph features her wearing it; she is also wearing it when she is mistaken to be a contract killer, and later willingly uses it as a disguise when she impersonates Theresa.

The wig-scarf symbolizes, on one hand, the person Finn aspires to be; she wears it in her author photograph because she wants to appear elegant and mysterious. When she wears it to The Lush, she pairs it with a black dress and heels, otherwise uncharacteristic wardrobe choices for Finn. This is how Julian meets her, and as much as Finn is forced to keep up the disguise in her later interactions with him because of the Mickler case, it also represents her insecurities about showing her true self to the younger, attractive bartender.

Ironically, the wig-scarf also symbolizes the double-life Finn falls into unwittingly, which she is forced to hide from the people around her. She wears it around Patricia to keep her identity hidden but hides it from Nick to ensure he doesn’t learn about that side of her life.

Eventually, all of it collides, beginning with Pete noting Finn’s use of the wig-scarf in her author photograph; especially after the article about her book deal is published, the wig-scarf can no longer create the illusion Finn is hoping for, around those who know her. Nick finds the wig-scarf and returns it to Finn, indicating that he knows a secret exists; on the other hand, Finn finally sheds the wig and meets Julian as herself when she tells him the full story. By the end of the novel, Finn is coming to terms with her moral ambiguity, and as she accepts herself for who she is, she grows closer to having genuine relationships with those around her who can help her stabilize herself and her family.

Steven’s Sod Farm

Steven’s sod farm is the setting for important events in the story and is significant in multiple ways. Steven bought the farm after his divorce, and it brings in a small fortune. With Steven’s financial situation giving him substantial power over Finn, the farm can symbolically be seen as the seat of his power.

Significantly, Finn buries Harris’s body on the farm. Besides being a convenient spot because of the upturned earth, it also highlights how Steven’s financial power over Finn has led her to desperate measures, even burying a body in exchange for money. However, Harris’s death is also an act of vengeance; thus, it ends up leading to Steven’s downfall as well. Steven wronged Finn, and Harris wronged Patricia, as well as multiple other women; both meet their just, though different, ends through the farm.

After Harris’s body, among others, is discovered on the farm, Steven’s engagement to Theresa comes to an end; conversely, Harris’s death initiates the multiple sums of money that come Finn’s way, ending her dependence on Steven. In that sense, the events that take place on the farm parallel the rise and fall of Steven’s power over Finn, and the realization of poetic justice for multiple characters, tying together the themes of The Relationship between Money and Power and Poetic Justice through Women’s Vengeance.

False Appearances

False appearances, both literal and metaphorical, are a recurring motif in the story. To begin with, Finn wears a literal disguise, via her blonde wig-scarf. She wears it in her author photograph to induce a sense of mystery, and she wears it in Panera Bread and at The Lush to conceal her identity. In the latter case, it leads to yet another case of false appearances, specifically mistaken identity, with the police assuming that Theresa was present at The Lush the night of Harris’s disappearance.

The motif of false appearances also applies to Steven and Theresa’s relationship: They appear to be happy and well-settled together, but Finn later discovers that all is not well between them; in fact, they are both cheating on each other.

False appearances also lead to misleading assumptions throughout the Mickler case. Irina’s comments, coupled with the discovery of Patricia’s car, lead Finn to assume that Irina has had Patricia killed. Meanwhile, Patricia and Aaron are busy erasing their identities to start a new life elsewhere, presenting yet another false appearance to a set of people somewhere else.

False appearances as a recurring motif is in keeping with the central premise of the book, as well as the way events unfold. The story is propelled by the initial mistaken assumption that Finn is a contract killer. Furthermore, throughout the story, Finn continually makes mistaken assumptions and deductions about the case, such as believing Theresa and Aimee to be Harris’s killers. Conversely, what she thinks implausible end up being true, such as Feliks using the farm to hide bodies, or Theresa’s involvement with Feliks. The motif helps keep the suspense going throughout the book and reminds readers that the simplest explanation for an event is not always the correct one.