Elle

Cosimano

Award Winning Young Adult Novelist

Bestselling Fiction Writer

Travels from: Richmond, VA

“I’ve never laughed so much reading books about murder. Elle Cosimano’s accidental hitwoman Finlay Donovan is a darkly hilarious, quick witted, and surprisingly relatable woman. You’ll be amazed at how much fun you have reading this brilliant, funny mystery series from one of the best writers working today.” ― Jennifer Hillier, Award-winning and USA Today bestselling author

Elle Cosimano is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, an International Thriller Award winner, a Bram Stoker Award finalist, and an Edgar® Award nominee. Her acclaimed young adult novels include Nearly Gone, Holding Smoke, The Suffering Tree, and Seasons of the Storm. Elle’s debut novel for adults, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, kicked off a witty, fast-paced contemporary mystery series, which was a PEOPLE Magazine Pick and was named one of New York Public Library’s Best Books of 2021. In addition to writing novels for teens and adults, her essays have appeared in The Huffington Post and Time. Elle lives with her husband and two sons in Virginia.

Elle's Featured Titles

WRITE THROUGH IT

Subject: Resilience and Coping with Failure

Summary: I take the audience on a behind-the-curtain tour of how I became an author. It’s an honest, candid look at the day to day struggles I faced when trying to become published. I share the details of some of my biggest failures and how I overcame them, the process of incorporating feedback and opening our minds to the possibilities of revision, and how I bounced back from rejections, disappointments, and the subjectivity of reader reviews. It’s an uplifting, motivating look at how we create our own success through perseverance, hard work, and commitment, and what it means to be resilient. This is my most popular presentation, ideal for all audiences, with a message that transcends writing and becomes applicable to real world follow-up conversations. Audience: Ideal for All Audiences

TINY SEEDS, BIG TREES

Subject: Finding Inspiration, Discovering the Extraordinary in Our Ordinary Lives

Summary: The most frequently asked question I receive is, “Where do you get your inspiration?” So I’ve created a presentation about how I find inspiration in my every day ordinary life. We’ll explore the inspirational seed for three of my novels, and connect those seeds to character, setting, and theme. Then talk about how I took those seeds and grew them into a fully realized storyline. We’ll encourage creative students to look more closely at memorable events in their own lives, to find a few seeds of their own. Audience: Creative Writing, Art, English classes, and General Audiences

ANYTHING GOES AUTHOR Q&A

Subject: Q&A with the author

Summary: This open meet n greet is a no-holds-barred opportunity to ask me ANYTHING–my process, my day to day work life, where I draw inspiration, how I became a writer, my characters, my current projects, who I wish would act the role of my characters in a film, what kind of research I’ve done, my relationship with my agent and critique partners, how I edit, how writers get paid, how I come up with plots… you name it! An open Q&A works best when participants have already been introduced to the material and have prepared a few questions in advance. Consider the energy level, interest, and number of participants before determining the length of time needed for this event. Audience: Book Clubs, Creative Writers, Educators, Libraries, and Bookstore Events

ORIGIN STORIES

Subject: A hands-on, interactive exploration of backstory as a function of character development.

Summary: Let’s talk about superheroes! This workshop explores the importance of a fully fleshed backstory in creating a believable, relatable character, and a more compelling story arc. We’ll explore three types of origin stories, using examples of our favorite superheroes, dissecting their unique origin stories to figure out what makes them work. Students will draw a card from a deck of super-powers. Using this as a prompt, they will brainstorm an origin story of their own using a list of thought-provoking questions. From there, they are encouraged to take their work home and develop it into a short writing sample. Audience: Creative Writing classes (also suitable for middle grade)

“Book lovers from near and far came out for an exciting author talk with Elle Cosimano who provided humorous and enlightening commentary on her Finley Donovan series! Elle is truly a writer’s writer and gave insights on craft as she engaged each person in attendance during the book signing. Thank you again for letting GCPL be your host!” — Gwinnett County Public Library, 2024

“Elle Cosimano is a great storyteller! She shares her writing process, encourages those wanting to write novels and welcomes her fans questions and conversations. Elle was a lot of fun to work with! Don’t miss an opportunity to host her!” — Wood County District Public Library, 2024

“Cosimano cuts dexterously between Finn’s adventures as a hit woman, her deeply iffy romance . . . , and the domestic crises that keep on piling up as if nothing had ever happened to disturb them. Suspenseful, funny, and even a tad mysterious. More, please.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Reminiscent of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum character, but with a fresh feeling. The ending packs a wallop and leaves us at a truly surprising cliffhanger . . . already anticipating book #2 in what I hope will be a long-running mystery series.” ― Mystery & Suspense Magazine

“Cosimano never takes her foot off the gas… We loved this book’s perfect combination of over-the-top excitement and laugh-out-loud humor… Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is a screwball comedy for the modern age and a fun murder mystery rolled into one.” — Apple Books

“This amusing series launch from YA author Cosimano (Seasons of the Storm), her adult debut, has a pleasingly absurd premise . . . enjoy this romp from a skilled comic writer.” ― Publishers Weekly

“An entertaining, hilarious distraction. Perfect for all the Stephanie Plum fans out there.” — LibraryReads

“Cosimano makes her adult debut with this off-the-wall series starter, which is part comedy of errors, part genuine thriller. Deftly balancing genre conventions with sly, tongue-in-cheek comments on motherhood and femininity, Cosimano crafts a deliciously twisted tale that will earn her a slew of adult fans.” — ALA Booklist

“[Cosimano’s] main character is so endearing it’s easy to surrender…”― New York Times Book Review

“A twisty delight.” — PEOPLE Magazine

“Elle Cosimano’s novel is delightful . . .” — Paste Magazine

“. . . the book is as much comic novel as crime novel, a touch more Janet Evanovich than Agatha Christie. Elle Cosimano has a deft feel for the risible twist . . .” — Toronto Star

“A witty book that is chock-full of surprises.” — The Scotland Herald

“The funniest crime series debut since Stephanie Plum strapped on her bounty-hunting gear, and you’ll love every minute of it.” — BookTrib

“The winners here are the readers, who will find themselves in a pleasant and humorous comic caper…. FINLAY DONOVAN IS KILLING IT is an easy, enjoyable and witty novel.” — The Book Reporter

“Fresh, heartfelt and witty, Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun is a twisty, page-turner, and its relatable heroine Finlay Donovan is irresistible!” — Janet Evanovich

“This series is magical! The premise is absolutely brilliant, the writing is tight, sharp, hilarious, and heartfelt. I’m in awe of Elle Cosimano. Every book lover in the world should be reading Finlay Donovan.” — Christina Lauren, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Something Wilder

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Honors, Awards & Recognition

USA Today Bestseller (Finlay Donovan Rolls The Dice)
LibraryReads Hall of Fame (Finlay Donovan Rolls The Dice)
Booklist Starred Review (Finlay Donovan Rolls The Dice)
Library Journal Starred Review(Finlay Donovan Jumps The Gun) audio edition
New York Times Bestselling Author (Finlay Donovan Jumps The Gun)
USA Today Bestselling Author (Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead)
LibraryReads Hall of Fame (Finlay Donovan Jumps The Gun)
2015 Edgar® Award Nominee (Nearly Gone)
2015 International Thriller Award Winner: Best Young Adult Novel (Nearly Gone)
2015 Winner of the Mathical Book Award: grade 9-12 category (Nearly Gone)
2015 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award Finalist: Best Young Adult (Nearly Gone)
Bank Street College of Education’s Best of Children’s Books List – 2015 (Nearly Gone)
Starred Review, School Library Journal (Nearly Gone)
ALAN/NCTE March 2016 Monthly Pick (Holding Smoke)
2017 Bram Stoker Award® Nominee (Holding Smoke)
2017 International Thriller Award Nominee: Best Young Adult Novel (Holding Smoke)
2022 Lefty Award Nominee for Best Humorous Mystery (Finlay Donovan Is Killing It)
2015-2016 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award Nominee (Nearly Gone)
2015-2016 Georgia Peach Book Award Nominee (Nearly Gone)
2015 Kansas State Reading Circle, Starred Designation (Nearly Gone)
2016-2107 Florida Teens Read Nominee (Nearly Gone)
2016-2017 Louisiana Teen Readers’ Choice Nominee (Nearly Gone)
2016-2017 South Dakota Teen Choice (Nearly Gone)
2017-2018 Georgia Peach Book Award Nominee (Holding Smoke)