Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank: A Short Story

Written by Elle Cosimano

Narrated by Stacy Gonzalez

From New York Times bestselling author Elle Cosimano, comes Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank—a hilarious short story diving into Finlay Donovan's partner-in-crime Vero's past.

Anyone can spot a window of opportunity, but not everyone can manage to fall straight through one.

Veronica Ruiz is on the run for the first time in her life—though certainly not the last. After being falsely accused of stealing money from her college sorority, she packs up and heads to her cousin Ramón's apartment, planning to change her name and rebuild start over away from backstabbing girls and university drama (and far, far away from her arrest warrant in Maryland).

At the local bank on the first morning of her new life, it occurs to Vero that she'd be a better bank teller than most of the current employees: she may not have much money, but what little she does have, she knows how to manage. Unfortunately, the only available position is a cleaning job and so, desperate for a fresh start, she takes the bank manager’s offer.

But nothing in Vero's world has ever been simple, so of course shortly after she begins work, she overhears a conversation between her new boss and a security guard: someone who works there has been stealing. Seeing a window of opportunity, Vero sets out to find the identity of the thief, present the evidence, and then push for the perfect job. All of which would be easier if her irresistibly infuriating childhood crush Javi wasn’t living in the same damn town.

Offering the insight that listeners have been craving into fan-favorite Vero's past and a closer look at the moment Finlay and Vero first meet, Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank is a can't-miss addition to the Finlay Donovan series.

A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: Nov 7, 2023
• ISBN: 9781250344069

Elle Cosimano

Elle Cosimano's debut thriller, Nearly Gone, was an Edgar Award finalist, won the International Thriller Award for Best Young Adult Novel, and was awarded the Mathical Book Award recognizing mathematics in children’s literature. Her novel Holding Smoke was a finalist for the Bram Stoker Award and the International Thriller Award. Her books for young adults have appeared on several statewide school and library reading lists. Elle lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with her husband, her sons, and her dog. You can learn more about her at www.ellecosimano.com.

Reviews for Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank

[Charles Jones · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a great addition to the Finlay Donovan storyline: a little backstory into Vero's history and how she met Finlay. Even though the first novel went into a bit of detail about how Finlay and Vero met, this little novella was a fun way to introduce the characters (mainly Vero) and provide some info about how Vero came to be at the bank.

I will say I was a bit disappointed in the overall plot because this really wasn't a whole story of how Vero got into her situation with the sorority and I was really hoping to learn more about that. Having said that, this was a fun little mystery and a fun way to spotlight Vero a bit.

[Amanda · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved it!! Short and sweet! I cannon wait for the next book to come out!! I am slightly confused, though, about the check saying child support. I thought in the first book she was nannying for the Donovan's before the divorce and came back after he left? Maybe I'm not remembering correctly