This is the 5th book in the Finley Donovan series. Finley's ex-husband Steven is arrested for murder and burying the body in her next door neighbors flowerbed. Finley and Vero are on a mission to prove that he is innocent. But Mrs. Haggerty, her busy body neighbor needs a place to stay, being her house is the crime scene. What better way to keep an eye on her and prove Steven's innocence?

This is a great series! If you like the Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, you will like this one also. Great characters and fun plots to keep you laughing and guessing what happens next.

So glad Finlay and Vero are back! Just like the previous books, their snark and adventure does not disappoint! Loved that Ms. Haggerty had a staring role this book. Such a fun series! Ready for book 6! Thank you to NeGalley for the ARC!

This latest installment of the Finlay Donovan series may be the best one yet. This time, her ex husband has been arrested for murder and her neighborhood enemy Mrs Haggerty is staying with her. I loved how her character was fleshed out this book as we got her backstory. This was funny and stupid and ridiculous in all the best ways. Can’t wait for the next one!

4🌟

This series makes me giggle and warms my heart, all while enjoying a new cozy mystery with Finlay & Vero. 🥰🫶

Book 5 was just as adventurous, silly, and humorous as the first 4 books! I absolutely LOVED the Mrs. Haggerty and book club plot in this one 🤭📚🔎 I’ll be back for book 6!

Finlay and Vero are back to their shenanigans and now, so is Ms. Haggerty?!

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave is the fifth installment in the Finlay Donovan series. If you're unfamiliar with the series, it follows Finlay, a single mother of two and a romance writer, along with her best friend/nanny, Vero, as they try to cover up murders they accidentally get involved in. The books are funny, relatable, and overall, a wild ride. I can always count on this series to make me laugh or pull me out of a reading slump.

In Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave, Elle Cosimano once again delivers the perfect blend of over-the-top antics, heartfelt moments, and laugh-out-loud absurdity we've come to expect. Finlay is finally in the clear from the trouble she got into back in book one. Now, her biggest worry is Delia being suspended. That is, until Ms. Haggerty gets arrested when police find a dead body in her backyard. Will Finlay once again become entangled in someone else’s mess?

One of the things I really appreciate about Cosimano's books is the way she balances an engaging story and a compelling mystery while tackling nuanced and complex issues. In this installment, we learn more about Ms. Haggerty’s life, and we also see Nick and Finlay beginning to trust each other more.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader's copy.

I really enjoyed this one. It was hard to put down. It kept me wanting more. The characters are amazing! And I love the title and the story line. Such an amazing book!

And she’s back… After the first in the series, this is probably my favourite Finlay Donovan book. I loved the new crime they had to solve. I loved how Mrs. Heggerty became a central character and held a lot more depth than we’ve seen from her before. I loved the evolution of Finlay and Nick’s relationship. I continued to love everything about Vera.

This is the fifth book in a series (plus a novella) and I’m still wanting to read more. This book is part of a series and I HIGHLY recommend they are read in order.

4.5 stars!

This may have been my favorite Finlay book yet! The romance between Finlay and Nick develops and Finlay finally lets her guard down with him. Meanwhile, Finlay and Vero are up to their typical shenanigans, yet they didn't feel as over the top as the previous installation. I had fun with this one, and enjoyed the storyline. The suspense was perfect and the one-liners made me giggle. The involvement with Mrs. Haggerty was sweet, yet punchy - I love a strong-willed grandma. The one ended on a cliffhanger, so I'm ready for the next in the series!

Thank you to Minotaur and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another Finlay Donovan adventure and it did not disappoint. Finlay is by far my favorite fictional character and I just love being along for whatever her and Vero get up to. Elle Cosimano did a fantastic job at continuing this series with something new and delightful. I already can’t wait for the next book in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave. This latest installment delivers all the chaotic fun, snappy dialogue, and outrageous twists fans have come to expect from Finlay’s misadventures. The stakes are higher than ever, and Finlay’s signature mix of wit, recklessness, and sheer luck keeps the pages turning. The humor and tension are well-balanced, though some plot points feel a bit over-the-top. While the fast pace makes for an entertaining read, a few moments could have used more depth. Still, Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave is another fun, high-energy ride that fans of the series will love.

Honestly I think I’m kind of done with this series. They are getting too repetitive. I enjoyed the first few a lot but the last couple have lost me.

The Finlay Donovan series just keeps getting better and better!

In 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗟𝗔𝗬 𝗗𝗢𝗡𝗢𝗩𝗔𝗡 𝗗𝗜𝗚𝗦 𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗪𝗡 𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗩𝗘 (book #5.5 - don't miss Vero's novella!), Finn and her partner-in-literal-crime Vero get saddled with their busybody elderly neighbor, Mrs. Hagerty and the dynamic is comedy gold. Nick, Georgia, Finlay's parents, Steven, Delia and Zach are all back as the ladies try to solve another zany murder mystery, and yes, there are hijinks galore but this story also has a lot of heart and I loved seeing the the characters' growth. I've never been so happy to read a cliffhanger ending because I'm not ready to say goodbye to this fantastic group that have come to feel like friends.

Thanks to Minotaur for the copy to review.

Who knew book five would be just as fun as book one of this series?

I found myself hitting a breaking point when I read book four thinking Finlay and Vero had nowhere left to go with storylines, but I was so wrong. I continue to be entertained and I am always along for the ride to see what crazy predicaments these friends get into next. I am now really excited for the next book as I know we will jump right into where we left off.

Y’all, I cannot tell you enough about how much I love this series! I read a good amount of dark crime and horror books, so a hilarious crime story, especially one written so well, is a breath of fresh air. The fifth book starts with a situation that involves Delia (Finlay’s daughter & my favorite supporting character)! From there the hijinks continue. Finlay and Vero find themselves in yet another investigation. Overall, this book and whole series are 5 star reads for me. I have even gotten my mom hooked on reading this series!

I’m looking forward to books 6 & 7 in the series. I’m also hoping a novella that focuses on Delia will happen someday

The first 4 books in this series share a story arc that has (seemingly) wrapped up, and book 5 finds Finlay Donovan and her nanny/partner-in-crime settling down to normal life. Of course, their normal isn't quite like most people's, so have no fear that things are going to get dull! With one of her children suspended from school for 2 weeks and the other running around naked all the time, the last thing Finlay needs is for her nosy neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty, to move in for a few days after a dead body is found in her yard! Finlay is way too nice, in my opinion, but she sees someone "in need" and so Finlay not only allows her neighbor to stay with her, but somehow ends up giving up her own bedroom. When Finlay's ex-husband, Steven, is arrested for murder and burying the dead man across the street, Finlay is even more motivated to get to the bottom of things --to clear her husband and get Mrs. Haggerty out of her house. I strongly suggest you read the first 4 books before starting this one as past events come up, plus it gives you an even stronger appreciation of the characters. Full of the off-beat and eccentric characters I've come to expect (and love) in these books, Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave is a fast-paced and action-packed story with a bit of romance (will Finlay finally learn to trust Nick?) and a twisty plot that held my interest start-to-finish.

I was pleasantly surprised by this one, actually.
Yes, Finlay and Vero found themselves in crazy predicaments, but it didn't feel slapstick to me.
Cosimano introduced some elements in the last book that allowed this one to feel fresh with new topics to cover. It had more depth than the other books had while remaining overall lighthearted.

Nick and Finlay got me in my feels big time, and you can tell a sixth book will definitely be coming. I’m here for this second wind.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc!

In this next installment of the Finlay Donovan series, Finlay and Vero find themselves once again stuck. This time with their nosey neighbor Mrs Haggerty. When a body is found in the back yard of Mrs Haggerty’s house, she she needs their help. Initially a suspect, she is quickly ruled out but now she has nowhere to go. So she decides she is going to stay with Finlay and Vero. But when her ex Steven gets implicated in the murder she knows she must clear his name, even if getting involved in another murder investigation is the last thing she wants to do.

Can I just say how much I LOVE this series?! This cast of characters are hands down my favorite cozy mystery. These books make me laugh and I’m sucked in from page one. I’ve been a fan since book one and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book and what shenanigans they end up in.

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave is the fifth installment in the in the Finlay Donovan series. After their last adventure in Atlantic City, Finlay and Vero are back home, where a body is discovered next door. When Finlay’s ex-husband is suspected of the crime, she decides to investigate to find the real killer.

Up until this point, I have been a faithful reader of this series. Every year there is a new Finlay Donovan book, and every year I read it. But this installment may be my last.

While I was not a big fan of the second book, Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave fell short of all the prior books. On all fronts, I found this novel lacking. This series has been a fun, comfort read with laughs and a bit of pizazz. But I found little of that in this iteration. The plot lacks excitement, is predictable, and felt a bit like filler. In fact, a majority of the plot rehashed the previous four books. In addition, it absolutely lacks the humor that has otherwise defined the series. Unless you find a toddler continually removing his pants, the humor is completely absent.

After initial skepticism, I really liked Mrs. Haggarty, Finlay’s nosy neighbor, who played a large roll in this story. She was the most interesting part of this novel. I love a snarky old broad. However, I did not appreciate the bizarre “own” of Mrs. Haggarty being better at childcare and potty training. It felt out of place and left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. Otherwise, I would have liked to see Mrs. Haggerty appear as a side character in future books.

Overall, Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave is the weakest of the books in this series. The plot is focused on redeeming Steven, an otherwise unredeemable character, and lacks the series’ hallmark humor and shenanigans. Plus, the title does not make sense. If you are a devoted Finlay fan, I think it is worth a read. But I will be cutting my losses and ending my consumption of the series.

This series just gets better and better! The dynamic between Finlay and Nick is heating up as they start to really trust each other. I loved how the author circled back to the first book in the series!

FINLAY DONOVAN DIGS HER OWN GRAVE by Elle Cosimano
Published: March 4, 2025 by St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books
Page Count: 320
Audio Version: Macmillan Audio
Narrator: Angela Dawe
Unabridged: 9 hours, 11 minutes



What a hoot! This is the fifth installment of the ongoing screwball comedy mystery series. Mix into the pot a heaping amount of misunderstanding and misadventure, along with a humungous amount of humor, a tinge of romance, with deepening friendships and murder. What results is another amazing propulsive read, with the exact right amount of suspense, intrigue and fun. Although this is the fifth Findlay adventure, it can certainly be enjoyed as a standalone, as Cosimano seamlessly weaves into the narrative the necessary backstory. However, the reader will be unable not to download the first four gems immediately.
Findlay is a struggling B-list writer of romantic mysteries, always facing impending deadlines for her next book. Her readers are always imploring her to add spicy tidbits with her “hot cop” Nick … a recurring character in her books and personal life. Her books are thinly disguised rehashes of her own misadventures with murder and the law. She is the single mother of adorable four year-old Delia and the perpetually sticky two-year-old toddler, Zach, who is forever flirting with escalating degrees of mischief. Donovan is divorced from her no-good, philandering husband, Steven, who carried on a lengthy affair with their curvy, blonde realtor.
But most importantly, she continues to be aided by her most unusual live-in college student, Vero …. who wears many hats: trusting nanny, confidante, partner-in-crime, and accountant. And from this a blossoming friendship and interdependence has evolved.Returning for this adventure are the kids, Vero, and Nick the “Hot Cop.”
Finlay and Vero have returned from a trip to Atlantic City, and are shocked to hear that a body has been uncovered after a flood in the backyard of their nosy, elderly neighbor Mrs, Haggerty.
She is arrested but quickly absolved due to lack of evidence. A knock on their door, results in the presence on their porch of Mrs. Haggerty and her nephew Brandon. She’s decided that she will need to stay in Donovan’s house for the weekend , since her electricity has been turned off and her house is in shambles. The nephew assures Donovan that he will arrange for contractors to immediately attend to the house repairs and return for her beginning of next week. Naturally this never happens … neither the contractors nor Brandon’s return. Suddenly the police are looking into her ex-husband as a possible suspect. Further trouble arises as her writing agent has set up a meeting with producer Randall Wolfe, who wants to turn her books into a TV series. She is fearful that her thinly disguised book adventures will uncover her previous true misadventures with crime and murder.
Elle Cosimano spins a twisted and hilarious tale that is well plotted suspenseful, and is marvelously outfitted with multiple colorful characters that are both flawed and yet believable. The burgeoning relationship and “sisterhood” between Finlay and Vero is nothing less than amazing. The dialogue banter flows in an entertaining fashion, frequently funny and at times, sarcastic, as our two main protagonists entangle themselves in the world of murder and mayhem. This certainly rivals the “Lucy and Ethel” adventures of television lore. The denouement of this delightful gem ends in an enticing cliffhanger, begging for further adventures in the trials and tribulations of Findlay Donovan.
I personally switched back and forth between the kindle and audio version. I found myself sticking with the audio after awhile. I was virtually spell bound with the marvelous narration of Angela Dawe. It was amazing how she captured the different voice of all of the characters, easily capturing the essence of both male and female protagonists. Her performance matched the timbre of this zany madcap adventure. This brought this novel to a new heights in the theatre of my mind.
Thanks to NetGalley, St.Martin’s Press - Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for providing an Uncorrected Proof and Advance Audio version in exchange for an honest review.