Read If You Like:
• Cozy mysteries with a comedic twist
• Strong female friendships and dynamic duos
• Suburban settings with unexpected intrigue
• Amateur sleuths entangled in complex plots
• Stories that blend domestic life with suspenseful adventures

In this installment, Finlay Donovan and her ever-resourceful partner-in-crime, Vero, find themselves reluctantly drawn into another mystery when a body is discovered in the backyard of their nosy neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty. Cleared as a suspect but displaced from her home, Mrs. Haggerty moves in with Finlay, bringing with her a whirlwind of chaos and secrets. As Finlay juggles the demands of motherhood, a budding romance with Detective Nick, and the challenges of her writing career, she and Vero must navigate a web of lies and uncover the truth behind the neighborhood murder—all while keeping their own past misdeeds under wraps.  

What I Loved:
• The evolution of Finlay and Vero’s friendship, showcasing their unwavering support for each other
• The introduction of Mrs. Haggerty as a central character, adding depth and unexpected humor
• A well-paced plot that balances domestic life with thrilling mystery elements
• The seamless blend of comedy and suspense, keeping the narrative engaging throughout
• The portrayal of Finlay’s growth as she confronts past mistakes and embraces her role as a sleuth

Thanks to NetGalley & Minotaur Books for a digital advanced readers copy. All comments and opinions are my own unless otherwise noted.

Yes! This was the best! Five plus stars!! From the first page of the prologue to the last page of the novel – which paves the way for the next installment (and I can’t wait) – this had everything: clever writing, laugh-out-loud situations, an edge-of-your-seat thriller, twisty plot, likeable characters.

Even though author Elle Cosimano includes the characters, adventures, and plot points from the earlier books to bring readers up to speed in book number 5, I recommend that you read them in order for true enjoyment. You’re in for a treat with this fast-paced and witty series.

I just love the world of Finlay Donovan. I won’t lie, the beginning of the book was slightly frustrating to me. I felt like things were getting repetitive almost, however, as everything started to be explained and the truth came out, I was all for the plot and thought it was wonderful.

Finlay Donovan books are some of my FAVE!! I LOVE how the characters interact and are so real and they just get funnier as the series progresses!!

Finlay Donovan continues to be a delight! This mystery wasn’t about Finlay, per se, but it sure did affect her life - and her family’s. Love to see the character growth from everyone, and the epilogue has me eagerly awaiting the next book! Thanks to Minotaur for the ARC.

Elle Cosimano does it again! In this fifth Finlay Donovan book, our favorite chaotic author/mom/amateur sleuth finds herself in hot water when a body turns up in her neighbor’s backyard — and somehow, her ex ends up a suspect. Naturally, Finlay and her ride-or-die Vero dive into the mystery headfirst, and it’s as wild, witty, and unpredictable as ever.
I loved the laughs, the twists, and the way the friendships keep deepening. There’s less romance this time, but the focus on female support and clever chaos more than makes up for it. If you’ve been following Finlay’s journey, this one absolutely delivers.

I think this is where I part ways with this series. I LOVED book 1 and 2, I read book 3, book 3.5 and book 4 hoping that the magic of the first 2 books would come back. At this point, I think I keep reading these books because I feel like I have to. I think this series should come to an end, but what do I know, everyone has rated this book highly.

How do you breakup with a beloved book series?

This is a fun cute read. I didn’t know it was a series but I’ll be going back and getting the first 4 books.

I think most fans of Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan series will enjoy the fifth installment, Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave. However, it was probably my least favorite of the series. Things finally start moving between Finlay and Nick, which I liked. I thought the mystery was not too predictable (though not entirely plausible). But for some reason, the book just dragged a bit for me. It was less action than the others, though there were some great Finn and Vero shenanigans. It ended on a cliffhanger, so I will definitely be back for the sixth book!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

Finlay will ALWAYS crack me up! Didn’t love this one as much as the others but still had fun with Vero and Finlay:)

This fifth installment of Finlay was another great book in this series. I felt as though it was a little less silly and playful than the last two books were. Which is not to say I don’t like the series, but this one caught my attention in a different way than the others. I will forever be raving about this series and suggesting it to anyone who needs a laugh along with their mystery.

Thank you to Ellen Cosimano, St. Martins and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

Much thanks to Elle Cosimano, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this one, too, but some of it didn't add up for me, and I find myself uneasy about how the love triangle is progressing.

I loved that Mrs. Haggerty's character has been fleshed out, Steven's comeuppance continues, and Zach's finally potty trained. Delia hasn't gotten her puppy yet, though. ;) Cam's both endearing and annoying (I can't believe what he did to that car). Didn't see much of Finn's parents or Georgia and Sam, but their relationships seem to be okay. Joey seems solidly in the good guy camp now.

As to the love triangle--on the Nick and Finn front, I love their relationship, but I also hate it. I love that they're good people and so into each other. But I hate that Finn and her shady misdeeds compromise his integrity. I don't find it romantic that he's been willfully ignorant just so he's not forced to arrest her--and now, he can't even claim ignorance. I find it selfish and deceitful on his part, shitting on what he's supposed to stand for, and while I admire that she came clean to him, I hate that she dragged him into her mess. I knew from the beginning that their relationship was impossible; unless Finn's crimes come to light and are dismissed, they'll always sit like a boulder between her and Nick. They'll just breed guilt and resentment between them.

Then regarding Julian--I kinda felt bad for him this go-round; it feels a little cruel for Finn to still be asking him for help and involving him at this point. She doesn't mean to be cruel, and he comes to her aid without hesitation, it just feels like she needs to sever that connection for everyone's sakes. All he does is make everything awkward. He's a nice guy and I don't mind him as a character, it's just unfair of Finn to keep having him cross paths with Nick. This is why I hate love triangles--they're unfair and someone's going to get hurt when they probably don't deserve it.

But yeah, I've decided Finn doesn't deserve Nick or Julian. She needs someone uninvolved with the law. Or at least, uninvolved with the right side of the law. She needs to be with a guy who's honest and loyal to her but free to be a little shady himself. Like her relationship with Vero--willing to help bury a body and keep the secret without it going against everything he stands for.

Some loose ends--Vero and Javi's argument didn't get resolved; that was disappointing. I think there's still more to learn about Steven, too, if I'm not mistaken; Finn noticed that weird entry about him delivering mulch to someone at his own house and it wasn't followed up on. I wanted to know how it worked out with those stupid podcasters, too; I wanted to see them with egg on their faces.

Also, it wasn't clear to me if the book club was actually a book club or just a front for murder. Do the women really read and discuss books between murders, or do they just gather under the pretense of book discussion and actually discuss life without their abusive partners or something? And some follow-up on the dead husband at the end would have been nice. Like do the wives report their husbands missing, or just suddenly announce the men died and were cremated? Do they lie about calling 911? Do they have a funeral and everything? I feel like explaining the deaths of their husbands to other people would be harder than carrying out the murder itself. Just letting them go missing and stay missing would be easier, wouldn't it? You'd have to wait a few years for closure, but the only lie you'd have to tell is "I don't know what happened to him." Then again, if he's just dead and it doesn't seem suspicious, fewer questions will be asked.

I feel like Cosimano put less effort into the details of this plot and certainly the resolution. I don't love the series any less, though--can't wait for book 6!

Finlay Donovan and her nanny Vero are back on another zany adventure involving a yet another dead body. These two are the Lucy and Ethel of murder and mayhem.

This is the 5th installment in the hilarious series with the last book wrapping up several storylines including Finaly and Vero’s albeit unwanted connection with the Russian mob. Before they even have time to relax a dead body is found buried in Finaly’s nosy neighbor’s backyard. Mrs. Haggerty is a crotchy old woman who heads the neighborhood watch and has been a judgmental thorn in Finlay’s side from the beginning. This time Finlay and Vero are relieved someone else is the subject of a murder investigation, however the relief turns to alarm when Mrs. Haggerty is suddenly their house guest and Finaly’s ex is now the prime suspect. Finlay has no choice but to get involved when investigation has the potential of stirring up all the secrets she has been struggling to “bury”.

I enjoyed the evolving relationship between Finaly and the hot detective Nick. Both have prior relationship baggage that has left them hesitant to open their hearts to trusting again. In a sweet moment Finaly takes a risk and tells Nick all her secrets, leading both to declare their love for one another.

Other great mentions are the storylines involving Mrs. Haggerty and her secret book club, getting more of Finlay’s spunky children and threads tying back to the original murder which started all the calamity.

I love this series and especially the relationship between Finaly and Vero. Two women who look out for each and rely on one another to get through all the crazy and dangerous adventures.

I highly recommend listening to the audiobook as the narrator Angela Dawe does a fantastic job with the voices, cleverly written dialogue and laugh out loud humor.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books, Macmillan Audio, and Elle Cosimano for an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest review.

Finlay gives me anxiety. Like, girl, we get it, you’re a bad ass and you fly by the seat of your pants, but like, your sister is a cop and so is your hot-ass boyfriend, so maybe try some alternate methods and let the police do their job every once in a while? You have kids at home, both of their parents can’t go to jail.

At least this one doesn’t have them hiding a dead body— or does it?

Hilariously entertaining, Elle Cosimano had a way of sucking you in and keeping you wanting more.

Highly recommend for anyone looking for:
🕵🏻‍♀️ Amateur Sleuths
🪦 Cooky Whodunnit Mystery
🕵🏻‍♀️ Adventurous Book Clubs
🪦 Female Empowerment but not overdone

Huge thank you to NetGalley, St. Martins Press and Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a part of a series, and Finlay is just the best—funny, messy, and somehow always in way over her head. This one had plenty of twists and chaos (as usual), and I couldn’t stop reading. If you’ve been following the series, this one totally delivers. So good!

This series is so fun and lighthearted. I love every second I’m reading them and this one is know exception. They’re hilarious and so entertaining.

In Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave, our MC gets mixed up in a case where a dead body was found in her nosey neighbour Mrs. Haggertys yard and Finlay has to figure out what happened.

Would definitely recommend this book and series to anyone who just wants a fun & funny mystery.

Decided to DNF this series. Was super excited to see what all the hype was about and wanted to binge it but I just don't think the cozy mystery is the genre for me sadly, though I do totally get why other readers love it so much!

The series is still very entertaining! At this point in the series, I was seriously hoping that the simmering tension between the main character and Nick would go one way or the other. The problem with long running series is how long I'm willing to suspend my disbelief that something like that wouldn't finally get resolved.

Easy breezy, super funny and cute. I’m completely invested in this series. Finley Donovan is hilarious.

Elle does it again with another amazing Finlay Donovan adventure. All of her devoted readers can’t wait to continue this fun and funny story!!!

thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book!