Let’s be honest, I’m going to read any and all of the Finlay Donovan series. If you liked the first few the same humor, whit and crime/mystery are in play in this one as well.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another story in the Finlay Donovan storyline involving the neighborhood watch lady--Mrs. Haggerty. Finlay is usually in the center of everything but Mrs. Haggerty-whose sharp eyes never miss a beat-needs the duo to keep her safe. The regular antics and shenanigans ensue with the normal Finlay flair. Easy to read on its own but better if read in order.

Fans of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series would likely enjoy the Finlay Donovan series. There's a hot cop, a dynamic duo of female leads with a strong and enviable friendship, mystery, and humor. And just like the Plum series, there's the meta-story of the main characters lives that does progress from book to book, albeit a bit too slow.

I think that this was a great book and those who are waiting will love it too. I’ve been busy but I finally had to to review this book

This book was hilarious, this author does it all the time for me, I LOVE this duo!!!! But this book is a little different. These two are dealing with something new of course and this time its closer to home. And the neighborhood watch Mrs. Haggerty is in the center of everything lol, this woman is not who she seems, and I started to like her more and more. I was on the edge of my seat because Vero and Finn was giving me so much anxiety, because these two are always getting into trouble. I loved how much Finn has grown throughout the books and her ability to fully trust Nick, I am rooting for these two. The way this book ends, LOL, that’s all imma say.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

I love the Finlay and Vero series and this installment redeemed it for me after book 4 being a little disorganized and weak in the plot.

This book picks up where book 4 left off. Finlay and Vero have just returned home from Atlantic City to find that Mrs Haggerty has been arrested and there is a body buried in her rose garden. After a week in jail, Mrs Haggerty is delivered to Finlay's house by her nephew. Her house is not livable as there are no utilities.

Mrs Haggerty takes over Finlay's room and takes over running the house. Mrs Haggerty is not able to drive and demands Finlay take her to book club on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Of course Finlay becomes involved in the investigation on the sly and keeps her involvement from Nick as much as she can.

This book has me looking forward to book 6 and more antics from Finlay, Vero, and the gang.

This book was so fun. Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan series never disappoints and I find it to be such a good series. Once again, all the previous little details and cast of random characters comes into play in this book. It astounds me how well all of these things get roped together and how consistent the series is in terms of tiny details being meaningful in the end. I appreciate how the characters continue to grow, how their stories continue to be told in such strong ways and how each book just adds to how much I want to see the characters thrive. I love the way that things get resolved in this book but how the segue into the next story is just so exciting. I'm looking forward to what sounds to be a promising book looking more into Vero's story once again.

Soon Vero will have back problems from carrying this series.

I don't like the nosy old lady archetype, so I wasn't thrilled to find out Mrs. Haggerty would feature more prominently in this book. But the author managed to keep it entertaining.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for my copy of FINLAY DONOVAN DIGS HER OWN GRAVE. This one publishes on March 4.

I really enjoyed this next installment of Finlay Donovan. These books are like candy to me and I just can't get enough of them. I highly recommend this series for anyone needing an escape. I love the settings, characters and how this series keeps growing. If you haven't already joined in on this wild ride, what are you waiting for?

YAY! Another adventure with Finlay and Vero. I love having a new book from a series to read. Mainly cause it helps me think of what book to read lol. Full review to come!

I was curious what Finlay would tackle after dealing with the Russians, and this did not disappoint. This was a fun mystery, with all the usual craziness that makes Finlay a great character. I think this book was stronger than the last one, and I look forward to reading more Finlay & Vero in the future.

Thank you to @macmillanaudio @stmartinspress & @minotaurbooks for the ARC & ALC of the latest adventures of Finlay Donovan!

Finlay, Vero, Steven, Nick & Javi are back for more witty adventures, but this time Finlay’s nosy neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty, is the center of the shenanigans! The relationship between Finlay, Vero and Mrs. Haggerty has been a unique one since the first book, so seeing Mrs. Haggerty’s story get to play out, while simultaneously throwing wrenches into Finlay & Vero’s life, made for a fun read.

From potty training escapades to bodies buried in backyards, to framing ex-husband’s for murder and neighborhood watch, Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave brings its standard wit, banter & adventure to life!

I really enjoyed how this book hopped right into the action from the beginning, which hooked me from the start & aided in how fast I read it too! Even though there is a good number of characters in these books, Elle Cosimano makes it easy to follow, while also building tension, suspense & humor - which is much appreciated! It also makes for a gem of a listen via audiobook too! Narrated by Angela Dawe, who gives a stellar performance, complete with different character voices and details, I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook version of this gem as well - and honestly, it made reading this book seem like it all happened in a blink of an eye!

Thank you Elle Cosimano for bringing us the world of Finlay Donovan - this series is a joy to read & is one I look forward to with each new release!

I was a bit worried when I picked up this advanced copy of Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave. I wasn’t the biggest fan of book four, Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice, and was worried that the series had jumped the shark. I’m happy to report that I devoured book five in just over 24 hours. Is it as magical as the first book? No. Is it a vast improvement from book four? Yes it is!

I think what helped here is that while the issues that Finlay and Vero created in book one are present in this book, they aren’t the primary focus. Instead, the reader gets to dig into a new mystery revolving around Finlay’s grumpy elderly neighbor Mrs. Haggerty. When a body is found buried in Haggerty’s backyard, she’s taken to jail but is ultimately released. But because there is no electricity in her home, her son drops her off at Finlay’s already very full house, begs her to take care of his mother, and quickly vanishes. Obviously, Finlay and Vero get involved—partly in an attempt to get Haggerty out of the house, but partly because they’d like to figure out exactly how much Haggerty knows about some of their less than legal activities.

Did I figure things out much faster than Finlay and Vero? Yes. Did I really care? Not really. I had a good time reading this and enjoyed catching up with these chaotic characters.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave will be published on March 4.

This was a fun continuation of the series and if you haven’t picked them up, you definitely should! I will never get tired of these characters or Elle Cosimano’s writing! Mrs. Haggerty was arrested for murder after a dead body was found at her house but is released when the police are unable to link her to the victim and find new evidence. She ends up having to stay with Finlay and Vero since her house has no power/water and Finlay is determined to find out who the killer is in this installment of the series to prove her ex husband is innocent. The duo find themselves in some crazy predicaments while taking on this task. I also was such a fan of getting so much Mrs. Haggerty in this as she’s always been more of a background character; her attitude is my favorite and I found myself laughing so much through this one.

I love the progression Finlay and Nick’s relationship took in this one and can’t wait to see more of them! 🥰 Another cliffhanger ending has me chomping at the bit for the next book!!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!!

This is another Finlay adventure that had me laughing from the very first scene thanks to Finlay's daughter. I appreciate that, rather than letting the series go stale with the same major characters, Cosimano highlights 81 year old Mrs. Haggerty in this one. An irritating but minor character in previous novels, Mrs. Haggarty becomes an interesting center point. Who knew she could rope in Finlay's kids and provide excellent home schooling and potty training skills? She has other skills too but you'll have to read the novel to find out what they are.

We readers are provided with another humorous adventure when Finlay, through no fault of her own, gets tangled up in yet another murder mystery. Her romance with Nick heats up and Finlay finally confronts the elephant in the room, her honesty with him. I do appreciate Cosimano not including any graphic sex scenes.

This is another wild and entertaining ride with Finlay and Vero. And the end leaves us with the distinct impression the adventures are not over yet.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

BOOK REVIEW: FINLAY DONOVAN DIGS HER OWN GRAVE🪦

I love the Finlay Donovan series because each book is such a fun, entertaining cozy mystery that allows you to suspend your belief in reality for a bit to enjoy these crazy situations that Finlay gets herself into!

This book returns back to Northern VA (which I loved, being a native to this area myself!) and Finlay and Vero have a situation on their hands when a body is found in their busybody next door neighbors backyard. Mrs. Haggerdy really steals the show in this book and I was so here for it!

I think besides the first book, this one may be a fav for me since it felt a bit more realistic than some of the others, which while fun to read were pretty over the top🤣 I alternated between reading and listening to this one and the audio was so great!

If you’re a fan of the series, you won’t want to miss this one!! And based off the cliffhanger ending, I’m hoping there will be more Finlay books to come!🤞🏼


I absolutely love this series and I enjoyed getting to read an ARC of the newest addition to it. Finlay and Vero are the ultimate team of amateur detectives, and while their adventures are certainly not realistic, they sure are fun to read about. This one ends on another major cliffhanger, which I'm not mad about because it means we will get at least one more book in this super entertaining series. I can't wait to see where Finlay and Vero end up next!

4 🌟

Mrs. Haggerty is 😘

After the last few Finlay Donovan books, I was hesitant to pick this one up. This book reminded me why I feel in love with Finlay. I found the middle books to be complex with the amount of characters to keep track of and how they all connected. That is not the case with this book and I speed through it.

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

In this 5th installment of the “Finlay Donovan” series, Finlay is back with her partner-in-crime, Vero, following the discovery of a buried body in the backyard of her elderly neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty. While Mrs. Haggerty was originally a suspect, she’s now been cleared by police, with nowhere to stay except Finlay’s home. While Finlay and Vero has no interest in any more murder mysteries, they are inevitably pulled into the investigation.

I cannot get enough of the Finlay Donovan series—I absolutely love these books! After their travels to Atlantic City in the last book, I was glad to see this one set back at their home in Virginia, and I loved all the neighborhood secrets and drama! The witty banter between Vero and Finlay is always laugh-out-loud fun, and throwing the grumpy Mrs. Haggerty into the mix was a fun addition. I also really enjoyed the return of Cam, who had appeared in the previous two books. Better yet, the book ended on a cliffhanger thus leaving things open for a 6th book!

Thank you to Minotaur Books, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for my gifted e-ARC!

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave” is my first mystery read, and it’s an absolute delight. The novel elegantly blends quirky crime-solving with deeply felt character moments. Finlay and her steadfast sidekick, Vero, embark on another unforeseen adventure that challenges their ingenuity and resilience, all while maintaining a light and riotously funny tone.

What truly elevates the book is its seamless mix of brisk investigative action and clever, witty banter, all underscored by the endearing relationships among its delightfully flawed characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books!