Book 5 did not disappointment! This is such a fun, easy comfort series! With every situation Finlay and Vero get into, you know you’re in for a wild ride! I like that this story brought it back to family! I can not believe the way the book ended and I’ll be counting the days until the next book!

Thank you NetGalley and Ellen Cosimano for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The latest from Elle Cosimano is full of more hilarious Finlay and Vero hijinks! Busybody neighbor Mrs. Haggerty moves in after a dead body is discovered in her backyard, and Finlay and Vero set out to solve the mystery. This one felt a bit lower stakes, as Finlay and Vero (for once!) weren’t suspects, but once again the ending makes me want to read the next one! I did an audio reread of the rest of the series to refresh my memory, but the book did a great job of recapping if it’s been a while since you’ve read the rest of the series. I always enjoy reading about Finlay and Vero’s (mis)adventures!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for my copy! ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Finlay Donovan series was cute and fun. I enjoyed the main character and everything she got into. I will continue trying out books from this author.

Big thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the ARC copy!!

Elle Cosimano delivers another fun, fast-paced ride in Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave. The mix of humor, chaos, and crime is as entertaining as ever, with Finlay’s wild misadventures keeping the pages turning. Some plot twists stretched believability, but the charm and wit more than made up for it. A great addition to the series that leaves you eager for more.

This is not my typical go-to content but it was a "Read Now" on NetGalley and I'm kinda a sucker for free shit, so I grabbed it. Honestly gotta say this took me by surprise and I really enjoyed it! I can't say too much without giving things away, but I will say that it was unexpected in a great way, and I will be reading more of this series.

Another great Finlay Donovan book! I think I really enjoyed this one because it has a lot of room for Finlay to really reflect on all that has happened up to this point. I seriously don't know how Elle is able to continue making each book in this series so funny and unique in their own ways, it is remarkable. I am so excited to see what happens next in this series!

Another hilarious story about Finlay! I love catching up and jumping back into the crazy world of Finlay Donovan. Once again, you have to realize that this craziness is a little over the top but it kept me entertained the whole time.

The way Cosimano just knocks these out of the park every.single.time has me in awe. I absolutely love hanging with Finlay and Vero any chance I get. These books are hilarious and entertaining every time!

The antics, the characters, the mischief... its just perfection. I enjoyed the slight change up on this one though, instead of seeing Finlay make questionable choices one after another, we see more of a whodunnit, investigative theme. She does still find herself in some bizarre situations though, of course. It wouldn't be a FD novel without them! This review can't conclude without the mention of Mrs Haggerty, that woman...she is and always was something else, but goodness! She has wormed her way into my heart with her quirky, intense personality.

If you have read the other books in this series, you most likely won't need a push to grab this one, but if you do...here is your sign! I can't wait to reread this one via audio soon!

Elle Cosimano delivers with another gem featuring Finlay Donovan. Following her antics is always humorous and fun!

A cute addition to the Finley Donovan saga. If you’ve read the others in the series, you’ll love this one too!

I look forward to the new installment of this series every year. It's a modern likening to the Stephanie Plum series. And I mean that as a huge compliment. That was the first series I ever listened to and it will always remain dear to me, but Finlay has also worked her way into my heart.

The characters are quirky and fun and I love all the banter that abounds in the series.

I appreciated that the kids got to step up and make their mark in this one. I also loved that it was a little less frantic than the first books in the series. Don't get me wrong, the over the top, borderline preposterous is fun, but this one was a little more run of the mill.

This also had a little less womance, the female version of a bromance, between Vero and Finlay, but in it's place there is a little more room to have Nick and Finlay explore their relationship.

The mystery was easy to guess, but when I look at the entire picture, I was thoroughly entertained.

Angela Dawe is the perfect narrator for the series. She brings the normal and the crazy and everything in between to life. She nails both the adults and kids and both male and female characters. When I hear her narrating other books, I think of this series.

I have read this entire series in three days. I am obsessed. They’re so just so fun! I wasn’t sure where the story was going to go since the mob story line was wrapped up in the last book. I liked that there was one mystery this book and it was solved by the end. I’m interested to see what happens with Vero in the next book. I’m also interested to see how Nick knowing everything changes his dynamic with Finlay. I was glad there wasn’t as much Stephen in this book since he was in jail. I just can’t stand him. I still want to know what his ledger was.

Finlay's beleaguered ex is a suspect in yet another case. What's best about these books are the characters, camaraderie and sense of found family within. Hacker Cam, now with a little dog, flourishes under Finlay's and Vero's faith in him. Her relationship with Nick is on solid ground by the end of another fun adventure. And as always, a shout out to Stephanie Plum--if you loved those early books, these humorous mysteries will be right up your alley.

3.3/5 ⭐️ Stars - Thank you NetGalley, Minotaur Books & Macmillian Audio for the ALC of ‘Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave’, the fifth installment in Elle Cosimano’s Finlay Donovan series.

This is the most recently published book in the series, with Book #6 slated for release in March 2026. While I’ve generally enjoyed the ride, I’m content being caught up and I’m not sure I’ll continue with the next one — I may leave it (and any future books) off my TBR.

The first book remains my absolute favorite, and honestly, books two through five never quite lived up to that initial spark. I still love the characters, but ‘Digs Her Own Grave’ was noticeably lacking the humor that made me fall for the series in the first place. The mystery was engaging and wrapped up nicely, and the romance found a satisfying resting point — though there is a bit of a cliffhanger, so the door’s not fully closed.

Overall, I’ve enjoyed both reading and listening to this series, but I think it’s time for me to step away. There’s nothing inherently bad here, but it’s started to feel a bit repetitive, and I find myself craving more excitement and edge in my mysteries/thrillers.

If you have. not read this series this is your time to stop and start, you will not regret it.
Once again we find Finlay in a tight spot when her elderly neighbor accords the streets moves in with her due to some, um cough, skeletons being found in her yard. Surprise she’s a suspect it is cleared and lo and behold her ex husband is now considered the prime suspect. What happens next is a crazy and fun ride. Full of laughter, snarky banter and let’s not forget the romance. I age fully enjoyed all of Elle Coaimno’s books and will always recommend her to anyone and everyone that will listen

3.75/5

Finlay and Vero's investigating skills are expanding! I love seeing what they'll get up to next!
Fast friends from the beginning, their loyalty to each other is inspiring, and the situations they find themselves in never fail to entertain! I can't wait to see what happens next!

The writing continues to be witty, funny and attention grabbing. However, it feels as if there's not a lot of growth for Finlay's character. With the number of crazy situations that she has been in up to this point, you'd think she'd remember some pointers from previous situations. While I am still enjoying the series, there is just some growth that I'd like to see with Finlay. Vero as always remains my favorite character and hilarious as always.

I really did not enjoy Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice, it's my lowest rated Finlay book, but I already had this one from NetGalley so I read it. I liked it a lot more than quite a few of the previous books! It wasn't as over the top as previous books and Finlay was finally more honest with some of the people in her life. I enjoyed Mrs. Haggerty a lot. I think Stephen needs to stop being accused of murder, it's getting old now.

Thanks to Netgalley for and the publisher for this ARC. I have unfortunately grown so sick of Finlay and her problems that I am DNF'ing this book, even though I was originally really enthusiastic. I am very relieved.

Note: Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and author Elle Cosimano for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review will also be posted on NetGalley. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

I was introduced to the Finlay Donovan series earlier this year. It’s a collection of unbelievable but fun adventures as a divorced author seems to fall into trouble at every turn while balancing motherhood, dating, and her family. The previous book, Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice, seemed to wrap up the story of Finlay’s struggles to extricate herself from her involvement with the Russian mob. I was curious to see how the author would have Finlay find more trouble.

Finlay and her Nanny/best friend, Vero, are at home when they see Mrs. Haggerty being arrested and taken from her home. Turns out that a pipe broke, and when the repairs were being made, they came across a body buried in her backyard. The body is that of a man who has been missing for five years. Up until now, we’ve only seen Mrs. Haggerty as the neighborhood busybody who seems to stick her nose in everyone’s business. As the investigation moves along, Mrs. Haggerty is released but can’t return to her home due to the electricity being shut off. Her grandson, Brendan, begs FInlay to let her stay with her, just for the weekend. Finlay relents, and Brendan disappears.

The police discover a connection between the victim and Finlay’s ex-husband. Steve. He becomes the focus of their investigation, and Finlay is determined to clear his name, despite how much he hurt her in the past.

There’s more of the same here as Finlay and Vero find themselves in crazy situations. It’s silly and largely unbelievable, but it’s also a lot of fun. I laughed many times while reading it. Finlay’s good nature gets her into trouble as she feels bad for Mrs. Haggerty, but having her in the house while they are trying to clear Steve is an issue. To top it off, Finlay’s agent, Sylvia, is still pushing the television deal on Finlay, and they want Nick to be a consultant on a true-crime show based on Finlay’s books. Finlay knows Nick won’t do it and doesn’t even want to approach him.

There’s good advancement in the relationship between Nick and Finlay in this book. I thought Finlay’s deception made their relationship unrealistic, and that is the central topic between them here. Vero and Javier are still together, although the marriage in Atlantic City wasn’t valid. Still, Javier is trying to show Vero how much he loves her. Communication is a theme running through both Finlay and Vero’s relationships.

If you’re a fan of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series, I think you’ll love Finlay Donovan. I don’t think readers can really appreciate this book unless they’ve read earlier ones in the series. It’s worth going back and reading them, though. This makes for great summer reading, and although murder and uncovering bodies in the backyard might seem like a heavy topic, it’s really filled with lighthearted fun. I can’t wait to see where this goes next!