Elle Cosimano continues to kill it with her Finlay Donovan series. I love it so much and loved getting the whole series through Read Now, thank you!

(4.25/5 stars)

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano is another fun entry in the long-running humorous mystery series.

This time Finlay is not unwittingly part of a crime; a body turns up under the roses in the neighborhood busybody's back yard. And since Mrs. Haggerty's house is an active crime scene, she doesn't have anywhere to go except for Finlay's house across the street.

I borrowed the audiobook from my local library while following along in my review copy. I have a lot of fun listening to these books! I'm a big fan of the author's sense of humor and Angela Dawe does a great job expressing the humor on the written page.

This book appears to be a turning point in the series. The first several featured hijinks centered around some mafia business, and we seem to be out of the weeds on that topic now. We also got a good amount of character growth from Finlay, especially in regards to her deepening relationship with Nick. I absolutely am rooting for those two.

I got a real kick out of Mrs. Haggerty, and I hope we still get to check in with her in future installments! I also want to get to know more of her book club friends a little deeper. We got a little less of Vero in this book, but it looks like her story is going to be front and center in the next one.

I'd highly recommend you read this series in publication order, but you might be able to read this one as a stand-alone/starting point to get into the series since it appears to be the start of a new arc. All of the books tend to end on a cliff-hanger, so just head's up there. I'm excited to read the next one!

Just when things seem to be calming down, Finlay and Vero are thrust back into chaos when a body is found in Mrs. Haggerty’s yard, a neighbor that they don’t really get along with. Even though Mrs. Haggerty is only a suspect for a short time, her home remains an active crime scene, and she has nowhere to go. Being the great neighbor that she is, Finlay invites her neighbor to crash with her,and as expected, Mrs. Haggerty is just as big of a handful in the house as she is outside of it.

Rating: 3.5/5
Spice:0/5

Tropes:
Cliffhanger
Small Town Mystery

Triggers:
Unalived Body


My Thoughts:
This book is hilarious! It was fun to catch up with the zany Finlay Donovan again, and I think we can all relate to having at least one neighbor like Mrs. Haggerty. I also enjoyed learning more about Nick’s character, because, who wouldn’t?! The ending felt a bit rushed for me, but this was still a great read! I recommend it if you like a cozy mystery!

This whole series was a dnf for me. The first book I liked the premise and it intrigued me enough to move on to the next story. Unfortunately after that it seemed that there was a lot more language and innuendos than the first book. And I wasn't enjoying the story enough to move on and continue.

Another great installment of this series. However, it is starting to get unbelievable that the entirety of this series has happened over the course of a couple of months.

Finlay Donovan's life is ridiculous and I can't stop reading about it! 😂

This newest book has all of the hilarious hijinks I've come to look forward to, plus we get a lot more of her nosy neighbor, Mrs. H, which I thoroughly enjoyed. What a character.

I've enjoyed watching Finlay navigate her rocky relationship with her ex-husband throughout the series, and that continues in this book. Even though the books are silly, the maturity with which she handles that relationship is admirable!

With the ending of this one being what it is, I am already anxious for the next book!

I like how every Finlay book brings on an entirely new plot; I'm never sure what I'm in for, other than mystery and laughs. I'm also happy with how her and Nick turned out in the end cause I wasn't sure how she was going to get around all of that. Overall, another fun mystery read and I'm wondering if this book will inspire a few new stories from other PoV within the book club. A few spin-off short stories would be a fun read from the various ladies.

*Provided a DRC (digital review copy) from the publisher for review. All opinions are my own.

I was a huge fan of the first Finlay Donovan book.... and the second too. But as they move on, I feel as though the author is grasping for straws a little in her plot lines. The latest book in the series just felt too silly and unstructured. It might be time to hang up the series instead of continuing to move forward.

I just love the Finlay Donovan books! I’m delayed in my review because I just had to start from the beginning so that I could reread everything before this one! It brought just as many laugh-out-loud moments as I have come to expect in this series. Each time a new one comes out I worry that it will be the last one, so I was so happy for another cliffhanger so that I know another book is coming!!!

Another fantastic installment of the Finlay Donovan series. Love watching the characters develop as the stories go on, but especially loved the focus of this book on the neighborhood itself. Maggie was one of our main characters this time around and honestly, I NEVER would have predicted the twist in this one! Not in a million years. Also love how far Nick & Finn have come. This story showed that while we may have done some questionable things in our past, it doesn’t make us “bad.” Loved this and cannot wait for book 6! Thanks for the ARC!

Is it a literary masterpiece? No, but will I continue with this series? Absolutely. It's a fun read that will keep you guessing.

Finlay and Vero are finally done with all the murder and intrigue that has plagued their lives for the past 4 months. Or at least they thought so until a body is found in their elderly neighbor's yard, and suspicion quickly falls on Finlay's ex-husband. As a tenacious detective starts digging into things they'd rather not get uncovered, Finlay and Vero find themselves back on the hunt for the real killer if they hope to keep their own secrets buried.

Another fun caper with quirky characters that has some deep topics without ever feeling dark. I really enjoy how Cosimano takes on murder and the reasons for it with such goofy flair while maintaining the seriousness of it. It's a very fine line, yet she manages it brilliantly.
I continue to be amazed at the dumb things that Finlay and Vero do and how they manage to always escape with a new piece of the puzzle. It's a bumbling sleuth story where the sleuths are so charmingly incompetent that you forgive and ignore the fact that they should have been caught by now.

Delighted thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the fun read!

I LOVE the Finlay Donovan series. Finlay, Vero, Nick....they all just continue to make me laugh as they stumble through their accidental antics. I was thrilled to be able to review yet another ARC from this series. This one really threw me for a loop by making some of the secondary characters become a little more important. I had no idea these people could be like this! I don't want to say much more because I want to avoid any possible spoilers, but this is not one of those series where you're just waiting for it to end. In fact, the cliffhanger at the end made me want the next one to come NOW.

What a fantastic addition to the Finlay Donovan series! I love that we returned to Finlay’s neighborhood and the nosy old biddy across the street gets her story told. The author continues to write Finlay becoming involved in twisty and surprising mysteries, with her sidekick Vera. They are my favorite duo and I can’t wait for their next adventure.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

This was the least insane Finlay book (in a good way) and I really enjoyed it. I’m proud of how Finlay behaved in this book - her relationships, her ability to tell the truth, and how she carried herself overall just made me smile. These books are so fun to dive into and this one is no different!

If you've read the previous Finlay Donovan books, then you know exactly what to expect with this entry. There's the hilarious snark from Vero, the unbelievable situations Finlay continually finds herself in, and the laugh-out-loud funny antics of her children. But it feels like the series is starting to lose some of its luster. It wasn't as exciting as the earlier books. Besides a lot of driving around, nothing much seems to happen. I did appreciate that there was a little movement forward in Finlay's personal relationship, but other than that, it didn't feel like the overall arc of the series was advanced in any way. So overall, just an okay book. It's entertaining enough for a couple afternoons, but not my favorite.

Title: Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave
By: Elle Cosimano
Pub. Day: Mar 04, 2025

Genre:
Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Humor, Book Club, Audiobook

Trigger Warnings:
Murder, Sexual Content, Profanity, Gun Violence, Infidelity,
(**more graphic content, and profanity than the earlier installments, so rated it 3.5 stars and rounded up.**)

Summary/Review:
Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave brings back the beautiful mess of chaos and charm that is Finlay Donovan. She’s a recently divorced mom of two, a struggling writer and woman who transforms everyday chaos into a wildly entertaining spectacle of messes.

In Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave the narrative surprises the reader with discovery of a body across the street from Finlay’s home, so the nonstop adventure begins with a house guest and nosy neighbor, a book club, an ex husband, and boyfriend. Always full of unpredictable twists, Finlay and Vero continue their wild ride of chaos that proves to be endlessly entertaining.

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave is slightly different from previous novels in the series. This installation has more Ms. Haggerty and less Vero. The reader learns more about Sylvia and the kids. The novel holds true to Finlay’s sharp, clever, and witty dialogue still filled with laugh out loud mishaps. The theme of the Finlay Donovan series balances the heaviness of heartbreak with hilarious disasters that revolve around the distinctive character, Finlay. The character depth in Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave is wild and unpredictable with memorable themes of honesty, and trust. Home…where it all begins and ends.

Thank you to Elle Cosimano, St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity of an Advanced Readers Copy. I am voluntarily leaving my personal review.

#FinlayDonovanDigsHerOwnGrave
#St.MartinsPress
#MinotaurBooks
#ElleCosimano
#advancedreadercopies
#NetGalley

Elle Cosimano does it again!

This has been my favorite of the Finlay Donovan series so far.

When poor old (irritating) Mrs. Heggerty ends up with a dead body buried in her yard, she is outsourced to Finlay's house while the investigation is ongoing. So, in true Finlay and Vero fashion, they try to uncover the true identity of the killer and get nosy Mrs. Heggerty out of Finlay's house before she finds a skeleton (or five) in Finlay's closet.

The wit and humor are back and the heart-racing situations Finlay and Vero find themselves in are, too.

5 stars! I will be impatiently awaiting the next book in the series!

Yet another silly Finlay Donovan book! They are always so fun and my mom loves them so much. It's a blast to talk to her about them. I may be puttering out a bit on FD but I am going to try to keep up with the series. Time will tell!

When a body is found in Mrs. Haggerty's backyard, she has nowhere to go until her property is no longer a crime scene. Her grandson asks Finlay if she can stay at her house while he is out of town and she has no choice but to agree. Finlay and her nanny/partner-in-crime, Vero, have not always gotten along with the elderly Mrs. Haggerty, who is the community busybody and president of the neighborhood watch, but now that she is living in Finlay's home, actually taking over her room, they decide they need to solve the crime to get her out. Once again, Finlay's ex-husband, Steven is a suspect. The poor guy is always on the police radar, but maybe it's time for his infidelity to finally cause him some pain. Who is really responsible for the murder? Is it Mrs. Haggarty? What about the dead guys wife? There is something suspicious about Mrs. Haggarty's book club, what do they know?

I always enjoy tagging along as Finlay and Vero try to solve a murder. Although Mrs. Haggarty was an unwelcome lodger, she did Finlay a favour when it came to her children. She whipped them into shape and even got the younger one toilet trained. That as a humorous adventure in itself. During the investigation, Finlay and Vero end up finding out things they weren't ready for. A secret operation causes some angst for them both. There is some light romance between Vero and Javi as well as chemistry between Finlay and Nick, that adds a bit more to the story. Get ready for chaos, mischief, banter and laughter as Finlay and Vero share their crazy, messy lives. I am already looking forward to the next book, as Vero's past has caught up with her and we are left wondering what is going to happen.