Ahhh I love this series so much! Book five picks up right where book four ended. The narrator is fantastic and she really brought the story and characters to life. This was such an entertaining book to listen to and I was happy to be back with Finlay and the crew.

5⭐, 0.75🌶️

I. FREAKING. LOVE. FINLEY DONOVAN! These books have the perfect balance of mystery, hijinx, and humor that are just perfect for binging (which I did in one day during work). Finley and Vero's friendship is always so hilarious, and the added humor with Fin's kids, ex husband, both of the women's partners, and so many other characters just make this such an enjoyable series.

As a Northern Virginia resident that also works in the LEO field, its soooo appreciated how factually accurate this series is to professions and the location. Its such a great series I love to recommend it to anyone who wants a Mystery series to binge!

This book has so much going on but really for once its not inadvertently a consequence of Finley or Vero's actions, but a lot of their past is about to come back up to possibly screw with them. AND THAT CLIFF HANGER?! OMG OMG OMG the next book cant get here fast enough - which is painful to have to say for a book im already reading in advance of its release lol.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC of this book in exchange for my honest and unpaid review!

Excited to return to Finlay’s world!
Mrs. Haggerty thrown in jail, book club meetings, kiddos misbehaving, just another hectic day in Finlay and Vero’s life. I laughed so much in this one and loved seeing how they kept getting themselves into and out of wild situations. Mrs. Haggerty and Cam both had great roles in this one and the bonding they had completely warmed my heart. Mrs. Haggerty is hilarious, and who would have thought she had some secrets of her own? Angela Dawe delivers great narration, using a wide array of tones and inflections that bring the characters to life. I can’t see anyone else portraying these characters.
I can’t wait to see what happens next, especially with that ending that left us wondering what’s coming!

This was a wonderful continuation of the Finley Donovan series. I really enjoyed the character development in this one. I also liked that the ending left room for another novel/spinoff in the future.

"Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave" delivers the signature humor and chaotic charm that fans of the series have come to love. Finlay and Vero’s antics are as entertaining as ever, and Mrs. Haggerty adds a fun new dynamic to the mix. The story moves quickly, with plenty of twists and turns to keep things interesting.

I listened to this as an audiobook, and the narrator was excellent as always, bringing each character to life with great pacing and energy. Her performance added to the fun, making the humor and fast-paced dialogue even more engaging.

That said, this installment doesn’t quite hit the same mark as the earlier books. The mystery feels a bit scattered at times, and some of the plot developments lean more on convenience than cleverness. While the banter is enjoyable, the stakes don’t feel as high, making the story less engaging than previous adventures.

Overall, it’s a fun listen, but not the strongest in the series. If you enjoy Finlay and Vero’s wild ride, you’ll likely still have a good time—but it may not be the most memorable installment.

The fifth installment of this series did not disappoint! I love Finlay and Vero, their hijinks are always top notch., and I'm looking forward to seeing more of the character development for Mrs. Haggerty in the upcoming books!

This was standard Finlay. I loved Zach's potty training and sexy Nick and kind Julian and crazy Vero and Javi. It ended on a cliff hanger which is fun for this series. I am giving an extra star for the fabulous narration.

The end of this series (or is it) goes out with a bang...and I truly enjoyed the ride!

Finlay and Vero find themselves entangled in the investigation of another buried dead body BUT this time, they didn't put it there.

The Finlay Donovan series is the most fun you can have with a cozy mystery. Think of the duo as Thelma and Louise who always seem to find themselves in some sort of trouble with dead bodies. You definitely have to suspend reality with their antics but it's part of the entertainment. I love that the shenanigans in FINLAY DIGS HER OWN GRAVE weren't as off the rails as books 3 and 4. Finlay's nosy neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty, is back and she steals the show! It's so easy to fall in love with these characters and their larger-than-life drama. The action and laughs are non-stop. There aren't as many characters to keep up with so that made the audiobook even more enticing.

After the first book, this one is definitely one of my favorites of all five. I do recommend reading them in order because they all end in a cliffhanger with a storyline that continues. I thought this was the final adventure for Finlay and Vero BUT we're left with another shocking ending...

I’ve been a ride or die Finlay and Vero fan since book 1, and I keep waiting for the series to lose its originality or spark, but somehow Cosimano continues to deliver! Thank you to MacMillan audio for my complimentary audiobook; I’ve been so fortunate to listen to all of these books, and narrator Angela Dawe simply IS Finlay to me! Her performance always perfectly captures the comedic timing, building suspense, and unique characterization of each of the main characters.

Readers like me or have been shipping Finlay and Nick for BOOKS will love this latest installment. The actual mystery takes a bit of a back seat to the development of their relationship. There is still plenty of hilarity with potty training adventures, Mrs. Haggerty moving in as a temporary roommate, weed brownies, and Cam’s new eggplant colored suped up car, but the best part for me was watching Finlay finally make moves to come clean about her past in the hopes for real intimacy. The murder mystery portion also nicely closed the story arc from previous books, leaving Cosimano the freedom to potentially give Vero more time to shine in the next book. There is a delightful conclusion/cliffhanger that always makes me wish the next book was already ready for release!

One of my favorites of the series; I really enjoyed the character development and integration of side characters at this point of the series. Sure, is the chaos that Finlay and Vero get themselves into far fetched? Absolutely. Will I continue to read every book in the series? Without a doubt;

Oh, I love Finlay Donovan and her BFF/ nanny Vero.

Old Mrs Haggerty is the community busy body, but when a dead body is found on her property and her house is declared a crime scene- she moves herself in to Finlay’s house. And the only way for Finlay to get Mrs Haggerty out of her house is to find the killer.

Lots of action, laugh out loud moments and I totally condone all of Finlay’s bad ways. LOL.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND

Thank you #NetGalley for the advance copy of #FinlayDonovanDigsHer Own Grave in exchange for an honest review.

This was yet another fun installment in the series! I think at this point I have just grown to love the characters, so following along this journey has been a lot of fun, with that said...I feel like there is not really a need to continue on. This book does end on a cliffhanger, making me believe that there will be another book in the series, and whilst I will probably read it. I don't think it will be necessary for most to continue on.

This is good though if you are wanting a fun cozy mystery to listen to in the background whilst you are doing other things.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for my early e-arc.

This Finley Donovan book made me laugh out loud. I had the best time reading it. This book has more Mrs. Haggerty, the neighbor across the street, who made this book so much more fun. There were less dumb decisions by Finley and Vera, which I appreciated!

I listened to this on audio and thought the narrator did a decent job portraying the female and male characters. The ending was set up for book 6.

I definitely think this was one of my favorites in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a fun, not too serious, mystery series! I would highly recommend starting from book one as each of the books has built upon the previous ones. Finlay is a master of ending up in sticky situations.

The characters are likable even when they aren't. There is funny banter throughout the series. And bad guys dying. What's not to love?!

I have really enjoyed listening to these on audio when I just want to be entertained.

*please note that I did receive this ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

This was exactly what I needed to re-engage with the series!

I have to admit that after Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice, I did not plan on continuing. The first arc of the series was done, and the last couple of books were not quite as good as the first two for me.

But the last couple of weeks have been some of the worst of my life, and what I was craving was a romp of a book to help distract me. The timing just worked out that as I was looking for something lighthearted to read, an advance copy popped up almost immediately. I figured I had nothing to lose - my expectations were low and I just needed something to take my mind off of the complete nightmare of reality. I am so glad I dove in!

Finlay's romantic relationship starts to get more serious, Vero is as hilarious as ever, the cast of characters is great, the mystery is interesting and has a satisfying resolution, and it's fun to piece things together along the way. I'm now sucked back in enough that I have to keep reading to see what happens next. Well done, Cosimano!

This is probably not where you want to start if you haven't read any of the others simply because the relationships are now quite established, but you can follow most of what's happening without any prior knowledge. Plus, the relevant plot points from previous books (that I absolutely had forgotten) are summarized throughout this one.

If you have enjoyed the series up to this point, even if you were thinking of dipping out as I was, I definitely recommend Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave.

I love the Finlay Donovan series, and the newest installment did not disappoint! The friendship and back and forth between Finlay and Vero is always so funny, I’ll never get tired of it. And bring in Mrs. Haggerty for a more prominent role in Digs Her Own Grave, and I was rolling laughing. Keep it up, Ms. Cosimano! I’ll keep listening as long as Finlay has new stories.

finlay and vero are back again with the shenanigans, and it was so refreshing to be following a thread that isn't directly tied to them. angela dawe returns to bring this story to life. her narration is entertaining and easy to follow. if you like reading with your ears, i recommend this as an audiobook.

in FINLAY DONOVAN DIGS HER OWN GRAVE we dive right back into the drama in mrs. haggarty's backyard. her grandson picks her up from jail, drops her off at finlay's, and leaves her in their hands. i mean, who can blame him?

surprisingly, i ended up really enjoying more of mrs. haggarty in this book. i never thought i'd say that, but she actually grew on me. i was happy to see more of cam. especially seeing him interact with mrs. haggarty. those moments were so fun.

i did have a moment of worry that we might get sucked back into old storylines, but thankfully, we dodged that bullet. i’m so ready for these characters to take new directions, and it looks like that’s exactly what we’re in for. that being said, this felt a little like a filler book, laying the groundwork for what's to come, so it wasn’t my favorite of the series.

we continued to get more finlay and nick content on the side, plus some javi and vero too. there were some (very much needed) loose ends tied up between finlay and nick, and i was thrilled about that.

the ending sets us up for the next adventure, and i’m super intrigued to see how the crew handles their upcoming complications!

**side note: i definitely would've loved the zach situation to be handled differently in the prologue. it felt weird and unnecessary that he was in the school without a blanket or anything. idk, it rubbed me the wrong way.

3.75

Elle Cosimano delivers another sharp and entertaining installment in the Finlay Donovan series, with a plot that stands out as the best since the first book. The pacing is tight, the writing is smooth, and the story takes a much-needed turn that reinvigorates the series.

The mafia storyline had run its course, and this shift in direction felt refreshing. It was also great to see more of Mrs. Haggerty, Camp, and Nick, whose expanded roles added depth and humor. The introduction of the book club was an unexpected but welcome addition that blended seamlessly with the story’s chaotic energy.

The novel ends on a strong cliffhanger, setting up the next book perfectly. Every element—from the humor to the tension—lands exactly as it should, making this a standout entry in the series. The audiobook narration remains flawless, elevating the experience even further.

Cosimano continues to strike the right balance between suspense and comedy, keeping the momentum of Finlay’s story going in the best possible way.

I have read all in the Finlay Donovan series and this is such a fun series! I love Finlay and Vero's dynamic, I loved the progression of the relationship with Nick, and seeing the mystery of the dead body unfold. The side characters are excellent and I love the nosy neighbor and setup for the next book! The audiobook is very fun and I love the narrator and she distinctly voices for all the characters!

This series is a rollercoaster, and while not my absolute favorite of the series, I really enjoyed this latest entry in the Finley Donovan series!

In this installment, we follow Finlay and the gang as they try and solve a murder that her ex-husband is being framed for, and all the twists and turns that come along the way.

I loved the addition that Mrs. Haggerty to the group! She was exactly the sort of firecracker that was needed in the group.

As we get more books in the series, I do think we are losing the narrative throughline a bit. The books are starting to feel like standalones in a connected universe, instead of a cohesive story. I don't necessarily mind if that is the direction this series is headed in, but it does weaken the overall plot a bit.

Overall, I loved this addition to the series, and I will definitely keep picking up the books as they come out!