Finlay is back! I loved the 5th book in this cozy and entertaining mystery series. "Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave" kept me hooked from the start and I love the way it ended. The narrator did an awesome job too.

a certified banger!!!! this series has quickly become a comfort series for me and each installment just gets better and better!

i love the finlay and vero detective group more than life itself!! their friendship is the star of this series for me and their buddy comedy/investigative duo dynamic is so fun and wacky and everything that a cozy mystery series needs!

this installment in particular was everything i love in a finlay donovan book and more! we got quality finvero content, a great mystery, as well as incredible developments in the romantic relationships for our favorite amateur sleuths!!! two subplot ships in one book??? thank you so much

i also exclusively read this series via audio, so getting to listen to the audio of this book early was a dream! and can i just say Angela Dawe is that girl!!!!!! she does such an incredible job giving every character distinct voices and her cadence and delivery make the listening experience that much better.

i selfishly hope this series never ends bc i would read about finvero and co for the rest of my life!

thank you macmillan audio and netgalley for the ALC!! it's available everywhere on 3/4!

4⭐️

The perfect cozy mystery full of laughs, skeletons and murder! Finlay is back with her nanny/partner in crime Vero and unfortunately sucked into another murder. Book five in this series finds Finlay in a tricky spot as she tries to untangle the mystery. This is a perfect blend of mystery, hilarious banter and a little romance!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for an arc!

I enjoyed this one! This might be my second favorite in the Finlay Donovan (after the first). The book starts right where the last ended, and instead of traipsing through multiple locations, things are fairly limited to a neighborhood. I felt this made it easier to follow. There weren’t as many people to keep track of (which helps when listening to the book) though I did miss not having as much of Finlay’s sister.
While I thought the stories for all were coming to a close the very last sentence said there may yet be more in store.

4.5 ⭐️

AUDIOBOOK:
9 hours 11 minutes at 1x, 6 hours 7 minutes at 1.5x or 5 hours, 15 minutes at 1.75x

How apropos that Janet Evanovich promotes this book on the cover~I have always said that these books were perfect for fans of her Stephanie Plum stories!

If you haven’t read any of the Finlay Donovan books yet- I do recommend that you read them in order-but you can click on my spoiler free review for the first book to get a hint of what to expect!
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3609201519

Each book ends with a cliffhanger, so we pick up right where we left off last time…

Finlay Donovan has just submitted her latest book-so she should have some time to relax, and maybe get to know her “hot cop boyfriend Nick” just a little bit better. But when a dead body is discovered in her nosy neighbor’s backyard, the neighbor-Mrs. Haggerty-will need Finlay and Vero’s help.

Initially, Mrs. Haggerty is the prime suspect.

Although SHE is quickly cleared by the police, her house, unfortunately, remains an active crime scene. With nowhere else to go she ends up moving into Finlay’s house temporarily-since she is right across the street-despite the fact that the two have not always seen eye to eye on things!

Instead of being a grateful guest, she is demanding grocery runs, and rides to her book club meetings, but she does chip in on home schooling and childcare while staying with Finlay and her scenes with Finlay’s children are some of the funniest in the book!

I have to admit, I haven’t had this much fun reading a Finlay Donovan book since the first one, and I wasn’t sure that I wanted to continue the series. It had become too slapstick for me with all of the caricature mafia characters in books two through four-but once I heard that Mrs. Haggerty would be back-I was all in and she didn’t disappoint!
(She is a SCENE STEALER !)

As always-we have a cliffhanger at the end-so it does look like this series will continue…

I paired my reading with the AUDIOBOOK, narrated (as always) by the fabulous Angela Dawe.
This happens to be a series that I prefer LISTENING TO! 🎧

AVAILABLE MARCH 4, 2025

Thank You to Macmillan Audio for the early listen provided through NetGalley Shelf! As always, these are my candid thoughts!

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and Elle Cosimano for allowing me to listen to an audiobook ARC of Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave.

Final Review: 4.5 Stars

Elle Cosimano KILLS IT with this series. I have loved every installment of this series, and I think the books are just getting better and better. Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave was such a hit for me. It was funny, suspenseful, and a little sexy. I love getting to watch Finlay’s relationships grow with Detective Nick, Steven, Vero, and the kids! Delia and Zach added comedic relief and made me giggle at the irony of the situations Finlay finds herself in. It was so much fun getting to watch Finlay and Nick start to trust each other and develop their budding relationship. While also hunting down killers and keeping secrets. This has quickly become one of my favorite series and I highly recommend anyone who is interested in a fun mystery/thriller series to pick it up!

Finlay Donovan and her partner-in-crime, Vero, are no strangers to chaos, but they were hoping for a break from dead bodies—until one turns up in their nosy neighbor Mrs. Haggerty’s backyard. While she’s quickly cleared as a suspect, her house is still a crime scene, leaving her with nowhere to go but Finlay’s already hectic home. As much as Finlay and Vero want to avoid another murder investigation, trouble has a way of finding them, and this time, it’s right across the street.

Spending time with Finlay and Vero is like hanging out and drinking a glass of wine with your most chaotic but lovable friends. This book was fast-paced, filled with humor, mystery, and plenty of action—plus, that cliffhanger ending was something! The banter between all of the characters was as entertaining as ever. The story kept me hooked from start to finish, I finished it in one day. Picking up right after the fourth book, this one might just be my favorite in the series. A perfect mix of crime, romance, suspense, and fun!

I switched between reading and listening - I love the audio book of this and highly recommend listening!

Out on March 4, 2025! Thank you to the publisher @minotaur_books, @ellecosimano and @netgalley for an arc for an honest review!

Usually as a series goes on it becomes less and less appealing. This fifth book is just as good as the first. Elle Cosimano has done such a great job making her characters so likeable. With every book it is like I'm returning to visit old friends. And once again Angel Dawe provides excellent narration. I wish this series would be picked up as a movie series (preferably one starring Henry Cavill as Nick).
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced preview.

I have had a blast with each one of the Finlay Donovan books!! This one isn't as outlandish as the last one but it's just as fun! I feel like this one has a bit more depth to it. I devoured it in one sitting!! I love being back in the chaotic whirlwind that is Finlay's world!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan for the opportunity to listen to audiobook

Quite possibly my favorite in Elle Cosimano's "Finlay Donovan" series since Book 1!

Always humorous and always entertaining, I continue to love being along for the ride with Finlay and babysitter/partner-in-crime Vero. Sprinkle in some romance with boyfriend Nick, drama with ex-husband Steve, and adorableness from their two kids, and you've got a book that is pure light-hearted entertainment. This book did not disappoint with the usual capers and hijinks that accidental heroine Finlay Donovan always finds herself in.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the digital audio ARC of "Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave". This was one of my favorites!

This was my first Finlay Donovan book, and I received an advance copy of the audiobook. The narration was one of the best I’ve heard. The story itself makes me want to read the other Finlay Donovan books - which I already wanted to do, I just hadn’t gotten around to it yet. Mrs Haggerty steals the show in this one. The way she stands up to bullies and steps in to help those who need it is a great example, though I wanted want to tout her methods too much, that would be wrong. Hopefully Finlay and Nick remain together in the next book, and Vero is around for a little additional flavor. There will be a next one, right?

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

I have been one of the biggest fans of this series since book one! Book one is one of my all-time favorite books that I will always recommend to all audiences!

Since book one, I think some books have been great and some have been just okay. I think this one falls more into the "just okay" camp for me. As far as the plot itself goes, I never really felt any tension or felt like I HAD TO KNOW what was happening.

While it was fun to be back with these characters, I thought the story itself was just okay!

I'll continue to read these as long as she writes them, but I hope for more in the next couple books!

As always I highly enjoyed following Finlay and the whole chaos crew on another adventure. And mystery. I really enjoyed getting a more rounded out view of nosey neighbor Mrs. Haggerty. She has always been a small side character but I think after thus she will continue to be more involved with the plot.

Now compared to the other books in the series this one felt more tame and lower stakes. It was still fabulous but not as much action or tension.
I am anticipating the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an advanced audiobook for review.

I've just found my new favourite Finlay Donovan book! It featured all the chaos, crime, and questionable decision-making that I loved from the first book—plus even more shenanigans. I had the opportunity to listen to this book, and let me tell you, Angela Dawe absolutely crushed it. Her narration was superb—clear, engaging, and full of personality. The way she changed her voice for different characters was flawless. She could probably read my grocery list and make it sound thrilling. I highly recommend going with the audio if you're unsure about the format. Trust me!

As expected, we dive right back into the madness with Finlay, Vero, Nick, Javi, the kids, and—because the universe loves chaos—even Steven. But wait! This time, we also get Mrs. Haggerty, freshly sprung from jail and delivered to Finlay's doorstep like an Amazon Prime package (but with way more baggage). Naturally, things spiral out of control when Steven gets himself tangled up in the crime she was accused of, and the team is forced to (begrudgingly) clear his name. Enter Cam, our favourite teenage hacker, to make things even more entertaining.

This book had me laughing out loud, shaking my head, and saying, "Oh, Finlay, no," at least 27 times. Just when I thought I could breathe, BAM—Elle Cosimano hit me with a cliffhanger that left me considering time travel just to get to the next book faster.

A massive thank you to Elle Cosimano, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my thoughts. Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave releases March 4, 2025—and you do not want to miss it!

I have really enjoyed following the Finlay Donovan series. In "Digs Her Own Grave" I found myself enjoying the secondary characters more than Finlay and Vero which was a nice way to keep the series fresh. I loved the overall story line (don't want to give anything away).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication.

Finlay Donovan strikes again! Another great book with such fun characters. I am always hoping there will be more of these books and when I saw that there was, I was excited. This series is just so great!

📖Finlay is back, but now it's her ex-husband being accused of murder. The body was found in her neighbors backyard, and the connections between Finlays ex and the body are sparking a lot of interest in the investigation. But Finlay knows it wasn't him, and Nick is willing to help her out as much as he can while trying not to break the rules.

📝Book 5 has been one of my favorite Finlay Donovan books yet! I loved the chemistry between Nick and Finlay, and how they grew even closer this book. As always, I loved Vero and her sassy pants she wears daily. It was fun watching the kiddos and their side plots as well this book.

Mrs. Haggarty was a fun addition as well, she has been in the previous books but really thrives in this one. We are set up for book 6!

The audio book was perfect as always. I switched back and forth between that and the e-book since I could NOT put it down! SO GOOD! Make sure to check out the next book in the series :)

As always Finlay Donovan is a fun ride!. This one wasn't as off the rails like previous ones but I still loved it. I can never get enough of these books and I can't wait for March 4th when I can physically add this to my Finlay collection.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio copy to listen to in exchange for an honest review.

I adore this series. It's way better than Stephanie Plum. It's so funny! I know this one isn't out yet but I'm already ready for the next one!

Finlay Donovan is back and of course she finds herself in the middle of more wild shenanigans. Nick are Vero and all of the other characters we love are back! The narrator was fantastic and truly brought this whole story to life! I thoroughly enjoyed this and after that ending I can’t wait for book 6 😍 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this audiobook!