Finlay and Vero are just so funny and enjoyable. I’m so glad I started this series. Even when things can be predictable. It is always a fun time.

I was happy I got an ARC of the latest book in the Finlay Donovan series. I enjoy this series because it's fun and quirky and you just never know what kind of mess Finlay and Vero are going to get into. That being said this wasn't my favorite in the series, it seemed to have less action and near misses than the previous four, however, I still really enjoyed it! The way this book played out though I wonder if Elle Cosimano is done with Finlay and moving onto Vero as the main character in a (hopefully) new series.

In this fifth installment of Finlay Donovan’s very twisty, and at times unbelievable, story, I wasn’t sure Cosimano would be able to keep the plot fresh and readers invested. Yet somehow she made it work! We are picking up the story 5 months after the events of the first book. The cliffhanger at the end leaves it open for more books, which honestly feels like a little much at this point. I’m invested at this point, so I’m sure I’ll read the next one to see what kind of shenanigans Finlay and Vero get themselves into!

Thank you to Elle Cosimano, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this audiobook! The sounds quality was great! The narrator, was familiar and brought the characters to life. I enjoyed how she distinguished between Finlay and Vero’s voices.

The story lacked excitement. The premise felt somewhat dull, and there wasn't any actual murder occurring in this book.

Elle Cosimano does it again! I absolutely love this series, and this latest installment had me laughing from start to finish. Just when I thought Finlay and Vero couldn’t possibly get into more trouble, they find themselves right in the middle of chaos once again.

Vero’s jabs at Steven had me laughing out loud as always, but the addition of Mrs. Haggerty’s story brings even more dimension, mystery, and hilarious moments to the story. I adore Finlay and Vero’s friendship—it’s grown so much over the series, and at this point, they truly feel like a sisterhood.

I was also thrilled to see the romance between Nick and Finlay bloom even more in this book—because let’s be real, who doesn’t love a man in uniform? Their dynamic added just the right amount of swoon-worthy moments amidst all the chaos.

If you haven’t read the Finlay Donovan series yet, I highly recommend diving in. You won’t regret it!

An extremely high energy story, it was hard to put down. I love this series!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author and Macmillan Audio for this ARC.

Hooray for another entertaining installment in the Finlay Donovan series! Elle Cosamino knows how to craft humorous hijinks with lovable characters and a hint of mystery. I was so excited to see grumpy Mrs. Haggerty take a more central role beyond that of nosy neighbor. Finlay’s relationship with Nick is also a highlight with a bit more depth and spice. Zach is potty training. An ostentatious eggplant vehicle comes on the scene. The main crime involves a backyard body, and Finlay is trying to prove her ex Steven isn’t the killer. Finlay takes on more of a detective role and I miss some of her own ingenious criminal enterprising. I thoroughly enjoyed this playful book and was grateful to get an ARC audiobook from NetGalley. Angela Dawe returns as narrator and knocks it out of the park. One final thought - I would have chosen a different title… maybe Jumps the Fence or Beats the Rap or Cracks the Case?

This book is just pure fun! I have loved the books in the series and the antics continue in this one! This audiobook has the same narrator and I absolutely love how she does the voices for Finlay, Vero etc. This story just had me laughing at the challenges/obstacles Vero and Finlay faced. The neighbor Mrs. Haggerty brings her own drama and situations to this book! Overall I am so glad that I read it! This is book 5 in the series and I will continue listening to the books as long as the author keeps writing them!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave.

As an avid Finlay Donovan stan, I was happy to return to the hilarious antics of Finlay, Vero, Nick, and their crazy cast of characters/ neighbors. While I feel like this was one of the weakest of the series, I enjoyed myself. Dispel reality and have some silly fun, with a murder mystery twist. If there is one more book in the Finlay Donovan series I will read it, but if this series continues to go on and on this is likely the last one I’ll read. 3.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Edelweiss for the earc, and NetGalley and Macmillian audio for the ALC.

Finlay Donovan is back!!! I know I have said this about every Finlay book, but this book must be the best book in the series...LOL. Of course I loved the hijinks that Finlay and Vero get in and I loved the supporting characters including Finlay's ex, her hot cop boyfriend Nick, her adorable and precocious children, and her cranky neighbor, Mrs. H. As always, Angela Dawe does a fantastic job with the narration and the different voices she gives to the characters.
I hope Elle Cosimano hurries up and writes the next Finlay book soon. I can't wait!!

So we are at book 5 in this series…was this book really necessary? No. Was it fun? Absolutely.

While I didn’t find this one quite as good as the rest of the series, I still really enjoyed it. I think it was missing some of the humor and I wanted Vero to be present a little more. But, I did like that we got more out of Finlay and Nick’s relationship and things are FINALLY headed in the right direction.

I love this series, but man does it need to end. It has gone on way too long and I can’t even believe there are supposed to be at least 2 more books in the series. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Audiobook note: I absolutely love the narrator for this series. She does a fantastic job!

Content: closed door, some language

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano is the 5th book in the Finlay Donovan series.

"Finlay's neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty, has been cleared of charges relating to the body found in her garden. After her release she shows up at Finlay's door to stay with her until her house is ready. When the detectives start looking at Finlay's ex-husband, Steven, though, Finlay and Vero must discover Mrs. Haggerty's secrets...before the police find theirs."

This story starts off a little slower than previous books. There is still the family chaos with both kids. Finlay is still trying to figure out how much to tell Detective Hottie. Vero is spending more time with Javi. When Finlay discovers the book club, things pick up. The story takes a big turn and gets typical Finlay nuts. Wild ending. Surprises with Finlay and Nick. And Elle - how could you leave us with Vero like that?

Angela Dawe is wonderful as the voice of Finlay.

Finlay fans will enjoy this one. Lots of humor and insane situations - and be nice to your senior neighbors.

Loveddddd this. I feel like the last Finlay Donovan book felt like a little much. It wasn’t my favorite, and I was worried the books were jumping the shark a bit.
Finlay Donovan digs her own grave proved me wrong. This story felt like the first book. The humor and the interactions were hilarious and, as usual, Finlay is in over her head. Loved it. If you are a fan of Elle Cosimano’s world she created, you will not be disappointed by this book!
Thank you netgalley!

"Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave" is the fifth installment in the hilarious, unputdownable Finlay Donovan series. The story begins with the discovery of a dead body in the backyard of Finlay's elderly neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty. At first a suspect, Mrs. Haggerty is eventually cleared by police. Her home remains a crime scene, though, and she has nowhere to go...except Finlay's house across the street. Finlay and her nanny/partner-in-crime, Vero, have not always gotten along with Mrs. Haggerty, the community busybody, and they have no interest in getting involved with another murder case. But when Finlay's ex-husband, Steven, becomes a prime suspect, Finlay and Vero have no choice but to solve the mystery.

Elle Cosimano delivers another humorous, suspenseful, and romantic mystery. Every Finlay book is a wild and unpredictable ride, and this book did not disappoint. This was such a fun and fast-paced mystery full of unexpected twists. I couldn't put it down and couldn't stop laughing at Finlay and Vero and their crazy adventures. I loved getting to learn more about Mrs. Haggerty, who has been a recurring character in the series. Reading this book was like returning home. I just love this series and all of the quirky and entertaining characters. Everyone needs to read it!

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Angela Dawe. As always, she was such a fantastic narrator and did a great job voicing all of the characters. She used unique voices and accents for the different characters, which made it easy to tell them apart. I loved how she brought the story to life and made it even more enjoyable with her comedic timing and all of the banter. I was having so much fun listening that I binged the entire audiobook in less than 24 hours. Highly recommend this audiobook!

Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for the honest review.

Finlay Donovan does it again! Elle Cosimano always knows how to keep me on my toes, stay on the edge of my seat, and swoon over Finlay and Nick's relationship all at the same time! I can't wait for the next book!

I am absolutely in love with this series. This book was my favorite I think, and I said that about the last book too, I know, but I feel like this one even tops the last. There is so much more communication and openness between Finlay and Nick and I love to see their story unfold. The addition of other quirky characters helped move this one along really fast and while there were a few twists thrown in there, and I did see where this was going earlier than some of the others, it didn't take away from the fun that was this book.
I love the audio for this series, the narrator is amazing and keeps me engaged the entire time.
Thanks to Macmillian, Netgalley and Ell Cosimano for an ALC.

I am a HUGE fan of this series and book 5 did not disappoint! We pick up close to where we left off in book 4 and follow Finlay, Vero and Mrs. Haggerty as they get themselves caught up in yet another wild mystery! I really enjoyed getting to know Mrs. Haggerty more in this book. She went from a nosy neighbor that seemed to thrive on the drama of others in past books to someone that was fiercely loyal deep down at her core. I found myself rooting for characters I didn't normally root for- like Steven and Mrs. Haggerty! I did find the Nick angle to get pretty unrealistic in this book (even more than prior books!!) but it didn't bother me or take away from the story.
If there is one thing that felt different in this book it would be that it felt less about Finlay and Vero as the dynamic duo I have come to absolutely love. There wasn't as much Vero humor which I missed as I got to the end so I hope we get more of that in the next one!
Overall, this was a fun ride and I cannot wait to see what happens next! As always, Angela Dawe MAKES the audio book!!!!!

Thank you NetGalley for this audio ARC. I absolutely love this series, and this book didn't disappoint. Finlay continues to be in sticky situations and somehow manages to get herself out of it. I never want this series to end.

The Finlay Donovan series is my favorite series of all time! I read a lot of books, and there’s just something SO special about this series. Each and every book is consistently amazing and always delivers with punchy quips, hilarious scenarios that Vero and Finlay find themselves in, and sweet romance that leaves you swooning. I especially enjoyed this book because there’s just something so fun about curmudgeonly old women in books. It was fun that this storyline was different from the previous books, but still had the classic Finlay feel. I’m already excited for the next book!! As per usual, Angela Dawes provided a flawless performance with the narration. She IS Finlay and Vero to me, and I hope that she signs on to every single book. I’d even be down to have her play both characters in the movie adaptation. Just put her in a wig and call it a day 🤣

“Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave” is the 5th book in the series and my favorite. My rating is 4,5 ⭐️
The series needs to be read in order.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for the ARC and ALC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

In this book the story continues after there was a body discovered in the backyard of Finlay’s neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty.
After she is cleared by the police, she stays at Finlay’s until some repairs are done at the house.
This book, just like the others, is funny, full of twists (that are more realistic) and brings back some characters from the first one. But my favorite think is that there is less Steven and more Nick ❤️.
We even get a jealous Nick when Julian makes an appearance.

The audiobook is narrated by Angela Dawe and she manages to change her voice based on the character and uses different accents. It was fun listening to this book and I enjoyed it more this way.

Based on the ending I guess there will be at least another book which is great. I recommend this series if you like mystery with a bit of romance and a lot of funny moments.