Finlay Donovan is truly one of those characters you can’t help but root for!

I’ve read every book in the series and while each one has had something enjoyable, this latest installment really ties everything together in a way that’s incredibly satisfying.

Not only do we get a much deeper understanding of the side characters, but the book also provides answers to so many lingering questions that have been building up throughout the series. It’s like the puzzle pieces finally click into place.

This one definitely stands out as one of my favorites!

I love these books so much! It’s the perfect mix of mystery, humor, and romance blended into one super charged murder mystery.

Finlay and Vero always find themselves in the most over the top, sticky situations. The side characters are excellent, you can’t help but love them all. Anyone else picture Steven as Roy from The Office?!

If you haven’t read any of the Finally Donovan books yet I recommend that you start with book 1 and read them in order. Each book ends on a cliff hanger so this book picks up where the 4th book ended.

I highly recommend this series, you will not be disappointed. I personally prefer the audiobook as Angela Dawe does an amazing job narrating!

Reading in Between the Wines book review #27/125 for 2025:
Rating: 3 🍷🍷🍷
Book: Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave
Author: Elle Cosimano
AVAILABLE NOW!!!

Sipping thoughts: Finlay has gotten into it again. This time, her annoying neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty is along for the ride. I love that this one digs a little deeper into both Finlay and Vero’s love life. I hope there are many more to come in this series.

Cheers and thank you to @Netgalley and @MacmillanAudio for an advanced copy of @FinlayDonovanDigsHerOwnGrave.

#FinlayDonovanDigsHerOwnGrave #ElleCosimano #MacmillanAudio #NetGalley #ARC #advancedreader #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bokreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

4.5 ⭐

I really enjoyed the fifth installment in the Finlay Donovan series. The past couple of books have not been quite as good but "Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave" by Elle Cosimano was very engaging.

Synopsis:

Finlay Donovan and her nanny/partner-in-crime, Vero, have not always gotten along with Finlay’s elderly neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty, the community busybody and president of the neighborhood watch. But when a dead body is discovered in her backyard, Mrs. Haggerty needs their help. At first a suspect, Mrs. Haggerty is cleared by the police, but her house remains an active crime scene. She has nowhere to go . . . except Finlay’s house, right across the street.

Finlay and Vero have no interest in getting involved in another murder case—or sacrificing either of their bedrooms. After all, they’ve dealt with enough murders over the last four months to last a lifetime and they both would much rather share their beds with someone else.

I loved getting to know Finlay's nemesis Mrs. Hagerty more and the scenes with her and Finlay's children were hilarious. I also enjoy Finlay and Vero's camaraderie and all of their shenanigans. These books will definitely take you away and lighten your load!

Angela Dawe is always excellent as the narrator of all of the characters in the audiobook. This series is highly recommended in the audiobook format.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced digital copy of the audiobook.

Overall the Finlay Donovan books are quirky and pretty well written but I'm at the point with the series that I'm questioning if this book and any future additional are really necessary to the series. It's become a series where I'd have to be really in the mood to pick up the next book and it's not something I would immediately seek out and read. This isn't to say this specific book is bad or not enjoyable, but I think the series has run it's course. Otherwise I enjoyed this installment, I liked that we are following someone who up until this point has been a background character, so getting the additional time with her was great.

I just wasn't the biggest fan of this one. The Finlay Donovan series is humorous but the balance of humor and mystery just doesn't sit right for me. I wanted to love this series so bad since everyone raves about it, but its just not for me.

I love this series! It's so funny and just unhinged. It makes me laugh out loud all the time while reading. If you're in a reading slump, please try this series! It's just so good. I love the characters and the mayhem that seems to follow them. The narrator is just amazing and is the voice of Finlay, I couldn't hear it any other way.

Every time I read one of these I fall in love with Finlay all over again. The narrator is SPOT ON - and I just giggle my way through her chaos, unstructured life. LOVE!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The Finlay Donovan series was the one to get me out of a major reading slump and and I thoroughly enjoyed this fifth story as well. While the plot is unhinged and totally unrealistic, I loved this audiobook for an escape from real life. I can't want for the next Finlay Donovan book to come out and continue the chaos! I will be recommending this audiobook to anyone who is looking for a lighter, humorous mystery. 5 out of 5 stars!

Mystery is so not my genre but I love this whole series! The characters are so likeable, you really want to know all about them! Give it a try even if you don't think it's your style!!

This is one of my favorite series! This book is written just as well as the first in the series- lots of laughs, quirky characters, interesting situations with a dash of romance thrown in. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator is just the cherry on an excellent book sundae, she becomes the characters! I will happily read anything this author writes and look forward to the next in this series!

It’s not spring for me if I don’t have a new Finlay Donovan escapade to read, and the fifth installment of the series does not disappoint.

This time around Finlay gets mixed up in a murder investigation when a dead body is found in her elderly neighbor’s yard. Try as she may to stay out of it and get things back to normal with her kids and her writing, the problems just keep landing on her doorstep, literally.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one and it may be one of my favorites of the series. I love the humor and growth of the side characters, and the way in which Finlay’s post divorce romance develops. This time around we get a much better look at her busy-body neighbor and get to see a bit of why she is the way she is.

I listened to the audiobook on a cross country flight. The narrator was great in capturing the mayhem and the humor.

If you haven’t tried this series yet you really should. It’s perfect for listening to on a trip where you want to be entertained and have the time fly by without noticing.

Just when Finlay Donovan and Vera feel like they’re finally free of any possible criminal entanglements, a body is discovered in the backyard of their nosy neighbour, Mrs Haggerty. Finlay and Vera have no desire to get involved but then Finlay’s ex, Steven, is arrested and, if that’s not bad enough, Mrs Haggerty’s house remains an active crime scene and Finlay faces her worst nightmare as the nosy neighbour becomes her not so wanted house guest. Now, Finlay and Vera have no choice but to get involved.

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave is the fifth entry in the Finlay Donovan Series by Elle Cosimano and, like the rest of the books , is just a whole lot of fun. If I have any criticism, the story was a bit predictable but that didn’t interfere with my enjoyment and I did enjoy it a lot. Cosimo has an amazing ability to mix a good mystery with plenty of humour and a whole lot of heart and has created one of the most addicting cozy series available. Loved it and can’t wait to see what new shenanigans Finlay and Vera get up to next. I received an audiobook of this novel by narrated by Angela Dawe who does an amazing job of giving individual voices to a very large and diverse cast of characters, while maintaining all the suspense and humour.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review

Finley Donovan is back at it again, and I couldn’t be more entertained! This latest installment is another wild ride filled with misunderstandings, chaos, and Finley’s signature knack for getting herself into trouble. With her ever-loyal (and slightly scheming) nanny by her side, she juggles everything from crime-solving antics to book deadlines—all while trying to keep her kids out of the crossfire. Whether it’s bending the truth, making questionable choices, or stumbling into even bigger messes, every twist had me laughing out loud.

From writing her next book (and, maybe turning it into a series) to falling even harder for her favorite cop, Finley’s journey is equal parts hilarious and heartwarming. The mix of mystery, humor, and just the right amount of romance keeps this series feeling fresh and fun. If you love fast-paced, laugh-out-loud mysteries with a lovable but chaotic heroine, this series is a must-read!

I think this might have been one of my favorite in the Finlay Donovan series perhaps because it wasn't so much about Finlay and her crimes but the crime taking place across the street. Though could her and Vero get themselves tangled up in the mess finding themselves back in the hot seat again?

Their annoyingly nosey neighbor was the prime suspect for the body found in her backyard but after being found innocent she ends up living in Finlay's home demanding to be cared for and toted around. At first I was annoyed with Mrs. Haggerty but found she was quite the entertainment and made this book a page turner.

All the usual shenanigans take place throughout the book but there was just something different about this one. Enjoy!

I don’t want to give too much away since this is actually the fifth book in the series so I’m just going to say that the focus this time is actually on Mrs. Haggerty, resident busybody and constant thorn in Finlay and Vero’s backsides, and also an all around fabulous side character in the earlier books.

When a dead body is found in Mrs. Haggerty’s backyard, at first Mrs. Haggerty is considered to be a suspect. Once she is cleared, she needs a place to live while her house is considered a crime scene and moves in with Finlay and Vero. If you’re familiar with Finlay and Vero, you know chaos ensues and that as much as they want to stay far away from whatever is going on at Mrs. Haggerty’s house, trouble will somehow find its way to them, as it always does.

I honestly don’t think I’m ever going to get tired of this series! I adore the entire cast of characters, even the ones we’re probably not supposed to like, and I just can’t get enough of the hilarious and absurd situations they get themselves into in each book.

Every time a new book comes out, I binge read it in a day and just cackle to myself the entire time and, even five books in, my experience was exactly the same! I also love that even with all of the hilarity, the mystery element is always strong, with plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing.

The audiobook is narrated by Angela Dawe, who perfectly captures these characters and the humor, and it’s just such an entertaining listen. The story itself is very fast paced so you can easily listen to this in a day.

I approached the fifth installment in Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan series with a mix of excitement and a bit of worry. Could this wild, zany storyline continue to hold its sparkle without feeling repetitive? I'm thrilled to report that Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave not only stayed the course - it delivered another hilarious, fast-paced, and thoroughly entertaining ride!
Once again, we're thrown into the chaotic world of Finlay and her ride-or-die partner-in-crime, Vero, along with the usual suspects: Finlay's ex-husband Steven, her ever-patient boyfriend Nick, and the delightfully meddlesome Mrs. Haggerty - who, this time, finds herself at the center of the latest neighborhood scandal. When a dead body is discovered in Mrs.
Haggerty's backyard, all bets are off. While the nosy neighborhood watch president is quickly cleared of the crime, Finlay and Vero can't help but get tangled up in the mystery, leading to another round of over-the-top (but oh-so-fun) antics.
What I love most about this series is how Cosimano balances the absurdity of Finlay's misadventures with genuine heart. The characters feel like old friends at this point - flawed, funny, and endlessly endearing.
And just when you think things might be wrapping up, the final moments hit you with yet another cliffhanger a perfect tease that left me scrambling to rewind the last few minutes of the audiobook, convinced it was the end of the line for Finlay's story (spoiler: it's not!).
Speaking of audiobooks, I can't recommend them enough. Angela Dawe's narration is spot-on, capturing every bit of Finlay's frazzled charm and Vero's dry wit. If you haven't started this series yet, do yourself a favor and begin with Finlay Donovan Is Killing It - the books build on one another, and trust me, you won't want to miss a single chaotic chapter.
Fast-paced, laugh-out-loud funny, and brimming with lovable characters, Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave proves there's still plenty of life (and mischief) left in this series.

This book picks up right where the last one left off.

Finlay has finally published her latest book and is ready to relax—until a body turns up in Mrs. Haggerty’s backyard. When both Mrs. Haggerty and Finlay’s ex-husband are arrested for the crime, it’s up to Finlay and Vero to clear their names and find the real killer.

Mrs. Haggerty absolutely steals the show in this one! The story is fast-paced, the characters are well developed, and it ends on a cliffhanger that promises even more chaos ahead. This series is best read in order since each book builds on the last.

I highly recommend the audiobook!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC. All thoughts are my own.

I tried reading one of the Finley Donavan books once. It wasn't nearly as much fun as listening to Angela Dawes create unique voices for each character.
This episode of Finley and her friends (and enemies) did not disappoint. Just enough hilarious, but still suspenseful, I listened when ever I had even a few minutes. Highly recommend the series to anyone who wants something different and really good!

Thank you netgalley for the prerelease audiobook.

And we’re back in the game! I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue this series after the last book and this one was the make or break situation. I’m happy to report that I thoroughly enjoyed the turn of events and how the various plots progressed.