I was sent a printed ARC of the first Finlay Donovan book; the rest is a great history!

This fifth book is my favorite. It's well written and well edited. Elle Cosimano has perfected the Finlay series, with this one being her best yet.
Finlay and Vero are favorite characters but so are her kids, especially her young son who just won't keep his clothes on! (Apparently I did this as a kid too!)

Her neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty, who is in her seventies, has been arrested because the police discovered a dead body buried in her rose garden. When Finlay's ex-husband, Steven, gets arrested as a suspect, she joins the investigation (informally).

Finlay just can't imagine Steven as a murderer. He may be a cheating, no good man but he's not a murderer. As she begins her quest to prove him innocent, she starts to follow most of the women in her neighborhood who could be the culprit. Chaos and fun ensues!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press.

I am a big Finley Donovan fan. I’ve enjoyed her previous books. I liked this book but it was not my favorite of the series

I love these lighthearted mysteries. I have said that Finlay is like a Lucille Ball character; crazy antics done without malice. In this book we pick up where the last left off with a crabby and highly suspicious next door neighbour and a dead body in a flower garden. Throw in parenting toddlers, a hot romance, strange cast of characters and you have a quick entertaining read. The ending leaves a nice cliff hanger for the next book in the series letting me know that these lovely characters will return. I suggest you read these books in order as you will have a better understanding of the threads that weave between books and it makes the references more fun.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I adore the Finlay Donovan series and think Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave reminded me why I came to love this series. Of course, there are all of the usual hijinks Finlay and Vero find themselves thrown into, and I loved that there is more character development compared to the previous installments. We get to know more about Mrs. Haggerty, Nick and Finlay's relationship continues to evolve, and we revisit some characters from the earlier books. I also found this one to be a bit lighter, and the plot was not as convoluted and stressful. I loved the ending and the teaser for the next book!! These books are fun and a nice break from what I usually read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Can Finlay and Vero please be my best friends?! I adore their banter and friendship.
This book just continues the exciting life of Finlay Donovan. From her daughter being suspended and trying to keeps pants on Zach to her nosey neighbor sleeping in her room. Finlay is attempting to prove the innocence of her ex husband as he is being faced with murder charges.
This book gives us way more Detective Nick and thank you for that! Elle gives us some delicious visuals of their romance. Nothing too spicy but just enough.
I love this series and I hope it never ends! I’d love to see this be a series on Netflix!
Thank you to the publisher for the arc. It was a true joy to read

Finley Donovan is back and mixed up into more wild antics in the 5th installment of this series. I read and thoroughly enjoyed books 1 & 2. They were both funny and I couldn’t put them down. Finley Donovan Digs Her Own Grave stands up to my expectations. The cast of characters are hilarious and endearing with lots of callbacks to the first book. This could be enjoyed as a stand alone without reading all of them, but I highly recommend at least reading the first.

Vero & Mrs Haggerty had me lol’ing. The plot line is absurd but funny and it’s hard to put down despite it being so hard to believe. Hard to say too much without giving anything away. I’ll be adding 3 & 4 to my TBR. This series would make a great TV series.

Thanks to the publishers & NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Another fun jaunt with Finlay & Vero. There were times in the first half of the book where I had to stop myself from laughing out loud in the coffee shop!
When Steven is accused of murder (again) & the body was found in nosy Mrs Haggerty's yard, Finlay knows he didn't do it. Problem is, the evidence is stacked against him, and trying to get to the truth will be hard when Mrs Haggerty becomes an unwelcome houseguest!
Overall I enjoyed the ride, even if the plotlines are becoming predicable.

I look forward to a Finlay Donovan mystery as much as I did Kinsey Millhone ones from the late Sue Grafton. “Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave” is the fifth in the series and not the best, but still a fun ride. Finlay’s ex is arrested for murder and Finlay and her trusted companion Vero work to prove his innocence. Some long overdue confessions will help propel this series for what I hope are many books to come.

I love Finlay and Vero so much! I say it every time I read a book in this series and the love just keeps growing. This one has more of Mrs. Haggerty which was a treat as well as a book club. Finlay and Nick's relationship continues - they are so great together. And we are left with a cliffhanger that makes me believe the next book may be more Vero focused! Absolutely loved!! Everyone should enjoy this series!!!!

Yes Elle Cosimano you nailed this fifth installment of the Finlay Donovan series, it had all the feels and giggles that she brought in Book # 1. I found myself thoroughly enjoying myself racing around with Vero and Finlay. The actual mystery wasnt that thrilling or exciting but the situations and dialogue were pure gold. Some characters from book 1 showed up again which I enjoyed and we also learn more about the crazy lady across the street Mrs. Haggarety.
Part of what makes this series so endearing is you even kinda of like the shady characters. Cosimano has a way of developing the personalities that really jump off the page. Maybe its the fact that Finlay is a total boss in her Minivan and she has cheerios between her car seats, she is such a relatable character.
Cam played a minor role in previous books but let me just say I fell in love with him in this book. I love his habit of Venmoing himself $$ from Finlays account-sly kid he is. I love his endearment to Mrs. H--I would LOVE for him to get a girl. next book (Holly I am turning into you cheering for a hook up! ;p )
As I mentioned earlier this book had the charm that the first book had, which I think somewhat disappeared in books 2 and 3. Part of the enjoyment of this story was also the fact that there was very little reference the Mafia/Mob
I sped through this book and loved every single page!
The only thing I would critisize is her pretty much retelling events that occured in the previous books, it was helpful at times, but sometimes it interrupted the flow. At this point, it is worth your time to go back and read books #1-4 just so you can know more of who the characters are.

Thank You Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this advanced copy of Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave. ALl of my thoughts and opinions are my own and I was not paid in exchange for this.

Finlay Donovan is a recently divorced mom of 2 young children who keeps finding herself in the middle of serious crimes. This was the fifth book in the series so far, and each book is filled with so many shenanigans that she and her nanny, Vero, get up to.

I really enjoyed this one! None of the sequels will ever be quite as good as the first installment, but this one was still so entertaining and full of action.

I really liked getting to know Mrs. Haggerty’s character. She has always played a minor part in the series, so it was cool to see her become a more important character.

I will say that there’s only so much more these characters can get up to before it starts getting way too ridiculous. (It’s already entirely unrealistic, but it’s fiction, so oh well)
That does not mean I won’t read anything else this author writes - far from it! I would just love to meet some new characters. I’ll still read the rest of the Finlay books, even if they do get more and more ridiculous.

Finlay is back! Personally, I enjoyed this fifth installment in the series more than either #3 or #4. I felt like this storyline kind of got back to the roots of what made the first book or two so engaging for me: the hometown feel of it and the "Finlay and Vero against the world" vibes. I also liked that some of the ratcheted-up personal tensions from the last book or two have calmed a bit -- whether it's the continued question of trust in Nick and Finlay's relationship, the ongoing angst when it comes to Steven (from all corners, really), and even between Vero and Javi. Their interactions felt much more natural and nuanced. The character progressions throughout this one made for some engaging reading as well, particularly (of course) when it comes to Mrs. Haggerty here. I enjoyed seeing more of Sylvie as well -- she's really something!

I absolutely love the Finlay Donovan series!! They are a fun, quick read that are so funny and entertaining. Finlay and Vero are hilarious with the predicaments they always seem to find themselves in. The cliffhanger in this book has me anxiously waiting for the next one. Thank you NetGalley for a great read!

I have been wanting to read this series and I’m so glad I did! Each Finlay Donovan book is full of shenanigans and humor with a mystery that keeps you guessing along the way. Finley and Vero (her nanny/partner) are back and the antics don’t stop. I hope they never stop making this series! Many thanks to the author, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

this series is so fun! i feel like every book gets wilder and funnier! If Finlay and Nick aren't endgame, I will riot. Also Vero and Javi (wish we got to see more of them together) need to be endgame as well.

Elle's writing is so fun and creative. I could never think of half of the things she does. Like i spent most of my time, wondering how she can come up with these ideas and execute them so perfectly.

I love this series so much <3

This was my first Elle Cosimano book and let me tell you… it will NOT be the last! I loveeeddd this book. I’m going to look up her backlog now so I can read some more from her.

Finlay Donovan's relentless adventure continues in her fifth book, Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave. Not only is it my favorite title of the series, it might be my favorite installment of the series, period.

If you're new to the Finlay Donovan world, welcome! You're in for a wild and exciting ride, but you're going to want to start it at the beginning. To avoid any spoilers for you, start with my review of Finlay Donovan is Killing It and I'll see you back here in a few books! If you're wondering if this series is worth the investment of time - my answer is emphatically yes.

Just when we thought she might be out of the woods, the dead body in Mrs. Haggerty's backyard turns out to have a connection to Steven, and as we learned in book two, Finlay may have her qualms with the man, but she isn't about to let him go down...especially when she believes he's being framed. Steven's ill-renowned womanizing ways are catching up with him (again), and Finlay is the only one who seems to think the woman claiming an affair with him is lying. When two crime podcasters catch wind of the connection, Finlay and Vero have to step back into action with their own investigation to find out what really happened before Steven gets pinned with the murder.

I feel like Cosimano has gotten back to the roots of Finlay's story in this book. It's not quite the same 'caught in a web of consequences I could have never anticipated' magic as Killing It has, but it felt far more simplified and organic than the last few, which were becoming so tangled and convoluted it was hard to keep track of all the moving pieces. They were still good (my reviews are linked at the end of this post if you need a refresher), but they were almost break-neck in their pacing. This one still has a lot going on, but it felt much more manageable.

More than any other in this series so far, this book is about girl power: female friendship, companionship, and trust. One might say it's the main theme in the series, and the embodiment in this book was exactly what you might expect from a Finlay story while still being mysterious and surprising as hell. Sometimes we are all each other has, and we shan't be underestimated ;-)

It's almost stupid how easy it is to pull me in with a little bit of romance...after Finlay's confessions to Nick in the last book, I couldn't wait to see the state of their affair afterwards. It's no secret I'm a fan of that man, and I giggled in delight at the developments between these pages. Speaking of love, Vero and Javi are working some kinks out of their whirlwind relationship behind the scenes, and I can't wait to see where that leads. That woman deserves a little bit of romance - soak it in, girl!

And did I forget to mention the Hollywood exec thirsting for movie rights to Finlay's books? Some of his conditions are problematic, and sure to stir up more trouble down the road...

This series is pure, hilarious gold, and I'm so happy to see there are at least two more books lined up in this series. I'm happy to proclaim my love from the rooftops, because more readers mean more books, and that is always welcome news to me. If there's an author I trust to pull off a long series based on accidental crime and complicated hijinks, at this point, I think Cosimano has proven she's it.

I was curious to how the author would continue to give unique and gripping storylines to Finlay this deep into the series. I shouldn’t have been worried because this series continues to hit the spot for me with humor and mystery

Finlay fans, preorder this now! I honestly never want this series to end. Absolutely loved this newest round of mishaps and shenanigans that Finlay and Vero have found themselves in. I spent the whole book laughing out loud.

We start where the last book left off. Finlay thought she was done with the drama but a body has been found in Finlay’s nosy neighbor’s back yard. Who is the body? So many suspects, some dangerously close to Finlay. You get some cameos from book 1 characters and some mainstays from book 4 which is so fun.

Grumpy old neighbor who is actually hilarious 👵🏻
Ladies book club 📕
Your favorite hot cop BF Nick👮🏻‍♂️
Cyber wonder kid Cam 👦🏻

Thanks so much to St. Martins Press-Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

Finlay and Vero are back!! In the 5th instalment of the Finlay Donovan series, Elle Cosimano takes us on another chaotic adventure with Finlay and Vero needing to solve yet another murder in Finlay’s small town to avoid Finlay’s ex-husband being implicated in the murder. Poor Finlay can never catch a break!
This one was not quite as exciting as book 4, but I did like this story and the writing was witty and engaging as we have come to expect from the author. I figured out the ending about 60% of the way through this time, would have liked a little bit more mystery to keep me guessing. Mrs. Haggerty was an annoying character in Finlay’s previous stories but she really grows on you in this book and it’s nice to get a bit of back story to expand the Finlay Donovan universe.