Elle Cosimano does it again! I loved getting to pick up where we last left off with Finlay and Vero! This book was a fun ride and I loved picking up this book! I find myself giggling and smiling throughout these books. This one was better than the last! Many thanks to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

I absolutely love the Vero/Finlay dynamic and with Mrs Haggarty in the mix...

There were so many things I loved about the book, like the difficulties of potty training, dealing with people different than you, having good relations with your co-parent, wanting to believe the best in people, the importance of female camraderie, and having the courage to be vulnerable with people, I didn't love this book as much as the other Finlay books.

I felt like Finlay was too wishy washy or said "yes" to too many things (though I could absolutely relate) and I wanted to say "set your boundaries lady!!"

Definitely worth the read still for a fun mystery! Can't wait for what's next and would love to see more of Cam!

Better than book 3 & 4, but I wish it had a little more steam and more unpredictability.
I loved the plot and the idea of the book club, just wish there was more- more tension, more humor, and more mystery.
I found this to be too predictable, and I think that was the hardest part for me for this one.
Still- love this series and I did enjoy this book!

All Finlay’s found family is here:
Nosy neighbor
Hacker teen
Hot cop
Vero
Javi and Ramon
Asshat ex-husband

Not as chaotic or madcap as the other books but it's good for Finlay to slow down and be more methodical. Also this allows for some growth in her relationships.
Great characters and an intriguing mystery.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great addition to the Finlay Donovan shenanigans! I thought this story was a lot of fun and moved at a great pace. We get a look into Mrs. Haggerty's life and she's....not what I expected. This book definitely left me needing to know what happens next.4

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy for review.

Ah! The Finlay Donovan series is so good!! I can't get enough! Elle did it again with this one, which might just be my favourite of the series now (hard to beat the first one). There a few serious moments, which I loved. I will definitely be reading the next one, what with the way she left it...

Cosimano is back at it with the 5th book in the Finlay Donovan series!
This is one series I will never stop recommending! Each books has me laughing out loud- like what else can Finlay and Vero get themselves into! I love that while each book ties up loose ends from the previous books, we still continue to learn about the characters.


Thank you Elle Cosimano, Minotaur, and NetGalley for this arc!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance ecopy of this title. Finlay is back, and gets embroiled with a mysterious body found on her cranky neighbor's property. Along the way, her ex, Steve is implicated in the murder, she has to put up her cranky neighbor in her house, and she is determined to get to the bottom of said neighbor's book club. This is another fun, easily read installment of this series.

This book did not disappoint! I have read the other books in the series and loved the humor. I could not put this book down because of how engaging it is. I loved how it showed the struggles that a mom faces. Can't wait for the next book in the series!

If you love a quirky character who seems to always have a way of getting into trouble, then this book would be perfect. You'll laugh and you'll even root for the women who are getting justice in their unique ways.

Let me tell you, Finlay Donovan is officially my spirit animal — equal parts hot mess and accidental crime solver with a chaotic bestie (shoutout to Vero 💀). In this book, things get wild. There’s a body in the nosy neighbor’s backyard, a house full of secrets, and somehow Mrs. Haggerty ends up crashing at Finlay’s place. I mean, what could go wrong? (Spoiler: everything.)

Finlay and Vero are determined to stay out of the mess this time, but when the investigation circles back to Finlay’s ex-husband, Steven, they’re right back in the chaos with zero chill. Between dodging cops, managing a nosy neighbor, and trying to keep their own past murder adventures under wraps, the tension (and laughs) never stop.

This book has everything: sharp humor, twists you don’t see coming, and a friendship duo that is peak ride-or-die goals. Plus, Finlay’s attempts at juggling her love life while solving crime? Relatable in the most unrelatable way.

If you like your mysteries with a side of sarcasm, suburban drama, and just a tiny bit of murder, you’re gonna love this. Finlay Donovan does it again. 🔥

Finlay and Mrs. Haggerty? Under the same roof? Which will die first? The Donovan saga takes another odd turn when Maggie, just released from prison and with a house in shambles, is dropped off by her soon to disappear grandson, and moves into Finlay's bedroom. Meanwhile, all fingers point toward Steven for the body that turned up in Haggerty's back yard. And "hot cop" Nick is becoming more and more suspicious of all the weirdness over the past months. Things are coming to a head, and heads will be spinning trying to keep track of who's where in what wig. Great fun!

I adore the Finlay Donovan series! It is a wonderful cozy mystery filled with humor and terrific characters! I loved Finlay and Vero from the very first book, and each new book has brought in a cast of intriguing characters that you can't help but fall in love with! The mystery plotline is always excellent. This one is a little less complex than the last few books, but it was filled with an emotional subplot that I loved. I also love how each mystery sets up the next book on the very last page! But I hate how long I have to wait to find out what happens next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review! I can't wait for the next book in this series!

Thank you #StMartinsPress #MinotaurBooks and #NetGalley for providing this #ARC Advance Reading Copy. Expected publication date is March 4, 2025.

3.5 Stars • In this fifth installment in the series, Finlay Donovan and her nanny/partner-in-crime, Vero, deal with another murder mystery when a dead body is discovered in the backyard of their elderly neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty, the nosy president of the neighborhood watch. Mrs. Haggerty, initially a suspect, is cleared by the police but her house becomes an active crime scene, leading her to stay at Finlay's house across the street. Finlay and Vero are reluctant to get involved in yet another murder case or to give up their bedrooms, but the investigation expands to include Finlay's ex-husband, Steven, forcing them to delve into Mrs. Haggerty's secrets to keep their own from being exposed.

#FinlayDonovanDigsHerOwnGrave #FinlayDonovan #ElleCosimano #Bookish

I LOVED the first Finlay book, liked the second, and didn't love three and four, but this one seems to be on the upswing again. I very much enjoyed this ridiculous, twisty story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Finlay Donovan does it again! She and her best friend/nanny/accountant are on the case due to their bad luck. This story was so funny and suspenseful to follow. I am eager to see what happens with these two next! I finished this book in a day - it was hard to put down!!

I’ve really enjoyed these books from the beginning of the series. This one brings it closer to home with yet another crime but one that happens in Finlay’s own neighborhood. It centers much more around her old nosey neighbor Mrs. Haggerty also. Mrs. Haggerty, as well as another character, kind of drove me nuts in this book at first but then I got more into her character’s story as the book went on. I did feel like at times the story was a way to drag out the series, like how many crazy murders can one person have surrounding them? And in such a short period of time that these 5 books span over haha. Eventually this has to end lol. But either way, it was still funny and entertaining and gave me some good laughs. It just in my opinion wasn’t quite as funny as the past books, and I found myself not as glued to the pages this time around. This one also ends on a cliffhanger, so we’re sure there’s a sixth book to come. Haven’t decided yet if I’ll continue with the series.

I enjoyed the fifth installment in the Finlay Donovan series. Quite an easy read with a humorous yet implausible story line. I don’t think I’ll ever be part of this book club - read it and see what I mean. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the read.

Finlay Donovan. The woman you are. I adore this character and I love how much more complex she has become as a character in this book! I will say this one started off a little slowly for me but the second half flew by. I will read every Fin book. Keep em coming!

I am a big fan of this series, but this did not hit the spot like the previous ones did. I didn't have that sense of something crazy coming, and the ending fell a little flat. I almost feel like this book could have been combined with the next one because of the plot line and where this book ended up. Even if this isn’t the best in the series, I am excited to read the next one and find out about the cliff hanger ending!