This is my favorite book in the series. It was such a fun read and I loved learning more about Finlay’s neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty. Mrs. Haggerty attitude to Finley and her family add so much entertainment to the book. I recommend this book.

Ellie Cosimano can really do no wrong. I loved this one so much. It felt authentic to the first in the series as it was set in the neighborhood and the antics of the people living there. I loved Vero and her sassiness, but loved the development between Finlay and Nick. Being a mom, the kids stories felt real and fun. I can’t wait for everyone to be able to read this one and now I have to wait for the next in the series because I need to know what happens!!!!

Elle Cosmano does it again with Finlay Donovan! This series is a comfort read for me. I 100% recommend this series to anyone and everyone. My favorite way to consume it is on audio. The narrator Angela Dawe has the BEST voices for Finlay and Vero!

Elle Cosimano delivers another fantastic installment with Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave. Picking up right where the previous book left off, this novel packs a surprising amount of action and character development into a short timeframe.

Finlay’s life is a whirlwind of chaos—balancing potty training, inquisitive kids, and family drama while solving murder mysteries and clearing her ex-husband’s name. The humor had me laughing out loud, and the pacing kept me hooked from start to finish. Mrs. Haggerty’s expanded storyline was such a fun addition, and the friendship between Finlay and Vero continues to shine with moments of both hilarity and heart.

Nick, the ever-charming "hot cop," is still a favorite for me, and his deepening relationship with Finlay was so satisfying. This book is the perfect mix of comedy, suspense, and heartfelt moments. I highly recommend this series to anyone who needs an entertaining, fast-paced escape!

4.5 rounded to 5 stars. Every time I pick up one of these books, I can’t imagine where we will go after all the craziness and then I get a new, fresh story that builds even more onto the absolute mess that is Finlay and Vero. I have enjoyed the rest of this series on audio so I wasn’t sure how I would feel reading with my eyes this time but those voices are definitely stuck in my head. I could easily hear the snark and banter that these books are known for on every page.

I loved the almost found family aspect of this book that has been gathering since the beginning. At the opening of the first book, Finlay is very much alone and hurting. Over the course of 5 books, she finally truly has lots of people that have her back - some that will surprise you in this book - and has even found love again.

I so enjoyed where we find Nick and Finlay in this story. That part of the narrative was so satisfying after some mild frustrations I’ve had with the other books. I don’t know when we will say goodbye to these characters but I’m looking forward to whatever else Elle can put together.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. The thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Content Notes: Fade to black/closed door romance, some strong language

I adore this series and just can't get enough of Finlay and Vero. For anyone who loves cozy mysteries and laughing, this series is a must read.

📚 Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave
✍ Elle Cosimano
📖 Humorous Suspense
⭐4/5
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➡ Back from their adventure in Atlantic City, Finlay and Vero are shocked to find that their nosy neighbor, Mrs. Haggarty has been arrested when a body is found buried in her backyard. Cleared of all charges but with nowhere to go, she moved in with Finlay until her house can be repaired. When suspicions once again shift to Finlay's ex-husband and he's arrested and charged, they'll have to solve the murder themselves to free Steven and rid themselves of Mrs. Haggarty. But in Finlay's world, nothing is ever as straightforward as it seems and she's about to discover her neighborhood is hiding a lot more than HOA fees.

🙏 Thank you to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley and the author for the advanced copy of Finlay Donovan Digs Her Onw Grave. All opinions are my own.
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🎯 What I loved: This had all the humor, wit and charm that I love about Finlay Donovan books but with a more domestic, neighborhood crime setting. The last few books Finlay has been dealing with the Russian mob, so it was fun to see her dealing with a crime a little closer to home (and with intentions slightly less sinister). I've loved Mrs. Haggarty's character since the first book and it was so satisfying to finally get to dig into her backstory. And hooray for Finlay/Nick relationship progress- anyone who has been shipping these two since book one is going to be excited about where they're headed next. Now just to figure out what to do with myself while I wait for the next book!
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Read if you love:
*nosy neighbors
*neighborhood secrets
*romantic suspense
*cop/criminal pairing
*tons of mom humor
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See also: Read this series in order but if you liked this book, you may also like Never Have I Ever & Nosy Neighbors

This is another homerun in the Finaly Donovan series. I love the characters, and the way this book ended makes me super anxious to get my hands on the next book in the series. Five stars!

*Thank you to Minotaur and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

This was just the laugh I needed. Mrs Haggerty has been a thorn in Finlay's side for the last 4 books, but this time it's personal... Because she's moving in!

The hilarity of watching them try to balance a murder investigation, Delia's suspension, and Zach's potty training was just everything. I also really liked the foreshadowing in this installment - you could follow it from the beginning, but it wasn't abundantly clear how it would all wrap up until the end. This felt fresh and like Finlay could breathe again, since we were finally out from under the shadow of the previous dead body drama. This really gets me excited for a sixth!

Continuing the adventures of Finlay and company, this book keeps the action high and romance sizzling. My one drawback is the cliff-hanger, I really prefer books that have an ending, but still worth reading this series. I received an e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

Even though Finlay's previous issues were tied up, loved seeing how she took up for a lousy ex husband to defend him in this book. Plus Finlay &&Nick is a match made in heaven.

I love the characters in this series and this book continues to develop their stories. In this book, a body is found in Mrs. Haggerty's backyard and the investigation gets dangerously close to exposing other secrets. Of course, Finlay and Vero can't stay out of trouble as they try to figure out who actually killed the man. I really enjoy the humor in these books and, while the situations are extreme and mostly unbelievable, the descriptions of everyday life are spot on. I did feel like the middle of the book dragged a bit but it was still fun. The book ended on somewhat of a cliffhanger so I am looking forward to the next installment in the series. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an DRC in exchange for a review.

1 Sentence Summary: When a dead body is found in Finlay Donovan’s neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty’s backyard, the old woman has nowhere else to stay but with Finlay—roping her and Vero into another murder investigation.

My Thoughts: I don’t know, I kind of feel like the series is just dragging on. The first book was super funny and entertaining, but after a while it’s like, how many unfortunate murders can one person get mixed up in?!?

It was still entertaining, I still don’t like the romance, and of course, it still ended in a cliffhanger. It wasn’t bad, but I don’t know if I have it in me to read a sixth book, lol.

Recommend to: Fans of the Finlay Donovan series.

(Warnings: swearing; sexual content)

I loved this 5th installment even more than the last. I love Finlay Donovan and her crew of quirky characters. This one was especially fun and had a lot of references back to where it all started. A fun addition to the series.

I absolutely love the Finlay Donovan series, and this book was no exception! It was the first book that I read versus listened to, and I was worried that the feel would be off. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the book was just as delightful as the audiobooks have been, although I did miss the wonderful narrator! This series is a fun, quirky, rom-mystery with adorable characters that I enjoy cheering on through all the chaos they create and endure!

Really good book - easy to read, quick paced, intriguing.

Finley makes me roll my eyes at times, as do the situations she gets into, but these books are so fun and entertaining! It’s a nice break from some heavier stuff

Overall
3.75 ⭐️/B

Finlay and Vero are at it again! A body of a long missing man is dug up at their neighbor’s, Mrs Haggerty’s house. She’s arrested but quickly exonerated and her nephew dumps her at Finlay’s house because her’s need’s work. Mrs Haggerty is the neighborhood watch/gossip/judger and she demanding, oblivious and critical of Fin’s house cleaning, parenting and general all around behavior. After she’s let go by the police, the investigating detective focuses on Steven, Fin’s ex-husband as the killer. While Fin has no love lost for him, Steven is her kid’s dad and she strongly feels that he didn’t do it. Of course, she and Vero set out to prove his innocence and encounter his accuser Penny who claims to have had an affair with Steven and he killed her husband to get him out of their way. Fin knows Steven is a serial cheater but she doesn’t believe Penny. Meanwhile, Delia is suspended from 2nd grade for defending herself against a bully and Mrs. Haggerty takes on her homeschooling and potty training Zach….whos’ running around the house naked and not making it to the potty. She’s also exhibiting some strange behavior regarding her bookclub and her nephew is MIA and doesn’t come to pick up up. Of course hot cop Nick gets involved as do most of the other quirky cast of characters from the pervious books in the series. Chaos ensues and secrets are uncovered. Read the series…it’s hilarious and intriguing mysteries.

Finlay does it again! I loved this series from the very beginning because of its humor and downright outlandish scenarios. This book fits that criteria just the same.

We meet up with Finlay right where we left her, with Mrs Haggerty’s arrest for a dead body found in her yard. Beto and Finlay are at their best again, as they work to uncover the truth, as well as hide their own, throughout the book.

While this book isn’t nearly as ridiculous as the scenarios Finlay finds herself in in books 2-4, I found that I loved this one BECAUSE it was more realistic. I also loved the openness and trust building Nick and Finlay find themselves needing to build in order to either grow closer or further apart.

Thank you NetGalley for the Arc of this book, as well as Zelle Cosimano for another wild adventure with Finlay and Vero!

In book 5 of the Finlay Donovan series, Finlay’s octogenarian, busy body neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty is arrested for murder after a body is found in her backyard during clean up from burst pipes. When she is released after the police find no connection between her and the dead man, Mrs. Haggerty needs a place to stay since her house is still suffering from the effects of the burst pipes. Mrs. Haggerty camps out in Finlay’s house while her house is out of commission and immediately becomes a menace - in hilarious ways. Steven, Finlay’s ex-husband becomes a suspect in the case of the murdered guy, and Finlay thinks the only way to save him is to find out who really killed the guy - and in true Finlay fashion, things start getting wild.

I was super excited to see what would be in store for Finlay and Vero after it seemed that many of the plot lines from books 1-4 were pretty much wrapped up at the end of book 4. The new plot line of the dead guy and Steven’s arrest did not disappoint! I loved this book and read it in under 24 hours. It may be my favorite of the series! Cam and Mrs. Haggerty were the shining stars of this book. They were hilarious individually, but a riot together. Finlay and Nicks relationship is so pure and I love them together. My only complaint was this book didn’t have enough Vero and Javi… I could read 100 Finlay Donovan books and it truly wouldn’t be enough. Can’t wait for book 6!!

**ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This next tale in the fabulous Finlay Donovan series will make you a forever fan of the author, as I've become. Enjoy!

I mean, whyyyyyyyy am I so late to the FInlay Donovan game????? How did I miss this when it first came out?
This review is going to be for the entire series which I now love, and I'm pretty much kicking myself for not getting on the bandwagon sooner.

If you are looking for a FMC to get behind, to rally under, to cheer for... Finlay Donovan is your girl. I loved meeting her for the first time and going along her adventures. My favorite among the series is still the first book, but after going through a lot of "let-down sequels", I'm happily devoured these books. Perfect for someone who's kinda new to the genre. Love, love, love!