Finlay Donovan is at it again… this time trying to solve the murder a of a man whose body was found in the yard of her nosy, elderly neighbor; a murder for which her ex-husband has been framed. Finlay must clear her ex-husband’s name for her kids’ sake, but she is also falling hard for her hot cop and building trust between them is a struggle with all the lies she’s weaved. Meanwhile, an unexpected alliance and friendship is forged.

Another fun, quirky installment of Finlay Donovan and her cast of characters. Don’t read this expecting a realistic whodunit; it’s a fun, over-the-top, quick read. A cozy whodunit.

I absolutely love this book! It’s now my favorite in the series. Finlay and Vero are at it again, and I can't get enough of the situations they find themselves in—they really remind me of Shawn and Gus from my all-time favorite TV show, *Psych*. There's also a bit more romance, thanks to Nick (or Detective McHottie). The review will be posted on IG on Jan 27.

Book 5 did not disappoint! Finlay and Vero tackle yet another mystery- this one less actively murderous and more “whodunnit?” - playing out much closer to home than the last 2 of the series.

Delia … one of the best characters of the series IMO… gets some more page-time (Finley parents a bit more than usual too).

And Mrs. Haggerty (the nosy neighbor) plays a pivotal role as she temporarily moves in with Thelma and Loui… I mean Finlay and Vero… for a short term stay at Casa Donovan.

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I am in a MAJOR reading slump (frankly I’m in a WHOLE Booksta slump) so I returned to the series that started my Booksta journey to see if it would jump start a return to regular reading and posting. Still TBD …

But I really liked this one, especially in comparison to books 3&4! It was a solid return to the cozy mystery vibes of books 1&2!

Never did I think I would be so invested in this type of books but this book just solidified this series as one of my favorites! I adore Finlay and her cast of characters. I felt like I could see the twists coming a little easier in this one then the previous but enjoyed it so much nonetheless. I loved the balance of the tension and the humor but that didn’t surprise me from Elle’s writing style. And just when I thought maybe I had seen the last of one of my favorite characters I read the epilogue.

Finlay is at is again in this new book featuring her cranky next door neighbor Mrs. Haggarty. Her grandson drops her off at Finlay’s house after her home is deemed a crime scene due to a body being found in a flower bed.
To get Mrs. Haggarty out and figure out who is responsible for the body, Finlay and Vero enlist a delightful cast of characters to solve the mystery. This was truly a delightful book with many hilarious moments.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

4.5 Shenanigan Stars

I’m rounding this one up because it’s my favorite so far. I love the slapstick duo of Finlay and Vero, and this one just worked for me! Maybe it was minimal mob characters and more core characters. I loved including more Mrs. Haggerty, Finlay’s neighbor; she’s a hoot!

Finlay must host Mrs. Haggerty when she’s kicked out of her house, and hijinks ensue! From giving Finlay parenting advice to playing video games, she added a lot to the story.

Of course, there’s another murder to solve, and unorthodox crime-solving always happens with this crew. As usual, Finlay is at some point in writing and promoting her books, enjoying hot cop Nick, and trying to stay out of trouble. Finlay’s ex-husband is always involved in a mess, too. I found myself laughing several times with Finlay’s kids and their antics!

I can’t wait for the next one as this one ends with a cliffhanger!

I was concerned that the previous Finlay Donovan book would be the last, as all major plot strands were mostly wrapped up. Never fear, the new book is here! And it focuses on Finlay's nemesis neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty! As we saw in book 3 during the civilian police academy, Mrs. Haggerty has secrets of her own, and when a body shows up buried in her yard, things start to get crazy.

Finlay is just as hilarious in this new book, which is a delightful continuance of the first four books.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this early edition - I'm excited for Finlay that she's still surviving! I would like a little more scenic grounding to get the feeling of what's happening more, but I enjoyed the strong plot of this next chapter in her seemingly endless investigations.

Finlay Donovan #5
Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano

Finlay Donovan and Vero get away with a lot more than I allow most characters I follow. I'm not usually into slapstick laughs and adventure, I like things to be more sedate and a bit more realistic but I'm always ready for the next Finlay Donovan book, especially since all the books end on a cliffhanger. Book 4 ended with us knowing something was going on across the street at the house of nosy, elderly neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty, the community busybody and president of the neighborhood watch. See, I'm not really into Mafia types, gang members, that kind of low life and I get sort of put off by the folks that Finlay and Vero have accidentally gotten enmeshed with during this series. But crazy old lady Haggerty, knowing she was going to be featured in book 5, I'm all in!

I was not let down. This is suburban moms and grandmas, brownies!, ongoing forever and failing potty training of Finlay's two year old son, suspended five year old Finlay's daughter, lots of at home time. I laughed at so much of the story, glad I wasn't in it but not wanting to miss anything. I hope future books in this series lean more to this type of fun, home grown fun, less hardened criminals (although we can't get away with NO criminals in a Finlay Donovan series because of...reasons). I read this with DeAnn and it was a fun buddy read, we both got good laughs out of this latest entry in the series.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

Finlay Donovan is at it again! Dumped right back into the chaos that is the life of Finlay Donovan, this book picks up right where book 4 left off coming back from the casino adventure. The whole cast of characters as well as some new ones were in this story and the pace of this book was fast and furious much like books 1 and 2.

These are just the right kind of adventure meets romance that will keep you up late to finish just one more chapter. I hope that this series continues!

I just love Finlay and all her stories! Another great addition to the series that was well written and fresh. Hope it continues! Thanks to netgalley and the publisher!

Thank you St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Summary: When her elderly neighbor is unexpectedly tied to a backyard murder, Finlay Donovan and her nanny-turned-partner-in-crime, Vero, are reluctantly dragged into solving yet another mystery amidst their chaotic lives.

My review: The fifth installment in the Finlay Donovan series delivers everything fans love: humor, intrigue, and the quirky antics of Finlay and her ever-entertaining gang. This latest novel masterfully ties up loose ends from previous books while leaving just enough mystery to spark excitement for the next chapter in the series.

Genres/Themes: Fiction / Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths / Humorous / Crime

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grae is scheduled for publication on March 5, 2025, by St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books.

Finlay is back at her high jinks again when her elderly neighbor Mrs. Haggerty is found to have a dead body buried in her back yard. When suspicious is turned to Finlay's ex-husband, Steven, Finlay and Vero set out to prove Steven innocent and find out Mrs. Haggerty's level of involvement with the suspicious body.

I love this cozy mystery series (this is book #5) and the last one wasn't my favorite. It might have been my timing, but I really enjoyed this one. Finlay and Vero always get themselves into sticky situations and you can count on them for a laugh. Nick is still a hot cop, and this one got a little meta with Finlay's editor wanting Finlay and Nick to consult on a series adaptation of her romance books. Was this a perfect, literary book? No. But I didn't need it to be. If Cosimano keeps writing Finlay books, I will keep reading them.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

This was another great addition to the Finlay Donovan series! Same humor, same mystery, same lovable characters. I’ll continue to look forward to more Finlay!

I kind of look forward to the end of this series. You see, I've met me, so I know I'm going to read them the second I can get my grubby little hands on them, but I also know I'll be annoyed with myself the whole time. I seem to have Finlay Donovan issues.

A visit back to Finlay’s world is guaranteed to be a fun read! I think I say this every time but this one was definitely my favorite! More murders to solve, more drama, and more Nick! I love these characters and the messes they find themselves in. My favorite part of this book was learning more about Finlay’s nosy neighbor Mrs. Haggerty. We had a couple of shocks at the end of the book and I cannot wait to read more! Thanks you NetGalley for the ARC!

Elle Cosimano does it again! I just love the misadventures of Finlay and Vero. I haven’t read a five book series and was nervous book 5 couldn’t live up to the others. This book surpassed my expectations and might be my second favorite of the series (book 1 being my favorite).

4 stars ⭐️ I love this series. There is never a dull moment which makes reading it so fun!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a super quick read but a bit of a miss for me. It was not a bad book but something was missing. I have loved certain books in this series and not liked others and this one falls in that category. It started strong but the humor in this one just didn't hit for me and felt a bit forced. I liked the side characters in this one that added new perspectives! This left off on a cliffhanger that surely indicates another book but I am not sure if I am invested enough in this series to keep going. I think I have just moved past this series sadly!

I really wanted to like this book. For me, this series has been a hit or miss throughout. I started off loving it and then it sort of stagnated but the last book was better so I had very high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, a lot of the humor in this book I just did not enjoy so I didn't get that element that takes you out of the mystery.

There were couple of additional characters in this one that it was interesting to see their perspective, But I did notice that this one ends on a cliffhanger and I just don't think I have it in me to read another one in this series.

In theory, everything about this sounds amazing, but at some point Things just become bonkers and unrealistic and I think the series has hit that point for me.