3 stars

I was fine. Like the rest of the books in these series, the mystery and the hilarity are the biggest part of the story, and it was entertaining. My favorite part of the book is the friendship between Finaly and Vero. They're peak comedy. The rest was... it felt like a filler, to be honest.
It seems book 6 will be the end, and honestly, i feel it should. Still, this was fun and very enjoyable.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review

This is Book 5 in the Finlay Donovan series and it had me laughing out loud as well as frantically turning pages to find out what happens. At the end of the last book, everything was neatly tied up and Fin and Vero were out of the spotlight, and things stayed that way until Mrs Haggerty was released without charge and someone had pointed the finger at Stephen, again!

Mrs Haggerty moves in to Fin's house and is simultaneously useful and worrying. Where does she keep going? What's the Book Club really about? What's with Handwritten notes in mailboxes? Fin is determined to find out and clear Stephen's name, for the sake of the children.

When Finlay finally thinks that her life can go back to normal after months of criminal turmoil, a body turns up in her neighbours back garden. The man is unknown to her, and no one in town seems to want to admit they they know him. Finlay tries to understand the connections but when her ex-husband, Steven, is arrested in connection to the murder, she has to try harder than ever to figure out just who this man is, and who killed him.
We deal with Mrs Haggerty moving in, unruly children, a determined literary agent, and more secrets being kept from Finlay's boyfriend, Detective Nick Anthony.
At first, I thought book 5 was moving a little slower than the previous four, but as soon as we had an invitation to Mrs Haggerty's book club, I knew that Finlay Donovan had not lost a single ounce of her spark.

The fifth instalment in the Finlay Donovan series, this picks up where book four ended, great book, loved it! Thank you for allowing me to read this before release

As a fan of this series, I was excited to see where it would go next and I was not disappointed.
It's a great continuation and exactly what you would expect.
It is sometimes a bit over the top and outlandish, but they're always a fun, easy read.
Did I have a feeling there would be another cliffhanger? Yes. And while I do appreciate them, it does make it difficult to wait for the next instalment.
But I always recommend this series for fans of fun, cosy crime which will have you hooked but still laughing along at times.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It is always a good time when a new Finlay Donovan book comes out. I always look forward to seeing trouble what Finlay and Vero will get into and I book 5 it is a whole lot! These books are just so much fun to read, to get lost in the pages of a book is the best therapy, and to have a laugh along the way helps so much.

With each book ending on a cliffhanger, you are always guaranteed a great opening for the next book. Last time elderly neighbour Mrs Haggerty was arrested when a body is found in her backyard. Now she has been released and police are looking elsewhere for the killer. It hits a it too close to home for Finlay so she sets out to find the real perpetrator with her trusty sidekick Vero.

Chaos ensues of course and the pair find themselves in all sorts of hilarious situations, completely crazy and entertaining.Hot cop Nick is there too and things are starting to get serious.

Another wild cliffhanger to end the book and leave us all wanting more from book 6 already!!

Thank you so much to Headline for my advanced copy of this book to read. Publishes on March 4th.

The 5th installment in the Finlay Donovan series picks up where the cliffhanger in book four left us. After a body is discovered in Mrs. Haggarty's yard, her house is declared an active crime-scene and she moves in to Finlay's house.

I had a great time diving back in to this series, it's such a cozy, guilty pleasure read. This series is so silly at times, but i'm always in for a fun and fast-paced read. Elle Cosimano's writing is so witty and bingeable, that i ended up reading this in just three sittings. I love these characters so much, Georgia, Nick and Finlay most of all. And I was just so happy to be back in this fun soap-opera/drama/sitcom world.

I've heard some people say that this book felt like filler, but I honestly really enjoyed it. It dialed back the crazy a little, which i'm really grateful for because all of the organized crime plotlines in some of the previous books got a little outlandish for my taste. This is probably my second favorite book in the series, coming up just behind the first one.

I'm also glad to report that it feels like Finlay was finally making better choices. Some of the previous books relied very heavily on her and Vero's bad decision making to move the plot along, in this one the progression felt a lot more natural to me.

This was exactly what I hoped this book would be, with Finlay and Vero (sort of) on the right side of the law this time, trying to solve a crime while still committing a lot of them themselves. I previously felt a little burnt out with this series, because of how big and crazy the plot had become, but this pulled me right back in.

Huge Thank You to Headline Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with the ARC for this book.

I went into this book mildly uneasy, as I wasn’t a huge fan of the novella.

I needn’t have worried.

I love revisiting familiar characters, and I particularly love a curmudgeon, so, after Vero and Fin, Mrs. Haggarty was my favourite.

The best part of this series is, and will always be, the female friendships.

Romance is good, but WOMANCE is ESSENTIAL.

I’m also thrilled about the return of the original narrator. GOAT.

Also: Should I be concerned about how UNconcerned I am about all the vigilantism?

This is an amazing addition to the series! I love Finlay and Vero and their crime solving (and accidental crime creating) exploits.

I did guess where it was going fairly quickly. However, that didn't ruin a single second of this book, and it just made me more excited when I picked up on clues along the way and the conclusion was perfect. There are lots of amazing red herrings thrown in for good measure as well.

I think this was probably one of my favourites (if not actual favourite) of the series, but the ending killed me, and now I have to wait again!

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave is the fifth instalment in this series that follows mum of two and author Finlay as she finds herself entangled in a series of unfortunate events and crimes. This is such a fun series and I have to admit I had such a good time reading this one. I think I picked it up at just the right time when I was looking for a light-hearted easy to read book. I flew through this and loved being back with these loveable and entertaining characters. The plot may be farfetched at times but it is an enjoyable and humorous read that I loved. Definitely worth picking up if you have enjoyed previous books in this series!

I inhaled this book! This whole series is just such a good time. Weird thing to say when talking about murder and crime but who cares when its cosy! I love these characters and their hijinks - its such an easy read and I would like maybe another 10 instalments please Elle Cosimano?! Highly recommend. . . to everyone.

In this fifth book in the Finlay Donovan series, Finlay finds herself taking in her elderly neighbour, Mrs. Haggerty, after a body is discovered in her garden. Despite Finlay and her nanny-turned-partner-in-crime Vero not looking to get involved in another murder investigation, they have no choice when Finlay’s ex-husband Steven finds himself caught up in the investigation.

I love this series, and this book is right up there as a favourite. It’s entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny but without being overly ridiculous, as some of the more recent books have been. It gave off similar vibes to the first book which first drew me in to the series, and it was great to get back to a slightly more traditional murder mystery.

It was interesting to get more of Mrs. Haggerty’s background in this book and it definitely helped explain her actions in some of the earlier books. I also really enjoyed the chance to explore some of the other relationships in this book: while Javi had only a few small cameos in the book, his and Vero’s relationship raised some interesting questions, as did Finlay and Nick’s. After all, just how much can you progress a relationship when you can’t let someone fully in? I’m excited to see what’s next for the couple after some of the revelations in this book.

Finally, that ending! Elle Cosimano is a master of the cliffhanger and I’ll be on tenterhooks waiting for the next book. While you can read this as a standalone, I recommend reading the whole series to get the full experience, particularly as it’s looking like we will be pulling together some longstanding threads in the next.

Another great outing for Finlay and Vero which I flew through in one sitting. These really are compelling and entertaining reads. I can’t wait to see what comes next!

With thanks to Headline and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review ahead of publication.

Thank you to @netgalley and @HeadlinePub for this ARC. Book 5 of the Finlay Donovan series though can always be read alone. Finlay and her nanny, sidekick Vero are on another case. The nosy neighbor across the street had been arrested for a body that washed up in her yard but when Mrs. Haggerty was released, Finlay's ex-husband was promptly arrested. In order for the father of her children to not spend the rest of his life in jail, Finlay must prove his innocence. I love this series and this one was as good if not better than the other 4. #FinlayDonovanDigsHerOwnGrave #ElleCosimano #MinotaurBooks #HeadlinePub #March2025

This series cracks me up - it’s funny and smart and mysterious and ridiculous! I am so lucky to have gotten an advance copy from NetGalley to read and review. Thank you!

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave is another fantastic addition to this endlessly entertaining series. These books are such fun reads and serve as the perfect palate cleanser between heavier books.

I love Elle Cosimsno’s cold opens for this series, where we are misdirected briefly before the real scene is made clear (this time, a parent teacher meeting for Delia). Finlay and her nanny-turned-partner-in-crime, Vero, are then reluctantly pulled into yet another murder mystery when a body is discovered in the backyard of Finlay’s nosy neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty. Initially a suspect, Mrs. Haggerty is cleared but ends up moving in with Finlay while the investigation continues, bringing more chaos to Finlay’s already complicated life. Determined to avoid another murder case, Finlay and Vero must navigate this latest round of suburban crime while trying to keep their secrets intact.

One of the things I love most about this series is the ragtag found family that Finlay has assembled. I was living for the progression of the relationship between Finlay and Nick because I’ve been rooting for them.

This book also gave us a deeper look at Mrs. Haggerty, a character who has been present since book one but remained somewhat mysterious until now as the nosy neighbour. I enjoyed learning more about her backstory and her relationship with Cam was cute, as was her homeschool for wayward children.

As always, the shenanigans in this book are over-the-top in the best way. Finlay’s knack for getting into absurd situations and somehow managing to survive them never fails to entertain.

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave continues to deliver the humour, heart, and chaos that make this series so delightful. I can’t wait for the next and final book of the series (that cliffhanger!!!).

I recieved an advanced reader copy from Headline and Netgalley. I really adored this book, it was such a good edition to the series. Vero is still the best character in the series and I really hope it isn't long before the next book is out. I will 100% be recommending the entire series to everyone.