Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano Book Review

About the Book:

Finlay Donovan may have skeletons in her closet . . . but at least there's not a body in her backyard.

Finlay Donovan and her nanny/partner-in-crime, Vero, have not always gotten along with Finlay’s elderly neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty, the community busybody and president of the neighborhood watch. But when a dead body is discovered in her backyard, Mrs. Haggerty needs their help. At first a suspect, Mrs. Haggerty is cleared by the police, but her house remains an active crime scene. She has nowhere to go . . . except Finlay’s house, right across the street.

Finlay and Vero have no interest in getting involved in another murder case—or sacrificing either of their bedrooms. After all, they’ve dealt with enough murders over the last four months to last a lifetime and they both would much rather share their beds with someone else.

When the focus of the investigation widens to include Finlay’s ex-husband, Steven, though, Finlay and Vero are left with little choice but to get closer to Mrs. Haggerty and uncover her secrets . . . before the police start digging up theirs. But who will solve the mystery first?

My Review:

This is another Finlay adventure that had me laughing from the very first scene thanks to Finlay's daughter. I appreciate that, rather than letting the series go stale with the same major characters, Cosimano highlights 81 year old Mrs. Haggerty in this one. An irritating but minor character in previous novels, Mrs. Haggarty becomes an interesting center point. Who knew she could rope in Finlay's kids and provide excellent home schooling and potty training skills? She has other skills too but you'll have to read the novel to find out what they are.

We readers are provided with another humorous adventure when Finlay, through no fault of her own, gets tangled up in yet another murder mystery. Her romance with Nick heats up and Finlay finally confronts the elephant in the room, her honesty with him. I do appreciate Cosimano not including any graphic sex scenes.

This is another wild and entertaining ride with Finlay and Vero. And the end leaves us with the distinct impression the adventures are not over yet.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

You can read my reviews of the earlier novels in this series: Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead, Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun, Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice, and Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank.

About the Author:

ELLE COSIMANO is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, an International Thriller Writers Award winner, and an Edgar Award nominee. Elle’s debut novel for adults, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, kicked off a witty, fast-paced contemporary mystery series, which was a People magazine pick and was named one of New York Public Library's Best Books of 2021. The third book in the series, Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun, was an instant New York Times bestseller. In addition to writing novels for teens and adults, her essays have appeared in HuffPost and Time. Cosimano lives with her husband and two sons in Virginia. Photo Credit: Holly Virginia Photography.

MacMillan, 304 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)