Quick Synopsis

From New York Times bestseller and Edgar-Award nominee Elle Cosimano, comes Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave―the hugely anticipated next installment in the fan-favorite Finlay Donovan series. Finlay Donovan may have skeletons in her closet . . . but at least there’s not a body in her backyard.

Publisher’s Synopsis

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?

Book Review

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave is the fifth installment in the in the Finlay Donovan series. After their last adventure in Atlantic City, Finlay and Vero are back home, where a body is discovered next door. When Finlay’s ex-husband is suspected of the crime, she decides to investigate to find the real killer.

Up until this point, I have been a faithful reader of this series. Every year there is a new Finlay Donovan book, and every year I read it. But this installment may be my last.

While I was not a big fan of the second book, Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave fell short of all the prior books. On all fronts, I found this novel lacking. This series has been a fun, comfort read with laughs and a bit of pizazz. But I found little of that in this iteration. The plot lacks excitement, is predictable, and felt a bit like filler. In fact, a majority of the plot rehashed the previous four books. In addition, it absolutely lacks the humor that has otherwise defined the series. Unless you find a toddler continually removing his pants, the humor is completely absent.

After initial skepticism, I really liked Mrs. Haggarty, Finlay’s nosy neighbor, who played a large roll in this story. She was the most interesting part of this novel. I love a snarky old broad. However, I did not appreciate the bizarre “own” of Mrs. Haggarty being better at childcare and potty training. It felt out of place and left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. Otherwise, I would have liked to see Mrs. Haggerty appear as a side character in future books.

Overall, Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave is the weakest of the books in this series. The plot is focused on redeeming Steven, an otherwise unredeemable character, and lacks the series’ hallmark humor and shenanigans. Plus, the title does not make sense. If you are a devoted Finlay fan, I think it is worth a read. But I will be cutting my losses and ending my consumption of the series.

Rating

Overall Rating

Writing

Plot

Character Development