Book Description 

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 

I have enjoyed the previous books in the Finlay Donovan series, so I was very excited about the opportunity to read about Finlay’s latest adventure. 

This is a series where the books need to be read in order to fully appreciate the larger story arc. The plot of this book begins not too long after the events of the previous book. Finlay is hoping for a respite from the murders, but no such luck. Not only does she have to play host to the elderly neighborhood busybody, but she also has to prove that her ex-husband didn’t commit the aforementioned murder. 

Fans of the series will appreciate the return of beloved characters and light mystery. There’s enough danger to create tension but it’s never enough to provoke anxiety worrying whether the characters are going to survive. For the most part, only baddies fail to survive the turmoil that Finlay Donovan can’t seem to avoid attracting, but there’s always a tiny bit of concern that the plot is going to veer away from cozy and right into gritty territory. 

I would absolutely recommend Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave. I listened to all the previous books in the series, so I wondered whether reading the book would lose some of the frenzied magic of the audiobook. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that reading the book without all the fun voices was just as enjoyable. I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series– like the previous books, something happened at the end to set up the plot of the next book. I can’t wait! 

I received a digital ARC of this book from St. Martin’s/NetGalley