Note: Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and author Elle Cosimano for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review will also be posted on NetGalley. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

I was introduced to the Finlay Donovan series earlier this year. It’s a collection of unbelievable but fun adventures as a divorced author seems to fall into trouble at every turn while balancing motherhood, dating, and her family. The previous book, Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice, seemed to wrap up the story of Finlay’s struggles to extricate herself from her involvement with the Russian mob. I was curious to see how the author would have Finlay find more trouble.

Finlay and her Nanny/best friend, Vero, are at home when they see Mrs. Haggerty being arrested and taken from her home. Turns out that a pipe broke, and when the repairs were being made, they came across a body buried in her backyard. The body is that of a man who has been missing for five years. Up until now, we’ve only seen Mrs. Haggerty as the neighborhood busybody who seems to stick her nose in everyone’s business. As the investigation moves along, Mrs. Haggerty is released but can’t return to her home due to the electricity being shut off. Her grandson, Brendan, begs FInlay to let her stay with her, just for the weekend. Finlay relents, and Brendan disappears.

The police discover a connection between the victim and Finlay’s ex-husband. Steve. He becomes the focus of their investigation, and Finlay is determined to clear his name, despite how much he hurt her in the past.

There’s more of the same here as Finlay and Vero find themselves in crazy situations. It’s silly and largely unbelievable, but it’s also a lot of fun. I laughed many times while reading it. Finlay’s good nature gets her into trouble as she feels bad for Mrs. Haggerty, but having her in the house while they are trying to clear Steve is an issue. To top it off, Finlay’s agent, Sylvia, is still pushing the television deal on Finlay, and they want Nick to be a consultant on a true-crime show based on Finlay’s books. Finlay knows Nick won’t do it and doesn’t even want to approach him.

There’s good advancement in the relationship between Nick and Finlay in this book. I thought Finlay’s deception made their relationship unrealistic, and that is the central topic between them here. Vero and Javier are still together, although the marriage in Atlantic City wasn’t valid. Still, Javier is trying to show Vero how much he loves her. Communication is a theme running through both Finlay and Vero’s relationships.

If you’re a fan of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series, I think you’ll love Finlay Donovan. I don’t think readers can really appreciate this book unless they’ve read earlier ones in the series. It’s worth going back and reading them, though. This makes for great summer reading, and although murder and uncovering bodies in the backyard might seem like a heavy topic, it’s really filled with lighthearted fun. I can’t wait to see where this goes next!

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