My Review of Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line by Elle Cosimano looks at book 6 in this comic cozy mystery series featuring a frazzled divorced mom and her nanny sidekick. This is just a review, and if you want a full plot summary or spoilers, check out my Series Summary Guide for the Finlay Donovan Series.
Review of Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line
This review will have my quick take on the book, and then my thoughts about how it compares to the rest of the series, and what might come next!
Jen’s Quick Take on Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line
- Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line is book six in the series! If you want a recap of the prior books, you can find it here OR I have a PDF you can download that also includes a recap of Vero’s story and the stolen money across the five prior books.
- This is really Vero’s book. She’s been a loyal sidekick to Finlay from book one, and her mysterious past has been drip-fed to us bit by bit in the other books.
- Finally, we get the WHOLE story and Vero gets a chance to clear her name.
- Nick is pretty much out of the picture (babysitting) so that romance plot has been put on the back burner.
- The action also moves to Delaware
- Publication date: March 17, 2026 by St Martins Press. Thanks so much to them for the twelve-chapter sampler. I got the full book at the NYPL!
More Thoughts on Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line
For me, this series has had its ups and downs. I was curious to see which book was most highly rated on Goodreads:. I’m not including book 6, as it just came out.
Which Finlay Donovan Book is Highest Rated on Goodreads?
- Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave (Book 5: 4.06)
- Finlay Donovan is Killing It (Book 1: 3.99)
- Finlay Donovan Knocks Em Dead (Book 2: 3.96)
- Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice (Book 4: 3.90)
- Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun (Book 3: 3.83)
I loved the first book, Finlay Donovan is Killing It, which was so funny and refreshing. Book two, Finlay Donovan Knocks Em Dead, felt like the second half of book one. I was not the biggest fan of book three, Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun, which had the police academy plot.
I was happy for the change of scene in book four, Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice, which took us to Atlantic City and introduced some new characters. Book five, Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave, took us back to Finn’s neighborhood for a more classic mystery.
Book 6 starts off with a bang, opening up a possible big twist. Then the action moves to Baltimore, as Finn shows up to help Vero clear her name.
I was pretty shocked that only a year has passed since book one. I always forget that Vero is just in her early twenties, while Finn must be forty-ish.
Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line had some genuinely funny moments, as Vero tries to help with the case while wearing an ankle monitor. This book has a cozier feel than the others, without the usual gangsters, money launderers, contract killers, etc.
There’s also good news at the end: we’re back to Finn’s neighborhood for book seven and this time it seems like she is in the hot seat, a possible suspect in a murder!
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