Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead

The Finlay Donovan Mysteries include five novels and a short story: Finlay Donovan Is Killing It (2021), Finlay Donovan Knocks ’Em Dead (2022), Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun (2023), “Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank: A Short Story” (2023), Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice (2024), and Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave (2025). The Finlay Donovan Mysteries are a part of the cozy mystery subgenre of the mystery genre and are focused on the amusing adventures of a mystery writer who unintentionally gets involved in dangerous situations and has to extricate herself while juggling family responsibilities, relationships, and her career. 

The cozy mystery subgenre separates itself from other subgenres like the police procedural or psychological thriller that rely on darker, more graphic portrayals of murder and investigation. Cozy mysteries have a gentler tone, sometimes with a humorous edge, as in the Finlay Donovan Mysteries series. The subgenre was established by Agatha Christie with her Miss Marple series, which includes Murder at the Vicarage (1930) and A Pocketful of Rye (1953). These novels also established many cozy mystery conventions, including an amateur detective, like Finn Donovan, who solves crimes in suburban Virginia while balancing the concerns of her family and her career, helped by her nanny, Vero.