Why we’re excited
Days after Finlay Donovan threatened her gossiping neighbour Stacey Pickens, Stacey is missing, and her bloodied jacket and keys have turned up near the playground. Only Vero knows about the confrontation. Then the police start looking at Nick, Finlay's detective boyfriend, who also had a grudge against Stacey.
Book seven of Elle Cosimano's comic crime series. The setup goes back to Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, when a mix-up made a broke novelist and single mother look like a hitwoman for hire, and the running jokes build, so start there. Readers who like their murder plots silly will be at home.
On our most-anticipated list since 21 October 2026. See all the most anticipated books →
What to know about Finlay Donovan Plays with Fire
Finlay Donovan Plays with Fire is Book 7 in the Finlay Donovan series. New readers should begin with Book 1, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It (we have reviewed it). The book just before this one is Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line, also reviewed on The Bookish Elf. 6 of the 7 books in the series have a full review here.
We have reviewed 8 of Elle Cosimano’s books, with an average score of 4.0 out of 5. The one we rated highest is Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave (4.5★); the most recent is Home for the Homicides.
From the publisher
From New York Times bestseller Elle Cosimano comes Finlay Donovan Plays with Fire—the explosive next installment in the Finlay Donovan series.
When Finlay Donovan showed up at Stacey Pickens’s house to defend herself and her loved ones against Stacey’s vicious rumor mill, she uttered a veiled threat, never daring to imagine she might be one of the last people to see her busy-body neighbor alive.
News gets out that Stacey has vanished and there are signs of foul play. Her jacket and keys were found discarded in the woods behind the community playground, covered in blood. To make matters worse, the forensic photographer documenting the crime scene is none other than the ex-fiancée of Finlay’s hot cop boyfriend Nick. The only bright spot is that no one seems to know about Finlay’s altercation with Stacey, except Finlay’s loyal nanny, Vero, who’s hiding a combustible secret of her own.
As the missing persons investigation escalates to a possible homicide, Finlay and Nick become the top suspects when a dogged detective learns Nick had beef with Stacey too. Determined to get him off their back, Finlay, Nick, and Vero discover more than they bargained for when they launch their own investigation into Stacey’s disappearance—their quiet suburban street is a tinderbox of scandals, blackmail, and lies, and the former president of the neighborhood watch could be holding a lit match . . .
Pitted against a mountain of evidence against them—and backstabbing neighbors with plenty to hide—Finlay and Nick are in a race against the cops to solve Stacey’s case before they both go down for the crime.
Description supplied by the publisher.
We haven’t read Finlay Donovan Plays with Fire yet. When our review goes up, it will replace this page.
