Thanksgiving Puppy Parade, by Lynette Ordonez

 Publication August 26, 2025

Ahhhh, puppies. Absolutely adorable, a word I use entirely too often to describe children's books but, well, PUPPIES! 

What you have here are adorable puppy photos paired with some sort of fall or Thanksgiving saying, many of which involved cute doggie related puns. As someone whose favorite season is fall, the use of such lovely autumn photos for many was a bonus. Lots of different breeds, all adorable (hey, if I'm going to overuse a term, might as well enjoy it) and looking like they could spring off the page for cuddles. The author did an excellent job matching photos and sayings, too, and you'll enjoy the expressions on the varous puppy faces. True, there's no real story here but, hey, who needs a story when you're bombarded with such adorable puppy faces? 

On the serious side, it'd be fun to see what photos children might come up with to match similar fall related comments. Or drawings to match these various sayings or sayings they themselves come up with. A great way to intro children to puns, too. My hunch is adults will enjoy these puppy faces as much as I did, too, so it's a win-win for both child and parent. Thanks #NetGalley and #TeacherCreatedMaterials for allowing me this early peek at this, you know what adjective is coming, adorable photo book. It'd make a lovely gift or addition to any dog lover's shelf.

Murder for Good Measure, by Devon Delaney

 

Publication Sept. 13, 2022

This one will make you hungry. Lots of food talk and you'll learn a bit about cooking contests, too. There are also some hints (the author is a well-known winner of quite a few of these very contests) on how contestants prepare for them beforehand, not to mention some hints on how best to present yourself in front of judges. And, oh, yeah, there's a murder. There is also a phenomenal dog named Trooper, a new member of the K-9 Unit. These dogs are absolutely amazing.

Although at first I was thinking this was slow-going and the dialogue seemed a bit stilted at times, at some point I realized I was really getting into the mystery, relationships, characters, and all the tales of Irish legends, including pookas, the wee folks, and a Giant Baby. Gotta love Irish lore. There is even a mysterious book found in the attic to whet the appetite of us book lovers. We even get to see some amateur efforts to peel apart stuck pages. 

In between, Sherry Oliveri is dealing with the heartbreaking idea of her father selling the long-owned family store, walking the dog, neighbor Eileen diligently doing her neighborhood watch, another neighbor running into her brand new mailbox, and trying to find evidence to prove Angel, her brother's food truck sous chef didn't kill another neighbor's nanny, Cara. Oh, and clocks and pictures falling mysteriously off the walls at her dad's shop.

So, who killed Cara? I'm not telling but it was a fascinating tale, zipping comfortably between everyday life and Irish lore. There's even a modern-day twist, so to speak, at the end, so be prepared. And, it goes without saying that you should have plenty of goodies on hand to munch on as you read. Like me, you will suddenly find yourself fully invested in the book, I bet. 

Thanks #NetGally and #BeyondThePagePublishing for introducing me to Sherry and her family and friends, not to mention Trooper.

Through the Liquor Glass (Literary Pub Mystery #5), by Sarah Fox

 

Publication Nov. 29, 2022

Caught and held my attention from beginning to the end. Sadie Colemen is a likable character even if her questioning technique needs a bit of fine tuning. She's blunt, let's just say. Of course, a body having been found in her boyfriend's brewery that leaves him the most viable suspect is enough to make anyone a bit snippy. Toss in dealing with the Taste of Shady Creek (Vermont) festival, the presence of celebrated food critics in town,and the anticipated arrival of her mother in town and Sadie has a few things on her mind. 

Initially it's simply will her mother like her chosen home and business, not to mention boyfriend Grayson, but that quickly changes after Grayson and Sadie find the dead body. It's one of the critics that, as it turns out, Grayson has a history with. Grayson, realizing he'll be the chief suspect, opts to go into hiding and use his former PI skills to try to prove his own innocence. He wisely doesn't tell Sadie where he's going. That was smart as, at one point thinking she knows where he's hiding out, she goes there...even though she knows she is likely under police surveillance. She's lucky, or unlucky, depending on how you look at it, as it turns out he isn't where she thought he was and, phew, the police were busy with another incident.

So, who killed critic Dominique? What is her connection to Grayson? Could it have been a competing critic, one Sadie overheard saying she planned to get her resume in to replace Dominique? Who is the mysterious man that seems to have spooked Dominique? Phoebe and he seem to know each other. How will Sadie's mom react when she hears her daughter's boyfriend is a murder suspect? Why is someone trying to frame Grayson? How did Dominique ruin Alicia's dreams? Why are George and Mildred acting so suspicious? Why....oh, enough teasers. Read the book. It's fast paced, well written, and full of characters you'll like in a lovely fall setting. It is part of a series but works well as a standalone, not to mention there are some absolutely delicious sounding recipes at the end. 

Thanks #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks - #KensingtonCozies for inviting me to Shady Creek for a dose of Maple Butter Popcorn, fall colors and, gulp, murder.