Milton Makes a Move, by Jonathan Graziano, Dan Tavis (Illustrator)

 

Publication August , 2026

Experiencing new things is a fact of life but, whoa, think how anxious new experiences can make a dog new to both a home and its new human. Milton is adorable and brave, however, trusting his new human to take care of him and be there for him.  I read that the story is based on Milton and author Jonathan Graziano's real life meet and get to know each other, making it all the better. I'm just surprised that I seem to have somehow missed Graziano's dog related books until now. I'll be looking for them in the future, however, as I thoroughly enjoyed this tale. 

 The illustrations are lively and colorful. Well, most are. I'm assuming, however, that since my copy was an early copy, the final version will be fully colorful, so don't hesitate if you see that noted in other reviews. I did when I went looking to see if I was missing something and although I couldn't pick up on any logical reasons, thought maybe I was missing some grand but subtle point. Grin. Anyway, do be sure to give the illustrations some attention as they are not just fun but there is lots to spy. I absolutely adored the pictures of Milton's co-passengers on the plane, for instance. Also, having had a rain adverse dog myself, I grinned at Milton's adorable yellow raincoat. Nope, no spoiled dogs in the author's home, either, I'm sure. 

Anyway, you'll enjoy their adventures as they get to know each other and survive not only raindrops but another monster according to one of my past dogs, thunderstorms and lightning. Milton is able to lean on his human, however, a subtle hint that change may make you anxious but even scary things aren't so scary when you have a friend. My thanks to #SimonAndSchusterChildren'sPublishing for introducing me to Jonathan Graziano's work and giving me an early peek at Milton's life after a surely nerve wracking move. I came away from the book with all the more respect for the various dogs who've given me their trust over the years. Virtual treats for Milton!

Dead Men Don't Play Fetch: An Andy Carpenter Mystery (An Andy Carpenter Novel, 33), by David Rosenfelt

 

Publication July 7, 2026

Rosenfelt's Andy Carpenter never lets me down. Always well written with not just great characters and frequently laugh out loud humor, but dogs. Andy has been trying to retire as a lawyer for about as long as I've been reading this series but never quite manages. This time he's roped into a seemingly impossible case with all the evidence seeming to point at his client. Why would any self-respecting lawyer, especially one wanting to retire, take on such a case?  There's a dog involved. For long time fans, that will come as no surprise as Andy is all about dogs and started the Tara Foundation. The Tara Foundation is real, btw, and headed by Rosenfelt. If you're new to his work, make sure you find the non-fiction story of his cross-country move with, well, lots of dogs. 

In any case, back to this book. I won't detail the plot as the book's blurb does an excellent job doing that. Instead, I'll simply say you will enjoy a mystery with lots of twists and turns, legal wrangling, a well-fleshed out regular cast, and humor. And, did I mention, dogs? You'll enjoy Andy's one-sided chats with Tara during their walks, I'm sure. As for the human characters, Andy's investigative team, headed by Laurie, his ex-cop wife, is top notch and, did I mention, includes a K-9 member? Have fun getting to know them all. His newspaper editor and police chief friends are also fun, albeit I'm sure even Andy has lost track of the tab they're run up on him at their favorite meeting place. You'll even meet a few less savory types, hopefully when Marcus is around to keep Andy from getting himself killed. He does seem to have the knack of annoying some organized crime figures. His lawyer opponent in the courtroom is an old nemesis, so it's fun to see them spar, too, although I'm sure just about any judge would prefer Andy be a bit less snarky and more by the book. 

Bottom line, I  recommend this book to anyone who enjoys humor and is curious about how a lawyer might go about collecting evidence via investigating.  His easy relationship with his wife and the team members is a plus and you'll feel like you're among friends as you listen to their plans and shared info. And, of course, there are the dogs. The client's dog, Hope, is a huge part of why Andy finds himself back in the courtroom despite all his best(?) efforts to avoid taking cases, of course. Andy's sarcasm is nicely fine-tuned but so is his legal mind, one lucky enough to have a fantastic team behind him. Thanks #StMartin'sPress - #MinotaurBooks for allowing me this early peek into Andy's latest courtroom drama and all the humor, snark, and dogs that surround him. Something tells me Laurie won't allow his brain to atrophy too long before the next case even if Tara continues to remain mum on her opinion.