Sometimes Grandpa Calls Me Herman (Norman the Button), #4, by Michelle Olson

 

Publication Nov. 2, 2026

There's so much more to our family history than we realize. 

I adore this heartwarming, creative series. Thanks to author #MichelleOlson for sharing this early copy. As you can surely tell from the cover, the characters are not human but still manage to convey a depth of feeling that touches the reader and always seems to offer up a gentle reminder of family and family ties as well as friendships. In this case, Norman (the red button) is more or less drafted by his busy mother to visit Grandpa Henry who lives in a dusty old cookie tin in a closet. Norman is reluctant as he finds his visits frequently boring and is bothered that Grandpa frequently calls him Herman. Never mind, Norman. We know you're going anyway. Grin.

The colorful, clever illustrations are all, so to speak, make from "found items" by the author, many from her own family home. Hence the book not only tells us what's going on in the story but shows it, too. Nothing too elaborate but all quite creative and well done. You'll find out, for instance, how Norman gets to Grandpa's as well as catch a glimpse of his family he finds as he helps Grandpa clean. Oh, okay. Mostly Norman cleans as Grandpa does enjoy his naps. Among the items encountered I grinned at the bowling image, marveling at the "Of course!" items used to create it while also knowing I'd have been hard pressed to come up with something so simply yet perfect. The pictures Norman finds of family members are adorable, too, one family member perched on the uniform of a baseball player's uniform while, yes, that's Norma's mother as a little girl! (On a photo of the author's own mother). 

But, wait! There's actually a real Herman in Grandpa's past. Nope, not sharing that info, nor how it does tied to what little Norman discovers he really knew about Grandpa. Bottom line, the message of it being well worth learning about our family's background rings loud and clear here. Norman discovers his "boring" ol' grandpa isn't boring at all. I loved that the author included her own mother's childhood picture in this homage of sorts to family. I've worked on my own family tree off and on over the years and am still constantly surprised and impressed at what I've discovered. Again, thanks #MichelleOlson for the early peek at this family connections, so to speak, reminder. Even better, done with a smile and an easy read that should bring a smile to all ages. Finally, readers, if you're like to know more, check out belliebuttonbooks.com for free printable activities.  

The Ghost and the Dead Librarian (A Haunted Bookshop Detective Mystery), by Cleo Coyle

 Publication Sept. 29, 2026

Although I'm a long time Cleo Coyle fan, this was the first time encountering this series. I didn't beat myself up, however, when I heard it was written under a pen name. That's a common practice of authors in all genres, so no surprise. In this case, we have young widow Pen/Penelope who has moved back to town to help out her aunt in a struggling bookshop. While helping make some changes, she discovers a long-time bookshop regular. Just one problem. He's a ghost. Killed in the bookshop. Fortunately for Pen's seeming habit of stumbling across murder investigations, he was also a private eye, albeit from the wise-cracking, gumshoe, hard-boiled detective era. His skills and investigative skills come in handy even if his abilities are somewhat hampered. I'll leave that to you to find out why. Needless to say, his help comes in handy when Dory, known for her writing of local obituaries, is killed in the bookshop after the signing of her first book. 

The series is, as it turns out, a rebirth of sorts, but with new adventures, so don't hesitate to jump into it again if you were a past reader.  I enjoyed the characters, finding the ghostly Jack Shepherd somewhat gruff at times but at the same time likable and even charming at times. True, his opinion that Pen use old style methods to elicit information don't work on her but he means well and does seem to have a knack of having her back when needed. Pen still seems a bit of a hesitant detective type but seems to be a fast learner. I may have to go find the initial offerings of the series just to see how it all began in more detail than this book offers although what is revealed here should be sufficient for most. The dream sequences Jack provides are not only helpful to Pen but offer up a cold case mystery for readers to try to solve, too, a bonus. You'll meet quite a few of the seemingly regulars of the series, too, as well as be reminded how narrow some small town focuses can be where status and family are involved. Having worked off and on to create my own family tree, I can definitely attest that digging into family history can reveal both saints and sinners as well as everything in-between, so to have family history pop up here was a fun perk for me. It also provides several suspects, that's for sure. And that's before Pen starts digging which is when things get far more complicated.

Bottom line, not to give away much more of the plot, this was a fun read and I'm glad I was intrigued enough by the title, which you'll clearly understand as you read, to request a review copy. It did take me a few pages to sort out that Pen was communicating with Jack by talking to him in her mind, not aloud, though slip ups were surely inevitable. She's also dealing with a son and wary family members. So, not just murder, but some family drama and lots of fun chatter with a wise-cracking ghost detective. I'm curious how Coyle will go from here with these characters, so already looking forward to the next book. Thanks #KensingtonPublishing for his early peek at the rebirth of an ol' series. Sounds like Pen's future is about to get more and more interesting, so glad Jack is around to help, even if she probably needs to keep a sweater handy when he appears. 

The Dog Park Murders: A Grumpy Sunshine Cozy Mystery Romance, by Angela Barker

 

Publication August 2, 2026

As a reader drawn by character driven books, this one just never quite came together for me. Don't get me wrong. It was okay, one of those I didn't love but didn't hate, either. I simply couldn't conjure up any real caring about what happened to the main characters one way or the other. Well, aside from Digger the dog. I really, really wanted the best forever home for him. His seemingly out of the blue inner musings were a fun highlight. 

The combo of the mystery and romance was an interesting twist although the romance at times seemed to dominate the murder case, which was my real attraction to the book. Let's face it, a book with  "dog park" in the title is a lure to me. Grin. Juliette's insecurities at times led me to find her more annoying than intriguing. Joel's seemingly reclusive "stay away" manner seemed to be taken as more of a challenge by Juliette than a reason to tread carefully and slowly. This set up an extra slippery slope for the obviously intended romance to bloom. His sense of right leads him to take up with her to prove the biased detective wrong, however, was telling of an inner core sense of justice, and are we say it, caring for others despite his own issues. An odd duo, true, as he claims not even to like dogs but, well, annoying Juliette keeps wearing him down. Will they come to an agreement, even better a meeting of he hearts, before Juliette's meddling gets them both killed? Whoever killed obnoxious Maurice Allsop isn't going down easily.  

Bottom line, despite my  ho-hum reaction to the book, a 3.5 rounded up, don't let that top you from giving it a try if you're so inclined. It was a quick, easy read that despite me wishing for more character development, was a pleasant read. After a slow start, which may have impacted my reaction, the action picked up and it tended to roll right along. The side stories were related, too, a plus for those who prefer everything ties together in some way. The ending was cute, too, so it ended on a positive note. Thanks #Harlequin-Romance for introducing me to Juliette and Joel, not to mention Digger. While it didn't quite work for me, it shows promise and I'd certainly give a sequel an open-minded read.