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PUB DAY REPOST: ‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas by David Rosenfelt: All Through the Courthouse, Andy Carpenter Was Stirring @stmartinspress @netgalley

'Twas the Bite Before Christmas‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas

by David Rosenfelt

DETAILS:
Andy Carpenter, #28
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: October 10, 2023
Format: eARC
Length: 304 pg.
Read Date: September 20-21, 2023
Buy from Bookshop.org Support Indie Bookstores

What’s ‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas About?

On the night of the Tara Foundation’s holiday party, Andy’s friend Pete Stanton, of the homicide department, calls him to ask Andy to bring one of his volunteers outside, so the police don’t have to cause a scene. Andy does so and immediately steps into the role of the volunteer’s attorney. He doesn’t know Derek Moore very well, but he likes Derek—and Derek’s dogs (more importantly), and wants to protect him at least until they both know what’s going on.

Andy quickly learns something about Derek—as he’s arrested, it’s revealed that his real name is Robert Klaster. Up until a couple of years ago, Bobby was in a gang in South Jersey. It was growing more and more violent, up to the point that Bobby was the wheelman for a murder. He went to the cops and turned in the men he drove—after their conviction, the state witness protection program moved him to Patterson with a new name.

Bobby’s made the most of this second chance and has become an upstanding citizen and moderately successful business owner—in addition to a great dog shelter volunteer. But now one of the leaders of his old gang has been killed in Patterson, and a tip led Stanton’s men straight to Bobby—with just enough evidence for them to make an arrest. The case is strong, but not air-tight. The question in front of Andy is can he take advantage of the weaknesses while finding the real killer?

And just why would someone bother setting Bobby up now?

The Recurring Cast

Almost the whole (and continually expanding) cast of regulars is around. Edna’s traveling, but we still get a couple of jokes about her work habits. Eddie shows up, but barely gets any dialogue—and not one sports cliché!—I really enjoyed those (see also: Sam’s song-talking), but the rest are about in their typical form.

Which is important—as much as these books are about the mystery/mysteries surrounding Andy’s case, it’s Andy and the crew we come back to spend time with. Including Tara, Sebastian, and Hunter—Sebastian particularly has some good moments in this book.

I do wonder if the supporting cast is getting too large, which is why Edna and Eddie get barely more than mentions. This makes sense, and it’d be good for Rosenfelt to rotate some of these in and out from book to book. It’d be better than cutting any of these for whatever reason—and better than just a token mention.

That said, Rosenfelt gave us some more than typical reflection on members of the cast. It was good to see Andy explain the specialization of work in his firm and for Andy to bring up the ethics of what he gets Sam to do in his narration. Cory’s been good about that in the companion series, but it’s not that frequent in this series.

I’m not sure if I had a point when I started this section, it’s basically turned into “assorted thoughts on the use of the supporting characters.” So let’s see if I can summarize my take on them for this novel—I enjoyed seeing them all, and am glad we got to spend time with them. I do wonder, however, if more judicious use of some of them per book rather than all of them each time, would be a better experience for the reader.

The Holiday-ness of It

So, this is the holiday-themed release for the series this year, as the title and cover image tell you. Very little in the book tells you that, however.

We don’t even get the typical (and always enjoyable) rant about Laurie’s months-long commemoration of Christmas. He gives a compressed version, but it’s not the same. In its place, we get Andy’s extended (and not favorable) review of egg nog. There are a few references to Christmas and a couple of the following holidays—but it’s not focused on too much. Honestly, we spend more time on Ricky’s soccer-fandom* than on any Federal or religious holiday.

* That was great to read about. Poor Andy. I get the same feeling when my kids prefer other SF franchises to Star Trek.

Do I care? Nope. I’ll take any excuse to hang with Andy and the gang. But I figure since it’s part of the theme of the book I should nod in it’s direction.

So, what did I think about ‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas?

This has nothing to do with anything, but Andy references the case in Flop Dead Gorgeous at one point in the book. It’s been a long time since he’s mentioned a previous case (outside of Willie Miller’s, which gets mentioned from time to time). It’s a nice touch to keep the series building on itself.

There were a couple of other things that stood out to me about this book compared to the rest of the series: Bobby’s about as close to an unsympathetic client as Rosenfelt gives us anymore (maybe ever—this is the twenty-eighth book in the series, I don’t remember the client in every one). And it’s good that Rosenfelt gives us some characters that are hard to root for—although a reformed criminal is pretty easy to root for, come to think of it.

Secondly, Andy slips up (at least in his mind, although Laurie disagrees) and it leads to some tragic consequences. Now, no one’s out there thinking that Andy’s infallible by any means, but it’s rare that a move on his part has such an obvious negative consequence. I’m not suggesting that we need to see major mistakes from our hero in every novel—but it’s good to see that just because Andy Carpenter gets involved, not everything is going to be sunshine and roses.

That said, he’s definitely at the point where I have to wonder why the DA keeps taking Andy’s clients to trial—when will they learn? Also, Pete sounds far too convinced that Andy’s client is guilty, you’d think he, in particular, would have more faith in his friend. This is a question countless readers have asked about Hamilton Burger and Lt. Tragg, as well, and the answer is simply: we wouldn’t get to see Andy or Perry Mason do their thing otherwise.

‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas delivered just what I expected—a good time with characters I enjoy, a clever whodunit, some fun moments with fictional dogs, and a satisfying resolution. Rosenfelt delivers that and more—there’s a sweet bonus moment to the resolution that adds a little holiday glow to the book (that works equally well in mid-September as it will closer to the holiday, or at any point in the calendar year that you happen to read this in). You’d do well to pick it up, whether you’re new to the series or a die-hard fan.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.


4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
Irresponsible Reader Pilcrow Icon

‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas by David Rosenfelt: All Through the Courthouse, Andy Carpenter Was Stirring

'Twas the Bite Before Christmas‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas

by David Rosenfelt

DETAILS:
Andy Carpenter, #28
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: October 10, 2023
Format: eARC
Length: 304 pg.
Read Date: September 20-21, 2023
Buy from Bookshop.org Support Indie Bookstores

What’s ‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas About?

On the night of the Tara Foundation’s holiday party, Andy’s friend Pete Stanton, of the homicide department, calls him to ask Andy to bring one of his volunteers outside, so the police don’t have to cause a scene. Andy does so and immediately steps into the role of the volunteer’s attorney. He doesn’t know Derek Moore very well, but he likes Derek—and Derek’s dogs (more importantly), and wants to protect him at least until they both know what’s going on.

Andy quickly learns something about Derek—as he’s arrested, it’s revealed that his real name is Robert Klaster. Up until a couple of years ago, Bobby was in a gang in South Jersey. It was growing more and more violent, up to the point that Bobby was the wheelman for a murder. He went to the cops and turned in the men he drove—after their conviction, the state witness protection program moved him to Patterson with a new name.

Bobby’s made the most of this second chance and has become an upstanding citizen and moderately successful business owner—in addition to a great dog shelter volunteer. But now one of the leaders of his old gang has been killed in Patterson, and a tip led Stanton’s men straight to Bobby—with just enough evidence for them to make an arrest. The case is strong, but not air-tight. The question in front of Andy is can he take advantage of the weaknesses while finding the real killer?

And just why would someone bother setting Bobby up now?

The Recurring Cast

Almost the whole (and continually expanding) cast of regulars is around. Edna’s traveling, but we still get a couple of jokes about her work habits. Eddie shows up, but barely gets any dialogue—and not one sports cliché!—I really enjoyed those (see also: Sam’s song-talking), but the rest are about in their typical form.

Which is important—as much as these books are about the mystery/mysteries surrounding Andy’s case, it’s Andy and the crew we come back to spend time with. Including Tara, Sebastian, and Hunter—Sebastian particularly has some good moments in this book.

I do wonder if the supporting cast is getting too large, which is why Edna and Eddie get barely more than mentions. This makes sense, and it’d be good for Rosenfelt to rotate some of these in and out from book to book. It’d be better than cutting any of these for whatever reason—and better than just a token mention.

That said, Rosenfelt gave us some more than typical reflection on members of the cast. It was good to see Andy explain the specialization of work in his firm and for Andy to bring up the ethics of what he gets Sam to do in his narration. Cory’s been good about that in the companion series, but it’s not that frequent in this series.

I’m not sure if I had a point when I started this section, it’s basically turned into “assorted thoughts on the use of the supporting characters.” So let’s see if I can summarize my take on them for this novel—I enjoyed seeing them all, and am glad we got to spend time with them. I do wonder, however, if more judicious use of some of them per book rather than all of them each time, would be a better experience for the reader.

The Holiday-ness of It

So, this is the holiday-themed release for the series this year, as the title and cover image tell you. Very little in the book tells you that, however.

We don’t even get the typical (and always enjoyable) rant about Laurie’s months-long commemoration of Christmas. He gives a compressed version, but it’s not the same. In its place, we get Andy’s extended (and not favorable) review of egg nog. There are a few references to Christmas and a couple of the following holidays—but it’s not focused on too much. Honestly, we spend more time on Ricky’s soccer-fandom* than on any Federal or religious holiday.

* That was great to read about. Poor Andy. I get the same feeling when my kids prefer other SF franchises to Star Trek.

Do I care? Nope. I’ll take any excuse to hang with Andy and the gang. But I figure since it’s part of the theme of the book I should nod in it’s direction.

So, what did I think about ‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas?

This has nothing to do with anything, but Andy references the case in Flop Dead Gorgeous at one point in the book. It’s been a long time since he’s mentioned a previous case (outside of Willie Miller’s, which gets mentioned from time to time). It’s a nice touch to keep the series building on itself.

There were a couple of other things that stood out to me about this book compared to the rest of the series: Bobby’s about as close to an unsympathetic client as Rosenfelt gives us anymore (maybe ever—this is the twenty-eighth book in the series, I don’t remember the client in every one). And it’s good that Rosenfelt gives us some characters that are hard to root for—although a reformed criminal is pretty easy to root for, come to think of it.

Secondly, Andy slips up (at least in his mind, although Laurie disagrees) and it leads to some tragic consequences. Now, no one’s out there thinking that Andy’s infallible by any means, but it’s rare that a move on his part has such an obvious negative consequence. I’m not suggesting that we need to see major mistakes from our hero in every novel—but it’s good to see that just because Andy Carpenter gets involved, not everything is going to be sunshine and roses.

That said, he’s definitely at the point where I have to wonder why the DA keeps taking Andy’s clients to trial—when will they learn? Also, Pete sounds far too convinced that Andy’s client is guilty, you’d think he, in particular, would have more faith in his friend. This is a question countless readers have asked about Hamilton Burger and Lt. Tragg, as well, and the answer is simply: we wouldn’t get to see Andy or Perry Mason do their thing otherwise.

‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas delivered just what I expected—a good time with characters I enjoy, a clever whodunit, some fun moments with fictional dogs, and a satisfying resolution. Rosenfelt delivers that and more—there’s a sweet bonus moment to the resolution that adds a little holiday glow to the book (that works equally well in mid-September as it will closer to the holiday, or at any point in the calendar year that you happen to read this in). You’d do well to pick it up, whether you’re new to the series or a die-hard fan.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.


4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
Irresponsible Reader Pilcrow Icon

PUB DAY REPOST: Flop Dead Gorgeous by David Rosenfelt: An Old Friend Brings a Challenging Case for Andy Carpenter @stmartinspress @netgalley

Flop Dead GorgeousFlop Dead Gorgeous

by David Rosenfelt

DETAILS:
Series: Andy Carpenter, #27
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: July 04, 2023
Format: eARC
Length: 272
Read Date: June 13, 2023


What’s Flop Dead Gorgeous About?

Jenny Nichols went to the same high school as Andy Carpenter—but when he went to law school, she went to California and became a movie star. She comes back to Paterson frequently, even adopting a miniature French poodle from Andy’s rescue foundation and striking up a friendship with Laurie.

She’s staying in Paterson while filming her next movie in New York and Andy hosts a dinner with her and several others—during the dinner, her ex-boyfriend, current producer, and co-star (all the same person) shows up and causes a scene in an effort to see her. While Andy does nothing at all (his strength), Willie, Laurie, and Marcus shut down the producer and his bodyguards. They leave and the night goes on as before and everything seems fine.

Because this is that kind of book in that kind of series, that “fine” doesn’t last long. Jenny wakes up in the middle of the night to find her ex stabbed to death in her kitchen. With no one else in the house—and few people knowing she was staying there at all—the suspect list is really short, and it’s no time at all before Andy is hired to defend Jenny.

Wait, What?

I may be revealing what a horrible (as opposed to irresponsible) reader I am here—but in the second chapter, Rosenfelt said something that stopped me cold. Andy’s hosting that dinner for Jenny with a bunch of his friends and colleagues, including Sam, Willie and Sondra Miller, Vince Saunders—you know, the people you’d expect. Except for this: Marcus and his wife Julie. Did we know Marcus had a wife? Has she shown up a lot and I’ve totally forgotten her? I really don’t think so, but I don’t have time to read 20+ books (I can’t remember when he shows up first, book 2 or 3, I think) to see.

Part of my shock here has to do with the idea of Marcus having any kind of personal life is strange. It’s like when you’re in second grade and see your teacher in the grocery store. But I just have no recollection of this woman.

And, really, that’s not the strangest Marcus moment in the book…

Poor Eddie Dowd

Andy’s on his third associate in the series—the lawyer who does most of the actual lawyering, instead of the investigating and courtroom antics. He’s the guy who puts together briefs, looks up precedents, writes motions, and so on. This associate is usually comedic in some way, too.

Eddie shows up a little bit here, but nowhere is used to lighten the mood—we don’t even get one example of his overuse of sports metaphors. It was likely necessary to cut his jokes for space and/or to make up for the running joke (see below), but I couldn’t help but feel bad for the character. He barely got to do anything—particularly nothing interesting.

The Running Joke

There’s a running joke throughout this book that I can’t bring myself to ruin—or repeat. Initially, I wondered about Rosenfelt’s continued use of it—but in the end, I wouldn’t cut a single instance of it, and the later in the book we got the funnier I found each reappearance.

I don’t remember Rosenfelt going back to the well so often like this often (ever?).* Sure, he repeats jokes from book to book—Andy’s trying to retire, Edna’s lack of interest in work, Marcus’ lack of talking, etc. But fifteen+ appearances of a gag in one novel? I think this is new. I don’t know that we need it in every Andy Carpenter book from now on, but I wouldn’t mind it frequently.

* Fill up the comments here with the times he’s done it before and I’ve forgotten about it, by all means.

So, what did I think about Flop Dead Gorgeous?

I know I complain often about not knowing what to say about an Andy Carpenter novel that I haven’t said a few times before. And really, aside from what I’ve noted in the two sections above, I’m not sure what to say.

The one thing that I want to talk about the most is the one that I cannot discuss—the killer and the motive behind the killing. I can’t even think of a vague way to praise the choices Rosenfelt made in this novel’s structure. But for my money, the choice of the killer, motive, etc. are praiseworthy.

I do like the way Rosenfelt is aging Ricky—especially while not aging Tara—and letting Ricky pay attention to this case. Good character work.

Flop Dead Gorgeous features some of Rosenfelt’s funniest material in years. More of Andy in court (or so it seems) than we’ve been treated to lately. Good character work (both with regulars and new characters)—except for poor Eddie. The best mystery Rosenfelt’s given us in a long time. And Andy’s narrative voice has never been better (rarely been worse, too)—there are a couple of paragraphs that made me stop and note, “This is why I keep coming back to this series.”

We’re twenty-seven books in and I still laughed and was left on tenterhooks to see how Andy was going to prevail. That’s no mean feat. Rosenfelt hasn’t lost a step, and neither has this series. Naturally, I recommend Flop Dead Gorgeous to your attention.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.


4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

Flop Dead Gorgeous by David Rosenfelt: An Old Friend Brings a Challenging Case for Andy Carpenter @stmartinspress @netgalley

Flop Dead GorgeousFlop Dead Gorgeous

by David Rosenfelt

DETAILS:
Series: Andy Carpenter, #27
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: July 04, 2023
Format: eARC
Length: 272
Read Date: June 13, 2023


What’s Flop Dead Gorgeous About?

Jenny Nichols went to the same high school as Andy Carpenter—but when he went to law school, she went to California and became a movie star. She comes back to Paterson frequently, even adopting a miniature French poodle from Andy’s rescue foundation and striking up a friendship with Laurie.

She’s staying in Paterson while filming her next movie in New York and Andy hosts a dinner with her and several others—during the dinner, her ex-boyfriend, current producer, and co-star (all the same person) shows up and causes a scene in an effort to see her. While Andy does nothing at all (his strength), Willie, Laurie, and Marcus shut down the producer and his bodyguards. They leave and the night goes on as before and everything seems fine.

Because this is that kind of book in that kind of series, that “fine” doesn’t last long. Jenny wakes up in the middle of the night to find her ex stabbed to death in her kitchen. With no one else in the house—and few people knowing she was staying there at all—the suspect list is really short, and it’s no time at all before Andy is hired to defend Jenny.

Wait, What?

I may be revealing what a horrible (as opposed to irresponsible) reader I am here—but in the second chapter, Rosenfelt said something that stopped me cold. Andy’s hosting that dinner for Jenny with a bunch of his friends and colleagues, including Sam, Willie and Sondra Miller, Vince Saunders—you know, the people you’d expect. Except for this: Marcus and his wife Julie. Did we know Marcus had a wife? Has she shown up a lot and I’ve totally forgotten her? I really don’t think so, but I don’t have time to read 20+ books (I can’t remember when he shows up first, book 2 or 3, I think) to see.

Part of my shock here has to do with the idea of Marcus having any kind of personal life is strange. It’s like when you’re in second grade and see your teacher in the grocery store. But I just have no recollection of this woman.

And, really, that’s not the strangest Marcus moment in the book…

Poor Eddie Dowd

Andy’s on his third associate in the series—the lawyer who does most of the actual lawyering, instead of the investigating and courtroom antics. He’s the guy who puts together briefs, looks up precedents, writes motions, and so on. This associate is usually comedic in some way, too.

Eddie shows up a little bit here, but nowhere is used to lighten the mood—we don’t even get one example of his overuse of sports metaphors. It was likely necessary to cut his jokes for space and/or to make up for the running joke (see below), but I couldn’t help but feel bad for the character. He barely got to do anything—particularly nothing interesting.

The Running Joke

There’s a running joke throughout this book that I can’t bring myself to ruin—or repeat. Initially, I wondered about Rosenfelt’s continued use of it—but in the end, I wouldn’t cut a single instance of it, and the later in the book we got the funnier I found each reappearance.

I don’t remember Rosenfelt going back to the well so often like this often (ever?).* Sure, he repeats jokes from book to book—Andy’s trying to retire, Edna’s lack of interest in work, Marcus’ lack of talking, etc. But fifteen+ appearances of a gag in one novel? I think this is new. I don’t know that we need it in every Andy Carpenter book from now on, but I wouldn’t mind it frequently.

* Fill up the comments here with the times he’s done it before and I’ve forgotten about it, by all means.

So, what did I think about Flop Dead Gorgeous?

I know I complain often about not knowing what to say about an Andy Carpenter novel that I haven’t said a few times before. And really, aside from what I’ve noted in the two sections above, I’m not sure what to say.

The one thing that I want to talk about the most is the one that I cannot discuss—the killer and the motive behind the killing. I can’t even think of a vague way to praise the choices Rosenfelt made in this novel’s structure. But for my money, the choice of the killer, motive, etc. are praiseworthy.

I do like the way Rosenfelt is aging Ricky—especially while not aging Tara—and letting Ricky pay attention to this case. Good character work.

Flop Dead Gorgeous features some of Rosenfelt’s funniest material in years. More of Andy in court (or so it seems) than we’ve been treated to lately. Good character work (both with regulars and new characters)—except for poor Eddie. The best mystery Rosenfelt’s given us in a long time. And Andy’s narrative voice has never been better (rarely been worse, too)—there are a couple of paragraphs that made me stop and note, “This is why I keep coming back to this series.”

We’re twenty-seven books in and I still laughed and was left on tenterhooks to see how Andy was going to prevail. That’s no mean feat. Rosenfelt hasn’t lost a step, and neither has this series. Naturally, I recommend Flop Dead Gorgeous to your attention.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.


4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

PUB DAY REPOST: Santa’s Little Yelpers by David Rosenfelt: A Little Yuletide Cheer and Two Dangerous Cases Andy Didn’t Ask Santa For

Santa’s Little YelpersSanta’s Little Yelpers

by David Rosenfelt

DETAILS:
Series: Andy Carpenter, #26
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: October 11, 2022
Format: eARC
Length: 304 pg.
Read Date: September 30, 2022
Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org

What’s Santa’s Little Yelpers About?

There’s a new employee at the Tara Foundation—he’s an ex-con, and an ex-lawyer (the former led to the latter). Chris is clear that he was wrongly convicted, but is trying to rebuild some sort of life and move on from there. Andy, Willie, and Sondra are happy to have him on board—especially because one of the shelter’s dogs just had a litter, and Chris has taken mom and her pups into his house until they’re ready to be adopted.

But since this is an Andy Carpenter novel, you know what’s coming next—the dog lover introduced at the beginning of the book is headed for trouble. Chris is told by the major witness in the case against him that he was lying and will recant in court. But before Andy can get anything filed on Chris’s behalf, the witness changes his mind. Chris goes to confront him, the witness is murdered, and, as we all expected, Chris is arrested for that crime.

It’s up to Andy, The K Team, and the rest of Andy’s team to try to prove him innocent of the murder—and maybe the initial crime.

It’s Beginning to Look (a Little) Like Christmas…

I’m not sure why Minotaur keeps doing these Christmas-themed Carpenter novels—there’s very little Christmas-y (or other holidays) in them. The Christmas content in this one is less than usual—don’t worry, there’s enough to justify this being considered a holiday novel or to satisfy those who want that content. But just enough for that—not one sentence more.

I should stress—I’m not complaining about this. I’ll take any excuse for an Andy Carpenter novel, and this gives us two in a year—and some of these “Christmas” novels have been better than the others released that year. I’m just wondering.

So, what did I think about Santa’s Little Yelpers?

Between the 25 previous books in the series and the 3 K-Team books, I like to think I’m pretty familiar with Rosenfelt and his bag of tricks—the series and I are old friends by now, and while I have a ball with these books, I pretty much see most things coming. Or so I thought. Sure, most of the book went as I expected, and I was enjoying it as much as I expected to. And then Rosenfelt pulled off a twist that I didn’t see coming—my interest and appreciation for the book increased.

And then he did it again. I wouldn’t have guessed that by book 29, Rosenfelt would be surprising me twice in one book. I’m not saying that I don’t appreciate the twists and the turns of the stories in most of his books, because I really do—but I usually know something like them is coming—I didn’t see either of these coming at all. (I do think I should’ve been in the ballpark for one of them, though, if I’d been on my game). And because of these reveals, a lot of the book played out in ways I didn’t fully expect. I love it when an author does this.

Are all semi-savvy readers going to experience this? Not necessarily—but you just might.

Even without that—this is a classic Andy Carpenter book, there’s some good Ricky material, Laurie and Marcus get to do their thing—Corey and Simon Garfunkel get some nice moments, too. Sam Willis (very minor spoiler) gets some out-of-the-office work, which is fun. And Andy meets a new judge and prosecutor and doesn’t totally alienate them (I’m not sure he endears himself to either, either).

It’s a good time, a clever case, with some typical quotable lines. Everything an Andy Carpenter fan wants—and, as always, this would be a good jumping on point for a newbie looking for an enjoyable mystery/legal thriller to read.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books via NetGalley in exchange for this post and my honest opinion–thanks to both for this.


4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.


			

Santa’s Little Yelpers by David Rosenfelt: A Little Yuletide Cheer and Two Dangerous Cases Andy Didn’t Ask Santa For

Santa’s Little YelpersSanta’s Little Yelpers

by David Rosenfelt

DETAILS:
Series: Andy Carpenter, #26
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: October 11, 2022
Format: eARC
Length: 304 pg.
Read Date: September 30, 2022
Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org

What’s Santa’s Little Yelpers About?

There’s a new employee at the Tara Foundation—he’s an ex-con, and an ex-lawyer (the former led to the latter). Chris is clear that he was wrongly convicted, but is trying to rebuild some sort of life and move on from there. Andy, Willie, and Sondra are happy to have him on board—especially because one of the shelter’s dogs just had a litter, and Chris has taken mom and her pups into his house until they’re ready to be adopted.

But since this is an Andy Carpenter novel, you know what’s coming next—the dog lover introduced at the beginning of the book is headed for trouble. Chris is told by the major witness in the case against him that he was lying and will recant in court. But before Andy can get anything filed on Chris’s behalf, the witness changes his mind. Chris goes to confront him, the witness is murdered, and, as we all expected, Chris is arrested for that crime.

It’s up to Andy, The K Team, and the rest of Andy’s team to try to prove him innocent of the murder—and maybe the initial crime.

It’s Beginning to Look (a Little) Like Christmas…

I’m not sure why Minotaur keeps doing these Christmas-themed Carpenter novels—there’s very little Christmas-y (or other holidays) in them. The Christmas content in this one is less than usual—don’t worry, there’s enough to justify this being considered a holiday novel or to satisfy those who want that content. But just enough for that—not one sentence more.

I should stress—I’m not complaining about this. I’ll take any excuse for an Andy Carpenter novel, and this gives us two in a year—and some of these “Christmas” novels have been better than the others released that year. I’m just wondering.

So, what did I think about Santa’s Little Yelpers?

Between the 25 previous books in the series and the 3 K-Team books, I like to think I’m pretty familiar with Rosenfelt and his bag of tricks—the series and I are old friends by now, and while I have a ball with these books, I pretty much see most things coming. Or so I thought. Sure, most of the book went as I expected, and I was enjoying it as much as I expected to. And then Rosenfelt pulled off a twist that I didn’t see coming—my interest and appreciation for the book increased.

And then he did it again. I wouldn’t have guessed that by book 29, Rosenfelt would be surprising me twice in one book. I’m not saying that I don’t appreciate the twists and the turns of the stories in most of his books, because I really do—but I usually know something like them is coming—I didn’t see either of these coming at all. (I do think I should’ve been in the ballpark for one of them, though, if I’d been on my game). And because of these reveals, a lot of the book played out in ways I didn’t fully expect. I love it when an author does this.

Are all semi-savvy readers going to experience this? Not necessarily—but you just might.

Even without that—this is a classic Andy Carpenter book, there’s some good Ricky material, Laurie and Marcus get to do their thing—Corey and Simon Garfunkel get some nice moments, too. Sam Willis (very minor spoiler) gets some out-of-the-office work, which is fun. And Andy meets a new judge and prosecutor and doesn’t totally alienate them (I’m not sure he endears himself to either, either).

It’s a good time, a clever case, with some typical quotable lines. Everything an Andy Carpenter fan wants—and, as always, this would be a good jumping on point for a newbie looking for an enjoyable mystery/legal thriller to read.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books via NetGalley in exchange for this post and my honest opinion–thanks to both for this.


4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.


			

PUB DAY REPOST: Holy Chow by David Rosenfelt: Keeping the “Semi” in Andy’s Semi-Retired Status

Holy ChowHoly Chow

by David Rosenfelt

DETAILS:
Series: Andy Carpenter, #25
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: July 5, 2022
Format: eARC
Length: 304 pg.
Read Date: June 20, 2022
Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org

What’s Holy Chow About?

About a year ago, Rachel—a new widow in need of a companion—came into the Tara Foundation’s dog rescue facility and fell in love with a Chow Chow named Lion (who reciprocated)—Andy remembered her fondly. Then she calls out of the blue with a favor—will Andy take the dog if she dies and her stepson, Tony, can’t/won’t take the Lion?

Andy says of course he will. Within a week, Rachel’s been murdered and Andy learns more about this woman. She was rich, in an eye-popping kind of way, and Andy is told to come to the will reading. He’s confused by this, but assumes it has to do with taking possession of Lion (just in an unusual way). The reading is interrupted by the police coming to arrest that stepson for her murder.

Andy visits Tony and decides to take his case—for solid, evidence-based reasons, and not at all because he seems like a nice guy, his Great Dane mix had recently died and he’s excited to take Lion. Okay, that’s not true—Andy smells something off about the case, but it’s (naturally) because Tony’s a nice, dog-loving guy.

The police and prosecution are presenting this as a case of an heir being angry at the size of their inheritance. But Tony doesn’t have a history of being that interested in money. Andy wonders if the murder might have something to do with the fact that Rachel had been taking an interest in her late husband’s company’s day-to-day activities lately. Or is there maybe something else afoot?

It’ll take the combined efforts of Andy’s firm, The K-9 Team, and the Bubeleh Brigade (the retirees-turned-hackers that Andy uses from time to time) to get to the bottom of this.

When Will They Ever Learn?

I’m not wondering why prosecutors don’t immediately drop the case when they hear that Andy has taken on a client. He does have a few guilty verdicts on his record. Although, you would think they’d require the police to tighten up their cases and make sure there aren’t any threads hanging once Andy requests discovery.

But what I wonder is that given his track record, why they don’t take him seriously when he calls the FBI, DEA, Homeland Security, or any other three-lettered agency. (note: I wonder similar things when Joe Pickett starts meddling in non-wildlife issues). I’m not saying they need to roll out the red carpet or anything for him—don’t let Andy Carpenter, of all people, call any shots. But he shouldn’t have to rely on favors from a friend of a friend or threats to get someone to take him seriously anymore.

How does no one have this conversation:

Agent 1: Hey remember that guy who tipped us off to that terrorist organization and saved all those lives a couple of years ago?
Agent 2: That lawyer with the hot wife and the scary bodyguard, sure. Didn’t he also tip us off to the smuggling ring last Winter?
Agent 1: Come to think of it he did.
Agent 2: Why are you bringing him up?
Agent 1: Well, he’s got this theory about _________ now.
Agent 2: Might be worth sitting down with him, looking at his theory.

Although, some of that threatening and calling in favors can make for entertaining scenes. So, y’know…

So, what did I think about Holy Chow?

Andy Carpenter #25? That’s a mind-boggling number. I know it wasn’t that long ago that I read #24, but I don’t think it registered. So, does the Andy Carpenter series have anything new up its sleeve? (I’m tempted to make an old dog/new tricks joke here) I won’t rule it out, but we don’t see much new here.

But that doesn’t make this stale, either. There’s a comfort and a reassurance in knowing Andy’s behavior while the jury deliberates, the fact that Pete and Vince are going to bust his chops and put their food on his tab, that taking a walk with his dogs will help Andy come up with an idea, and so on.

I’m not trying to take a shot at anyone here, but where this feels comfortable and not tired and repetitive is that Andy has settled into these patterns—this is his life. He’s not, say, constantly second-guessing his choice of career (as much as he complains about it), he’s not trying to decide between a sexy Homicide Detective love interest and a lethal and hot Security Specialist love interest after 30+ books. Just to come up with some completely random example that no way could be describing any particular series.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that the twenty-fifth novel in this series might not have a lot that’s new, there’s still a lot of fun to have. And, we might get a glimpse of a different side of a long-running character (a continuation of something from Citizen K-9)

The humor is still present and sharp, the courtroom antics are fun (maybe a little subdued this time compared to others because of the case), and you can’t beat the time hanging with these characters. Both the solution to this case, the reveals involved, and the resolution are as well-delivered as always.

Readers new to the series or those who’ve been around since 2003* will find plenty to enjoy in the pages of Holy Cow. A good time should be had by all.

* Or at least since Open and Shut, no matter when they read it.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.


4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

Holy Chow by David Rosenfelt: Keeping the “Semi” in Andy’s Semi-Retired Status

Holy ChowHoly Chow

by David Rosenfelt

DETAILS:
Series: Andy Carpenter, #25
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: July 5, 2022
Format: eARC
Length: 304 pg.
Read Date: June 20, 2022
Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org

What’s Holy Chow About?

About a year ago, Rachel—a new widow in need of a companion—came into the Tara Foundation’s dog rescue facility and fell in love with a Chow Chow named Lion (who reciprocated)—Andy remembered her fondly. Then she calls out of the blue with a favor—will Andy take the dog if she dies and her stepson, Tony, can’t/won’t take the Lion?

Andy says of course he will. Within a week, Rachel’s been murdered and Andy learns more about this woman. She was rich, in an eye-popping kind of way, and Andy is told to come to the will reading. He’s confused by this, but assumes it has to do with taking possession of Lion (just in an unusual way). The reading is interrupted by the police coming to arrest that stepson for her murder.

Andy visits Tony and decides to take his case—for solid, evidence-based reasons, and not at all because he seems like a nice guy, his Great Dane mix had recently died and he’s excited to take Lion. Okay, that’s not true—Andy smells something off about the case, but it’s (naturally) because Tony’s a nice, dog-loving guy.

The police and prosecution are presenting this as a case of an heir being angry at the size of their inheritance. But Tony doesn’t have a history of being that interested in money. Andy wonders if the murder might have something to do with the fact that Rachel had been taking an interest in her late husband’s company’s day-to-day activities lately. Or is there maybe something else afoot?

It’ll take the combined efforts of Andy’s firm, The K-9 Team, and the Bubeleh Brigade (the retirees-turned-hackers that Andy uses from time to time) to get to the bottom of this.

When Will They Ever Learn?

I’m not wondering why prosecutors don’t immediately drop the case when they hear that Andy has taken on a client. He does have a few guilty verdicts on his record. Although, you would think they’d require the police to tighten up their cases and make sure there aren’t any threads hanging once Andy requests discovery.

But what I wonder is that given his track record, why they don’t take him seriously when he calls the FBI, DEA, Homeland Security, or any other three-lettered agency. (note: I wonder similar things when Joe Pickett starts meddling in non-wildlife issues). I’m not saying they need to roll out the red carpet or anything for him—don’t let Andy Carpenter, of all people, call any shots. But he shouldn’t have to rely on favors from a friend of a friend or threats to get someone to take him seriously anymore.

How does no one have this conversation:

Agent 1: Hey remember that guy who tipped us off to that terrorist organization and saved all those lives a couple of years ago?
Agent 2: That lawyer with the hot wife and the scary bodyguard, sure. Didn’t he also tip us off to the smuggling ring last Winter?
Agent 1: Come to think of it he did.
Agent 2: Why are you bringing him up?
Agent 1: Well, he’s got this theory about _________ now.
Agent 2: Might be worth sitting down with him, looking at his theory.

Although, some of that threatening and calling in favors can make for entertaining scenes. So, y’know…

So, what did I think about Holy Chow?

Andy Carpenter #25? That’s a mind-boggling number. I know it wasn’t that long ago that I read #24, but I don’t think it registered. So, does the Andy Carpenter series have anything new up its sleeve? (I’m tempted to make an old dog/new tricks joke here) I won’t rule it out, but we don’t see much new here.

But that doesn’t make this stale, either. There’s a comfort and a reassurance in knowing Andy’s behavior while the jury deliberates, the fact that Pete and Vince are going to bust his chops and put their food on his tab, that taking a walk with his dogs will help Andy come up with an idea, and so on.

I’m not trying to take a shot at anyone here, but where this feels comfortable and not tired and repetitive is that Andy has settled into these patterns—this is his life. He’s not, say, constantly second-guessing his choice of career (as much as he complains about it), he’s not trying to decide between a sexy Homicide Detective love interest and a lethal and hot Security Specialist love interest after 30+ books. Just to come up with some completely random example that no way could be describing any particular series.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that the twenty-fifth novel in this series might not have a lot that’s new, there’s still a lot of fun to have. And, we might get a glimpse of a different side of a long-running character (a continuation of something from Citizen K-9)

The humor is still present and sharp, the courtroom antics are fun (maybe a little subdued this time compared to others because of the case), and you can’t beat the time hanging with these characters. Both the solution to this case, the reveals involved, and the resolution are as well-delivered as always.

Readers new to the series or those who’ve been around since 2003* will find plenty to enjoy in the pages of Holy Cow. A good time should be had by all.

* Or at least since Open and Shut, no matter when they read it.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.


4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

Pub Day Repost: Best in Snow by David Rosenfelt: Tara Digs Up Trouble for Andy

Best in Snow

Best in Snow

by David Rosenfelt
Series: Andy Carpenter, #24

eARC, 320 pg.
Minotaur Books, 2021

Read: September 10, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s Best in Snow About?

After a snowstorm dumps a healthy amount of snow on the ground, Andy takes his dogs for a walk. Tara, his beloved golden retriever goes digging in that snow and uncovers a body. Not just any body, it turns out, but the mayor.

The evidence points to a reporter that used to work for Andy’s friend, Vince, at his paper. Despite this scandal that he kicked off last year centering on the mayor, Vince believes him and supports him the best he can. One way Vince supports the reporter is that he gets Andy to defend him.

Also, instead of Andy taking in the suspect’s dog for the duration of the trial, Vince does it this time. Vince is not a dog person—he’s not much of a people person, either, so readers can imagine how his housing the dog will go.

Comfort Food

I’m pretty sure I’ve said this (or something like it) before—it’s hard to track in a 24 book series just what I’ve said. But these Andy Carpenter books literary comfort food. You know what you’re going to get, you know you like it, and it just makes you feel good.

For example, you know when it gets to the part about jury deliberation, Andy’s going to say and do a few things. And it’s just as enjoyable to see him say that in this book as it was 20+ books ago.

That said? Rosenfelt managed to surprise me a couple of times and did some stuff in the courtroom that I haven’t seen from him before.

Holiday Content

In the last few years that Rosenfelt has been doing these Christmas-y themed books, I’ve always been mildly surprised at how low little “Holiday Content” there is in the book. This one seemed to be the lightest on Christmas/New Year’s material.

Yeah, the weather and dates help ground the action and show how fast things are moving in terms of the trial. But there’s not much more to it than that. Basically, this is just an excuse to get another Andy Carpenter book this year. And I’m fine with that.

So, what did I think about Best in Snow?

I really enjoyed this—the case was a good puzzle. The courtroom antics and strategies were up to Rosenfelt’s usual standards (maybe a little better than some). The little bit of action that crept in (mostly involving Marcus) was great, too.

The members of Andy’s team were as entertaining as usual and, of course, so were the dogs (including Vince’s new charge).

If you’re a long-time reader of the series, you know what you’re going to get here—with a couple of surprises. If you haven’t tried this series yet, you really should—this is as good a place as any. But once you start, you’ll have a hard time stopping. That’s not a warning, that’s an assurance.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.


4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

Best in Snow by David Rosenfelt: Tara Digs Up Trouble for Andy

Best in Snow

Best in Snow

by David Rosenfelt
Series: Andy Carpenter, #24

eARC, 320 pg.
Minotaur Books, 2021

Read: September 10, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s Best in Snow About?

After a snowstorm dumps a healthy amount of snow on the ground, Andy takes his dogs for a walk. Tara, his beloved golden retriever goes digging in that snow and uncovers a body. Not just any body, it turns out, but the mayor.

The evidence points to a reporter that used to work for Andy’s friend, Vince, at his paper. Despite this scandal that he kicked off last year centering on the mayor, Vince believes him and supports him the best he can. One way Vince supports the reporter is that he gets Andy to defend him.

Also, instead of Andy taking in the suspect’s dog for the duration of the trial, Vince does it this time. Vince is not a dog person—he’s not much of a people person, either, so readers can imagine how his housing the dog will go.

Comfort Food

I’m pretty sure I’ve said this (or something like it) before—it’s hard to track in a 24 book series just what I’ve said. But these Andy Carpenter books literary comfort food. You know what you’re going to get, you know you like it, and it just makes you feel good.

For example, you know when it gets to the part about jury deliberation, Andy’s going to say and do a few things. And it’s just as enjoyable to see him say that in this book as it was 20+ books ago.

That said? Rosenfelt managed to surprise me a couple of times and did some stuff in the courtroom that I haven’t seen from him before.

Holiday Content

In the last few years that Rosenfelt has been doing these Christmas-y themed books, I’ve always been mildly surprised at how low little “Holiday Content” there is in the book. This one seemed to be the lightest on Christmas/New Year’s material.

Yeah, the weather and dates help ground the action and show how fast things are moving in terms of the trial. But there’s not much more to it than that. Basically, this is just an excuse to get another Andy Carpenter book this year. And I’m fine with that.

So, what did I think about Best in Snow?

I really enjoyed this—the case was a good puzzle. The courtroom antics and strategies were up to Rosenfelt’s usual standards (maybe a little better than some). The little bit of action that crept in (mostly involving Marcus) was great, too.

The members of Andy’s team were as entertaining as usual and, of course, so were the dogs (including Vince’s new charge).

If you’re a long-time reader of the series, you know what you’re going to get here—with a couple of surprises. If you haven’t tried this series yet, you really should—this is as good a place as any. But once you start, you’ll have a hard time stopping. That’s not a warning, that’s an assurance.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.


4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

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