The K Team

PUB DAY REPOST: Good Dog, Bad Cop by David Rosenfelt: Corey Douglas Starts to Come Into His Own as a PI

DETAILS:
Series: The K Team, #4
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: March 14, 2023
Format: eARC
Length: 288 pg.
Read Date: February 28-March 2, 2023
9781250828965

What’s Good Dog, Bad Cop About?

Pete Stanton, when he’s not building up a tab for Andy Carpenter at their favorite sports bar, is in charge of the Homicide Division of the Paterson PD. He doesn’t have the budget for more police detectives, but he had a healthy budget for consultants (figure that one out if you can). So he’s hired the K-Team to look into some cold cases for him.

The first one they pick is a doozy. A few years ago, a retired detective and mentor to Corey Douglas was found shot on his boat, a woman’s body was also found there. Some suspicions about a murder-suicide were floated, but nothing stuck. Corey wants to look into it, and Pete approves it with one caveat—they have to investigate the murder of that woman’s husband. He, too, was a Paterson police officer who was murdered. Other than his wife, there’s no obvious connection between the cases, and they weren’t investigated that way.

Corey and Laurie knew going in that Pete would assign them both if they requested one—and honestly, they wanted it that way. All three were aware of the game they were playing, and they all did their part. Now, hopefully, the K-Team and help the PPD close these cases and get some justice for the victims.

Simon

This is really Corey’s book—Laurie’s in it a decent amount, but she doesn’t seem to play as vital a role as usual. Marcus isn’t around much—but is when it counts. Where it comes up short is, as is often the case, Simon’s involvement.

We need to see more of him—Corey even jokes about it at one point, saying Simon’s going to be jealous about something he’s up to without him. That’s all well and good–but it’s not enough.

This is a series about detectives who name their team after a dog. Corey’s a former dog handler. The dog needs to be around more. Do we get some good Simon action? Yes. Are the lines about him and the action involving him good? Absolutely (equating him to Marcus is a great idea). But c’mon, Rosenfelt—give us more Simon.

Poor Sam

Okay, it’s been evident for quite some time in the Andy Carpenter books that while Sam is a good accountant, he enjoys his side gig as a computer researcher for Andy (who isn’t impeded by things like ethics or laws), and he’s more than happy to help out with the K-Team.

But these guys are starting to rely on him too much—sure, they do the legwork. They put a lot of the clues together—but Sam got most of those clues for them. And the number of times that Corey called with new tasks for him was borderline outrageous. They’re working this guy to the bone.

It occurs to me that I said something very similar about the computer tech in the DC Maggie Jamieson series. Is there maybe a union for overworked tech geniuses in Mysteries/Procedurals? Maybe Tilly Bradshaw can organize something.

Corey as a PI

Corey is really coming into his own as a PI (at least as far as fictional PIs go). In the first book or two, he tried to do things the right way—he was very aware that he was no longer a cop and had to act in a certain manner because of it. But he still acted like a police officer, with those kinds of instincts.

Laurie had spent enough time as a PI, was more comfortable in the role, and accepted a greater degree of looseness when it came to protocols. I doubt Marcus ever cared about them in the first place. But Corey was pretty uptight and had to be cajoled into doing certain things.

He seems over that now—he’s willing to color outside the lines, ignore certain rules/laws, and so on. It’s about getting the results and taking care of details and technicalities later.*

* I want to stress that I’m okay with this because we’re talking fictional detectives. The casual attitude toward privacy, phone records, financial transactions, and breaking and entering in a real person would be intolerable—I don’t care what their profession is.

It’s great to see him grow and develop. He’s not the same character that he was when we met him in the Andy Carpenter books–or when this series started. I’m sure that growth with slow and/or stop soon—but for now, I’m liking the journey.

The M Word

As much as he’s growing in his new profession, Corey’s got a long way to go on the personal front. Sure, he’s made great strides since meeting and starting to date Dani. He’s in a long-term committed relationship and isn’t thinking of running for the hills or making some lame excuse to break up.

But he can’t even bring himself to say—or think (including in his narration)—the word “marriage.” He will call it “M” throughout the book—and he’s thinking about it pretty frequently in this book. Sure, it’s immature—he realizes it. But that’s not enough. This is also one of those things that the reader has to suspend disbelief and just roll with. If you do, it’s a fun running joke (it’s easy to do, because if anyone can make a somewhat emotionally stunted man entertaining, it’s the creator of Andy Carpenter).

So, what did I think about Good Dog, Bad Cop?

I know this series (like the Carpenter books) aren’t technically cozies—Marcus by himself keeps them from being considered that way. But I don’t know if there is a pair of series (or one) that I feel so comfortable in. Within a paragraph or two of the protagonist showing up, I’m enjoying the book and feel at home.

Sure, there are better entries and lesser entries—characters moves I like more than others, and so on. But I know as soon as I start one of these books that I’m going to have a good time. That’s what happened here.

I’m enjoying Corey’s transformation into a more typical PI—there are a couple of moments where he felt like the 1990s-era Spenser (just with a dog that wouldn’t run from gunfire). I’m not going to complain about that—ever. I enjoy the dynamics between the team, between the team and the police/other law enforcement entities, between the team and Andy, and so on. I simply enjoyed myself here.

The mysteries on top of that were good, too. I admit that I got suckered into a red herring or two, and things that I was sure of along the way were wrong (I was on the right path, and was only one connection away from being in step with Corey).*

* I’m sure I probably sound defensive there, but that’s only because I am.

I don’t know what else to say—this is a good installment in a reliable series. Fans of Carpenter, the K-Team, or lighter mysteries will gobble this one up. Satisfaction assured.

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.

Good Dog, Bad Cop by David Rosenfelt: Corey Douglas Starts to Come Into His Own as a PI

By HCNewton

On March 6, 2023

In David Rosenfelt, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Good Dog, Bad Cop

by David Rosenfelt

DETAILS:
Series: The K Team, #4
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: March 14, 2023
Format: eARC
Length: 288 pg.
Read Date: February 28-March 2, 2023
9781250828965

What’s Good Dog, Bad Cop About?

Pete Stanton, when he’s not building up a tab for Andy Carpenter at their favorite sports bar, is in charge of the Homicide Division of the Paterson PD. He doesn’t have the budget for more police detectives, but he had a healthy budget for consultants (figure that one out if you can). So he’s hired the K-Team to look into some cold cases for him.

The first one they pick is a doozy. A few years ago, a retired detective and mentor to Corey Douglas was found shot on his boat, a woman’s body was also found there. Some suspicions about a murder-suicide were floated, but nothing stuck. Corey wants to look into it, and Pete approves it with one caveat—they have to investigate the murder of that woman’s husband. He, too, was a Paterson police officer who was murdered. Other than his wife, there’s no obvious connection between the cases, and they weren’t investigated that way.

Corey and Laurie knew going in that Pete would assign them both if they requested one—and honestly, they wanted it that way. All three were aware of the game they were playing, and they all did their part. Now, hopefully, the K-Team and help the PPD close these cases and get some justice for the victims.

Simon

This is really Corey’s book—Laurie’s in it a decent amount, but she doesn’t seem to play as vital a role as usual. Marcus isn’t around much—but is when it counts. Where it comes up short is, as is often the case, Simon’s involvement.

We need to see more of him—Corey even jokes about it at one point, saying Simon’s going to be jealous about something he’s up to without him. That’s all well and good–but it’s not enough.

This is a series about detectives who name their team after a dog. Corey’s a former dog handler. The dog needs to be around more. Do we get some good Simon action? Yes. Are the lines about him and the action involving him good? Absolutely (equating him to Marcus is a great idea). But c’mon, Rosenfelt—give us more Simon.

Poor Sam

Okay, it’s been evident for quite some time in the Andy Carpenter books that while Sam is a good accountant, he enjoys his side gig as a computer researcher for Andy (who isn’t impeded by things like ethics or laws), and he’s more than happy to help out with the K-Team.

But these guys are starting to rely on him too much—sure, they do the legwork. They put a lot of the clues together—but Sam got most of those clues for them. And the number of times that Corey called with new tasks for him was borderline outrageous. They’re working this guy to the bone.

It occurs to me that I said something very similar about the computer tech in the DC Maggie Jamieson series. Is there maybe a union for overworked tech geniuses in Mysteries/Procedurals? Maybe Tilly Bradshaw can organize something.

Corey as a PI

Corey is really coming into his own as a PI (at least as far as fictional PIs go). In the first book or two, he tried to do things the right way—he was very aware that he was no longer a cop and had to act in a certain manner because of it. But he still acted like a police officer, with those kinds of instincts.

Laurie had spent enough time as a PI, was more comfortable in the role, and accepted a greater degree of looseness when it came to protocols. I doubt Marcus ever cared about them in the first place. But Corey was pretty uptight and had to be cajoled into doing certain things.

He seems over that now—he’s willing to color outside the lines, ignore certain rules/laws, and so on. It’s about getting the results and taking care of details and technicalities later.*

* I want to stress that I’m okay with this because we’re talking fictional detectives. The casual attitude toward privacy, phone records, financial transactions, and breaking and entering in a real person would be intolerable—I don’t care what their profession is.

It’s great to see him grow and develop. He’s not the same character that he was when we met him in the Andy Carpenter books–or when this series started. I’m sure that growth with slow and/or stop soon—but for now, I’m liking the journey.

The M Word

As much as he’s growing in his new profession, Corey’s got a long way to go on the personal front. Sure, he’s made great strides since meeting and starting to date Dani. He’s in a long-term committed relationship and isn’t thinking of running for the hills or making some lame excuse to break up.

But he can’t even bring himself to say—or think (including in his narration)—the word “marriage.” He will call it “M” throughout the book—and he’s thinking about it pretty frequently in this book. Sure, it’s immature—he realizes it. But that’s not enough. This is also one of those things that the reader has to suspend disbelief and just roll with. If you do, it’s a fun running joke (it’s easy to do, because if anyone can make a somewhat emotionally stunted man entertaining, it’s the creator of Andy Carpenter).

So, what did I think about Good Dog, Bad Cop?

I know this series (like the Carpenter books) aren’t technically cozies—Marcus by himself keeps them from being considered that way. But I don’t know if there is a pair of series (or one) that I feel so comfortable in. Within a paragraph or two of the protagonist showing up, I’m enjoying the book and feel at home.

Sure, there are better entries and lesser entries—characters moves I like more than others, and so on. But I know as soon as I start one of these books that I’m going to have a good time. That’s what happened here.

I’m enjoying Corey’s transformation into a more typical PI—there are a couple of moments where he felt like the 1990s-era Spenser (just with a dog that wouldn’t run from gunfire). I’m not going to complain about that—ever. I enjoy the dynamics between the team, between the team and the police/other law enforcement entities, between the team and Andy, and so on. I simply enjoyed myself here.

The mysteries on top of that were good, too. I admit that I got suckered into a red herring or two, and things that I was sure of along the way were wrong (I was on the right path, and was only one connection away from being in step with Corey).*

* I’m sure I probably sound defensive there, but that’s only because I am.

I don’t know what else to say—this is a good installment in a reliable series. Fans of Carpenter, the K-Team, or lighter mysteries will gobble this one up. Satisfaction assured.

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.

Citizen K-9 by David Rosenfelt: Things Get Personal for the Team with this Cold Case

By HCNewton

On April 6, 2022

In David Rosenfelt, Dogs, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Citizen K-9

by David Rosenfelt

DETAILS:
Series: The K Team, #3
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: March 14, 2022
Format:  Hardcover
Length: 263 pg.
Read Date: April 4-5, 2022

What’s Citizen K-9 About?

Due to budget cuts, Capt. Pete Stanton of Homicide has to be careful how he uses his too-small staff. He does however, have a decent discretionary fund that he can’t use for his staff, but can use on consultants. Seeing the work that The K Team has done in the past gives him the idea to hire them to close a cold case or two.

The first case the team picks centers on a High School Reunion that Corey attended and Laurie crashed. Marcus has no connection to the case but doesn’t care, he’s in. Two attendees, who really didn’t seem to know each other during High School, left early together and were never seen again. For seven years now, there’s been occasional speculation (following the initial, inconclusive investigation) about what happened to the pair, ranging from running off to start new lives under new identities to lying in a cold grave. Corey and Laurie have been curious about it, as they were there, but have never had reason to do anything about it until now.

Due to a combination of luck, skill, and a willingness for a witness to say something they withheld before, it doesn’t take long for the cold case to heat up. Once one of the victim’s connection to drug dealers and organized crime comes to light, it gets really hot, and legitimate threats are leveled at Corey and his girlfriend.

Second Verse, Same as the First…

I never do this, but I glanced at what I said about The K Team #2, Animal Instinct before I wrote this, and two of the sections are basically what I’d planned on writing for this post. Now I realize that most readers of this blog aren’t going to remember what I posted on March 31, 2021—but still, I feel awkward about it.

It’s not going to stop me, because I still think it should be covered (and I’m not creative/energetic enough to come up with something new). I just thought I should say that I’m aware that I’m in danger of going back to the well too many times.

Trying to find the silver lining here, if I’m being consistent in my comments about the series, I guess that means that the author is being consistent in writing the series. And since I like the books, that promises good things for the future.

Simon Garfunkel

We need more Simon Garfunkel in these books.

I’m not looking for Corey to become Bernie Little, I really don’t want that. But, if you’re going to name your Detective Agency after the retired K-9 member of your team, the dog had better be around more. I get that sometimes you need to leave the dog at home (and at least for one point, Corey’s narration explains why Simon isn’t around). It’s not enough to have him around occasionally, Simon needs to be by Corey’s side almost all of the time.

This goes for the author, too—If you’re going to refer to the dog in the name of your series, use him. Especially if he’s going to be on the cover of each novel.

Dani

Dani, Corey’s significant other, gets more time in this novel than she has in the previous ones—but not too much. Her increased presence fits plot-wise—and, even if she was just around for the sake of Corey’s character development, that’d be enough justification.

The challenges for Dani and their relationship are significant and needed to happen—it leads to some needed conversations between the two. This aspect of the novel is the best part about it—even more than the Team’s case.

A good deal about this series is what’s changing for Corey in his retirement from the Police Department—his attitudes towards legal processes, his ability to/interest in a committed relationship, his ability to put up with a particular defense attorney, and so on. His relationship with Dani is the biggest change to his way of living/thinking.

It’s a steady and believable change with him—this old dog (if you’ll forgive the expression—is learning some new, and needed, tricks.

Over the course of the three novels of this series, their jobs in the three or four Andy Carpenter books that have used The K Team, and whatever things they’ve done in the meantime, a real camaraderie has developed between Laurie, Corey, and Marcus. It’s great to see—it’s not the same feel that exists between the characters in the Andy Carpenter books.

One way this shows up is that Rosenfelt takes a long-running joke from the Carpenter books (I’m going to guess it’s been around for at least 23 books) and tweaks it—adding a new layer to it. I laughed out loud at this (something I haven’t done for at least 20 books).

This book, more than the others, is not a thinly-disguised Andy Carpenter book, and I’m glad to see it.

So, what did I think about Citizen K-9?

I really enjoyed this. David Rosenfelt has been a long-time (since before I started this blog) consistent source of entertaining reads and I’m glad to see that even with an increased output from him over the last couple of years, that hasn’t changed. I actually think this might be helping the books improve somehow.

Citizen K-9 features a clever mystery, some great character moments, some good slow-but-steady character development, a nice (if under-used) dog, who isn’t just around for window dressing, and a strong narrative voice. That’s pretty much everything I need to recommend a book, which I do. The sweet ending is a cherry on top.

This’d be a decent jumping-on point to either The K Team series or a sideways way of getting on-board with the Andy Carpenter series. If you like the spin-off, you’ll like the original. Check them out.

3.5 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: Animal Instinct by David Rosenfelt: The K Team Gets the Chance to Right an Old Wrong

By HCNewton

On April 6, 2021

In David Rosenfelt, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Animal Instinct

by David Rosenfelt
Series: The K Team, #2

eARC, 304 pg.
Minotaur Books, 2021

Read: March 22-23, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s Animal Instinct About?

Every retired police officer or PI in fiction (maybe in real life, too, I don’t know), has at least one case, one incident, one moment that haunts them. If only they’d done X, if only they’d been able to solve Y, or stop Z from happening. Corey Douglas has one of those—a few years ago, he responded to a call about domestic violence. He was unable to make any arrests that night, or anything else–he was convinced that the woman had been abused, but she denied it.

Years later, this woman is murdered and Corey’s out to do the one thing he couldn’t do before—get justice for her. He keeps telling himself that he wants the killer arrested, but really, he wants to finally arrest the boyfriend for the murder. Laurie and Marcus, his partners in the private investigator business—as well as his dog, Simon Garfunkel, a retired K-9 officer, join him in this investigation that turns out to be far more than anyone expected. The team needs Laurie’s smarts and ability with people, Marcus’s mysterious abilities (and brute force), Simon Garfunkel’s teeth, and Corey’s determination—and more than a little luck—to get to the bottom of this.

Especially when more murders are committed.

Simon Garfunkel

The collective name for this group of investigators is The K Team, because of their K-9 member, right? So why doesn’t he get more to do? I realize he’s a dog. I’m not suggesting he join Sam in the hacking, or sit on stakeouts with Marcus (although I admit, I would pay good money for 10 pages or so of that). But Corey leaves him home a lot—yes, he retrieves him as quickly as possible and does what he can to spend time with him. But, I think he could do more.

When Simon Garfunkel is given a chance to do something—he’s great. And even when he’s just there for atmosphere, or as a conversational/narrative prop for Corey—he’s a handy addition. I just think we could get some more of him. Bernie Little brings Chet to many more places that Corey tries. Maybe that’s a function of Corey living in New Jersey and not the Southwest, and I think I could accept that as an explanation.

There’s a scene toward the beginning of the novel where Corey takes Simon to the beach for the first time—and like most dogs, Simon loves the water and the sand. It’s his enjoyment of the setting that gets Corey, who’s apathetic at best toward the beach, to embrace the beach. I couldn’t have enjoyed this scene more unless I was on the beach with them.

Corey’s Other Relationship

Of course, the reason that Corey’s at the beach for Simon to enjoy is his girlfriend, Dani. She’s one of the best things about this book.

We’re told in the last book that Corey’s not really had any serious relationships as an adult, he’s always looking for the reason to end things. He just doesn’t want to end things with Dani. Whether it’s because now that he’s retired, he has time in his life for things other than police work; he’s finally found “The One” (or a right one, depending on how you like to think of that); or he’s finally maturing—or any combination of the three. Corey’s letting himself grow, letting himself want things that he hasn’t before—even at his age.

I love a character like that—I want to read about them, they’re inherently interesting. And Rosenfelt is writing this just right—a little sappy and a little realistic.

It helps that Dani’s a pretty fun character—but we could learn a bit more about her. Still, I like the way Corey seems to be changing because of her influence, I like him more than I did when we first met him in the Andy Carpenter series.

My Concern…

This is about The K Team as a series as much as it is about this book specifically.

There’s just too much Andy Carpenter.

Sure, this is a spin-off from that series, and as Andy’s married to Laurie and they largely work out of the Carpenter house, he’s going to be around. I don’t mind, but he has his own series, and gets two books a year lately. Not only do we need more Simon Garfunkel, but we also need more Laurie and Marcus.

I like Andy Carpenter, I’ve read 22 novels about him (some more than once)—and I’m probably going to read at least two novels in that series this year. I thought Animal Instinct was a good way to use Andy, and I’m absolutely glad that I read this book. I just think for The K Team series to have any long-term success, they need to stand on their own feet more and not be propped up by Andy.

The Unexpected Highlight

I don’t know if you typically read Acknowledgments pages/sections. I tend to glance at them, but like many people, I don’t spend that much time with them. So let me draw your attention to the Acknowledgments for this novel—any David Rosenfelt novel, really. You simply must read them. They are the silliest, goofiest writing Rosenfelt ever does (and in some cases, that’s saying something) and never fail to make me smile.

So, what did I think about Animal Instinct?

So I have some long-term concerns with the series and a couple of things I wasn’t crazy about when it comes to Animal Instinct, but I don’t want those to overshadow the central point I have about this book: it’s good*. I had a lot of fun while reading it, and while I was satisfied with the ending, I wish it didn’t end when it did, because that meant it’d be a few months before I got to spend more time with any of the characters in this book.

* I’ve said it on this site before, I’ll say it again: It takes few words to praise something, it takes several to fully explain a concern, problem, or even mild annoyance. As such, they tend to overshadow the praise. I think that’s what is happening here. I don’t mean it to.

David Rosenfelt is one of the most reliably entertaining novelists in Crime Fiction today. Every time I sit down with one of his books, I know I’m in for a good read. Characters you want to spend time with. Animal Instinct is a solid story with some great twists—and well-executed reveals. Corey’s got a great narrative voice and his sense of humor (which isn’t quite the same as Andy Carpenter’s) permeates the book and livens up the text just enough when things are grimmest.

If you have no idea who Andy Carpenter, Corey Douglas, Simon Garfunkel, or the rest are? Don’t let that stop you from trying this, it absolutely works as a jumping-on point—both to this series and the books it’s spun off from. I’m in this series for the long haul, and I think you’ll want to be, too.

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

3.5 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.

Animal Instinct by David Rosenfelt: The K Team Gets the Chance to Right an Old Wrong

By HCNewton

On March 31, 2021

In David Rosenfelt, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Animal Instinct

by David Rosenfelt
Series: The K Team, #2

eARC, 304 pg.
Minotaur Books, 2021

Read: March 22-23, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s Animal Instinct About?

Every retired police officer or PI in fiction (maybe in real life, too, I don’t know), has at least one case, one incident, one moment that haunts them. If only they’d done X, if only they’d been able to solve Y, or stop Z from happening. Corey Douglas has one of those—a few years ago, he responded to a call about domestic violence. He was unable to make any arrests that night, or anything else–he was convinced that the woman had been abused, but she denied it.

Years later, this woman is murdered and Corey’s out to do the one thing he couldn’t do before—get justice for her. He keeps telling himself that he wants the killer arrested, but really, he wants to finally arrest the boyfriend for the murder. Laurie and Marcus, his partners in the private investigator business—as well as his dog, Simon Garfunkel, a retired K-9 officer, join him in this investigation that turns out to be far more than anyone expected. The team needs Laurie’s smarts and ability with people, Marcus’s mysterious abilities (and brute force), Simon Garfunkel’s teeth, and Corey’s determination—and more than a little luck—to get to the bottom of this.

Especially when more murders are committed.

Simon Garfunkel

The collective name for this group of investigators is The K Team, because of their K-9 member, right? So why doesn’t he get more to do? I realize he’s a dog. I’m not suggesting he join Sam in the hacking, or sit on stakeouts with Marcus (although I admit, I would pay good money for 10 pages or so of that). But Corey leaves him home a lot—yes, he retrieves him as quickly as possible and does what he can to spend time with him. But, I think he could do more.

When Simon Garfunkel is given a chance to do something—he’s great. And even when he’s just there for atmosphere, or as a conversational/narrative prop for Corey—he’s a handy addition. I just think we could get some more of him. Bernie Little brings Chet to many more places that Corey tries. Maybe that’s a function of Corey living in New Jersey and not the Southwest, and I think I could accept that as an explanation.

There’s a scene toward the beginning of the novel where Corey takes Simon to the beach for the first time—and like most dogs, Simon loves the water and the sand. It’s his enjoyment of the setting that gets Corey, who’s apathetic at best toward the beach, to embrace the beach. I couldn’t have enjoyed this scene more unless I was on the beach with them.

Corey’s Other Relationship

Of course, the reason that Corey’s at the beach for Simon to enjoy is his girlfriend, Dani. She’s one of the best things about this book.

We’re told in the last book that Corey’s not really had any serious relationships as an adult, he’s always looking for the reason to end things. He just doesn’t want to end things with Dani. Whether it’s because now that he’s retired, he has time in his life for things other than police work; he’s finally found “The One” (or a right one, depending on how you like to think of that); or he’s finally maturing—or any combination of the three. Corey’s letting himself grow, letting himself want things that he hasn’t before—even at his age.

I love a character like that—I want to read about them, they’re inherently interesting. And Rosenfelt is writing this just right—a little sappy and a little realistic.

It helps that Dani’s a pretty fun character—but we could learn a bit more about her. Still, I like the way Corey seems to be changing because of her influence, I like him more than I did when we first met him in the Andy Carpenter series.

My Concern…

This is about The K Team as a series as much as it is about this book specifically.

There’s just too much Andy Carpenter.

Sure, this is a spin-off from that series, and as Andy’s married to Laurie and they largely work out of the Carpenter house, he’s going to be around. I don’t mind, but he has his own series, and gets two books a year lately. Not only do we need more Simon Garfunkel, but we also need more Laurie and Marcus.

I like Andy Carpenter, I’ve read 22 novels about him (some more than once)—and I’m probably going to read at least two novels in that series this year. I thought Animal Instinct was a good way to use Andy, and I’m absolutely glad that I read this book. I just think for The K Team series to have any long-term success, they need to stand on their own feet more and not be propped up by Andy.

The Unexpected Highlight

I don’t know if you typically read Acknowledgments pages/sections. I tend to glance at them, but like many people, I don’t spend that much time with them. So let me draw your attention to the Acknowledgments for this novel—any David Rosenfelt novel, really. You simply must read them. They are the silliest, goofiest writing Rosenfelt ever does (and in some cases, that’s saying something) and never fail to make me smile.

So, what did I think about Animal Instinct?

So I have some long-term concerns with the series and a couple of things I wasn’t crazy about when it comes to Animal Instinct, but I don’t want those to overshadow the central point I have about this book: it’s good*. I had a lot of fun while reading it, and while I was satisfied with the ending, I wish it didn’t end when it did, because that meant it’d be a few months before I got to spend more time with any of the characters in this book.

* I’ve said it on this site before, I’ll say it again: It takes few words to praise something, it takes several to fully explain a concern, problem, or even mild annoyance. As such, they tend to overshadow the praise. I think that’s what is happening here. I don’t mean it to.

David Rosenfelt is one of the most reliably entertaining novelists in Crime Fiction today. Every time I sit down with one of his books, I know I’m in for a good read. Characters you want to spend time with. Animal Instinct is a solid story with some great twists—and well-executed reveals. Corey’s got a great narrative voice and his sense of humor (which isn’t quite the same as Andy Carpenter’s) permeates the book and livens up the text just enough when things are grimmest.

If you have no idea who Andy Carpenter, Corey Douglas, Simon Garfunkel, or the rest are? Don’t let that stop you from trying this, it absolutely works as a jumping-on point—both to this series and the books it’s spun off from. I’m in this series for the long haul, and I think you’ll want to be, too.

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

3.5 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: The K Team by David Rosenfelt: A New PI Trio Takes a Bite Out of Crime

By HCNewton

On March 24, 2020

In Andy Carpenter, David Rosenfelt, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

The K Team

by David Rosenfelt
Series: The K Team, #1

eARC, 304 pg.
St. Martin’s Press, 2020

Read: March 13-16, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

After 20+ books (and counting!) in a series, what’s an author to do? Well, if you have the dog food bills that David Rosenfelt must have (seriously, check out the photos on his website or Facebook page of the dogs he and his wife shelter), you create a spin-off. I found myself comparing the books a lot in the paragraphs that follow—I won’t make a habit out of it as the series progresses, but I kept comparing them as I read, so that’s how I think of the book. I hope it doesn’t get too tiring.

In 2019’s Dachshund Through the Snow, we met Former Paterson NJ police officer Corey Douglas and his German Shepherd partner, Simon Garfunkel. At the end of that novel, Corey had decided to join forces with Laurie and Marcus to form a detective agency. This is their first case—and what a way to start!

Longtime Andy Carpenter antagonist, the harsh, yet fair, Judge Henry Henderson (aka Hatchet) hires the team to look into a blackmailer trying to pressure the judge into something. He doesn’t know what the blackmailer wants yet, but he knows there’s enough to damage (probably fatally!) his career. The arrangement they enter into means that Andy won’t be able to try a case before Hatchet again—which bummed me out, he wasn’t a constant presence in those novels, but a frequent one—probably the only judge’s name I recognized. I enjoyed watching Andy squirm around the judge.

But now, it’s Hatchet’s turn to squirm. The blackmailers (well, potential blackmailers—he’s quick to note they haven’t actually broken the law yet), have some manufactured evidence to make it look like he’s crooked. He’s not, and has enough of a reputation and goodwill to weather the storm. Probably. But the hint of scandal would taint his record and probably force him off the bench.

So, Corey, Laurie, and Marcus get to work—looking into cases the judge presided over and could be alleged to have influenced. Before long, the threats get more real and bodies start appearing (or, disappearing, in some cases). And well, that’s really all I can safely say. But fans of the Andy Carpenter books will be familiar with the way things play out—and new readers will be entertained by it, too.

Marcus doesn’t do much more (especially on the dialogue front) in The K Team than he does in a typical Andy Carpenter book, he’s basically an unintelligible superhuman (yeah, the jokes about the protagonist’s inability to understand him are of the same genus as the ones in the Carpenter novels, but they’re a different species coming from Corey—I was surprised at how refreshing that was). I think he probably gets a little more space devoted to him than he typically gets, but he does basically what we’re used to seeing. There are a couple of exceptions, including what I believe is the longest hand-to-hand fight scene we’ve seen from him.

Even Laurie isn’t featured as much as I expected. Actually, that’s an understatement. I assumed that this would be Laurie’s series with a couple of sidekicks—or maybe an equally Laurie and Corey series with Marcus showing up to do his thing every now and then. Maybe a third person kind of thing alternating between focusing on each character. But no, this is first person from Corey’s POV—so we get a lot of Laurie, but most of what she did was off-screen, only teaming up with Corey for bigger moments or to discuss what they’d done together. It’s not what I expected, but I can live with it (I just wish she’d get to shine a bit more).

So, Corey…we get to know him a bit better here than we did in his first appearance, obviously. He’s single—deliberately—and very devoted to Simon (but not the same way that Andy is to Tara), they worked together and are now shifting to a new career together. Corey’s a bit more willing to leave Simon out of some of the action than say, Bernie Little is (eager, occasionally, for Simon’s safety). He’s a movie buff—a little bit of a nerd about them, it seems—and I look forward to seeing this more. He’s good at his job, still a straight arrow (the kind of cop he was), but is discovering that he’s more willing to color outside the lines than he thought. I’m looking forward to getting to know him better.

The humor is a similar style to the one employed in the Andy Carpenter books, but it’s not Andy’s voice in a different body. Corey is distinctive, but fans of the one will tend to enjoy the other. That’s half the point (maybe 70% of the point) of a spin-off, right? Similar, but not equal—that applies for the voice, the humor, and the story.

If you’ve never read an Andy Carpenter book, don’t worry. Just think of this as the good idea it is—a team of PI’s working together instead of a lone operator with an occasional side-kick. A trio is so rare in the PI fiction biz that I can’t wait to see it at work more in future installments. I enjoyed this enough that I’m ready to read the next two at least. There was so much set-up to The K Team that Rosenfelt almost had to shoe-horn the plot around it. This was a good intro to the series, but I’m looking forward to seeing what Rosenfelt has in store for the team now that he’s been able to establish things.

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

3.5 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.

The K Team by David Rosenfelt: A New PI Trio Takes a Bite Out of Crime

By HCNewton

On March 19, 2020