In this eleventh book in the 'Andy Carpenter' series, the defense attorney represents a murder suspect and cooperates with the FBI. The story can be read as a standalone.
*****
New Jersey criminal defense attorney Andy Carpenter, who's independently wealthy, rarely accepts new cases.
He prefers to hang around with his P.I. girlfriend Laurie.....
…..and his golden retriever Tara.
So when Andy's accountant Sam asks the lawyer to represent his friend, businessman Barry Price, Andy says no way. 👎
Sam is already scheduled to join Barry for a trip on his private plane, so the accountant sets off for Barry's house. Along the way Sam accidently hits a dog with his car, causing serious injuries. Seeing the imploring look in the dog's eyes, Sam rushes it to a nearly animal hospital, and - as a result - misses the plane.
This turns out to be a good thing because Barry's plane crashes.
When the entrepreneur's body is recovered, the police discover that he died before the accident.....and they arrest Barry's wife, Denise, for murder. Sam has a soft spot for Denise so he once again appeals to Andy for help.
Andy hems and haws but eventually takes Denise's case.
Meanwhile, Sam is convinced that the wounded dog is a 'lucky charm' that saved his life, so he adopts the pooch - who happens to be another golden retriever - and names him Crash. As things play out Crash recuperates at Andy's house, where the dog lounges atop the sofa or lies on the recliner.....which he apparently knows how to operate. 😊
Once Andy takes a case, he zealously defends his client. So - with Laurie's help - Andy investigates Barry, to find out who might have wanted him dead. As a result, Andy makes a shocking discovery, which leads to his cooperation with the FBI.
In chapters that alternate with the murder case, we learn that a mysterious terrorist called Carter is organizing a heinous mission.....and that deceased Barry Price may have been involved.
Moreover, Carter immediately kills anyone who might endanger the operation, no matter the circumstances. Thus, whenever Andy uncovers the name of a co-conspirator working with Carter, that person turns up dead.
The death of numerous witnesses seriously hampers Andy's case - and things go from bad to worse when Denise accuses someone else of her husband's murder. All this hoopla means that Andy has to make several court appearances, and his examination of witnesses is clever and funny. In fact the book is full of amusing scenes, and I got plenty of chuckles and some hearty laughs. 😁
Many series regulars make an appearance in the story, including: Edna - Andy's secretary, who never does any work;
Hike - Andy's co-counsel, who's so boring that Andy (jokingly) considers suicide;
Marcus - Andy's brawny bodyguard, who scares everyone in sight;
and Sam's 'assistants' - four elderly Jewish computer hackers, one of whom brings delicious rugelach (pastries).
In the end the murderer is uncovered, and Andy has a dramatic showdown with the terrorists.
I enjoyed the story, but would have liked to see more action from the dogs. Tara usually plays a big part in the story, and this time she and Crash mostly lie around, go for walks, and eat dog biscuits....albeit some homemade ones. (The closest my dog ever got to homemade biscuits is a Christmas 'gift box' with red and green treats. 🧡💚)
Though this may not be the author's best work, it's an entertaining mystery, recommended to fans of the genre.
Rating: 3 stars
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