Although this is the 31st book in the Andy Carpenter series, it's a prequel in which we first meet criminal defense attorney Andy Carpenter, his beloved dog Tara, and various members of Andy's team.
Andy's father Nelson Carpenter was a respected district attorney in Paterson, New Jersey, and after law school, Andy followed in Nelson's footsteps and became a prosecutor. Three years later, Andy switched sides to become a defense lawyer, and in this story, Andy tries his first case.
*****
At the beginning of the story, Andy is living in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, and is separated from his wealthy socialite wife Nicole Gant - who wants Andy to become a corporate attorney in her father's law firm.
Andy decides to adopt a dog from the local animal shelter, and when Andy spies a beautiful golden retriever named Tara, he knows she's the one.
It so happens Tara is friends with a beagle called Sonny, and Andy says he'll take Sonny as well.
There's a problem though. Sonny belongs to a man called Ryan Tierney, who's about to be tried for a triple murder. Legally, Sonny has to stay in the shelter until Tierney's case is adjudicated. if Ryan gets off, the dog goes back to him; if not, the county takes possession.
There's a loophole though: Tierney can sign a letter giving Andy permission to take Sonny. So Andy makes arrangements to visit Ryan in jail, and when the first words out of the Ryan's mouth are "Is Sonny okay?" Andy knows he's met a fellow dog lover. Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo....Andy takes Tierney's case.
This is Ryan Tierney's story: Ryan was a dispatcher for a transportation company called Pearson Trucking, and Ryan's boss was Stephen Pearson. Recently, Stephen fired Ryan for bogus reasons, and Ryan made angry threats.
Shortly afterward, Pearson Trucking held its semi-annual company party at Morelli's restaurant, a fun celebration with plenty of food and drink. As usual, Stephen Pearson remained throughout the festivities, to drive home folks who'd had a few too many drinks.
Following the party, Stephen and two employees got into his car, then died in an explosion when Stephen turned on his ignition - like what happened to Michael Corleone's first wife in The Godfather.
Ryan Tierney was arrested for the triple homicide, and the prosecution's case is very strong: On the night of Pearson Trucking's party at Morelli's, Tierney's car was parked at a fire hydrant near the restaurant and got a ticket; Tierney is an explosives expert; and Tierney made threats when he was fired.
No worries for Andy....he gets ready to defend Ryan. Andy has a bare-bones law office above a fruit vendor; he hires two investigators - a former cop named Laurie Collins and a tough guy named Marcus Clark....
.....and Andy's accountant Sam, who's a computer hacker extraordinaire, is on hand to help with the case.
Andy also gets to pick the brain of Homicide Captain Pete Stanton - as long as Andy pays for Pete's food and beer at Charlie's Sports Bar.
As Andy delves into the case, he learns that a loan shark named Jason Shore invested $2 million in Pearson Trucking a couple of years ago, and apparently hasn't been repaid.
This gets Andy thinking about nefarious mischief at the trucking company, and when Andy investigates the matter, his life is threatened!! Thus Andy intuits a conspiracy at Pearson Trucking, and comes to believe Ryan was framed. [Truth be told, this is David Rosenfelt's go-to formula for the series. 😉]
Andy and his team uncover information to be used in Tierney's defense, and the trial contains the usual sparring between Andy and the prosecutor, Karen Vincent. This verbal fencing in the courtroom is always a highlight of the books.
Of course Andy eventually figures out what happened at Pearson Trucking, why the homicides occurred, and whodunit.
The cases in Rosenfelt's stories are always complex and interesting, but the REAL pleasure of these novels lies in Andy's love for his dog(s); the interactions among the characters; and Andy's humorous observations, snarky quips, and sarcastic remarks.
For example:
✿ When Andy first brings Tara home, he worries the dog might chew things up, and remarks: "Hopefully she didn't get into Nicole's closet. Nicole has shoes and bags so valuable that she could trade a few for something with bucket seats. But the truth is that an army of golden retrievers would take a month to eat all of Nicole's shoes."
✿ Andy is musing about Tierney's parking ticket on the night of the car bombing, and notes, "If it's true that the driver was my client, and he illegally parked the car while planting a bomb nearby, then I am unlikely to find a Rhodes Scholarship in his background."
✿ When investigator Laurie Collins comes to Andy's spartan office for the first time, Andy realizes he has nothing to offer visitors in the way of food or drink. So Andy asks Laurie, "Are you hungry? I have all kinds of fruit, downstairs at the fruit stand. Maybe you'd like a cantaloupe?"
The book has some unexpected twists and a satisfying ending. I'd recommend this humorous mystery to fans of the Andy Carpenter series, and - for new readers - this is a good place to start.
I had the digital book as well as the audiobook, narrated by Grover Gardner, who does a great job as usual.
Thanks to Netgalley, David Rosenfelt, and Minotaur Books/MacMillan Audio for copies of the book.
Rating: 3.5 stars
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