New Tricks

Starred review from June 1, 2009
In Rosenfelt’s excellent seventh legal thriller to feature Paterson, N.J., defense attorney Andy Carpenter (after Play Dead
), Andy takes on another canine client—Waggy, a Bernese mountain puppy, who’s somehow connected to the murder of Walter Timmerman, “a semi-titan in the pharmaceutical industry.” Andy represents the dog in a custody battle between Diana, Walter’s widow, and her stepson, Steven, who’s a suspect in his father’s shooting. Shortly after Andy picks up Waggy from Diana, she dies in a bomb explosion at her house. When Steven’s arrested for Diana’s murder, Andy agrees to represent him. After Andy’s police chief girlfriend, Laurie Collins, who’s visiting from Wisconsin, is shot and wounded while playing with Waggy and Tara, Andy’s golden retriever, Andy realizes Waggy was the real target. Rosenfelt injects this clever installment with courtroom twists, a peek into some scary DNA research and a romantic surprise.