Hounded

May 19, 2014
In Edgar finalist Rosenfelt’s heartwarming 12th Andy Carpenter mystery (after 2013’s Unleashed), the DA and his partner, Laurie Collins, agree to foster eight-year-old Ricky Diaz, a murder victim’s son, and his dog, Sebastian. Then Andy’s friend and respected Paterson, N.J., police captain Pete Stanton is arrested for killing Ricky’s father, Danny, an ex-con turned police informant. Danny had reported Pete for dealing drugs, and the case solidifies when investigators find $100,000 worth of heroin in Pete’s home. Pete believes that several apparently natural deaths are really contract murders, and Andy, certain that Pete is being framed, plans his friend’s legal defense while searching for the killer. Meanwhile, Laurie asks Andy to consider adopting Ricky and Sebastian, who have adjusted to life with them and their dog, Tara. Despite a few plot holes, this is an entertaining, feel-good read, populated with Jersey gangsters, ruthless criminals, and likable protagonists. Longtime fans and new readers alike will be charmed by wise-cracking, canine-loving Andy. Agent: Robin Rue, Writers House.

David Rosenfelt's protagonist--he's too much of a wise guy to be a hero, although he is sometimes heroic--is Andy Cooper, a superstar defense lawyer who'd rather run his dog rescue agency than practice law. Andy's girlfriend is a private investigator, and his retinue of goofball assistants provides a full complement of computer wizardry, muscle, and crime-busting skills to help him swing into action when, say, his friend Pete, a police detective, is falsely accused of murder. Narrator Grover Gardner totally understands that the tone is both tongue-in-cheek, especially in Andy's first- person sections, and serious about providing a thrill-ride puzzle with a satisfying ending. Gardner somehow gets this "noir lite" feeling just right and leaves the listener thoroughly amused and entertained. B.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine