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Tuesday, August 2, 2022

Santa's Little Yelpers (Andy Carpenter #26), by David Rosenfelt

 

Publication October 11, 2022

I came for the dogs but stayed for the humor. Seriously, how can anyone possibly ignore the cover of this one with those adorable puppies. Yet, while the dogs of the tale are certainly a huge draw, David Rosenfelt always weaves a story full of not just dogs and humor but deep dives into organized crime, corruption, and how investigations might be done. Heck, he even makes the legal process understandable. And, Andy Carpenter never loses his self-deprecating humor and smart-ass approach. 


I must also admit, I am a biased witness, er, reviewer. As soon as this book was approved for me to review, I immediately set aside what I was then reading and dived into the world of wannabe-retired lawyer Andy, who does some of his best thinking while out walking his dogs. Sebastian never fails to draw a grin from me, btw, for his lack of enthusiasm for said walks. Tara, of course, is the world's best dog. Just ask Andy. He may also have the best investigative team ever, too, and Sam, hacker extraordinary, gets out of the office to spend some time checking out a site in person for a change. True, at that point Andy figures it's a relatively safe bet that Sam won't encounter any problems on this seemingly barely connected town visit. Oh, but even Andy can be wrong sometimes. Sam's encounter with some shady characters sets the stage for the rest of the story, one that ultimately involves diamonds and organized crime. There's something in there about a trip to Disney, too, but Andy assures us he won't be wearing mouse ears.

If the above confuses me, don't despair. I've long since learned to just sit back and enjoy the roller coaster ride that is an Andy Carpenter story. Even though I could have used a few more doses of Marcus, Laurie, as always, has Andy's back. There's even a new lawyer to oppose Andy this go-round and he sounds like a promising foe, albeit one we may wind up liking.


Bottom line, excellent pacing which moves right along, main characters you'll like, lovely dogs with personality, worthy opponents, and.....oh, almost gave away a key element of the plot. You'll have to read it to find out what the big hole in the ground is and why people keep winding up dead. Thanks #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for letting me spend some time with Andy, Laurie, Ricky, Tara, Corey, and, oh, yes, Marcus, not to mention some adorable Golden Retriever puppies.  Readers will love the ending.


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