Description (from cover): “Andy Carpenter isn’t sure what to think when he gets a mysterious phone call from a good friend, policeman Pete Stanton, asking him to drop everything, drive to an unfamiliar address, and bring his girlfriend, Laurie Collins. He certainly isn’t expecting to show up at a crime scene. But that’s exactly where he arrives–at the house where Pete has just discovered the body of ex-convict Danny Diaz. Upstairs are Danny’s now orphaned eight-year-old son and basset hound. And that, Andy discovers, is why he and Laurie were called to the scene–Pete wants them to take care of the boy and the dog so they won’t get thrown into the “system.” This is already asking a lot, but soon Pete needs another big favor from Andy. Pete himself has come under suspicion for Danny’s murder, and he needs defense attorney Andy to represent him…and to find out what really happened in Danny’s house that day.
David Rosenfelt has done it again. Told with his characteristic humor and wit, Hounded is at once a heartfelt story about family and a page-turning legal thriller.”
My Thoughts:
I found the first book in this series quite by accident. I was scrolling through books that were available at my library and came across this series. This series is a little different from what I normally read, but give me a book with twists and turns, courtroom drama and dogs and I will be all over it. I am a paralegal by day and a book blogger by night, so combining my knowledge of the legal system and my love of mysteries in a book was sure to catch my interest. Andy Carpenter is a small town criminal attorney in Patterson, New Jersey. He is sarcastic, he is smart, he is conniving and best of all, he loves dogs. All of the books in this series are full of surprises and you never know what to expect next. Andy must use his legal training and his smarts to help solve impossible cases where the Defendant appears to be nothing but guilty. Somehow, some way, Andy Carpenter always saves the day, but he is constantly going up against the clock to prove his clients’ innocence.
This book is the twelfth book in this series. As you can tell, I have stuck with this one with no complaints. I always know that when I read one of Rosenfelt’s books, I will not be disappointed. I literally read this book in one day as I could not put it down. Andy is a character who I have come to love throughout the series. In this book, Andy’s friend policeman Pete Stanton, who has long been a character in this series, calls him one night and requests that Andy and his girlfriend, Laurie, meet him at a murder scene. When they get there, Pete tells Andy that he must take the murder victim’s eight-year-old son and dog in for safety reasons. Andy reluctantly does so but does so for his friend Pete. Andy comes to find out later that Pete is the number one suspect in the victim’s murder and is arrested for the crime. This time the case is personal when it is one of Andy’s friends who faces life in prison. Andy knows his friend is not guilty of the crime he is charged with, yet all the evidence is stacked high against him.
Sometimes I like to switch it up a little bit and read something a little different. While this is still a mystery, it is a little different from what I normally read as it is not historical or cozy. Nevertheless, this is still one of my favorite series. I love how the author uses Andy’s sarcasm and connections with criminals, the mafia, and somewhat seedy characters to prove his clients’ cases in the courtroom. Nothing is too big or too small for Andy Carpenter. I have waitlisted the next book in this series, Who Let the Dog Out?, from the library and cannot wait to read it to see what Andy does next as there is no telling what trouble he will find himself in next. Another fantastic read by David Rosenfelt in what is coming to be one of my favorite mystery series.
Overall Rating: 5+ stars
Author: David Rosenfelt
Series: Andy Carpenter Mystery #12
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: July 22, 2014
Pages: 320
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Get It: Amazon
Disclaimer: This book was selected by myself at the library, and I reviewed this book without compensation of any kind. All thoughts and opinions are solely mine.
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