Not having read books written by David Rosenfelt before now, Rescued, the seventeenth book in the Andy Carpenter series was the perfect story to whet my reading appetite for more from this author and this series.

With a clever and fast-paced dialog, layers of the story are peeled away strategically to enhance the gravity or levity of specific moments… not to mention a very realistic, and frightening, premise this story was a page-turner. As the story evolves, the author is masterful at tying all the moving parts together seamlessly just as the story’s crescendo peaks. With plenty of red herrings and twists and turns, that crescendo was a complete surprise...the absolutely best type of story.

With my Andy Carpenter series interest now piqued, I'm now finding it necessary to read the first sixteen installments before continuing.

This ARC book was complimentary... provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

All I have to say is keep them coming Mr. Rosenfelt! My daughter turned me on to this wonderful series about a reluctant lawyer who loves dogs and sports!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

This is the 17th book in the Andy Carpenter mystery series by David Rosenfelt, although I have only read a handful. They can be read as standalone books, but you will miss some of the personal storylines. Andy is a defense attorney who really wants to retire, but is convinced to take his latest case by his wife Laurie. Andy and Willy are called to a rest stop to pick a load sixty-two dogs that have been found on a truck. The driver of the truck has been killed and the murderer has fled the scene, but left a not for the police. He admits he shot the driver, but claims it was self-defense. It turns out the man is an ex-cop and is Laura's ex-fiancée. All seems in line to set up a case for self-defense, except that there is no knife to be found. As Andy reluctantly begins preparing his case, he calls in all the usual supports he has to gather information. As the story progresses, Andy realizes that there is a lot more going on that meets the eye.

This is an exciting and interesting adventure with defense lawyer Andy Carpenter and his entourage. They are funny, fast-paced, have an abundance of twists, and suspense. This story has great characters as well as dogs. The dogs always play some sort of role in the mystery and the investigation. In this case, it is a missing dog that adds a missing piece. David Rosenfelt does a great job mixing suspense and humour. This case seems pretty hopeless, with no evidence for self-defense, but there are clues dropped that allows the case to have a surprising outcome. This is not a cozy mystery, it is a wonderful mystery with a few cozy elements. I definitely need to read more of the books in this series.

Rescued: An Andy Carpenter Mystery (An Andy Carpenter Novel Book 17)
by David Rosenfelt
3 ⭐⭐⭐
This is my second read by this author and well it left me with mixed emotions. ! The story starts out in first person then It shifts to 3 rd person. It started out really good , then kind of died once The dogs were rescued. The storyline was a bit confusing to me. I did however love the humor mixed into the story. It was a pretty quick read with short chapters. I somewhat enjoyed the story, but would have loved to see more action from the dogs . The story revolves around Andy's initially-reluctant defense of his wife's former love, who's been charged in the murder of a driver who was transporting dogs from Southern shelters to northern rescue groups for adoption. The alternating points of view in the writing also made it a bit confusing as well. Esp when it changed points of view in the same chapter without warning. This was my second book by this author and despite wanting to love these books i did not care for either one so I'm guessing these are not for me.

4.0 out of 5 stars
Entertaining
ByScarlettleighon October 22, 2018

Format: Audible Audiobook

I've come to expect sort of far-fetched plots but the character interaction made this enjoyable. Thoroughly enjoyed the fact that Andy agreed to defend Lori's ex-boyfriend. Imaginative plotting on the crime set-up. And of course dogs!

A great addition to the Andy Carpenter series. The core cast feel like family after 17 books, and I look forward to spending time with them in each new book. The court room drama is always satisfying. This particular mystery builds from the tiniest of clues, and it kept me guessing all the way to the end. I love this whole series! Highly recommend.

Lawyer Andy Carpenter keeps trying to retire, but every time he is close, something or one comes up to put him back in his lawyer mode. This time, it is a truckload of abandoned dogs, heading to shelters and (hopefully) adoption, with the truck driver shot. The man accused happens to be Andy’s wife Laurie’s ex, who also happens to be an ex-cop like Laurie. Thus, Andy is in a bad spot. Though he prefers not to, Andy accepts Dave Kramer, the accused, as a client, in deference to Laurie. In the past, Dave Kramer has argued with and threatened the dead man and has a real past with him but claims he had not seen or heard from the dead man before a telephone call, out of the blue, asking to meet with him. Dave, ever the ex-cop, went to the meeting prepared, but not for being attacked with a knife the dead man was carrying—a knife that disappears once the man is dead and the authorities are on site. As Andy delves into this killing in preparation for Dave Kramer’s trial, he turns over strange clue after strange clue, as the case moves in a myriad of twists and turns. There is a lot more to this killing than meets the eye, and Andy has his hands full trying to convince anyone else besides his team to look at things from a different perspective. In addition, the dogs, who are now doing well under the auspices of Andy’s Tara Foundation, hold keys to the solution that Andy cannot figure out and which turns out to be interesting and a bit different.

The mystery is fast moving and very interesting. However, having read the other books by this author in this series, I kept hoping there would be more involvement, on the part of the dogs. It seems like the author just threw in some words/passages about the dogs every now and then, but there was little else. Yes, they became important towards the end and, in fact, were important to the solution of the crime, but there just was not much of them in the tale. As in the other books in the series, Andy comes across as a genuine family man—who just happens to have a load of money (though he does not really flaunt it in any of the books—he just can safely say, again and again, he does not have to work), who takes his job as a lawyer seriously and who has a serious affection for canines. The characters in the book were well-developed, though, at this point in the series, most need little or no development, as most have appeared before. Still, the book is a solid stand-alone, and the reader does not need to have read any of the other books in the series to follow this one. As usual, dog lover that I am, I thoroughly enjoyed this one, though, as I said, I would have preferred a more prominent role for the dogs. If you enjoy a fast-paced, interesting mystery, with a cast of characters who care more about their jobs than almost anything else except dogs and their families (who am I kidding—the dogs are family!), this is a good book for you. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

Another great one by David Rosenfelt! As a dog lover, this is a favorite series and I appreciate the ARC from #netgalley, David Rosenfelt and St. Martins Press.

This is the 17th in the Andy Carpenter Series and its a fabulous read as is the entire series. I love this writer for his love of all animals, his humor and well crafted writing style .
I recommend the entire series very highly.
Thank you for the ARC to the publisher and Net Galley. My personal opinions are my own.
This next in series is doggone good mystery canine fun. Its a perfect read for all animal loves.
Our protagonist Andy Carpenter is a defense attorney with a heart. He owns a dog rescue organization which he is devoted to. The care and rescue of the dogs are his primary concern. Its is very admirable to read about the compassion and care that goes into this organization.
He is soon called away from his rescue organization to defend his ex wife's ex fiancé. This is not a defense case he wants to take on with obvious complications. A driver of a truck carrying rescue dogs was murdered and the ex fiancé is the primary suspect unless Andy can prove otherwise.
As the case progresses many suspects come to light amid much humor and wonderful rescue information as the key with these enjoyable mysteries. I loved the sleuth, the supporting characters and of course the dogs.
Each book is highly enjoyable and a great mystery read.

This is the 17th Andy Carpenter book by Rosenfelt and, like his other books, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Andy is an attorney who only takes cases that he has a personal interest in. His latest case is tough. The defendant is a former boyfriend of his wife, Laurie, and he has admitted to the crime as well.

The Andy Carpenter books are some of my favorites for several reasons. First, they are witty and the dialogue is fast-paced. Second, the mysteries are always interesting and the courtroom scenes are well written. But the thing I like best about the series are the characters, both human and canine. Andy’s wife, Laurie, Willie and Sondra who operate The Tara Foundation dedicated to helping dogs find their forever homes, Andy’s staff and even the bad guys are all memorable. They almost feel like old friends – except maybe for the bad guys. I wish everyone of them were my next door neighbor. If it’s even possible to choose, one of my favorites is Sam. He’s an accountant by day but loves to be part of the action when Andy is working on a case. Come to think of it, I’d like to be part of that action, too!

All of the Andy Carpenter books can be read as a stand-alone but I recommend that they be read in order. It is definitely worth it to meet the characters from the very beginning. They will become your friends too!

Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

If I ever need a lawyer, I want Andy Carpenter in my corner and, if I'm not in trouble, I want Andy for a friend. And the rest of his crew, too. He is a very special person with a great sense of humor and a love for dogs that won't quit. Here we are at the 17th in the series and Andy comes to the aid of an ex-cop turned private investigator (and he just so happens to be the ex-boyfriend of Andy's wife, Laurie) along with a big rig full of rescue dogs. Both are in dire need of Andy's help. He claims that he shot and killed the victim in self defense but there isn't anything to back up his story. Case closed as far as the cops are concerned but Andy is as tenacious as they come. He is good at connecting the dots and he has another death the cops don't believe could be murder. It was a case connected to his current client.
Reading an Andy Carpenter mystery is always guaranteed to good for whatever ails me. Always a very well crafted legal mystery, full of twists and turns and a few red herrings, and he plays fair with the clues. Add to that - lots of humor. The balance of the story, the crew, the humor and, oh, the dogs! - it's the perfect mix.
It's not really necessary to read the series in order but, to understand how Andy got his buckets of money which allows him to have his quirky style of law practice and his love of dogs and baseball I would say start with the first book to set the stage. This is a series not to be missed. As I have read every one of the series, I now eagerly await the next entry, Deck the Hounds, coming out October 16, 2018.

“Rescued” by David Rosenfelt is book seventeen in his Andy Carpenter series, but it is not necessary to have read the previous books to enjoy this one. Rosenfelt is a superb raconteur (look for this reference in the book), and new readers will be able to jump right into the storyline without any difficulty.
The story unfolds in a first person narrative by Andy Carpenter, lawyer and owner of Tara Foundation, a dog rescue organization. Andy is called to an incident on the highway.
“I’m left with a sense of dread. If Ralph is calling me and needs my help about something “awful,” it must involve dogs being hurt, or injured, or abused. And if there is anything I hate in this world, it’s animals being hurt, or injured, or abused.”
At the incident site, Pete Stanton captain of the homicide division of the Paterson Police Department, gives the grim details, “We have a truckload of dogs and a murder victim,”
This is not a conventional lawyer/client/police procedure book. This is a book filled with humor, even in the worst situations. The “Andy attitude” jumps from every line. After all, what kind of criminal mastermind uses a tractor trailer filled with dogs as cargo for criminal activities? Well, Andy is on the job to find out, and it starts with the dogs.
“Can we take the dogs off the truck?” “Not yet. We have to process them and check for evidence.” “You going to interrogate each one? Maybe hook them up to a lie detector? I hear there’s a lab mix that looks a little shady; you might be able to get a confession out of him.”
Dave Kramer appears at Andy’s door, “I want to hire you as my attorney…because I killed him.” Andy is not interested in taking the case. “I’m already pretty busy. Ricky starts school in three weeks, and then there’s football season, and I need to get the car serviced, and before you know it, it’s Halloween. We don’t even have costumes yet, and I was hoping not to dress up as a lawyer again this year.”
Never-the-less, Andy takes the case; the team is assembled including Edna, the reluctant office manager, Sam Willis, Willie Miller, Marcus Clark, Hike Lynch, and of course, Laurie, and the investigation begins. There is a lot of good natured ribbing, but these are friends who would sacrifice anything for each other. Along the way, Andy talks to himself, talks to the readers, and talks to the dogs. Then, when readers are settling in to the story, there appear some rather unsavory characters and the narrative shifts to third person.
Rosenfelt builds a compelling story piece by piece. The structure builds tension and intrigue gradually, starting with the benign and appealing shelter dogs and then growing slowly and steadily until it becomes more complex, more entangled, more sinister, and more dangerous with every page.
I was given a copy of “Rescued” by David Rosenfelt, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley. I loved this book, in fact I love all the Andy Carpenter books. The characters grow and change in every book. This is not just another repetitive series involving the same old plots with new villains. I know these people as well as I know my neighbors, well, actually better than I know my neighbors, and I think I like them better. I recommend that everyone read all seventeen books as we eagerly await number eighteen.

Another winner for David Rosenfelt! I absolutely love the Andy Carpenter series, and this did not disappoint! The fact that this is book 17 and Andy’s personality hasn’t changed one bit is such an amazing feat for this author. The writing, as always, is sharp, sarcastic, and full of drama. I’m also enjoying the dual POV that Rosenfelt has put in the later books of this series, this one included. It adds to the dramatic irony of the storytelling.

This would be perfect for fans of Law and Order or any similar shows! Thanks to the publisher for my early copy. All thoughts are my own.

4.5 stars
Rescued by David Rosenfelt is witty, smart, outlandish, delightful and completely unexpected! How is it possible that this is the first book by David Rosenfelt I have ever read? When I realized this was the 17th book in this series, I was giddy; as that means I have 16 more books to find and read! One very beneficial aspect of this Andy Carpenter mystery is each book is written in such a way that the reader does not have to read the books in order.
I was utterly absorbed from the very first page. I read almost the entire book in one day! It has been a very long time since a book grabbed and held my interest so thoroughly. The characters are fleshed out, real and some are so much fun! I particularly loved Marcus and Pete. The sardonic wit of the main character Andy, his obvious love of his wife, son and dogs.
I highly recommend this book. Rescued will appeal to a wide range of readers. Anyone that likes cozy mystery, courtroom or animal themed books will enjoy ths book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Net Galley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Why did I miss the first 16 books in this series? Loved this one! I am eager to read more. The humor makes a trial entertaining and the mystery is quite convoluted and clever.

What fun! I lived this story. It is well written, with a good mystery, a good dose of humor and a satisfying plot. Justly what I needed. I have read sever as l books in this series and I am never disappointed. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for supplied an arc, I supplied my honest opinion

Rescued is the seventeenth in the Andy Carpenter Mystery series and is the first I have read. I did not feel lost in picking up with book 17.

Andy Carpenter is a defense lawyer that can pick and choose his cases. He doesn’t want to choose this one, defend Dave Kramer. He will because, Laurie, his wife plays the “it’s important to me” card.

So, did Dave kill in self-defense or in cold blood?

I did like the methods Andy uses to track down the players and reveal the back stories for them.

What I liked about this story is:
It is well written, flows smoothly and has a well-developed set of characters. The characters seem real and believable.
Can be read as a standalone.
There is humor sprinkled throughout.
Dealt with dog rescues to some degree.

I would read another of the author’s books.

Fans of Andy Carpenter will enjoy this latest in the series. Andy is called when an acquaintance discovers a truck carrying 70 dogs and a dead man. While the Tara Foundation gets to work finding homes for the dogs, Andy takes on the case of the man accused of the murder- his wife's ex-fiance. Reluctantly, Andy goes over the evidence and thinks outside the box (or in this case, truck) to figure out what really happened.

Rescued is a well written murder mystery. I love animals so I loved the plot whic revolves around animal rescue. Enjoyed this author’s writing and look forward to reading more of his books. I highly recommend to mystery fans.

Andy is a criminal defense lawyer who doesn't want any clients. Because of the money his father left him, he is able to not work and spend his time with his friend, Willie, running the Tara Foundation, a dog rescue that he and Willie formed. He is married to Laurie and they have an adopted young son, Ricky, so he is enjoying his life.

But when Dave, an ex-boyfriend of Laurie's, is arrested for murdering a truck driver, Andy can't say no, despite not wanting to defend him. Dave doesn't deny killing Zimmer. They'd had a past history and Zimmer had wanted to meet up in a parking lot as he was passing through town. Dave said he killed Zimmer in self-defense ... but the evidence proves otherwise. As Andy investigates, he discovers a much more complex situation than he thought and he has to convince the jurors.

Meanwhile, Zimmer was on his way to deliver a lot of dogs to a rescue. Andy and Willie take the dogs in and keep them at the Tara Foundation until they can find out which rescue.

This is the seventeenth in the Andy Carpenter series (I've read them all). I enjoyed this book and am really enjoying this series. I find with most series that by the time an author has come this far, the series isn't good and the author is pounding out the books just to get a paycheque. That's not the case with this series ... the author is able to keep this series fresh and fun.

The story was interesting and there were some twists and turns along the way. Even though it is part of a series, it works as a stand alone (so you don't need to have read the ones before it to know what is going on). I like the writing style of this author as it was funny, sarcastic and amusing. It was written mostly in first person perspective in Andy's voice but is sometimes in third person perspective when the focus is on the bad guys.

I like Andy ... I think he would be a hoot to be around and he's quite generous with his time and money (his two best friends continue to take advantage of his tab at their favourite bar). He loves his dog, Tara, and thinks she's the best dog in the world. He also has another less lively dog named Sebastian who came with Ricky. Part of Andy's team is Laurie, his wife and former police officer and now his investigator. Hike is his associate who is the most depressed and pessimistic person ever. Marcus, an investigator with persuasive reasoning skills, continues to provide protection when it's most needed (which is often since Andy is a self-professed coward). Sam is his accountant who is also a computer hack leading a team of elderly hackers.