I can't believe that this is the 20th installment to the Andy Carpenter series! This is definitely a great addition to the series - as always Andy's humorous narration combines nicely with a twisting plot that holds some genuine surprises. Plus, this time there are two new dogs - Andy represents one dog in court, and then later represents the owner of the titular dachshund in a murder conviction.

Like the other entrants to the series, this one is fast-paced and a lot of fun to read. And despite the seasonal title, it isn't really all that Christmassy (so don't worry if you can't wait until December to pick this one up!). The ending also hints at a future direction to the series and a further expansion of some series regulars. It makes me more excited than ever for the series to continue! Plus, this one's plot holds more surprises than usual and it's definitely one of the better installments! I also really appreciate the fun in Rosenfelt plugging his own books within this book. These books always make me laugh and Roosevelt is a guaranteed good time of a read! As always, I am left eagerly awaiting the next book!

It’s Christmas time and lawyer Andy Carpenter and his wife, Laurie have chosen to grant a holiday wish for a little boy named Danny. He has asked for a sweater for his Dachshund, Murphy, and a coat for his mother. And, he wants his father to safely return to his family. The only catch is that Danny’s father is on the run from a murder charge. A murder his wife says he didn’t commit.

So, once again Andy and the gang are championing a lost cause. But, it’s Christmas, a little boy’s wish hangs in the balance, and they are determined to find and clear the missing father. Told with David Rosenfelt’s trademark humor, Dachshund Through the Snow is another winner for this talented writer. His characters are memorable and the story is heartwarming.

Even though this is the twentieth book in the series, it is still a treat to follow along on Andy’s adventures. This author never disappoints. Once again, thank you Mr Rosenfelt for giving me and my husband hours of reading pleasure. Please don’t stop writing!

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

Andy, the perpetually retiring defense lawyer, gets sucked into two cases involving dogs in the fun cozy mystery, Dachshund Through the Snow.

Andy is asked by an old cop frenemy to find a way to get the city to allow the cop’s K-9 partner, Simon, to retire with him in a few weeks. Simon has arthritis and could be hurt if he continues to work. So Andy sues the city alleging that Simon is a city employee who should be able to disability retire. It really is a case of species discrimination!

Laurie, Andy’s wife and an ex-police lieutenant, starts celebrating Christmas in November. So it is no surprise when she selects a wish off a tree in her local pet store. The child requestor, Danny, wants three gifts: a winter coat for his mother, another coat for his dachshund, and his dad to come home.

The coats are no problem. Unfortunately, Danny’s dad is accused killer, Noah. Fourteen years earlier, he met Kristen at a bar. After a few dates on the down low, they meet in a remote spot. Kristen asks Noah to take her with him when he leaves for college in a few days. When Noah refuses, Kristen becomes distraught and accidentally scratches his face. He leaves. He finds out that she is killed later that night. Fourteen years later, Noah’s brother spits into a genealogy website’s test tube and Noah is caught by his DNA—found under Kristen’s fingernails so long ago.

A Christmas setting has everything I love about cozy mysteries. Family interactions and murder. Okay, I’m not trying to wish up a murder at my next family Christmas party, but it would stop everyone from gossiping—at least for a minute or two. The Andy Carpenter series is always entertaining and this installment is no different. I love the interaction between the characters, who all seem realistic and relatable. However, the trials are also a smart addition to all the books in this series and that is rare in cozy mysteries. You might even say that Dachshund Through the Snow is a legal thriller set in a cozy mystery world. Plus Andy’s sarcastic asides are hilarious! Overall, I continue to love this series and wait each year for the next to appear. 5 stars!

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is a story as told by the main character, Andy, who happens to be a defense attorney. I love his sense of humor and at times I thought he was hilarious. The story line is great and it was fun going through all the steps to defend his client. His wife, Laurie, is retired law enforcement, turned private investigator. This could make for an interesting life. I love the characters in this story, especially the dogs! That Andy was willing to represent a dog, says a lot about him. I felt like I was right there with them, through the good and bad. Oh, I do have to agree with Laurie about the Christmas season. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

A solid crime thriller that made me laugh as well. Warning: This is not a cozy mystery. It's also the 20th book in this series of books featuring Andy Carpenter, his wife Laurie, and lots of dogs. This is the latest Christmas-themed mystery in the series. I personally would've benefitted from reading the first book in the series. If you jump in blind the way I did, it takes a little while to get into all the characters and their backstory. But, don't let that deter you if you're a fan of serious crime mysteries infused with humor. And dogs!

I felt like Andy was a little similar to the character of Stephanie Plum in the early books of author Janet Evanovich's series. Andy narrates the story and he's got quite a sense of humor. This is a really fun escape of a book. And it's just in time for the holidays! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the chance to read this book. The dachshund on the cover was enough inspiration for me to want to dive into Andy Carpenter's world!

Andy Carpenter's wife Laurie loves Christmas. She starts the holiday early and finishes it way after the season is over. She has decided on a new holiday tradition. Local children leave wishes on a tree at the local pet shop. Laurie plans to fulfill as many of those wishes as she can. One wish particularly gets her attention. Danny asks for a gift for his mom, a sweater for his pet dachshund.....and that santa find his missing dad. Turns out his dad is on the run from a murder charge that he didn't commit. Can Andy Carpenter and his family/friends solve the case and bring this family back together for the holiday?

I enjoyed this book....but I jumped into this series on book #20....so it took me awhile to understand the characters and their personalities, relationships, past history. I think I would have enjoyed the story more or gotten sucked into the action faster had I already been familiar with the series. As it is, I liked the characters and the nice dose of humor, plus action and great investigation. Very enjoyable story!

I think my favorite character has to be Andy's wife. She is intelligent, sassy and a bit extra. Bigger than life. She put a lot of fun into the plot. I love the front cover art. The cute dachshund on the front is what first made me want to read this book! :)

**I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

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, they have a young son, Ricky, and he is enjoying his life. He loves their dog, Tara, and thinks she's the best dog in the world. They also has another less lively dog named Sebastian.

It's coming up on Christmastime and if Laurie had her way, it would be Christmas all year 'round. She picks a name at a pet store to make sure a family gets a Christmas. She discovers that Noah, the father, has been arrested for the fourteen year old murder of a woman he had dated at the time when they were both in their late teens. What better present for this family than to have Andy represent him and have him acquitted of the charges? There is a lot of evidence stacked against Noah so this one will be a tough one for Andy and his team.

There is a secondary cute story of a retiring police officer who wants his police dog to retire with him. But police policy states the dog still has one more year of duty. Representing Simon, the dog, against species discrimination is one case that Andy can't pass up.

This is the twentieth in the Andy Carpenter series (I've read them all). I enjoyed this book and am 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 it didn't come together until the end. 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 one of 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). Part of Andy's team is Laurie, a former police officer and now his investigator. 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 and Hike is his depressed/depressing associate. Edna is his secretary who, like Andy, would rather he not take on any cases.

Laurie, wife of Andy Carpenter, ace semi-retired attorney and leader of a pack of great characters, loves Christmas. She uses their resources to make life better for kids and this time out, she's plucked a wish that Santa brings a dad home. Well, that's just a small challenge that gets bigger when it turns out that Noah, the dad, had a relationship with a young woman who was murdered years before. He's been in hiding because his brother recently used one of those pesky DNA test kits and this his DNA, which has never been in the system before, is now one step away from discovery by the police. Andy steps in to represent him and, along with Laurie, Marcus his investigator/body guard, and terrific new character Casey (and Simon), untangles a massive international and topical case. Readers of this series know that Andy is quick with the quip, that he might see a book by Rosenfelt in someone's house, and that the mystery will have lots of twists. The more recent novels in this series have been more complex than the earlier and while I miss reading a lot about the dogs, that's ok. It's especially OK here because the book starts with Andy representing a police dog! If you haven't read these, or if you've only read a few, don't worry- it's fine as a standalone. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. This is a fun read that might seem light on the surface but makes you work along with Andy to solve crime and right wrongs.

this is a good well written mystery story, love the dogs, he is a "retired lawyer" his wife is a pi and they stumble into cases. they get involved in a 14 year old murder and then there are the other murdersthat are happing and the attempts on his own life. I was given a copy of the book by netgalley but this is an honest review. if you like who done its you will enjoy reading the book

The Andy Carpenter series is always so much fun. Andy hates, I mean he HATES to work, so he usually gets sucked into a case by force. A judge tells him to take a case. A dog needs him to take a case (well, that's a no-brainer). Or, as in this case, Laurie leads him to it and he discovers he is in the middle of one. It is Christmas time and Laurie has the wish list of a child who wants his missing father to come home. Turns out missing father is on the run because he's wanted for a cold case murder. Laurie finds him, now Andy will defend him. Andy only likes to defend people he knows are innocent. When someone tries to kill him, he becomes rather more certain that his client is innocent and goes all in. Will it be a merry Christmas?
Looks like there may be a new spin-off or a new way to force Andy into cases. Laurie, Marcus and retired cop Corey and his retired K-9, Simon, are forming a new detective agency. Marcus AND Simon? Oh, those poor bad guys. I look forward to future hi-jinks.
Highly recommended.
My copy was an ARC from NetGalley.

I love a good book with a sense of humor. It's not a cozy. These are serious mystery books, with well-structured plots, fully engaging from page one. He has a way with his snarky lawyerly attitude that tells you maybe being an attorney was not what he really wanted to do. He'd rather devote time to the animal rescue he created.

This narrative begins simply enough with a Christmas request and devolves into a full-fledged, multi-level whodunit. A young boy's father is in jail for a murder he didn't commit fourteen years ago. Unfortunately, they have his DNA, but as Andy gets deeper into the case, he begins to believe he is innocent. Now: How to prove it.

Parallel with the main plot premise is a retiring cop who'd love to have his beautiful K-9 service dog retire with him. But Simon is nine. They don't retire service dogs until they are ten. And more bad news: Simon is beginning to exhibit signs of arthritis. So Andy sues for species discrimination.

Dialogue between Andy and his wife, (former) policewoman Laurie is intelligent and realistic. He has a cadre of unusual support staff, including Marcus (the silent muscle), a computer technie-hacker, and an office manager who also rather not work and usually doesn't. He has an irreverent attitude and can be quite self-deprecating, but don't ever sell him short. He's thoroughly competent where he needs to be.

Talk about hitting all the right buttons. Intelligent mystery, dialogue, twists, red-herrings, and dogs. I love the complexity and thought I knew the ultimate culprit. But the final twist at the conclusion brings a smile and one last chuckle.

I received this book from the publisher and NetGalley and totally appreciate the opportunity to read and review. (THANK YOU St. Martin's!) The book and this series are highly recommended. I'll continue to follow this author, even if he's leaving Andy behind. But I'll miss him.

Well, this started off as a case of deja vu. I recently listened to Deck The Hounds and the beginning of this book was so similar, I started thinking I had somehow already read it. No, Mr. Rosenfelt is just recycling his opening lines. But I’ll forgive him. Because when I need something light and refreshing, Andy Carpenter is my go to.

Rosenfelt has tapped into the current use of DNA websites by the police to find links to UnSubs. In this case, Andy’s client is accused of a fourteen year old unsolved murder when his brother’s DNA comes up as a relative to the DNA found under the fingernails of the victim. There’s also a subplot about a police dog seeking early retirement.

These are books you love for the characters. And I love that Laurie is able to twirl Andy around her little finger and he knows it.

While these aren’t serious books, they’re always well constructed and designed to keep you guessing. And almost every page has a bit of Rosenfelt humor. Very few authors are equally successful in combining humor with a good mystery.

Kudos to Mr. Rosenfelt for keeping me engaged through 20 books.

My thanks to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book.

I am late to the game in discovering David Rosenfelt's Andy Carpenter series, having just read the previous book to this one, "Bark of Night" (19th in the series), not too long ago, but I have quickly become a fan! His newest addition, "Dachshund Through the Snow" did not disappoint either! I'll admit, a dog on the cover of a book usually will get me to give it a try, and with this series, I'm glad I did! "Dachshund Through the Snow" once again finds dog-lover, and "retired" criminal defense attorney, Andy Carpenter taking on a new case when his wife takes on a needy child's wishlist from a Christmas tree at the local pet store, and part of the child, Danny's, wish is for his father to return to the family, in addition to a sweater for his dachshund, Murphy.. Turns out that Danny's father is on the run after being accused of a murder of a local woman that occurred 14 years prior, and when he is caught and put in jail, Andy ends up taking the case to defend him, also believing that Danny's father is innocent. Andy and his group work to seek out the truth, and to bring Danny's father home, making his Christmas wish come true. "Dachshund Through the Snow" was a quick to read, enjoyable mystery, with more of Andy Carpenter's sarcastic humor, and his group of quirky associates in sleuthing- his wife Laurie,a former police chief, who provides a nice balance to Andy; his associate lawyer Hike, who is quick to predict the negative in any situation; his business neighbor Sam, who is a computer genius and can hack his way into anything; and Marcus, who is the "muscle" of the group, and who Andy can never understand because he mumbles (Laurie can understand him though with no problems).

I look forward to reading more of this series, both past and future!

Thanks to St Martins Press and Minotaur Books, and NetGalley, for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Book set to be released on 10/01/19.

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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It felt a little weird for the second book I read in September to be a Christmas-centered novel. Sure, it's an Advanced Reader Copy, but still, it feels ridiculous. However, one thing we learn right off the bat is that Andy's wife, Laurie, wants to extend the Christmas season into February (I'm sure there's a touch of hyperbole there)—so I can totally see her not blinking at a Christmas book right after Labor Day.

There's another case that kicks the book off—Andy sues the Paterson Police Department on behalf of a canine officer whose handler is retiring and wants to bring the dog with him into early retirement due to hip problems. It's a pleasant way to kick off the book, and Rosenfelt makes it pay off for events later in the book and into the future, too.

But the main event is tied into Laurie's Christmas spirit. She goes to various local places (like a pet store) and takes the wish lists/letters to Santa left there and fulfills them. This year she gets a letter from a little boy who wants a coat for his mom and a sweater for his dachshund, but before you can say "Awww, how cute," he also asks for Santa to find his dad and bring him home. A job for Laurie, the P.I., not Santa.

Before Laurie can find him, however, the Paterson police do—he's arrested for a fourteen-year-old murder. Noah Traynor's sister had done one of those 23andMe/Ancestry-type things and the police tied her DNA to blood left underneath the fingernails of an unsolved murder (this is such a good idea, and I hope other writers use a similar idea just to prompt discussion about these things). Now we're talking a job that's not for Santa or Laurie, it's Andy's turn.

By this point, we all know what comes next: Sam hacks into things he should and finds out a lot; Marcus mumbles, intimidates some criminals and does something violent; Laurie cajoles and supports Andy; Hike predicts calamity; Andy watches some sports and thinks while walking Tara and Sebastian; (and works a little). The trial arrives and Andy annoys the judge and prosecutor, amuses the reader and finally gets somewhere with his investigation. Just because we all know it's coming, that doesn't mean it's any less entertaining—in fact, there's the fun in finding out how Rosenfelt will juggle the standard options; e.g. "what superhuman thing will Marcus do this time?", "will Sam get to go into the field?", "how many potential witnesses will Andy alienate before the trial? There's also a lot that happens this time that the reader isn't used to seeing during trial prep or the trial itself.

During the trial, something so shocking happened that Andy swore when he learned about it—which didn't scandalize me, I just don't remember him doing it that often. I was just as shocked as he was and almost followed suit. I know Rosenfelt has tricked me and caught me off guard before, but I don't remember anything like this one. At twenty books in, for him to leave me nigh-flabbergasted is an accomplishment. Early on, I'd come up with a theory for both the identity of the killer and the motive—and Rosenfelt had convinced me I was on the wrong track. But it turns out that the events that left me as gobsmacked as our favorite indolent defense lawyer paved the way for me to be proven right. I'm not bringing this up to talk about how clever I was but to say that Rosenfelt was so convincing that he talked me out of being right on both fronts. Few mystery writers succeed there, and that never fails to make me happy to read it.

The book also works as a launching point for the spin-off series expected next year, focusing on Laurie's new Detective Agency. I've been looking forward to it since I saw it announced, but now I'm a bit more interested having a bit more information. But more on that in a few months.

I went without sleep—2 days before seeing my sleep specialist, who saw the data, I should add—to stay up and finish this. It was totally worth the scathing look she gave me because I just had to know how it ended. After a book or two that made me wonder if Rosenfelt was running out of steam, the last few of these books have restored all my faith in him—Dachshund Through the Snow is one of the best in the series. A couple of authentic laughs, a lot of smiles, some warm fuzzies. a very clever mystery, and some good quality time with old friends—it's a genuinely good time.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for this post and my honest opinion—thanks to both for this early Christmas gift (so to speak), but the opinions expressed were not influenced by that, only by the fun read.

A fun legal thriller involving dogs and Christmas magic. I haven’t read any other book in this series, but it was very easy for me to jump in. I was mainly drawn to the book because I have a dachshund myself. Unfortunately for me, the dachshund does not play a very big role in the book. Another dog does, though.
The characters and setting were very interesting. I felt compelled to look up some of the places to see if they are real, and including where the murder takes places they are. Paterson Great Falls seems like a really nice place to visit.
I like that Andy Carpenter is so involved with his dogs. His wife Laurie helps him out in cases, sometimes doing questionably legal things. I love the dedication of the characters.

5 stars

David Rosenfelt delights with another Andy Carpenter book! I am utterly addicted to this book. This book draws the reader in from the first page and doesn't let go until the very end. Rosenfelt writes deep engaging, sassy and fun characters that are so much fun to root for. I hope this series never ends. As an added bonus, this book although part of a series can be read as a stand-alone.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Another wonderful mystery by David Rosenfelt featuring my favorite lawyer, who doesn’t want to practice law, Andy Carpenter. There are two cases for Andy, the first a K-9 officer who is retiring and wants his K-9 Simon to retire with him due to Simon’s health. Andy loves dogs, so he is “all in” on this one. The second begins as Andy’s wife, Laurie, tries to answer a Christmas wish for a young boy, Danny, who wants his father to come home. Before she can help, a man is charged with a murder that happened fourteen years ago. A love affair gone wrong? There was DNA at the scene, but no match until now…the match is Danny’s father, Noah. As Andy and his team investigate, he is targeted by someone who wants this investigation to end. What is the real reason this woman was murdered so many years ago? If you have not read the Andy Carpenter mysteries or really any book by Mr. Rosenfelt, you should. He writes amazing, complex mysteries and characters, with humor and sarcasm. This book provides a lead in to the new spin-off series he is writing (yeah). I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

Andy Carpenter is a rich lawyer with a beautiful ex-cop wife and a son. He only takes on cases when he wants to—which, thanks to his wife and friends, is a lot more often than he cares for. The case in this story is about a murder that happened fourteen years ago. The victim was a young woman, strangled. Her killer was never found but police think they have their man now as DNA evidence became available. Like most perps, he swears he didn’t do it, but she had his skin under her fingernails. In investigating, Andy runs into a lot more than he bargained for, including an assassin wanted by Interpol.

This was an interesting book—different from most cozy mysteries. Those usually have an amateur sleuth who wants to find the killer. In this one, Andy is a lawyer with lots of experience and a team of investigators to back him up. There were lots of possible bad guys and reasons for the girl’s murder. I will say I was surprised by the end as the villain wasn’t who I expected—which is a good thing. I’m usually much better at figuring that out.

Things I liked: it was unique with the lawyer/cop wife. There were a lot of twists and turns to keep you interested. It’s also different to have a sleuth who doesn’t want to be a sleuth. He wants nothing to do with the case, but goes into it determined to win. I loved Andy’s dogs and his wry humor.

Things I didn’t like: the skipping from first person when we’re with Andy, to third person at times when with other parties. Sometimes I wasn’t sure who I was with except when I was with Andy. Plus, it was a little slow at times.

Recommendation: If you’re looking for something different than the usual amateur sleuth cozy, I’d definitely pick this one up.

I received this book for free from the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Always look forward to reading David Rosenfelt’s books!!! They’re quick reads but always a great story, characters and lots of humor.!

Thanks t the folks at NetGalley who provided me with an advance copy of this book in return for a truthful review.
Book #20 of the Andy Carpenter series. I never heard of this series previously and I wish I had. But now I have 19 books to catch up with! Great book. As a former lawyer I love this series - unlike most lawyer series, Andy Carpenter does not take himself too seriously and has a great sense of humor which is on display quite often here. This book deals with a person who is being tried for a 14-year old murder. Alleged killer was brought in due to a relatives DNA test that showed a match for a DNA sample for skin and blood under the victim fingernails. An arrest is made and everyone is sure that conviction is a slam dunk. But after Carpenter takes the sase there are some strange underworld murders and it seems as if somehow they are all related to this murder trial. This book keeps you guessing throughout the book, with random issues that are not resolved until the very end. Very well written, very easy read and a definite book and series I recommend. Thanks NetGalley and David Rosenfelt for a wonderful read!