"Muzzled' is another feather in the good writing cap of David Rosenfelt. It's remarkable how, after 21 books, this series just keeps on getting better. Few writers are as consistently good as Rosenfelt has proven to be--especially with these Andy Carpenter books. The series has been outstanding because of the wit and charm the main character possesses. Plus, the supporting cast is as reliable as any in the genre. 'Muzzled' has a plot which grabs you from the first page and is wholly believable in the world we live in today. Once again, you'll find yourself looking forward to the next Rosenfelt book immediately after you finish. Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy of this wonderful book.

The narrative is smart & well voiced, Andy's sarcasm, his and Robin's loving, understanding teasing and everyone from Willie to Marcus and everything in between make this one special novel. The writing is tight and the plot thoroughly interesting. This ensemble is one I would like to hang out with! Rosenfelt never disappoints.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc

I don’t know about you but lately I find myself using slightly different criteria to select my next book. I don’t want to read about politics or viruses. I want something that will make me smile, maybe even laugh out loud. So when the latest Andy Carpenter came along, it was perfect timing.

By now fans are familiar with Andy’s doomed attempts to retire. Luckily for us, he fails once again. It all begins with a call from his friend Beth. She puts a lot of time & effort into reuniting stray dogs with their rightful owners & is currently looking after a gorgeous lab she calls Lucy. The good news is she got a call from the owner who is desperate to get Lucy back. Which would be great….except the owner’s face has been all over the news after being killed with 2 others in a suspicious boat explosion. Understandably, Beth is a tad nervous about meeting this guy. Andy has the perfect solution. Have the owner come pick up Lucy at his dog shelter where he & Willie can keep an eye on things.

Ah, the best laid plans. Before the meet is over, police have shown up & Andy has somehow gained a new client. The only silver lining is he managed to piss off cop/buddy Pete Stanton in the process. So not a total loss then.

Pharmaceutical secrets, a mystery girlfriend, mistaken identity, dodgy characters & possible mob involvement…these are some of the stumbling blocks just waiting for Andy. Good thing he not only has Laurie at his side but her colleagues from the K Team as well. He’ll need them. Most of the story takes place outside the courtroom & includes short chapters that introduce odd characters. The trick is to figure out if & where they fit in. And as always, a herd of great dogs are along for the ride.

As much as I enjoyed this, overall I found it missing a tiny somethin’-somethin’ . There was just a little less spark to the dialogue & I wondered if it had to do with the cast. Unlike other instalments, the only member of Andy’s legal crew we hear from regularly is Sam. Instead there is more focus on the K Team as they assist with the case. I guess I just missed all that inspirational positivity we usually get from Edna & Hike 😉

However….and this is big, people….one scene alone is worth the price of admission. Are you sitting down? Ok. Marcus says a word. And I understood it. That’s right, an actual intelligible word from the English language in his outside voice. Not going to tell you what it was, just that it was used correctly & spoke volumes. If you need to take a moment here, I understand.

Whether you pick up this or one of the others in the series, you know you’ll get a story full of humour, dogs & good guys that is the perfect antidote to the isolation blues. And hopefully by the time book #22 arrives, the world will be a happier place. Now go wash your hands.

I always like David Rosenfelt books, I like the mysteries, dogs, and that he wants to be retired but somehow never quite manages to walk away from being a lawyer. Andy Carpenter is the most reluctant lawyer but he's the one I'd want if I needed a defense attorney. This one had a few twists and turns but, spoiler, the dogs are all ok in the end.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NewGalley for my copy of this book.

Another enjoyable read about the world's most reluctant defense lawyer. Andy Carpenter's friend, Beth finds a stray dog that belongs to a man who is thought to have been murdered in a boat explosion. But, when the "murdered" man contacts Beth to reclaim his dog, Andy gets pulled into defending him. While Andy hates working, he hates the thought of a dog being euthanized at the shelter even more. As Andy and his team investigate, it soon becomes clear there is more to that boat explosion than first meets the eye. As always, Andy and his dogs win the day. Always a treat to read.

Another good one from David Rosenfelt. You can always count on him to give you an easy, smart, funny read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I always look forward to a new book in the Andy Carpenter series. These books are written with great humour and contain serious, complex criminal cases and interesting court trials. It is hard to believe that Muzzled is the 21st book in the series and that the plots are always different and compelling. I see a 22nd book is due for publication in October. They are narrated by Andy Carpenter. I always enjoy his witty, sardonic sense of humour, and his sarcastic thoughts and retorts.

Andy is a semiretired defence attorney who prefers to spend his time with his family, his two pet dogs and consulting and visiting the dog rescue site he established. Being independently wealthy, he only accepts legal cases when a dog is somehow involved. In this book, it is believed that three men working for a pharmaceutical company were shot on a boat which was subsequently blown up. Now, one of the men believed dead has shown up at Andy’s dog rescue site to claim his beloved dog. He escaped from the boat and has been in hiding fearing he would be killed. Only his attachment to his dog made him come out of hiding and risk his life. He is arrested and accused of the murder of his two colleagues. Andy agrees to defend him.

It is hard to resist the dogs pictured on every book cover. Be aware that these are not relaxing, cozy mysteries, but are excellent, intricately plotted crime thrillers with added courtroom drama. The centre around difficult and dangerous investigations by Andy, his wife (a policewoman), and friends possessing various skills. The books I have read featured mob violence, drug trafficking, far-reaching conspiracies, smuggling, gang-related killings and terrorism. Also, there were crimes involving technology and an international criminal on Interpol's most-wanted list. All the criminal investigations have complicated well constructed and believable plots.

This crime thriller is timely, revolving the manufacture of a new serum that can resist any new, future virus. The local mob is somehow involved in at least half a dozen related murders and the Russian Mafia may be playing a role. Any connection may be impossible to prove. There is also pharmaceutical fraud, hitmen, money laundering, and stock manipulation. I confess I always have difficulty understanding and following cases following large money trails which causes my brain to zone out. There is no fault in the construction of the plot, just my lack of comprehension I regret this resulted in my lower score for this book compared with others in the series.

The author, David Rosenfelt, actually runs a dog rescue foundation and has over two dozen pet dogs. His foundation is responsible for rescuing 4000 animals.

I look forward to the next book in the Andy Carpenter series. Many thanks to NetGalley and Saint Martin’s Press for the advanced copy of this compelling book in return for an honest review. 3.5 Stars rounded up to 4.

Good addition to the collection, enjoyed the plot and suspense to the end. I it in one day! I read all of this authors books and look forward to more.

family, friendship, snark-fest, law-enforcement, lawyers, dogs, private-investigators, situational-humor, verbal-humor, murder-investigation*****

No way this could be an unbiased review. I love Andy Carpenter's world with all the dogs, the complicated interesting characters, the excellent plots, and, in these days of a virus, the snarkiness and all the laughs. The case is even more convoluted and timely than the publisher's blurb indicates and the twists, red herrings, and misdirections really add a thriller feel to the story. Of course I loved it, but I really wanted those laughs!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

From the moment I opened this book I just could not put it down. As always, an Andy Carpenter mystery is the cream of the crop when it comes to the mystery genre. His sense of humor makes this series an absolute pleasure to read - I can't count the number of times I found myself laughing out loud. And despite Andy's firm wish to remain a retired layer, his love of dogs once again brings him a new client to defend. When Andy receives a phone call from his fellow dog lover Beth telling him that Alex Vogel, who was supposedly killed in a boat explosion that claimed the lives of his two co-workers was alive and wanted to retrieve his dog from the animal shelter, Andy gets involved in defending Alex from murder charges and, as with Andy's unusual cases, this leads to a trial of conspiracy, mayhem and even more murders. It's a wild ride with Andy but one that is enjoyable all the way through.