Found out later this is book 25 in the series, but this is the first one I've read. Enjoyable, but obviously missing a lot not knowing the characters and general flow of the writing beforehand. Would recommend, especially if you are more familiar with the series. Good mystery.

I love Andy Carpenter and David Rosenfelt and highly anticipate each installment of this series. In this story, Andy finds the perfect rescue dog for an elderly acquaintance. She later comes to him asking for a favor. If she dies, he is to make sure that her nephew gets the dog. Soon after, she is murdered and her nephew becomes the lead suspect. Andy has observed the nephew with the dog and doesn't believe he can be responsible for his aunt's death. He reluctantly agrees to defend the nephew and lots of twist and turns ensue. All of the usual wonderful characters appear and this is a highly readable, humorous, and very entertaining story. I always recommend this series to people in our library looking for a middle ground between graphic mysteries and cozies. The books are wonderful.

David Rosenfelt writes mysteries about Andy Carpenter (a lawyer by trade who is also involved in dog rescue) and those he helps - always the underdog.
Holy Chow is no difference. Having matched an older woman with an older dog, the woman asks him to care for her dog should she die first.
When she does, her nephew is arrested for her murder. It is up to Andy to find the true killer.
Although this is a mystery it is also full of humor and very likeable characters.
This is a most welcome addition to this series.

A Chow! Poor thing but with Andy & crew friends are made and bad people are caught. Tara has slowed down quite a bit but still is leader of the pack you'll enjoy every page
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc

David Rosenfelt continues to amaze me. This is now the 25th in the Andy Carpenter series. And it’s just as funny and original as the 24 that came before it. Yes, there’s a formula (Andy only ever takes a case because of a dog connection, the case seems impossible but he always pulls it off), but the murder and the resolution are unique and I never do figure out how Andy will resolve things ahead of time.
Marcus steals the show in this one. Long time readers will be amazed (although maybe not so much if you read Citizen K-9).
The plot veers over into the unbelievable category but this is one you read for the entertainment, not the believability.
Having also listened to many books I’m this series, I laugh that Grover Gardner is so fully lodged in my head I heard his voice the entire time I read this.
My thanks to netgalley and Minotaur Books for an advance copy of this book.

David Rosenfelt could write copy on the back of cereal boxes and it would still be funny. His dry wit propels his novels and they’re always a delight to read. Who doesn’t like laughing out loud!
A few days after Rachel Morehouse asks Andy if he will take Lion her chow if anything happens to her she’s found dead. And the police have arrested Tony her stepson. Andy of course must come out of retirement, along with the rest of the regular crew to prove his innocence.
Interesting plot, great characters of course, and Andy Carpenter’s wit and personality make this a great read.

I enjoyed this book. I liked the characters. The story is interesting and convoluted. I wish they had spend more time on the actual killer. #HolyChow #NetGalley

"Holy Chow" is the 25th book in the Andy Carpenter series, and I always look forward each new addition- this book did not disappoint. Andy, a criminal defense attorney who can't ever seem to fully retire, gets a call one day from a woman named Rachel Morehouse, inquiring whether Andy would be willing to take care of her beloved Chow Chow, Lion, whom she adopted from Andy's Tara Foundation dog rescue, is anything was to happen to her. Being a huge dog lover, and fondly remembering Lion, Andy of course agrees. Not long after, he receives a call from Rachel's lawyer that she has passed away, and that Andy is mentioned in her will. Before the reading of the will can even begin, Rachel's step-son, Tony, is arrested by the police for her murder, and he asks Andy to defend him. Believing Tony to be innocent, Andy agrees, and as he and his team dig deeper into Rachel's background, they begin to uncover some shady business dealings that appear to be going on within the company that Rachel inherited from her now-deceased husband, and that Rachel may herself had begun to uncover prior to her death.

"Holy Chow" is another fantastic installment to the series. It's a fast-moving and quick read, with the enjoyable touch of humor that characterize these books. I also loved the addition of a little more background on Marcus, one of Andy's investigative team! I look forward to the next in the series to come

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press/Minotaur Books on providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. "Holy Chow" is scheduled to be released on 7/5/22.

Holy Chow by David Rosenfelt is the latest installment in the Andy Carpenter series. Reading about Andy and his exploits is akin to sitting around the house in your robe and slippers in your favorite lounge chair. In other words— comfortable. We know the cast of characters and we know that Andy, a retired attorney, will get roped into taking on another case with a seemingly hopeless cause. Of course, there is a dog involved.

Mr. Rosenfelt’s writing is, at times, humorous and/or sarcastic, which serves to make his characters enjoyable. His love of dogs is apparent in every one of his tales. Holy Chow concerns the death of an elderly woman and the arrest and murder charge against her stepson. We know that through clever maneuvering and stealthy investigations, Andy and his team of lawyers, accountants, ruggelah bakers and private investigators will be able to prove the innocence of his client in this true page turner.

I look forward to reading his next novel, Santa’s Little Yelper, and regret having to wait until October 22nd.

I want to thank NetGalley and Minotaur Books and St. Martin’s Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review an advance reader copy of this extremely enjoyable book.

I am never disappointed by the Andy Carpenter legal mystery series, even though I've read all 25, along with most of the author's standalones. Andy's snarky narrative, his diverse cast of supporting characters, interesting cases, and compelling courtroom scenes all come together in a gripping story with just the right amount of humor.

Andy is unique in that he is independently wealthy and doesn't really need to take cases. He'd rather spend time at the nearby eatery/bar with his close friends, a homicide police captain and a newspaper editor (Andy always pays). But when he does take a case, he's all in.

In this book, the Bubelah Brigade, a small group of savvy (geriatric) computer hackers, endearingly returns to help Andy's team unearth important information. Marcus, the team's beefy PI/bodyguard extraordinaire, has a scene that will blow regular readers out of the water. And then there are the ever-present dogs--Andy's three pets, the golden retriever rescue he co-sponsors, and in this book a friendly chow chow that needs a new owner after his person is murdered.

You really can't go wrong with this series if you enjoy entertaining mysteries that are fast reads and leave you
wanting more.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for affording me the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

Liked this book right from the start! It is a typical Andy Carpenter lawyer mystery centering around a case and the love of dogs!

I found the story very endearing as Andy goes about trying not to have a client to defend but as always when it has anything to do with a dog, there is going to be case to prove. I really enjoyed reading about all the characters that have been in Mr. Rosevelt’s other books and how they come together to get the client off. I am happy to say that I never quite guess how it is going to end.

Holy Chow was a fun book to read and I enjoyed it very much.

This is #25 in this cozy series featuring Andy Carpenter - the dog-loving, self-deprecating, reluctant lawyer. I keep reading these books because they are entertaining and humorous. In this book, Andy takes on a case of a man accused of killing his stepmother, and he and his team work to exonerate the man.

I have recommended these books to people who are looking for something a little light and humorous. I do find that since the formula is the same for every book, that I can't read them too close together (I read Best in Snow only a month ago) because they blend together. I loved that Marcus spoke in this book.

Thank you for the ARC

Semiretired reluctant lawyer Andy Carpenter is touched and grateful when he learns that deceased super-wealthy Rachel Morehouse has left two million dollars to his Tara dog rescue foundation. Then authorities discover that Rachel was murdered and arrest her stepson Tony on charges of killing her. Of course, Andy takes Tony’s case.
When a book series persists through 25 instalments, it is only natural to ask what makes it so popular. For many Andy Carpenter fans, of which I most certainly am one, there are three main factors: the dogs, the humor, and the courtroom sequence.
The dogs play no real role in this book, other than providing a punny title and a mechanism for Andy to meet the murder victim. Narrator Andy’s humor, though, is front and center as usual, “I’ve never met this judge….But based on his expression, he already dislikes me. That’s unusual; ordinarily it takes a meeting and a conversation or two for judges to dislike me, and then another meeting for them to detest me. It generally goes further downhill from there, but it’s a process.”
Which gets us to the courtroom sequence. Of course, when the trial opens, Andy has no idea who killed Rachel or what their motive was. He just is confident that his client is not a very likely culprit. As the trial proceeds, Andy rallies his investigative team of his wife Laurie, who is a retired police lieutenant, Corey Douglas, another retired police officer who is accompanied by his also-retired K-9 helper Simon Garfunkel, lawyer Eddie Dowd, accountant and cyber-detective Sam Willis, and, of course, taciturn muscleman Marcus Willis. They are assisted by the Bubeleh Brigade, a group of retirees from the local Jewish community center whose information-gathering skills are exceeded only by member Hilda’s talent for baking rugelach.
As the trial proceeds, the team realizes that Rachel’s murder was only one of a number of murders connected to a large conspiracy with a scope much broader than Rachel or the company she owned. Andy’s challenge is to try to get to the bottom of that conspiracy and identify the real killer(s) in time to save his client.
It has seemed to me that the bad guys and malicious objectives in the Andy Carpenter series have been getting more and more ambitious, and the conspiracy in Holy Chow seems intriguing but perhaps a bit overdone. Nonetheless, author David Rosenfelt still delivers a great read, and SPOILER ALERT Andy Carpenter wins again.
Note to newbies: This is one of my favorite series, but I highly recommend you begin with the first book, Open and Shut, so you get the context and a proper introduction to the characters (and they ARE characters!). After that you can enjoy them in any order.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to preview Holy Chow.
Andy Carpenter is one of the most vivid characters in a mystery series. Rosefelt’s sense of humor is truly one of a kind. This is one of my favorite series books.
In this novel, Andy, the reluctant attorney, takes on the case of a man accused of killing his stepmother. The case looks like a slam dunk, but Andy and the team of many assemble to prove his innocence.
Great plot with plenty of surprises.
Another hit! 5 stars

Andy may be semi-retired, but he still cannot say no when someone he likes is accused of murder. Of course, it all started with a dog and ends with saving the world. Read on

This is the 25th book in the Andy Carpenter series and each story is well worth reading. I love the dogs, the humor, and the Bubeleh Gang. I recommend this book to all of my mystery readers and most of them are hooked

First and foremost, my thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press/ Minotaur Books for the ARC.

David Rosenfelt never fails to deliver! “ Deliver what?” one might ask. The answer: a thoroughly interesting and enjoyable reading experience, replete with self-deprecating humor, witty dialogue, multi- dimensional characters, unique plot and pitch-perfect pacing.
Such is the genius of David Rosenfelt’s style.

Holy Chow is the 25th installment in the Andy Carpenter series. The electrifying opening scene hooks the reader instantly. Then, for the next quarter of the book, the reader follows the antics of Andy as he reluctantly represents a young man accused of murder. But, how, when, and where will that opening scene fit into the story? That electrifying opening scene is just the beginning; many more follow in this dynamic suspenseful thriller.

It’s a credit to Mr. Rosenfelt that he can couple such explosive, suspenseful scenarios with his signature self-deprecating humor and witty internal dialogue bantering. Clever device indeed, and such writing style endears him to many loyal fans like myself! The reader is privy to this light-hearted writing style as well as the complex and enthralling storyline.

Holy Chow is a fantastic thriller mystery! The plot is very unique and intriguing! I could not figure it out until the reveal and the reveal is fascinating ! The climax is edge-of-the seat thrilling and the denouement is more than satisfying!
KUDOES, Mr. Rosenfelt! You did it again! “ Did what again?” One might ask…. Lol

This is a well written story with believable characters and a nice amount of suspense. It held my interest to the end and was a nice smooth read. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.

When an elderly adopter asks Andy if he will take her rescue, Lion, if anything happens to her, Andy is a little concerned. But then he thinks she's just putting a plan in place for the elderly Chow Chow she rescued. Then he finds out the woman has passed away and he's named in her will. As Andy processes the information, the police lock in on the woman's step son as their prime suspect yet Andy is convinced to come out of his semi retired state and defend the man. But Andy wasn't expecting this case to be like a big ball of rubber bands, where each one that you take off, as you answer a question, is tied into another that leads to yet another.

When Andy becomes a target, his team is all over protecting him and digging up more dirt to get the details they need to crack this one wide open...if they fail, they could lose more than just the case. They could lose Andy.

I love this series! Heck, I love the dogs, and I even love grumpy old Andy Carpenter. He's hysterical and the dialog and banter is great! I love the pups. Lion is my current favorite in this book...but let's not forget Andy's own pups who are just as adorable and sweet in their own ways. With 25 books in the series, this is one you can binge on if you haven't read it yet...and trust me, you will want to read this cozy series!

This was my first book in the Andy Carpenter series. Andy Carpenter is a retired (well, actually semi-retired, or there would be no books, lol) criminal defense attorney who loves his recliner and dogs even more, and who also takes on cases, albeit reluctantly, when he senses a wrong needs to be righted. He's a very likeable character. As a narrator, he is humorous and entertaining. He reminded me of a Matlock-type character. Being a dog lover is what drew me to the book, and I appreciated a story where the canines are just as important as the people. At times, the story was a bit of a challenge to follow with so many characters, but I managed to sort them out as I kept reading. I enjoyed the book and will read more of the series in the future.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for a complimentary copy of this book! Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

(Upon publication, I will post reviews on Amazon and B&N. A Goodreads review has already been posted.)