These books have such a fun cast of characters and this one is no exception. In this installment, Andy and friends work to help restore the reputation of a fellow dog-loving attorney after he has served time for a crime he did not commit. When the star witness winds up murdered, Andy and friends work to solve the case and prevent a second wrongful conviction. As always, Grover Gardner brings the audio story to life with his wonderful narration.

I always enjoy the legal process and police procedures of this series. This did not disappoint.

Once again, a murder case falls at the feet of reluctant attorney Andy Carpenter. A newer employee at the Tara Foundation, Chris Myers, previously spent time in jail for a murder he insists he didn’t commit. When a key prosecutor witness in his case is on the cusp of recanting his testimony, the man ends up dead. Myers is the primary suspect since he was present when the man was killed. It might appear coincidental but really it is a well-planned frame-up.

Andy is pulled in to represent Myers and Andy soon is calling on his full investigative team to take on the case. Par for the course, the deeper Andy probes, the more bodies appear, and his own life is put at risk.

This is an easy listen. As usual, the plot has twisty suspect lines that might involve the mob or radical groups. The FBI might even get involved. You just don’t know until Andy ferrets out the bad guys. I totally enjoy this series and recommend this to mystery and legal procedure fans.

Audio Notes: Grover Gardner delivers wonderful narration. The few times I have read a book in this series, I can still hear Gardner’s voice. The narration adds to my enjoyment of the story.

Source: 2022 NetGalley. My rating 4.25.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This series isn't bad, mostly read it because of the dog theme but it's not a bad cozy mystery.

I know I’m judging a book by its cover but really hoped it involved dogs, but this one definitely confused me with its cover vs content.

The story is a great mystery, but since I had never read anything from this author, I thought I was getting a Christmas themed book about dogs when I requested it, but definitely not the theme of this book.

All in all, I enjoyed the audiobook because I love court mysteries, so if you like that, this book is for you, just don’t expect any Santa puppy vibes or anything!

I avidly read this series many moons ago and then I stopped. Have no idea why, probably other books pushed their way in the forefront. Forgot how amusing Andy was, self deprecating, and so ironic. Love his relationships with his dogs and the cases are interesting as well. Definitely a much needed, lighter read but one that also kept me invested in the storyline. Will make sure not to let a new book get past me again, in fact the sooner one is published, the better.

Adored the audio, felt the narrator was terrific.

This book was a fun and fast holiday read and exactly what I was looking for to fit in between other books I was reading. It wasn't as heavy and dense as some of those so it was a good light read

This is a first for me by this author, and it definitely won't be my last! Also, I did not realize that this was a series, so a win for me in finding another mystery series that I could enjoy! So while working as a first responder can hinder the time I have outside of work, that is okay because this book enlightened me with giggles and also gave me the rush of trying to figure out whodunit. A great book!
The investigation is compelling, and each clue and step of the way kept me on the edge of my seat! Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the extraordinary opportunity to read and review this one!

Title: Santa’s Little Yelpers: An Andy Carpenter Mystery
Author: David Rosenfelt
Narrated by: Grover Gardner
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Length: Approximately 6 hours and 41 minutes
Source: Review Copy from NetGalley. Thank-you!

Do you judge a book by its cover? I totally judge a book by its cover. I judged this book as being full of puppy love at Christmas and didn’t investigate what the story was about. This book actually doesn’t have much to do with puppies or Christmas, but it was a good story.

The story does start out with Andy Carpenter’s dog rescue, Tara’s Foundation, named after his golden retriever, Tara. The rescue has eight new puppies and Chris Myers works at the foundation helping with the puppies. Chris was once a lawyer but has been debarred after serving time for killing a man in a bar. Chris was drunk and doesn’t remember killing the man. Once he finds out the star witness has lied, he has hope that he will be able to overturn his conviction. But when the star witness is killed in a drive by shooting, Chris is arrested for his murder, and it is up to Andy to help Chris out. Will he be able to prove his innocence?

I thought the mystery was interesting and fun. Andy was a character. I loved his humor and his tenacity at solving the crime. The mystery had a lot of twists and turns, and I did not figure it out!

Santa’s Little Yelpers is number twenty-six of the Andy Carpenter series. I had not read any other books in this series, but I did enjoy this audiobook as a standalone.

I loved Grover Gardner’s narration. He has a nice deep voice that sounds like a detective on the scene of a crime. It fits perfectly with this book.

Once again I judged a book by its cover and was more than pleasantly surprised. I was expecting some happy cozy mystery and that is not what this book is. Which I am perfectly happy about! And once again I am super happy about the fact that this is part of a large series that I get to go back and read all of the books to. This book was well written and I loved the humor of the characters in it. Can't wait to read more!

#NetGalley

Santa's Little Yelpers (Andy Carpenter Mystery #26) by David Rosenfelt
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Published: October 11, 2022

Santa's Little Yelper is the 26th book in the Andy Carpenter Mystery series by David Rosenfelt. This can easily be read as a standalone mystery. As much as I want to, I have not read most of the previous books and found this to be easy to jump into.

Andy Carpenter is a want-to-be-retired attorney, who can't help himself when faced with the right case! He is a great sleuth, loves dogs, and is so funny! I actually laughed out loud as some of the things he said! The crime solving was great and I loved how it all comes together! I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure things out so I could not put this book down!!!

The narration by Grover Gardner was incredible! He had such a great tone and gets sarcasm! He is Andy Carpenter for me now! I can't read an Andy Carpenter book without hearing Mr. Garder!!!

This book was so much fun! I absolutely loved it! I definitely recommend reading this book!!! Sarcasm, quick wit, and dogs! I can't wait to start reading the other books in the series!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Santa’s Little Yelpers is an Andy Carpenter mystery by David Rosenfelt. Attorney Andy Carpenter longs for retirement and time to work with the Tara Foundation, a charity named for his beloved golden retriever Tara, that finds good homes for displaced dogs. A young ex-con working with the foundation, Chris Myers has proven himself when he developed a program whereby convicts worked training dogs behind bars so they could later be placed in good homes.

When Chris is contacted by the top witness against him in his manslaughter trial saying he would like to recant his statements and clear Chris’s name. Although Chris will never get back the time served, with the felony charge dropped, he would be able to be reinstated in the bar and once again practice law. However, when the witness is killed in Chris’s presence, he is arrested and charged within hours.

Having already agreed to help Chris with reopening his original case, Andy and his team are brought in to defend him. What Andy had never dreamed of was the breadth, depth, and connections between the two cases, or the circuitous route the investigation will take to exonerate Chris.

This is a very intriguing story with and intricate plot and wonderfully drawn characters. I enjoyed this book on audio and really enjoyed the narration by Grover Gardner. His voice embodied the character of Andy Carpenter, who is telling the tale. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!

3.5 stars

In this 26th book in the 'Andy Carpenter' series, set during the Christmas season, the defense attorney represents an ex-convict accused of murder.

*****

Ever since he inherited a large fortune, New Jersey defense lawyer Andy Carpenter takes very few cases. Instead, Andy communes with his wife Laurie - who's in Yuletide mode; hangs out with his son Ricky - who's been promised a trip to DisneyWorld; and plays with his three dogs - golden retriever Tara; basset hound Sebastian; and pug Hunter - who are taken for long walks every morning and evening. This is challenging since lazy Sebastan - who only likes to eat and sleep - is about as maneuverable as an aircraft carrier and walks at a pace of around five feet an hour. 🙂

In his spare time, Andy also likes watching sports on TV and hanging out with his friends, newspaper editor Vince Sanders and Homicide Captain Pete Stanton, at Charlie's Sports Bar. Since Andy is a millionaire, he always pays the bill - and sometimes gets useful information in return.

Andy feels compelled to take a new case when his friend Chris Myers, who had been imprisoned for involuntary manslaughter, needs help. Since his release, Chris has been working for Andy's dog rescue facility, The Tara Foundation, and is now fostering a mama dog and her eight puppies.

It seems that Chris - who always insisted he was innocent - has a chance to clear his name. The witness responsible for Chris's conviction, Charlie Burgess, has had an attack of conscience and is willing to admit he lied under oath. Andy agrees to represent Chris in his efforts to overturn his conviction.....but unfortuntely the witness Charlie gets cold feet and recants his admission.

Before long Charlie is found dead, Chris is arrested for murder, and Andy has a big new case on his hands.

Of course Andy calls in his usual reinforcements: a private detective agency called the K-Team, which consists of Andy's wife Laurie - a tough ex-cop with connections in law enforcement; Corey Douglas - a retired cop; Simon Garfunkel - a German shepherd who worked with Corey at the Paterson Police Department; and Marcus Clark - the toughest, scariest guy on the planet. We learn a little more about Marcus in this book, like his favorite music and facility with language.

In addition, Andy gets help from his accountant Sam - a terrific computer hacker/data miner; secretary Edna - who threatens to retire if she has to do any work. (I always get a kick out of Edna); and other people in the Andy Carpenter law firm.

Andy and his helpers investigate everything to do with Chris's first conviction as well as the new charges, and they discover that someone may have wanted to get Chris out of the way. As always, the author's plot is twisty and complicated, but also lightened up by Andy's humor and sarcasm.

I always enjoy the Andy Carpenter books, which are formulaic but fun. Recommended to fans of humorous mysteries.

Listening to Grover Gardner narrate David Rosenfelt's Andy Carpenter series is like comfort food for my ears. I'm sure I'm going to thoroughly enjoy it every time I start a new one. This newest one did not disappoint - the humor, the dogs, the relationships and the cast of interesting supporting characters, all were there as usual, wrapped around another interesting mystery. This time it's the Christmas season (shocking I know, considering the title!) and Andy, the lawyer who can't quite seem to retire no matter how much he says he'd like to, finds himself defending one of the workers at the Tara Foundation, Andy's dog rescue organization. Initially he's trying to get a prior murder conviction overturned, and that morphs into a new murder charge. Also as usual, there's no shortage of potential suspects and it's interesting to watch the process of revealing whodunit.
Grover Gardner does his usual brilliant job of narrating this one - I can't imagine trying to read these with my eyes at this point - even if I did try I know I'd hear Gardner's voice in my head, so I might as well hear it properly in my ears. Highly recommend.
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

"Laurie and I always visit murder scenes together. It's one of those cute little romantic quirks, the kind that all couples share. Sometimes I wonder, if there were no more murders, what would we do for entertainment? Laurie doesn't care much for sports, and you'd have to strap me down to watch ballet or opera, or to listen to classical music. Murder scenes are the one thing we can do together."

It can be really difficult to come into a series of books (especially mysteries) in the middle (or in this case, at the end). However, David Rosenfelt wrote his characters, setting, and storylines so perfectly for SANTA'S LITTLE YELPERS that I felt like I was a seasoned reader of all twenty whatever books and not an interloper sneaking in at the end of the series. Because he made me feel so welcome in this book, I'm going to go back and read more of these books, starting with the first. Hopefully all of them.

I'm not the best judge of a mystery's validity, but I really thought the case in SANTA'S LITTLE YELPERS was well designed. Also, this book is funny, which you can probably tell from my excerpt. I lol'd often, which I really like, it always surprises me. I adored the dog and public service element tie-ins. The main character, Andy Carpenter, is so smartly and deliciously New Jersey, I can't get enough of him. And the narrator of the audiobook I listened to, Grover Gardner, gave a perfect performance; I can only hope he read for all the Andy Carpenter mysteries.

Thank you NetGalley, David Rosenfelt, and MacMillan Audio for an audio ARC of this excellent mystery!

Rating 5 stars
Finished October 2022
Recommended fans of mysteries, hardboiled detectives, detective couples, dog stories, legal procedurals, New Jersey/New York stories, murder mysteries
TW blood, police, courts and criminal justice, false conviction, lawyers, dogs, land grabbing

What can be better than puppies at Christmas time. Nothing. But unfortunately the person who agrees to foster the puppies is accused of murder and it is up to Andy to find out the truth. Andy has to go dig though all the information to find out why is client was framed the first time and why someone is bound to not let the truth get out again.
I love all the interactions between the characters and Andy's way of stating things make the books great. I also love the narrator and cannot imagine Andy as anyone else. Looking forward to seeing what he gets into next and if he ever gets to really :"retire"

Everyone in the car enjoyed this book. They wished the roadtrip was longer.
Grover Gardner is the perfect Andy Carpenter. His voice really sets off the dry wit and humor of the series.
He distinguishes well between characters too.
An interesting mystery. It starts out with one goal, there are various levels added as the book progresses, and once the whole view is seen this is a whole 'nother story!

Excellent, whether you have read the series in order or not.

I am not usually one for procedural novels and mysteries, but I truly enjoy these books. I am not sure if it is the family and friends all working together, everything coming up right in the end, or if it's the dogs, but these stories leave you feeling fulfilled. I haven't read all of the series, I tend gravitate towards the holiday themes, but they read very well as stand-alone novels.

Perception would have you think a tired, ready to retire lawyer would not do everything possible for justice, but Andy Carpenter leaves no stone unturned and is on the side of right by all means possible.

The narration of this book is great as it is exactly what you expect a tired New York lawyer to sound like. If you like mild procedurals and soft-boiled mysteries, this is definitely for you.

I love David Rosenfelt's Andy Carpenter books. I haven’t yet read one I didn’t enjoy,
this year’s new Holiday installment - out this week - is "Santa's Little Yelpers".
In this book we have defense attorney Andy Carpenter, from Paterson, NJ, yet again trying to retire for good when another case drops in his lap, peripherally linked to dogs and his dog charity.
I loved listening to Andy and the gang's newest adventure, it is just so fun to be along for the ride. Even if I I missed the bubelah brigade in this one.

If this is your first Andy Carpenter mystery you will have no trouble keeping up. The dry humor and banter - the legal tidbits, the strategy and planning, the books are just really fun courtroom mysteries. If you are in the mood for a well plotted, intricate mystery with a wintery setting this may be the book for you.

Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio and @minotaur_books for the ALC in exchange for an honest review !

This is a Legal Mystery, and this is the 26st book in the Andy Carpenter series. I have read all the other books in this series before picking up this book, but I do think you can read this book as a standalone series. I really love this series. Andy's character has a very dry sense of humor, but I feel it works. I found many parts of this book funny, but I wish the dogs had a bigger part in this book. I love that we got a little more about Marcus, and he talked a little bit. I did enjoy the mystery in this book, and the Christmas parts were cute. I did really enjoy how this book ends. There were parts of this book that made me think of another book in this series because I really think there was another book in this series that had a weird town in it. I cannot remember which book it was. I re-read this book by listening to the audiobook, and I really loved the narrator of this audiobook. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Minotaur Books) or author (David Rosenfelt) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Another fun addition to the Andy Carpenter series!

As I have said before, this series tends to be a bit formulaic, but I like that about the series. There are times I just want something predictable and fun. Andy isn't a character I would necessarily like in real life, but I find myself laughing at his dry humor. Andy is a lawyer and is once again trying to prove the innocence of his client. This time, his client was previously wrongly convicted and a key witness has admitted to lying and said he will recant his testimony. But he is killed before he can recant and the client is arrested for killing him.

The suspense level is pretty mild. There are usually some secondary characters who end up murdered along the way, usually leading to more clues in the original case. But the main characters are rarely in jeopardy. There are always dogs involved, though they play a smaller role in this book. Usually a dog is the reason Andy gets involved. This time, the client works at his dog rescue organization.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.