I love this series. I can't believe this is book #27. Andy Carpenter is his funny snarky self, and the mystery is excellent. I did not guess the murderer at all.
I have met Rosenfelt at the Poisoned Pen bookstore in Scottsdale where he auctions a name in his book for money to give to dog rescues. He himself is a dog rescuer and he has 2 non fiction books about it.
Dogs are important characters in his book, there are now 3, the famous Golden Tara and 2 more plus a visiting dog.
The mystery surrounds the murder of an actor. His girlfriend, Jenny, a famous actress currently living in her mother's home in Patterson, is a friend of Andy's. The running joke is that they used to date in high school.
All of our favorite characters are her and the dialogue is witty , the trial interesting and the mystery complicated.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the EARC. I highly recommend the entire series.

3.5 stars

Andy Carpenter is a semi-retired New Jersey lawyer, who runs a dog adoption foundation and prefers dealing with the dogs or watching sports to practicing law. Lucky for him, he inherited enough money so that he only works when he feels like it. This time, a movie star who grew up in his hometown of Paterson, NJ is in the area to shoot a movie. She and Andy dated for a short time in high school and when her costar and former lover is found murdered in her NJ house (actually her mom’s former house), she calls Andy for help.

Carpenter is a wonderful character, extremely snarky as only a “Jersey guy” can be. Despite these being mysteries, Rosenfelt always manages to make me laugh several times over the course of the story with Carpenter’s observations or comments. In this book, his observations about both Newark Airport and LAX struck me as both funny and quite true.

Flop Dead Gorgeous is the 27th (!!) book in the Andy Carpenter series and that’s not even counting his related K Team series, which is now up to 4 books. Rosenfelt has been writing this series for over 20 years, so yes, there’s a formula, but they are delightful, funny books with intricate mysteries in each one.

It’s always fun to revisit favorite characters in a long-running series. However, Rosenfelt always does a good job with providing just enough backstory that someone can probably jump in anywhere in the series. I did (with Holy Chow, book 25). And I liked it so much, I went back to read book one to see how Andy wound up becoming rich enough only to take the cases he feels like taking.

I’ve listened to some of these books on audio and I could “hear” Grover Gardner’s narration in my head as I read this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Each new Andy Carpenter book captivates me again with the words, the humor, the sarcasm, the characters and the complicated mystery. Andy, an attorney who would really rather not be one, has a new case. Jenny Nichols, a famous actress, has been accused of murder. The man she broke up with has been found on her kitchen floor, stabbed in the back. She is immediately arrested and Andy has no choice but to defend her. He knows that she is not guilty, she has been set up and they went to high school together and sort of dated. As with all of Andy’s cases, it soon develops into a massive whodunnit that will encompass other suspects, murders, and police departments. Andy handles everything with his normal carefree manner as long as he has his wife, Laurie a former police officer and their friend Marcus. Marcus never says much, but you definitely want him watching your back. Another fast-paced mystery with Andy and his delightful and unconventional investigative team! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

This another enjoyable installment in the Andy Carpenter series. Andy Carpenter loves dogs and loves justice. He is a retired lawyer who cannot seem to quit practicing law. Now Andy will tango with the rich and famous in this story. Jenny Nichols is a high school friend who is now a famous actress. Andy will remind you quite a few times in this story that he used to date Jenny. He connected again previously with her when she adopted a dog from his rescue foundation. So, when she is town filming her newest movie, she invites Andy and Laurie to her party. There is a party crasher which provides a little excitement for the night, but everything heats up later that night when Jenny finds a dead body in her kitchen with a knife sticking out of his back. She has no idea how this happened, but the evidence is stacked against her. She hires Andy to represent her.

Andy is quite astute and observant about crime scenes and life in general. If I needed a lawyer to help prove my innocence, Andy would be my first choice. I just love the characters in this book and this series. The characters are engaging, realistic and likeable. The dogs and their antics are always a welcome addition to the story as well.

This is a mystery/legal thriller, but there is always a comedic undercurrent as well. Rosenfelt knows how to entertain you as the reader with a look inside the legal world without it being a bore fest. He always fools me down to the final pages as I try to solve the mystery. I am never disappointed in anything written by David Rosenfelt. This is another gold medal winner for him!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for my ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was so good! I had so many emotions, especially near the end, but I laughed throughout. You can't help but love Andy's sarcastic sense of humor. I enjoyed seeing all my favorite side characters, including Sam, Marcus, and Pete!

Andy Carpenter is called to the courtroom yet again, this time to defend Jenny Nichols, a high school girlfriend and famous actress who Andy reconnected with when she adopted a miniature French poodle through the Tara Foundation. Jenny calls 911 when she finds the body of her current costar, with whom she recently broke up, stabbed in the back in her kitchen, but when the police seem to think she must have killed him (since she was the only one home), her next call is to Andy. Andy brings the team together to try to find out what really happened since he knows the jury will only believe Jenny didn't do it if he can present them with a better suspect. I love this series, and Flop Dead Gorgeous does not disappoint: it has the usual dry humor (the author even pokes fun at himself) and enough alternative suspects and motives to keep you guessing.

"Retired lawyer Andy Carpenter remembers every dog that’s come through the Tara Foundation’s doors, but the most well-known alum of the dog rescue organization that Andy founded in Paterson, New Jersey, may be Mamie. Adopted by famous actress Jenny Nichols—Andy’s high school girlfriend—the miniature French poodle is now practically a starlet in her own right."
Jenny is in trouble. Her ex-fiance has been murdered by another woman but after going through a trial she is found guilty. Will Andy figure it out?
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book.

Another winner in the Andy Carpenter series. I do so enjoy the dry wit of the author. I am sure David Rosenfelt is just as tired of writing about Andy Carpenter as Andy seems to be of being an attorney. I do hope David continues though. He has made it further than Sue Grafton did in her alphabet series. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

Flop Dead Gorgeous by David Rosenfelt

Lights, camera, action in bestselling author, David Rosenfelt’s, Flop Dead Gorgeous, as Andy Carpenter goes bicoastal to prove an old friend’s innocence.

I enjoyed this book. I like the character, Andy Carpenter. It was clever and had many twists before Jenny’s innocence was proved.. It was fun following Andy’s theories. I recommend this book.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for my review.

In this 27th book in the 'Andy Carpenter' series, the Paterson, New Jersey defense attorney represents a Hollywood actress accused of murder.

*****

Ever since he inherited a large fortune, defense lawyer Andy Carpenter takes very few cases. Instead, Andy likes to hang out with his wife, son, and dogs; watch sports; schmooze with his friends; help run a canine rescue operation called 'The Tara Foundation'; and so on. Still, Andy accepts the occasional client when there's a good reason.

Andy is a sarcastic quipster whose frequent wisecracks make him unpopular with cops, prosecutors, and judges. So it's lucky that Andy knows his way around a courtroom, because he needs all his skills to defend film star Jenny Nichols.

Jenny Nichols grew up in Paterson, and is in town to film a movie in New York. As it happens, Jenny and Andy dated very briefly in high school, and - now that Jenny is a famous celebrity - Andy mentions this 'dating history' every other minute, to anyone and everyone.

In any case, Andy arranges a dinner party for Jenny at his favorite eatery, Charlie's Sports Bar. The guests are having a good time, enjoying the food and drinks, when the party is crashed by Jenny's ex-boyfriend, and current co-star, Ryan Griffin. Ryan is rude and pushy and insists that Jenny leave the party with him. Instead, Ryan and his bodyguards get thrown out by some of the guests, who know their way around a fight.

The next morning Ryan is found dead in the New Jersey house where Jenny is staying. Ryan was stabbed with a kitchen knife, and Jenny is arrested for murder. Andy immediately agrees to represent the actress, and he and his wife Laurie invite Jenny and her miniature poodle Mamie - who was adopted from The Tara Foundation - to stay with them pending trial.

Andy knows the best way to exonerate Jenny is to find the real killer, and he engages 'The K Team' detective agency to make inquiries. The K Team investigators are: Andy's wife Laurie - a former police officer; Corey Douglas - a retired cop; Simon Garfunkel - a K-9 German shepherd who worked with Corey at the Paterson Police Department; and Marcus Clark - the toughest, scariest guy on the planet.

In a scene where Andy and The K-Team are interviewing Ryan's belligerent bodyguards - Ruben, Danny, and Gurley - Ruben challenges Marcus to go out in the alley. Andy notes, "We just wait for the resolution of the dispute between the Moron Formerly Known as Ruben and Marcus. Unless Ruben has a marine battalion waiting in the alley to have his back, he is in major trouble. And even then......"

In addition to The K Team, Andy calls in his accountant Sam Willis - who can hack into any computer anywhere; his assistant attorney Eddie Dowd - who's especially good with paperwork; and his secretary Edna - who's too busy scouting locations for her destination wedding to actually do any work (so far Edna has ruled out North Korea and Somalia). Andy also flies out to Hollywood to get the scoop on the victim, Ryan Griffin.

Andy learns that Ryan was independently wealthy; was a producer as well as an actor; was a heavy drug user; was involved with a new streaming service; and was connected with a Belorussian gangster called Sergey Bondar. When more dead bodies turn up, Andy feverishly tries to prove that thugs were involved in all the homicides, including Ryan.

In between working hard to prepare for trial, Andy walks his dogs; watches baseball games; worries about his 14-year-old son Ricky's summer trip with a teen group; and so on. Musing about Ricky's vacation, Andy observes, "He's leaving tomorrow for the teen tour. I have this irrational fear that he's leaving a little kid, but in eight weeks is going to come back twenty-two years old, with a full beard wanting his own apartment."

Andy and his team eventually unearth a diabolical scheme that could conceivably happen in real life.

I'm a fan of the Andy Carpenter mysteries but this book isn't among the best in the series. The story has too many ancillary characters and the plot is confusing. Still, I enjoyed the mystery novel, which has a lot of Rosenfelt's usual humor.

Thanks to Netgalley, David Rosenfelt, and St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for a copy of the book.

David Rosenfelt is one of my favorite authors, this is the 27th Andy Carpenter book. It can be a stand alone but if you enjoy Flop Dead Gorgeous, there are 27 back list books to read. Andy defends an old high school friend, Jenny Nicholas, on a murder charge. When her ex boyfriend is found dead in her mother’s kitchen she is the only suspect. As always, David Rosenfelt offers a great mystery to solve and lots of fun dog facts and tales.
Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC of this book.

Flop Dead Gorgeous is book #27 is the Andy Carpenter series. Readers will have no issues reading this title without having read previous books as the author does a fantastic job of filling in the history within each book although you're missing out on the introduction and development of several characters if you skip ahead.

In Flop Dead Gorgeous, we once again find independently wealthy, semi-retired lawyer Andy Carpenter pulled back into the middle of a murder mystery. Actress Jenny Nichols is home for the funeral of her mother when her ex's body is found murdered in the home she's staying in. Andy's one claim to fame is that he dated Jenny in high school, and he misses no opportunity to repeat this tidbit to everyone in town. Jenny also owns one of the Tara Foundation rescue dogs named Mamie. All evidence points to Jenny as the killer, but Andy is convinced she didn't do it. To prove her innocence, he'll need to reveal the killer's identity.

All the Andy Carpenter books follow a formula - Andy declaring he's retired, someone needing his expertise in the court room and Andy and his support cast investigating the murder on their own. Having said that, I find each book to be a refreshing read with a murder case to be solved and a client to represent in court. What I love most about these books is the dogs, of course, but also the mingling of humorous dialogue sprinkled throughout the story. There are always some laugh out loud moments. Readers of previous books will love seeing the repeat characters. A steady pace through a few twists and turns will keep readers turning pages to the final courtroom scene.

Flop Dead Gorgeous is a lighthearted, sometimes funny mystery. It's the perfect book for a summer afternoon on the porch or at the beach. There's no way to resist the adorable cover or the title. I highly recommend it to fans of the series and fans of lighter mysteries.

This book is packed with everything I didn’t think I need. The main character is funny as hell, Andy is a criminal lawyer and he also solves cases too, he’s out in the field, doing investigative work, he’s a well-connected man. His wife is a retired Detective and I can’t stress enough how connected he is. I knew this book was going to be a hoot when as soon as you start this read he is bragging about dating this very well-known movie star in high school Jenny. But when Jenny comes back to their home town since her mother’s passing, she gets into some trouble, an ex-dead in her home, and she’s the accused. The great part of all of this is the dogs included, how he speaks about his dogs, and their characters and Jenny’s as well, also how badass he and his wife are at getting down to proving Jenny’s innocence. This book is worth the read!!

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Andy dated Jenny in high school, found her a dog to adopt, and now he's defending her in the murder of her co-star Ryan, a pretty rotten guy. But who did kill Ryan? As always, Rosenfelt has written a deceptively simple mystery that blends a bad guy from Belarus, money laundering, cybercrime, Hollywood, and streaming services with a more prosaic issue (no spoilers). If you haven't read the series, you'll be fine and you're in for a treat. If you have, this is a great addition. And fans be assured that as always, Andy is the one who figures out the solution from a clue we all see early on but miss until the last few pages. Andy is a great character- he's got heart and smarts and he works well with others (even if judges and prosecutors might differ). The supporting cast, which includes his wife Laurie, his pal the mysterious Marcus (somehow I've missed that Marcus has a wife until now), and best of all his dogs, is entertaining. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Great read.

Andy Carpenter dated Jenny Nichols in high school in Paterson, New Jersey. Now she’s a famous actor — think Jennifer Aniston. Or Jennifer Lawrence.

Making a movie nearby, Jenny is staying in her late mother’s home and hanging out with lawyer Andy and his wife, former cop Laurie. Having them around is convenient when Jenny’s co-star, and ex-boyfriend, is found stabbed in the back in her kitchen.

“Going to a murder scene is like going to Madison Square Garden the morning after a typical Knicks game,” Andy muses. “You know that something depressing and ugly happened there the night before, but at the moment it’s quiet and sterile. Instead of beer cups and popcorn kernels on the floor, there is blood spatter and chalk outlines.”

“Flop Dead Gorgeous” is David Rosenfelt’s 27th Andy Carpenter mystery, and you should read them all, or even better, listen to the audiobooks, voiced with perfection by Grover Gardner.

As always, Andy is dry and self-deprecating, whether reminding us that his wife is by far his superior or admitting proudly that he’s disliked by police (and prosecutors, for that matter) from coast to coast. He’d like to retire, but clients he can’t refuse keep dragging him back in.

The plots are not fluff, but there’s plenty of that from the dogs that populate every book, including Andy’s beloved golden retriever, Tara. (The guest dog in this one is Mamie, the little poodle Jenny adopted from the shelter Andy runs.)

Come for the dogs; stay to find out if Andy will ever manage to retire.

This is a delightful cozy mystery. Andy Carpenter is a lawyer who solves crimes. He provides enormous entertainment throughout the story. The dialogue is easy to read and sometimes funny. Andy is representing a girl he dated in high (who is now a movie star) who is believed to have murdered her ex boyfriend. There are interesting twists and turns as Andy and his cohorts investigate to find the real killer.

Andy Carpenter is the lawyer I would want on my side. This book was so funny and full of twists and turns.I couldn’t put it down. The Andy Carpenter series is not one that should be missed, but if you have, this book could stand alone. A big star finds her co-star dead on her kitchen floor. Instantly she is thought to be guilty and Andy will do his best to defend her.

This is a fast-paced and entertaining mystery. Andy Carpenter, the main character, solves this mystery with keen observation skills, wit and sarcasm, and a sense of humor. These books are always a delight to read, and I thoroughly enjoyed this read!

This is another fun Andy Carpenter mystery. Everything that I love about the other books is here. It introduces another dog and still talks about Andy’s others. This is just enjoyable reading without a lot of smut. Love the witty banter going on in Andy’s life. It reads fast and you know the courtroom is going to be last. I liked this ending that was different than the others. I like the no nonsense characters. I thoroughly liked this book and will look forward to the next book of David Rosenfelt.

When a new Andy Carpenter book becomes available, everyone knows to leave me alone to read. I've read every book in the series and loved them all. I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite....it would be impossible. If you have not read any of this series, i envy you. You have some GREAT reading ahead of you. This is #27 in the series, each could be read as a stand alone and enjoyed but you'd miss the history and developement of the cast of characters that keep Andy doing what he does best, winning cases and annoying the many who do not love him as we do.
An old friend is framed for murder but this time Andy and his support crew are having serious issues proving to the police they have the wrong woman. Andy's powers of observation continue to outshine mine, I thought I knew who did it but never would have figured out why. But I certainly enjoyed the investigation as it was in progress and look forward to the next time I'm lucky enough to have a new Carpenter book.