Dog Day Afternoon by David Rosenfelt (Andy Carpenter #29) 4.5 stars

Marcus, the strong, silent presence in many of the books from the Andy Carpenter series starts this book off. He brings a client that Andy can’t refuse because he personally asks Andy to represent an alleged mass murderer. Nick Williams is one the troubled guys that Marcus mentors. He is accused of going to his workplace and killing almost everybody there. However, Marcus vouches for his character and says he didn’t do it. This starts a long investigative process with a fairly convoluted plot. Can Andy prove Nick’s innocence and keep him from life imprisonment?

Marcus is like a constant character, more to be a point of Andy’s witty dialogue. This is the first time, we get any insight into his life. In any Andy Carpenter book, Marcus has little to say but he always has a big impact on the plot. The mystery was very intricate with many threads that ultimately led to a basic motive – greed and money. I enjoyed this book and it was a very fast read. I look forward to the next book in the series – The More the Terrier.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins/Minotaur Books for this ARC.

Andy Carpenter is a reluctant attorney. He’d be happy if he never went before a judge again. He has the Tara Foundation, a rescue for dogs in need, his son Ricky, wife Laurie, and football on television. Why work if you don’t have to?

Still, he keeps finding himself pulled into cases. With a sigh, he concedes the inevitable and gets ready for court with the help of his team of investigators and Marcus, who among other things, provides the muscle when needed. Being a physical coward, Andy appreciates his talent.

This time there’s been a mass shooting at a law firm—six dead, one survivor who names Nick as the masked shooter. Nick also worked at the firm and knows Marcus. Marcus knows Nick has been in trouble before—before he met Marcus, that is. Also, before Marcus took Nick and a neighbor to the Tara Foundation to adopt a dog. With that much reassurance, how could Andy turn down the case?

Nick’s alibi is iffy—a claim he was kidnapped and held for several days, then released in time to find out about the murders. He’s innocent—but can Andy convince a jury?

One thing’s for sure, if you’re ever in trouble, Andy’s your guy. The team gets along well as each have jobs to do and quirks that make them memorable. There’s a lot of joking by people who have serious jobs and need to let off steam. It will make you wish you were one of them. Between the crimes, the court appearances, and trying to keep up with Andy (there’s no getting one step ahead of him), these books always make my Best of List at the end of the year.

This is book 29 in the popular series. Rosenfelt has also written the K-Team mysteries (four), thrillers (nine), and two non-fiction books, with no signs of slowing down. Readers are very appreciative.

Here we go again - another engaging cozy mystery from David Rosenfelt, featuring reluctant lawyer Andy Carpenter and his ever growing circle of friends and associates. He's typically pulled into defending what seems to be a lost cause and it's the same this time.

Andy's taciturn investigator Marcus Clark has long mentored troubled young men and helped them to turn their lives around. One of them, Nick Williams, has been named a person of interest in a mass shooting at a law firm where he worked.

He's soon charged with mass murder and the game is afoot!

I'm not a law, courtroom drama fiction fan but I do enjoy Andy Carpenter series. This is book 29 and it's a good one. I've probably read about half of them because of the wonderful side story of the dog rescue home that Andy and his wife fund.
Retired lawyer Andy Carpenter has run the Tara Foundation—the dog rescue organization named after his beloved golden retriever—for years. It's always been his calling, even as Andy's pulled into representing clients in court. His investigator, Marcus Clark, has been at Andy's side for a long time. Even though they've known each other for years, Marcus keeps his personal life a mystery.
So it’s a shock when Marcus arrives at the Tara Foundation with two strangers in tow. Turns out Marcus takes disadvantaged young men under his wing, gets them jobs, a place to live, and a chance at a different life. And they want a dog. Andy’s specialty. One of the young men, Nick Williams, instantly falls in love with one of the dogs, Daisy.
When there’s a mass shooting at Nick’s work, leaving six dead, all signs point to Nick. Marcus, who's never asked Andy for anything, asks Andy for help. Despite Nick's troubled background, Andy trusts his friend and takes the case.

I love David Rosenfelt - and his puppies! In all seriousness, his is an auto-read series/author for me, and I was not disappointed.

Thanks to Marcus, Andy is back at it defending an innocent man charged with a horrendous crime. As usual Andy’s snarkiness and his team’s idiosyncrasies keep them moving forward with humor and surprise.

David Rosenfelt involves Andy Carpenter in another difficult case in Dog Day Afternoon. A law office is shot up with six dead and a young man that Andy's investigator Marcus has taken under his care is suspected of the murders. Andy takes the defense as a favor to Marcus and they find the young man who has been held captive in a warehouse for three days. As the case heats up, the law firm is confirmed to have dealt in suspicious malpractice cases and not paid out the full settlement to the clients. Bodies start dropping. Where is the buck going to land for the murders?

Andy Carpenter has been one of my 2024 discoveries and binge reads. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read the latest installment nice and early!

Watching the character development of Marcus has been fun and for once Andy gets to do Marcus a favor!

Princess Fuzzypants here: Even though there is a lack of felines in this series, I have to admit it is one of my favourites. I love Andy Carpenter. The characters around him are terrific and I love the right amount of self deprecating snark in his first person narrative. He is one Cracker Jack of a lawyer partly because he uses techniques that might skim on the wrong side of the law and partly because he takes no prisoners in his defence of the wrongly accused.

He takes Nick”s case because Marcus, his muscle, has asked him to defend the young man. Nick is on trial for workplace mass murder but he says he did not do it. In fact, he says he was otherwise occupied in an involuntary way and is being set up. As wild and unbelievable as it may seem, the deeper Andy digs, the more he realizes the guy is telling the truth. Now if he can just convince the jury. The body count increases before the villains are revealed and brought to justice. But the reader will enjoy the ride as Nick and his team do what they do best.

Five purrs and two paws up.

Great and loving book. This was very well written. I will be reading any future books by this author

Snarky Andy Carpenter is at it again. Grudgingly he takes on the defense of a young man who declares his innocence. Andy takes on this defense at the request of his bodyguard Marcus. The case is tough, and all evidence points to Andy's client. This twisty story is a delight and will keep readers entranced until the very end. For anyone who likes legal procedural mysteries and dogs.

This book was AMAZING! I so love the characters and the mystery was well done! I highly recommend this book to everyone!

was kind of bored with the story and didn't make it far admittedly, everything was kind of slow and just didn't catch my interest right away

Andy Carpenter is back!

And, as usual, he’s not all that happy about it.

Andy wants to retire, but his wife and friends always manage to find him one more person in need of his criminal defense expertise. The crime this time is a tough one to solve. Andy and his investigative team will be scrambling to put all the pieces together.

The plot is entertaining and kept me guessing.

But Andy’s constant snarkiness and childish sarcasm is beginning to grate on me. I feel like there’s been zero character growth over the course of this series. And I miss the dogs. Didn’t they play a bigger part in the earlier books?

At any rate, this is a fun, light mystery that’s easy to read in an afternoon.

*I received a free copy from Minotaur Books.*

I enjoyed this book the best so far. It feels like there’s more of an emotional connection. #DogDayAfternoon #NetGalley

Retirement has always proved elusive to Andy Carpenter. Although an attorney, he has not needed to work for a living for years. However, he finds himself as busy as ever. For one thing, his dog rescue the Tara Foundation is going quite well. But, that is not what is keeping Andy busy. Any has his wife Laurie always by his side, Andy also has his investigator, the ever-quiet Marcus is always there for Andy at the right place and right time.

This time around, in the 29th book of the series, it is Marcus who approaches Andy with a case. Let’s stop for a second and talk about Marcus. He is the silent, superhero in these series. I love Andy, no doubt about that, but Marcus is on another level entirely. In this book since it is Marcus who needs Andy’s help, readers get a deeper look at the man himself.

These addictive mysteries are available in multiple formats, including Kindle, audiobook and print. Grover Gardner has done an impressive job at narrating each and every one of these books. In fact, a dear friend recommended this series to me. I was so very happy to get nearly all of them from my library. There is also a spin-off series, his K-9 Team series, which is just as good as this Andy Carpenter series. All of these books are narrated by Gardner and his narration makes these wonderful books even more enjoyable. In fact, although I have book #30, The More the Terrier, as a Kindle ARC, I loved that I was able to listen to it as an audiobook copy for review.

Am I waxing poetic? If so, then it is more than justified. With refreshing characters, the cutest of dogs, excellent plots, ideal writing (and, oh, the snark!) and just the right amount of intrigue, Dog Day Afternoon is a perfect installment in a delightful series. Having only discovered this series less than a year and a half ago, I have inhaled each and every title.

Many thanks to Minotaur Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Dog Day Afternoon is the newest installment in David Rosenfelt’s Andy Carpenter series and I love this legal mystery series and this book was no exception. The banter is exceptional and the cases are sound, the procedural side of things actually makes sense (even to somebody working in the field like me). These books are quick to read and entertaining, well constructed and fun. Dog Day Afternoon sees attorney Andy Carpenter reluctantly accepting a new client who is being wanted after a shooting at a local law firm, was it really a disgruntled employee or is there more behind the sad deed ? As Andy sets out to uncover more with the help of his loyal associates, he knows this is a high stakes case that has everyone wanting a clear and easy solution. While the case is at the center of this book, there is, of course, also a Golden Retriever puppy, Daisy, who would love to be adopted by the potential criminal.

As usual, this can be read as a standalone, but you will miss out on the background of all the characters. It has been really fun to watch them over time.

I was just drawn into this story and I just couldn’t get enough of it. I was so disappointed to turn the last page and I immediately wanted more. I can’t wait to see what's next from this author.

4 stars = Great! Might re-read.

A great mystery in this long-running series. I really enjoy Andy's sarcasm and sass, and I like watching him and his team puzzle through a twisty case. I enjoyed beating Andy to the solution this time around, although there were still some surprises for me in the end.

Readers of this series could easily pick this book up out of order and have no issues following the story. I think it helps to read the first few in order so you can get a sense of Andy and of his team, but after that, the stories stand alone very well. (Language)

Andy Carpenter is once again dragged kicking and screaming into doing some actual work—this time at the request of his strong and silent buddy, Marcus. He agrees to defend a young man accused of killing a bunch of people in a law office, a job that does not endear him to his friends on the police force. The only things in the accused’s favor are his love of dogs and Marcus’s vote of confidence. As with all books in this series, this story is entertaining and told with humor. This one has more drama than usual, along with excellent courtroom scenes and a solid ending. I won’t hesitate to read the next in the series.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for a digital advance review copy.